Reason 67: Comfy Clothes

100 Reasons I'm Retiring

Last August I did some “school shopping” and picked out the most comfortable slacks and tops I could find. One of the pairs of slacks I fell in love with was navy blue and I —fan of blue that I am—just KNEW it would pair with everything in my wardrobe. And it did. Navy blazer, white shirt, bright pink striped top, tan cardigan. It was on its way to becoming a staple of my wardrobe.

But there was something about the button above the zipper. The button poked at my slightly paunchy belly and left an imprint at the end of the day. I tried replacing the button with another which was just as awful. After repeatedly trying to “fix” the problem, I decided the navy slacks were just not worth it. I gave them to Good Will; maybe someone else can figure them out.

The point is, observes Cait Emma Burke of The Fashion Journal, “life’s too short to wear uncomfortable clothes.”

I gave up wearing high heels many years ago and only resort to a pair of black pumps I keep in my closet in the cases of the most extreme formal occasions (which I am rarely invited to). And “Hello, elastic waistbands” and “Good-bye to anything that feels too tight around my thighs.” I choose comfort over fashion, but I’ll admit I strive for both.

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

I’m not alone in this choice. Forbes Magazine reported in 2022 that 81% of 2,000 respondents made comfort a priority. Only 13% declared following the latest trends to be essential.

And then there’s LouLou Storey, style coach at the Styling Storey, who says, ““I think also in a changing world we need to feel safe; comfortable clothes can act like a subtle security blanket … there’s already enough discomfort in the wider world.”

I couldn’t agree more, LouLou. Give me my sweatshirt and well-worn jeans any day.

What types of clothes bring you comfort? Do you like dressy clothes, or are you a more T-shirt and jeans sort of person? Did your work require you to “dress up?”