Getting Cozy -- My favorite spoonie clothing hacks

"A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her clothes."

Vera Wang

Itchy, scratchy, tight, hot, denim. Need I say more? We humans are cursed to walk around in these things called clothes. I would be terrified to see most of us without them but holy shit they can bug man! Pull a little here, tug a little there, stretch a little all over. It's never ending.

When your pain sensors are on high alert this can be a pain in the rear. When you have allergies to materials this can trigger attacks. When your meds cause an influx or a decrease in weight then they fall off or god for bid they don't fit. I know they're stylish and all but for us spoonies this can be a hassle. I dread the days I have to put on actual clothes. If it has a button ( yes jeans I'm talking about you,) you can forgot about it.

So we talked about those wretched things called jeans...… So what in the world do I wear then? Leggings my friends. Sweet and straight from the gods. When swelling is on high or the bloating is real, leggings account for the stretch. Also let's be honest, it's like wearing pajama pants out in public, and its ALLOWED. (Lookin at you Walmart) My go to legging brand is Lularoe. THEY FEEL LIKE BUTTER YA'LL. Seriously, put those jeans right in the trash where they belong. For most people, me included, twenty five bucks a pair gets outrageous when I wear nothing but leggings. The thrift store for mine has become my best friend. I haven't spent more than seven dollars a pair!

Leggings on bottom...check. But what about on top? I suffer from bad heat intolerance.. More times than not I'm in a thin tee shirt or tank top. I find that spandex blends are cozy and comfy on me. Also if you can find them, buy tagless! I for the longest time would always get itchy and that turned into a full blow allergic reaction a time or two. On a rare occasion I get chilly though. This is where my hoodies come into play. I keep at least one at work and one in my car at all times. You have to take your body into account. Some days my hands don't work well enough for zippers. Crew neck it is. Most days my big joints (shoulder and elbow) don't want to cooperate together so zip up it is. I don't have a go to brand for hoodies but again I live for the thrift store man.

Next on down the body we have FUZZY SOCKS! Even in the dead of summer I can be found sporting these bad mamajammas. Of course n winter no outfit is complete without these either. While at home there is a trend; wear a little clothes as possible because they all hurt. Socks are my one exception. It can be snowing outside and ill be in a pair of sleep shorts and a sports bra with the biggest pair of fuzzy socks on my warm feet and be totally comfy. have found that Black Friday seems to be the best time to stock pile these to the hilts. Walmart and old Navy usually have multi packs for under five bucks .

Let's hit some unmentionables. As for undies, everyone has their preferred cut. I'll let you decipher that part on your own. I cant reiterate enough though about tagless! I go a step further and get seamless. Nothing is sexier than doing the dance we all know so well to unstick a wedgie or itch a scratch.

Brassiere. Sound fancy. More like pokey, stabey boob attacker. One word. underwire. Seriously, WHO IN THE HELL DECIDED THIS WAS THE ONLY SOCIALLY ACCEPTED OPTION? Bras are the worst invention. For ages I've always worn a bra that makes the girls appeal because that is what was engrained in m Then chronic illness hit. Then the ache of a bra after a long day turned into actual pain from the dislocating ribs being agitated. The once tender skin that was indented and burned by the garment moving was found out to be not normal in other girls. I decided no more. Bras aren't a daily requirement anymore." You'll make people uncomfortable." Yeah better them uncomfortable than me in pain. Now before anyone goes crazy there are times when bra is required. Sports bras became my go to if I didn't need to be fancy.

Moral of the story this week folks, choose yourself. Chronic illness is tough. Quit living by everyone else's requirements and standards. Don't feel well enough to change out of your pajamas? Don't. Pain levels too high to wear that bra? Don't. Bloated and can't (or don't want to ) wear pant? Wear a dress. Want to go to Walmart in the dead of winter in flip flops because real shoes hurt? DO IT ! This lesson took me 25 years. Sure I care what people think. Reality is other people will always have an opinion of you. Do you honestly care what the woman in the grocery store had this say in her head about your mistmatched socks? I have decided to dress for myself. Will you?