Fibromyalgia has brought many challenges and limitations into my life, not the least of which is finding clothes that are not painful to wear.
The hypersensitivity brought on by fibromyalgia can manifest itself in many forms and may vary with each individual. Some are hypersensitive to light, sound, scents, chemicals, medications, heat and/or cold. We frequently have many allergies, which is also a type of hypersensitivity.
In my case, one of my biggest hypersensitivities is my skin. There are very few lotions, soaps, facial products, etc. that don't cause me to break out in a rash. But what is even more difficult to deal with is the fact that most clothing hurts me. However, since society and personal modesty dictate that I be covered, I'm forced to do the best I can.
Although for some reason it is rarely discussed, I suspect many of you have a similar problem. So I thought I would share with you the things I've found that work best for me and I hope you'll do the same. Since I'm a woman, most of my suggestions are going to pertain to women's clothing because that's what I have personal experience with. But I hope any of you guys who have problems with painful clothing will comment as well and share any particular problems or anything you've found helpful in this area.
Fabric and Seams
My first rule for any clothing is that it must be incredibly soft. I usually gravitate to knits – cotton or polyester. I know polyester has a bad rep from those awful polyester pantsuits from the 1970s, but there are some nice polyester knit blends available today that are very soft and comfortable. Rayon and silk are also good soft options, but they usually have to be dry cleaned or hand washed so they're not fabrics I wear on a daily basis.
The challenge of finding comfortable sleepwear was solved for me when I discovered Goodnighties. The fabric is unbelievably soft, plus it is infused with negative ions, which helps me sleep more soundly and reduces my pain. I can't imagine ever again sleeping in anything else. Now if I could just find daily wear clothes as comfortable as my sleepwear.
In addition to the feel of the fabric itself, be sure to check the seams and the thread used. I've seen a piece of clothing made with a nice soft fabric ruined because the thread was scratchy and the inside of the seams were rough. The seams are going to rub against your body, so make sure they are as soft as the rest of the garment.
Style and Size
Comfortable styling is going to vary significantly from one person to another depending on personal taste, body shape and which parts of your body are most sensitive. For me, my neck is far and away the most sensitive part of my body. I can't stand anything touching or even coming close to my neck. Necklaces, turtlenecks, crew necks and even most collars are out of the question. That drastically limits the number of tops and dresses I can even consider.
