Womens' clothes no.2

[Ava6]

I'm starting a new thread on this because I can't find the old one.

Becoming a radfem has really dampened my previously unabashed love of fashion. I've never done high heels or anything too restrictive or skimpy; have always detested bras and synthetic materials (I can;t handle due to sensitive Aspie skin), but I now I look at all female clothing critically.

My mother ruined her and my lives for the past few years in part due to wearing stilettos when very young. She quit after a couple of years and they were only moderate height in her day, but it still did enough damage to need bunion removal surgery and give her terrible arthritis in middle age. She's been living in excruciating chronic pain with limited mobility for years now. The kicker is that I'm disabled and she's my sole carer. Not only is she not able to care for me in full, but for many years the pain worsened her mental health and she took it out on me and the stress probably contributed to my current disability. So I can't even look at stilettos calmly (especially the ugly modern monstrosities).

Swimwear positively drives me nuts. I shopped at a granny store to buy my swimsuits so I could find something with decent coverage. Even that's relative because the boylegs ride up in the back. And then there're the bra cups...Who the hell needs them in a swimsuit?? They're constrictive, burn into my skin and a nightmare to take on and off. A woman can't even go in the water without having to make her boobies look lovely for the male gaze.

The constant adjustment required when wearing female attire is bonkers. I suffer from debilitating chronic fatigue so every movement tires me and takes away from the very limited energy reserve I have per day. I've made a plan to shop in mens' deparments whenever I need anything comfy. I already buy mens' socks and some shoes.

[FactsAreNotMean]

Same here re jeans; I have one pair that I actually wear and that's fairly rarely (mostly when I feel like I should try to wear something a bit 'different') but they were a lucky well fitting and very soft find. Mostly they're as you say, restrictive and uncomfortable with too many places for them to not fit right!

The waistbands on dresses (and skirts admittedly but then there's multiple bits of clothing, and tops which can roll up, and do you tuck in or out?!?!) are often much more flexible in that you can adjust it up or down more easily when you sit to avoid it digging in and irritating

Don't give a monkey's what the male gaze thinks (apart from my DH!)

[LittleWingSoul]

Like you I have one pair of (skinny) jeans that I wear with heels and a top for a night out but the best bit is always prying them off at the end of the night!! And when I go out, it's generally with my also happily married girlfriends, not on the pull, not to attract male gaze, eating a curry and knocking back a few drinks. It just makes a change to wearing a dress I suppose. Don't know what the point of my post is really... other than judging whether someone is wearing something for the male gaze or not is a bit of a hazy area. Equally in the summer I wear shorts or skimpier outfits... more flesh on show but I feel fresher - again not for the male gaze!