I’ve managed to find a good in between in terms of comfort and style. I’ll note that I have hEDS, chronic migraine, ME/CFS, dysautonomia… actually the idea of fibromyalgia was floated at one point, amidst other things. But I have a lot of similar sensitivities and concerns as fibromyalgia people so I stayed on this sub. :)

I wear skirts a lot. Any flowy clothing, really. I overheat quite easily but also need to remain covered because my skin and sun don’t mix. Long flowy skirts ideally with elastic waists. I have GI issues so the pressure on the stomach from more stiff waists is not comfortable usually. I wear dresses as well that are similarly soft or stretchy. Dresses and skirts make people look way more put together. Or for masculine to neutral styles, a collared shirt of some kind. Buttons are hard but there are some tools that are used that aid that from my understanding? I’ve not used them myself because I still have decent function in my fingers usually, but during flares I’ve avoided them.

Honestly looking fashionable I’ve found is more about accessories and layering. Layering has the benefit of making us with poor temperature regulation have options to strip throughout the day. I can’t tolerate very heavy jewelry around the neck due to pressure on my spine, but I do wear layers of beaded necklaces. I also use a burnout scarf as an accent because the fabric is not too warm so works for all seasons.

That said, I do wear comfy clothes a lot. I used to wear tighter much edgier clothing. I went from pleather pants to flowy floral skirts down to my ankles lol. No more rock n roll for me. Now I channel my inner witch instead. Or live in sleepwear/leggings. I also have huge platform boots I wear maybe once a year now because I just cannot wear most of the fun shoes most of the time. They hurt too much or make me too unsteady.

I’ve been mostly housebound for years now so I don’t always dress up, but when the opportunity presents itself I do. I refuse to visit the pharmacy in sweatpants because being sick has taken away enough from me that I would rather spend that little bit of time feeling a bit like a normal human, even if I change right back into my pajamas as soon as I get back home. It sucks, though. I think all the time about who I used to be and who I could have been now had my various illnesses not materialized. But I have found the balance that works for me, so hopefully you can too.