In my last post about chronic pain fashion, I talked about ditching the pants. But another integral step of comfortable clothing when you feel like crap is finding the type of fabric that makes you feel best. Fabrics that cling too tight and squeeze, itch, or don't breathe can make you feel even more awful when you're flaring; some can even promote symptoms like rashes and fevers. he best way to try out a variety of fabric is to go to the local secondhand store; wool, silk, cashmere and other luxurious fabrics become affordable, but you can also run your hands over a lot of polyester crap and figure out what that feels like too.A lot of this is about personal choice and trying stuff out for you, but here are some tips I've learned about various fabrics.
Cotton: Cotton is my standby fabric because it's so versatile. It breathes really well, which is a huge concern for those of us who suffer autoimmune fevers and hot swollen joints. It doesn't cling, it drapes well across the body and it moves with you-- important when you've got limited range of motion or when you use mobility devices. There are a bunch of different types of weave pattern for cotton from see-through-beach-cover-up to chunky-sweater, but essentially the clothes made of cotton are fairly lightweight and soft to the touch, so it's a great fabric for all manners of layering. The only drawback I've found is that cotton shrinks.
Wool: For outer-wear, wool is excellent. It's super warm, but it still breathes. For that reason, it's really great for layering. Being cold makes my joint pain and stiffness worse, an wool is excellent for keeping me toasty but not making me roast. Wool's a little stiffer than cotton, but overall still has excellent movement. The one downside can be that wool can be itchy. Really itchy. This is combated by either buying brushed wool (hello, cashmere!), or by strategic placement of layers between you and the wool. For this reason, many things made out of wool come lined in silk. Speaking of which...
Silk: Not much trumps the luxury factor of silk, and treating yourself to garments made out of such a soft material is a great pick-me-up for days when your illness leaves you feeling like crap. Silk blouses and scarves are soft and flowey, great for if you're dealing with skin issues, or if you just want to be cozy with something soft. Silk dresses and nighties are also wonderful, as both make you feel like you're wearing nothing.
Man-Mades (aka, polyester, nylon, lycra, etc.): Ahh, the dreaded petroleum! I try to stay away from man made fibers as much as I can, for a few reasons: it doesn't breathe, it clings all wrong, and it doesn't allow for good body-temperature regulation, which can leave you feeling like crap. Unfortunately, it's is really hard to avoid. As a general rule, a little can be okay, but you don't want it to make up the bulk of your garment.
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