I’ve been searching around quite a bit, but I can’t seem to find what I assume exists. I have chronic neuropathy over my arms, legs, and chest which makes wearing most clothes uncomfortable. Most full length pants become intolerably painful after a while. I wear mostly loose fitting athletic shorts and tshirts. Luckily, as a graduate student, I can get away with dressing however I like.
Recently, I’ve decided I need to get some full length pants and shirts for occasions which require them. I’ve been trying to do some research to find out if there are certain fabric types that are better for people with similar conditions, such as burn victims or diabetics (who sometimes suffer chronic neuropathy).
Does anyone have any ideas on what might be more comfortable for me to wear, and/or where I might go find such a thing?
It might be just a tightness issue, where loose fitting things are more comfortable, but it’s hard to tell. Jeans are certainly worse than loose fitting khakis, for example. Just curious if anyone has any thoughts.
I would go clothing shopping in person, look for silk or microfiber. Possibly linen, but that wrinkles dreadfully, but can have a nice smooth heavy cool [temperature] feel to it. I would avoid most synthetics other than microfiber.
mrAru has a few sets of work slacks and shirts in microfiber that he finds very comfortable. I got them for him for vacation wear a couple years ago.
Sometimes 100% rayon can be very comfortable.
I swear by 100% cotton, non-permanent press. Check the seams to make sure they aren’t sewn with nylon thread. Ironing seems to make the itching less, but maybe it’s a psychological thing for me. Silk is also very comfortable, but its upkeep is hellish.
If, perchance, you’re female, go with jersey knit dresses.
I recommend knit pants if you can find nice enough ones for men. It might be worth your while to go to a tailor and have a pair of knit pants made that don’t look like sweats. There is no reason they cannot look like dress trousers.
Silk is about the best fabric around for sensitive skin. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive. But you can find it blended with cotton, linen and rayon sometimes. It might be worth your while to go to a taylor and have a pair of knit pants made.
Cottonique is a brand for people with sensitive skin. There is also a fabric called DermaSmart that my dermatologist has mentioned to me. Believe it or not, I think it is available through a pharma company.
OMG. Don’t listen to these people! You won’t EVER be taken seriously in knit, silk or linen pants. Please do not do this.
Go to a high-end department store (think Saks, Neiman Marcus, etc.) and tell them you want custom-made slacks. They’re not actually custom-made, they’re more like “made to one of the 20 body-types you fit best and then custom tailored.” Pick out a nice summer-weight wool and be honest with the old guy taking measurements because he knows his shit. Have the pants fully-lined in a slippery fabric if need be. It will be expensive, but at least you won’t look like you time-warped straight out of the early 80s.
Chronic neuropathy and wool pants, even well-lined, wool pants do not mesh. Ever.
I understand why you say “no” to knit pants because they can never look as formal as woven dress trousers but wool isn’t a good choice. He needs the lightest fabrics he can get away with.
Travelsmith used to carry beautiful dress silk slack that are even washable --my husband wore a pair to our wedding in 2003. They don’t seem to carry exactly those anymore, but in general I’ve found their clothing well designed for comfort but with a traditional look.
I highly recommend silk for tender skin. Yes, it is possible to find nice silk shirts and slacks that don’t make you look like Don Johnson.
This is true for me. I don’t care HOW nice the wool is, I’ma gonna itch. The only thing that allows me to wear my wool ruana is wearing two layers of clothing underneath it. Even then, I have to be careful not to touch the wool too much with my hands.
For those who can wear wool, I understand that it’s a very nice fabric, if it’s good quality it will drape well and breathe and not feel cold when wet and all sorts of good features. But some of us can’t wear wool. And especially, we can’t knit or crochet with it, if we want usable hands in the next couple of weeks.
Thank you all for the replies, it’s certainly given me much more to go on than I had before. I promise to check back in to let you know what worked out the best for me :).
ETA: Oh, and my field is computer engineering, so I can pretty much get away with wearing anything reasonable, even if goofy looking. At least at the places I’ve worked before. The discomfort of most clothing is such that if something is comfortable, I’d be happy to wear it, unless absolutely outrageous looking.
My thought is try some silk long johns worn under your clothes. This could allow a greater range of fabrics for shirts and pants, and would reduce any rubbing/abrasion on your skin.
Okay, let’s talk about your job then. If you’re not retired, you’re either a trust-fund baby or stuck in a dead-end job where you feel that you – to quote Rodney Dangerfield – get no respect.
Like it or not, men’s fashion is standardized by industry: You conform or you don’t get ahead. There are very specific uniforms for men and if you think linen is one of them, I am sorry for your career. Linen is messy and wrinkled and if you think an employer wants that as a figurehead, feel free to continue to delude yourself.
But the industry the OP is in is computer engineering, not finance, law or acadamia.
I work in IT for a large multinational. They probably wouldn’t hire a manager who wore a wool suit. Sure, a blazer and tie for the interview but day-to-day, even the mid-level managers are tie-less and in Dockers.
