Since having kids, my clothing style has morphed into what is definitely recognizable as “mommy fashion.” In my closet, you’ll find a few pair of dependable, but not exactly fashionable “mommy jeans,” as well as sweatshirts and sweatpants that I can throw on when I want to feel comfortable or don’t want to worry about what I am wearing.
Now, a good deal of my “fashion” choice (if you could call it that) is caused by my non-skinny waistline. While I once had an enviable physique and ran at least three miles a day, now that I have kids, I am lucky if I get in any exercise in at all. So, rather than squeeze myself into too tight jeans (or admitting that I might need a larger size), I’d rather don baggy jeans or loose-fitting sweats.
“Fashion” Can Make You Ill
Well, it turns out that while I might be committing multiple crimes against fashion (TV program “What Not to Wear” would have a field day with me), it turns out that by wearing the loose-fitting clothes that I do, I might be doing my health a favor. ABC “Good Morning America” just came out with a report today that says that too-tight jeans can cause everything from nerve discomfort and tingling, abdominal pain and heartburn. Too-tight jeans aren’t the only torturous clothing items to cause discomfort – tummy-slimming undergarments made of Lycra and Spandex can cause the same kind of ills, too, ABC says.
Those pumps and high heels that other women wear (but I don’t, thanks to the bunions I’ve had since I was 9!) can cause discomfort and health ills, too, including sprained ankles, disfigured toes (like my bunions) and arthritis. So I guess I shouldn’t be too sad that my feet condition doesn’t allow me to wear fashionable high heels, or tight boots.
Men’s Fashion Ills
Women might suffer most of the fashion-related health problems, but ABC says men aren’t immune either: They too can get tummy problems from ill-fitting pants, and those ties that they sometimes have to wear can cause tension in the back and neck and, because they aren’t washed very often, are a “breeding ground” for infection. Yuck! I my husband and I have to get those ties washed – before they make one of us sick!
Below is a CBS video from YouTube on the health hazards of tight jeans.
Hah! I am becoming so aware of the dangers of wearing heels. I don’t want to find out the hard way that they cause arthritis and joint issues later in life. You have to figure that it’s not normal to have your foot at such an angle for 8+ hours/day. Unfortunately, when it comes to those low-heel riding boots that are so popular, my “athletic” calves don’t fit in most of them. Who are all the women with the birdy legs buying these boots????
Thanks for the comment, Val!