The Sensory Politics of Clothing: Fashion as Regulation, Armor, and Language
Bridgette Hamstead
Clothing is often treated as a matter of personal taste, aesthetic preference, or cultural expression, but for many neurodivergent people, it is far more complex and nuanced. What we wear is not just about style. It is about managing our relationship to the world. Clothing serves as a form of sensory regulation, emotional armor, boundary-setting, and self-expression. For those with heightened sensory sensitivities or unique ways of processing touch and texture, every fabric choice and fit becomes part of an intricate negotiation between comfort, safety, identity, and communication. The politics of clothing are deeply embedded in neurodivergent experience, yet they are often overlooked by both mainstream fashion industries and broader societal conversations around disability and identity.
For autistic individuals and others with sensory processing differences, clothing can be either a source of intense relief or an ongoing source of distress. The sensation of a tag scratching at the neck, a seam pressing against the skin, or stiff fabric restricting movement can trigger overwhelm, dysregulation, or shutdown. Conversely, the right clothing can help regulate the nervous system. Soft fabrics, weighty layers, snug fits, or garments with stretch can provide grounding input that helps a person feel more connected to their body and environment. In this sense, clothing becomes a tool for sensory regulation. It is not an accessory to life but a necessity for functioning and well-being.
This sensory relationship with clothing is deeply personal but often misinterpreted. What may look to others like pickiness, fussiness, or defiance is often a deeply felt attempt to protect one's nervous system. The refusal to wear jeans or certain shoes, the preference for hoodies regardless of weather, or the insistence on specific textures are not whims. They are boundaries. They are survival strategies. And yet, in educational, professional, and social settings, these needs are frequently dismissed. Dress codes, gender norms, and fashion expectations often collide with neurodivergent embodiment, reinforcing the idea that comfort is secondary to conformity. Children are punished in schools for not adhering to uniform standards. Adults are seen as unprofessional if their clothing appears too casual or too eccentric. The underlying message is that how one looks matters more than how one feels.
This clash between societal expectations and neurodivergent sensory needs turns fashion into a site of constant negotiation. Many neurodivergent people learn to dress in ways that minimize external judgment, even when it causes internal discomfort. They mask through clothing just as they mask through speech, behavior, and affect. A stiff blazer might be worn to an interview despite the way it restricts breathing or causes sensory pain. Formal shoes might be chosen over preferred sneakers to avoid ridicule or rejection. These choices are often not choices at all. They are coercions, shaped by the need to navigate ableist spaces without drawing negative attention. The clothing that helps us survive one kind of scrutiny often undermines our ability to exist in our bodies comfortably.
At the same time, clothing can also be a powerful site of resistance. When neurodivergent people begin to unmask, many reclaim their right to dress in ways that feel good rather than look right. They might embrace clothing that soothes the skin, that moves with the body, or that signals identity in an honest and direct way. For some, this means dressing in sensory-friendly layers, soft cottons, or loose silhouettes that accommodate movement and self-stimulatory behavior. For others, it means adopting bold patterns, colors, or accessories that reflect inner worlds long hidden. Clothing becomes not just comfort but language. It says, I am here. I am me. I do not exist to please your eyes or follow your rules. I exist to feel safe in my body.
Fashion also becomes a form of armor. For many neurodivergent people, the world feels unpredictable and unsafe. Clothing offers structure and control in a landscape that is often chaotic. The routine of wearing the same outfit or style every day is not laziness or lack of imagination. It is a method of conserving energy and reducing uncertainty. Familiar clothes reduce decision fatigue, soothe anxiety, and allow energy to be directed toward other tasks. Uniform dressing, whether it takes the form of black t-shirts or soft jumpsuits, becomes a calming ritual. In a world that demands constant adaptation, clothing becomes one thing that remains known.
The relationship between clothing and gender identity is especially layered for neurodivergent individuals, many of whom are also trans or nonbinary. The overlap between autism and gender diversity is well documented. For these individuals, clothing often becomes a central way to affirm and explore gender identity in the face of societal confusion or resistance. It allows expression without needing verbal explanation. It helps reinforce a sense of authenticity when navigating spaces that do not reflect or respect one’s gender. At the same time, these clothing choices are frequently policed more harshly. Neurodivergent people who express nonconforming gender identities through fashion often face double scrutiny. First for being visibly neurodivergent and second for not adhering to traditional gender norms. The cost of authenticity can be high, yet for many, the alternative is intolerable.
