The blog of photographer Kim Ayres

Naked choice

I’ve never been a fashionista. If clothes more or less fit and have pockets where it’s useful to have them, then that’s tended to be good enough for me.

I’m not bothered about the latest designs or colour schemes, and I have no idea whether I look better in blue or brown. Given a preference I will probably choose black because it is less likely to clash with anything.

Periodically clothes will wear out, become too large or too small depending on weight changes, or just get so stained it begins to get a bit embarrassing, so I have to traipse wearily around high street shops that were never designed for me.

Whether it's shirts or trousers or jackets or an extra layer to keep me warm, each time I discover it’s impossible to find anything I might feel remotely comfortable in. Do plain, heavy cotton shirts without logos on them actually exist any more, or are they just too unfashionable to contemplate making?

A depressing trawl round Dumfries today revealed I have 2 options only. I can either go for the Metrosexual or Retired Pensioner look: clothes for slightly effeminate 20-somethings, or attire my septuagenarian father is comfortable in. Understated practical clothing for a bearded 40-something is unavailable.

I suppose I could mix and match and end up looking like a gay granddad, but somehow it doesn’t appeal...


11 comments

savannah said...

wish i had a suggestion for you, sugar, but i seem to have the same sort of problem as a 60-something woman. no one makes comfortable, simple clothing anymore or rather, affordable, simple, comfortable clothing! i guess my only tip is, if you find stuff you like, buy as much of it as you can afford because once it's gone, they will NOT replace the stock! xoxoxox

hope said...

Tell you what. Since most trousers I buy, even those labeled "petite", come with about 4" too much material, I'll just start saving it, send it to you and maybe Maggie can whip you up a shirt..like an art project. :)

Hubby likes these shirts, simple, plain cotton in colors. http://www.columbia.com/mens-shirts/men-shirts,default,sc.html

Sure, he has the name of his Archery Shop on a couple of them for work, but the rest are just as simple as can be.

Then again, maybe the Easter Bunny could bring you shirts instead of chocolate eggs. :)

Anonymous said...

the same is true for women's clothes...either lady of the evening attire or something really drab...not much in between and what there is I can't afford :)

I do what savannah said...when I find something I like I buy several...'cause I'll never find it again

if I was much of a seamstress I'd sew my own...I'm not so I don't :(

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

I hhhhate wearing clothes with logos, ewww. It's too 'mass behaviour-ish', if you know what I mean.

When I was in Florida in December, my sister and I went through torture trying to find classy clothes for my mother to wear to a wedding, shees.

There's a business idea there, waiting to be snatched up.

katierobertsart said...

Oh you may be a great photographer, but you DO write really well... got me giggling again Kim! :D

Kim Ayres said...

Savannah - I guess "affordable" should have come in there somewhere. If we could afford our own personal clothes designer I'm sure it would cease to be a problem :)

Hope - chocolate shirts? ;)

Theanne - given the huge gaps in the market for reasonable clothes, you would have thought someone, somewhere should have realised there's a fortune to be made.

GG - I know even less about classy clothes. I don't think I've every worn them...

Katie - always pleased to put a smile on your face :)

j said...

What about American Apparel? Affordable, yes. Plain, no logos, yes. Teenagers wearing it? Unfortunately, yes but about as basic as it gets! Oh, and we make affordable custom tailored clothing too, but mostly for women ;)

Attila the Mom said...

LOL! When I was heavier I used to look at certain outfits and think, "wow, I wish I could wear that". Now that I've lost a gazillion pounds, I can't really find anything I like. So I've just been sticking with basic black until something grabs me. It's depressing.

Anonymous said...

That's funny! Seems you and I have yet something else in common.

Mimi and Tilly said...

I hate clothes shopping with a passion. I don't have the shape that women's shops cater for so end up sitting in the changing room feeling flustered, hot & defeated... I now shop for clothes in charity shops & have no trouble snapping up bargains & clothes that fit. Charity shops seem to be smaller so fewer rails to go through. They only have one of everything so I can see straight away the things I like. Much less tiring & much more fun.The staff are always lovely, chatty & helpful & the whole experience feels more human. I don't know if that mught be a solution for you but it's solved the clothing problem for me. Em x

Kim Ayres said...

Farrah - I'll take a look, thanks :)

Attila - I know the problem. When I was 275lbs I used to think my clothing problems would be solved if I lost weight. Now I'm about 185lbs and there's nothing worth wearing...

Allen - :)

Em - I don't know what it's like where you are, but it seems all the charity shops around here are full of women's clothes, with one rack, if lucky, of men's stuff. I think in general men tend to wear clothes until they wear out, so not so much stuff makes its way to charity shops...

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