Callista wrote:
Those of you who wear the exact same items (rather than copies of the same item) daily--I highly suggest switching over to wearing fresh clothes every day. I'm a girl and I don't sweat that much, but even I can tell after a day that I need to change clothes. Unwashed clothes can be overwhelming to many people, NT and Aspie alike.
Now, I'm not saying it has to be Priority Number One. There are more important things than smelling nice. However, since it does impact people around you, some effort should be made, for their sake and because you yourself will probably have an easier time communicating when people aren't distracted by your smell.
If you have an aide, or are on the edge of needing one, then this may be a matter to discuss with them, because let's face it--care for people with disabilities is often substandard, and many people who need it don't get it. But if it's something you can address, then it should definitely be on the list.
I've lately found it rather tempting just not to change clothes. It's just one more thing to keep track of, one more thing to worry about. So I can't really think badly of people who don't; a lot of the time, it just isn't their fault, and I just have to deal with the fact that sometimes I'm exposed to sensory input I can't tolerate well. But if you can keep yourself and your clothes clean, you should.
Here's the thing, though: I change my clothing during the day, and wear the same frumpy clothing during the night (most of the time). I don't wear the frumpy clothing out normally. I say normally when I mean that I care enough. Lately, though, I care enough. And I wear perfume, LOL.