01.08.2024
Lipedema Column – Part 4
Lipedema and Shopping: A Difficult Matter
Shopping is something nice, you can pamper yourself, transform yourself, express yourself, your style, and your uniqueness. Fashion knows no boundaries and everyone can present themselves as they wish. For women with lipedema, strolling can become a major challenge, followed by frustration and anger at the disease lipedema.
The fat distribution disorder, characterized by shapelessness, often makes it difficult to find suitable, comfortable, and beautiful clothing. Or to find the clothing that one perceives as beautiful for oneself.
How often do I buy something just because it fits, even though I don't really like it that much...
But what exactly is it that I find so challenging about shopping (lipedema in the legs)?
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Fit and Sizes: This is really so bad and frustrating. You look for clothes that fit well and are comfortable. Often, those of us affected by lipedema have disproportionate body shapes with narrower upper bodies and pronounced, thicker legs and/or arms. Therefore, standard sizes in stores almost never fit, making the search for pants or clothing very difficult.
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Comfort: In addition to the fit, I also want to wear comfortable clothing. Pants that are too tight and fabrics without stretch can be very uncomfortable and create a feeling of tightness, even exacerbating discomfort. Furthermore, the clothing must also be able to be worn with compression, which often limits the selection significantly.
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Disadvantage: With lipedema, one feels disadvantaged by the limited selection of beautiful and fashionable clothing in common and large fashion stores. Fashion that one likes, is stylish, and also wearable is very hard to find. This often leads to a depressing shopping experience.
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Changing rooms: Who came up with this lighting in changing rooms? Here, one's entire lipedema is shown in a very unflattering light, and unfortunately, this only reinforces the negative self-image.
My solutions and tips for a better shopping experience and feeling
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Stretchy Materials: I only buy pants and clothing with elastic materials now. The fabrics adapt to your body and the lipedema excellently. This way, you feel much more comfortable, especially in combination with compression clothing.
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Loose Clothing: It is best to say goodbye to clothing that is too tight. Loose clothing pairs well with lipedema and compression.
Online shopping: This offers the advantage that you can try on clothes at home in your comfort zone. Before that, you can also calmly and without stress enter the appropriate materials as filters and, for example, only see pants with a stretch component. -
Strengthen self-acceptance: This is the most difficult and yet very important for us women with lipedema. We must learn to accept ourselves as we are. I know this is really not easy, but it can help a lot.
Don't give up and stay strong. Find your own style that makes you shine and thus also makes you glow!
All the best for you,
Talia