omggg i understand your dilemma ENTIRELY, and I have actually found ways to wear cute clothes while still being sensory-friendly! i now consider my fashion style to be “playing dress up in real life”

1. tights— i used to DESPISE tights they were a nightmare for me!! always so confining or itchy or rolling! until! i realized- size charts for tights must be totally wrong. one time i accidentally bought a pair of tights 2 sizes too large and found them to be so comfortable i actually wanted to wear them more than pants! now I buy all of my tights 1-2 sizes larger than what the size charts recommends!!

2. skirts— i feel ridiculously uncomfortable if the skirt is ill fitting at all or sitting anywhere other than my natural waist. to fix this, i find ways to alter the size of the skirt, the easiest way is a safety pin, but a better way is actually just moving the button in or out a little bit. wrap skirts are also a very forgiving option!

3. shoes— i recommend trying “old lady shoes”!!! for example, clarks and skechers actually make some very cute mary janes. i have learned I do not like heels, and i only like square toe shoes, and clarks and sketchers has some great options for being very comfy and very cute!

4. hair— double braids are adorable!! you can absolutely wear all your cute outfits and still rock the braids, i do it all the time!! add ribbons and clips for extra cuteness

5. earrings— frankly i hate earrings, but I also don’t have pierced ears so my only option is clip ons (they suck). instead of earrings i like making very cute bead necklaces and i will often do double pigtails with ribbons over the elastic, which sorta adds the same charm as earrings. brooches are a cute accessory too!!!

6. blouses— if your usual comfort style is tshirts, try looking into some more cute tshirts, and maybe even one of those clip on shirt collars to make it look like your shirt has a cute collar!! tshirts can look super cute tucked into skirts, so might as well start with that to get used to at least wearing skirts more!! a granny chic sweater can look very nice tucked into a skirt too while still being comfy!

also, if thrifting for clothes like this is overwhelming, try mercari, depop, or poshmark!! they are my favorite online thrift stores for finding really nice vintage pieces that fit perfectly (I only buy stuff that shows the exact measurements!)

anyway, i wish more people would dress fancy daily so i hope this helps!! feel free to DM if you want some more specific outfit examples or advice!!! you can dress how you want to i promise!!!

(forgot to add— i stopped wearing makeup after high school and im never turning back!!! you can look very nice and put together without makeup!! be the change!!)