social anxiety & personal fashion/style

i have only recently begun to think critically about the ways in which my social anxiety governs and is reflected in my own personal style.
and while this may seem like one small facet of my anxiety (and one that some may perceive as trivial) i am realizing the ways in which it interacts with larger issues like socializing and interacting with the outside world.

i also wonder how much of style would be the same if my anxiety was not something that i dealt with as well as how much of my style and taste aesthetics in general are inspired by my anxieties.

i stopped wearing nail polish for almost a year because i became hyper-conscious and insecure about what my coworkers and peers at school thought. i haven't had my hair cut professionally for 7 years because not only is making the appointment terrifying but so is sitting in the chair/interacting with the stylist and the thought of getting a haircut in which i would be mortified to be seen in public with. i also only ever wear my hair up in the same style as changing it, i fear, would bring too much attention. i don't wear/buy certain footwear with the fear of the sounds the heels would make, risk of slipping, the way in which it would alter my walk or make me taller and stand out.
colour and fabric is also an issue. nothing too bright or glitzy. and i see this issue trickling into accessories and make-up as well as well as getting new up-to-date glasses. i also find that i prefer colder weather fashions because it means i am more covered, can hide behind layers and often keep my scarf on in doors because it is something i can easily hide behind.

i think my earliest memory of anxiety in relation to fashion and appearance was when i was about 9 or 10 and had lost my hair elastic after a school trip to the pool and i was panicking because i always wore my hair up in a ponytail and was petrified of my peers noticing that i had changed my hair, commenting on it, judging me, and standing out..when in reality, i received purely positive feedback and only a few of my close friends noticed. also, as a small child i felt uncomfortable when i had to wear makeup for ballet recitals as i was sure that it made me look clownish and stood out, and i still do feel like that, to this day.

i guess i am just wondering if anyone else on here has experienced similar instances?

i most definitely have. I've got some nice outfits just chillin in my closet, rarely worn because i don't want to stand out in school. I hate bringing any attention to myself. I rarely tey any creative hairstyles, and i don't own heels because i'm self conscious about my height. i'm already 5'5" 3/4 so i'd be even taller with heels. I feel the same way about weaking makeup n stuffs. people compliment me on those rare occasions where i look nicer than usual but i just don't like the attention haha. but then at the same time i like looking nice, just scared of peoples' judgments. Plus in winter I tend to wear more layers than most people in my school because i'm colder than most people, but i've noticed when I'm talking to someone while feeling very anxious, my body temperature tends to rise.

I've always been pretty self-conscious about my clothing. Before, I just wanted to wear what the other girls would wear because then I wouldn't be the odd one out. But it left me feeling uncomfortable. I started wearing only pants and t-shirts, very baggy clothing. And for as long as I can remember, I've had the bad habit of tugging on the bottom of my shirt in an attempt to cover my legs more. Having a body type that I don't particularly like has really bothered me a lot, and so I've started buying even bigger clothes. I'll probably get a collection of 2XL hoodies because they're really big on me and don't highlight any of my features. I really don't like the attention...

thanks so much for your response and for sharing your experience.

through my own experience with social anxiety, it is the fear of judgment and the ways in which i am perceived by the world around me which is fundamental to my experience with anxiety, so it makes sense that how i feel in social situations is very much connected to what i am wearing/how i feel like i am presenting myself.

my comfortability in what i am wearing dictates where i go, how i interact with other people down to the very route i will take to get to my destination. if i feel particularly anxious about a certain outfit i may act more awkwardly around people, say less, change my route from busy streets to side streets etc. also, for some reason, i have found myself more often wearing clothes that i like but feel anxious over due to standing out, exclusively in the evenings, or if the place i am going will be darker, or i can wear a coat over it or even if i am planning on being a little inebriated.

also, in the past i have owned clothes that were not being worn not because i didn't feel comfortable wearing them but because i also didn't feel comfortable going to a social function where i could wear them to.

i also know exactly what you mean by wearing layers despite knowing you'll feel over heated/flushed during social interactions!