For some neurodivergent people, clothing is also a form of artistic expression. It can become a wearable manifestation of internal experiences, sensory fascinations, or special interests. Clothing can tell a story or create a world. It can signal membership in a subculture, express solidarity with a community, or simply reflect joy in a color or texture. This creative engagement with fashion is often misunderstood or minimized. Yet it is as valid as any form of communication. It is a way of existing visibly, unapologetically, and in alignment with one’s internal truth.
At its core, the sensory politics of clothing ask us to rethink the assumptions we make about what people wear and why. It challenges the idea that style is purely aesthetic or that comfort is a luxury. For neurodivergent people, fashion is not just about looking good. It is about feeling regulated, protected, and seen. It is about reclaiming space in a world that so often demands our silence and invisibility. When we view clothing through this lens, we begin to understand how deeply it is tied to autonomy, dignity, and self-expression.
To honor neurodivergent relationships with clothing, we must broaden our understanding of what fashion can be. We must make space for sensory-friendly clothing in professional and formal settings. We must challenge rigid dress codes that prioritize appearance over access. We must recognize that clothing can be a form of access need just like lighting, rest breaks, or communication support. We must stop pathologizing comfort and start respecting it as a form of agency.
The clothes we wear tell stories. For neurodivergent people, those stories are often ones of survival, resistance, adaptation, and reclamation. When we listen to those stories without judgment, we begin to understand that fashion is not trivial or shallow. It is embodied language. It is negotiation. It is power. And for those of us who live in bodies that the world does not always understand, it can be one of the most important tools we have.
Ways Clothing Functions for Neurodivergent People:
Sensory Regulation: Soft fabrics, seamless designs, loose or snug fits, and temperature-adaptive layers can help regulate the nervous system and provide comfort in overstimulating environments.
Emotional Armor: Familiar or predictable outfits can offer a sense of safety and control in a world that often feels chaotic or unsafe, acting as a buffer between the individual and external scrutiny.
Boundary Setting: Certain clothing choices, like wearing headphones, hoodies, or specific color palettes, can nonverbally communicate the need for space, privacy, or low stimulation.
Routine and Predictability: Wearing the same or similar outfits each day can reduce decision fatigue, support executive functioning, and provide a grounding sense of structure.
Creative Expression: Fashion can be a way to embody special interests, sensory joys, and internal states through patterns, colors, accessories, or thematic choices.
Gender Affirmation: Clothing often plays a vital role in expressing gender identity, especially for neurodivergent trans and nonbinary individuals, by creating a sense of authenticity and alignment with self.
Masking and Camouflage: Many neurodivergent people choose outfits that help them blend into expected environments, even when those choices cause discomfort, in order to avoid being singled out or misunderstood.
Language Without Words: Fashion becomes a communication tool, signaling mood, identity, culture, intention, or affiliation without requiring verbal explanation.
Clothing-Related Challenges Neurodivergent People Face:
Dress codes that prioritize aesthetics over access and ignore sensory needs
Misinterpretation of sensory aversions as behavioral issues or defiance
Social and professional expectations that require masking through fashion
Judgment or ridicule for unconventional or repetitive outfit choices
Double scrutiny for neurodivergent people with nonconforming gender expression
Limited access to affordable, sensory-friendly, and inclusive fashion options
Ways to Support Neurodivergent Autonomy in Fashion:
Respect sensory preferences and clothing routines without shame or correction
Avoid policing "appropriateness" when it undermines comfort or self-expression
Advocate for inclusive dress codes in schools, workplaces, and formal settings
Celebrate clothing as a valid access need, not a matter of discipline or appearance
Honor fashion as a form of neurodivergent language, creativity, and resistance
Clothing is never just about appearance. For many neurodivergent people, it is a vital form of self-regulation, identity expression, communication, and protection. The choices we make about what we wear are deeply informed by our sensory needs, our lived experiences, and our efforts to navigate a world that often feels unsafe, confusing, or exclusionary. When our clothing preferences are dismissed as laziness, stubbornness, or eccentricity, it reinforces the very systems of ableism and conformity that so many of us are actively resisting.
To truly understand the meaning of fashion in neurodivergent lives, we must shift our perspective. We must see clothing not as an optional aesthetic but as a form of accessibility, a tool for survival, and a language of truth. We must listen when someone says they cannot wear a certain fabric or style, not because they are being difficult, but because their body is speaking in ways that deserve to be honored. We must celebrate the creativity, honesty, and courage it takes to dress for one’s own comfort and authenticity in a world that demands sameness. Clothing is not trivial. For neurodivergent people, it can be a deeply embodied expression of autonomy and a quiet act of resistance. When we affirm this, we help build a culture where everyone is allowed to be fully, comfortably, and visibly themselves.