A hundred moments in autism - Fashion

Fashion is one of these super neurotypical (NT) skills that are seemingly picked up by magic. Other kids at school always knew what to wear, what was no longer in fashion, but how and where they found this out was a total mystery to me.  Although it probably relates to the fact that have no interest in the 'Hey nice shoes" conversations that dominate so much of NT life.

For whatever reason I have never understood the rules of fashion. One example of this from my school sixth form days. Sixth formers in my school didn't have to wear uniform. One day I decided to wear my favourite shirt and trousers from my pre-sixth-former days. The headmaster stopped me as I tried to enter through the front entrance (which was reserved for staff and sixth formers).

"Only sixth formers are allowed through this entrance," he said.

"But I am a sixth former," I said. "I'm in your Law class."

"You don't have to wear uniform in the sixth form," he said.

"I know," I said, "but we're not banned from wearing it."  

Uniform in my school was just dark smart trousers and a blue or white shirt, not some elaborate tie and blazer combo. Nothing extraordinary about wearing dark trousers and a blue shirt when you felt like it, you might think, but I was apparently the first sixth former in the entire history of the school to wear such items.

This is the sort of thing that autists struggle to understand about NT rules and norms. Why should stop wearing your favourite comfortable clothes just because you no longer HAVE to wear them. It makes no sense to me. Then some idiot sixth former will say something like "Isn't it great that you can wear anything you want to school now," NTs are beyond words at times.

I soon settled into a jeans, T-shirt, beard and glasses outfit, which I'm still wearing now - only the sizes have changed (and the colour of the beard and strength of the glasses).

Autists sensory issues with clothing combined with our incomprehension of the complex social rules relating to fashion are one of the reasons autists often struggle to fit in. We look different before we even speak.