Yeah, my sense of style has definitely been affected by anxiety.
Normally I'll wear jeans and hoodies, the baggier the better. (Whenever I saw friends, I liked to hide in them.)
I started wearing makeup, but very minimal, and just enough to feel as though I was blending in. It's a little frustrating in general because I do have lots of ideas for clothes I would like to wear, but I feel overly conscious even if I wear a skirt.. so it's probably not going to happen for a while.
Recently though, I got bangs for the first time, and I'm really excited and happy about them. (It helps that I'm not working at the moment so I wouldn't have to worry about my coworker's reactions.)

Yes all this exactly! When I first started wearing make up I was terrified people would notice and either think I thought I was prettier than I was and deserved the attention make up asks for or that I thought I was ugly and needed make up. I only got one comment when I started wearing eyeliner and it was along the lines of "Oh man, you're wearing eyeliner. I like it. Let's go eat something." I almost never wore my hair any way than a neat ponytail or down (and not down often because it was long and annoying) because I thought people would think I was stupid for trying a new hair style and failing. I think I wore a braid once and took it out after first block.

I always wanted to wear all the pretty new fashions they advertised at the start of school. I'd go out and buy one or two awesome things then go back to wearing t-shirts and jeans most of the time to fly under the radar. That is until about junior year of high school when one of my friends claimed I wore a lot of low cut tops. I had maybe two low cut tops and wore them maybe every couple weeks so this simply wasn't true and I told her it wasn't true. It still killed my ability to even want to wear low cut everyday shirts. I ended up with a massive collection of men's t-shirts a size up from what actually fits me (though a good part of my wardrobe was such before she said that to me). I've only been adding women's shirts for a little under a year. So this impaired my fashion drastically for about 3 years.

I remember one time in elementary school that I wore shorts and when I got to school no one else was wearing shorts and I demanded to be taken home to change. I still remember how nauseous I was at the thought of everyone thinking I couldn't even judge the weather and wear appropriate leg wear. My mom did take me home to change because I started crying and refused to get out of the car and we only lived two blocks away. I also remember being so very relieved when I got back to school and it wasn't just that all the kids outside happened to be wearing pants, there were only one or two kids in shorts that day.

In my Freshman year of high school, I had a comfort hoodie that I wore every day over my other clothes. Around the end of the year, my hoodie was in the wash right before I had to go to school, and I had a panic attack. I ended up missing my first class because my mom couldn't get me to leave the house without it.

Y'know, I never even thought about it until now, but I think my social anxiety is also affecting my personal style. When I was younger, I would wear what I wanted and never gave a crap what anyone else thought or said about it. Now-a-days, my style is much more... well, simple. It just doesn't stand out. And I used to love standing out. I used to have bright pink hair!
I did notice, however, that when I did have my bright pink hair, I was much more confident. Despite is drawing more attention to me, I actually enjoyed the confidence boost it gave me.
I would love to dye my hair again a bright, wonderful colour, in the hopes of getting all my confidence back, but the job I am in now would fire me right away

As for getting my hair cut - I hate it. I hate having to sit in an [uncomfortable] chair for hours having to make small talk with a random stranger who is cutting my hair. Also, the last haircut I had (over a year ago... eek!) wasn't what I wanted at all, but I was just too scared to say anything, and now I'm terrified that the same thing will happen again.

I want the bright, individual ME back, but it's a struggle

I have a similar thing going on to some of the above replies.
I have some really pretty clothes in my cupboard, but I end up wearing tracksuit pants and T-shirts every day because I'm scared people will notice me and ask questions.

I'd like to add to the haircut hate. It's like all aspects of my anxiety combined into one- conversing with a stranger, focusing on my personal appearance, physical contact, and having to pay with a tip (was it too much? was it too little?).

As for a style, I've always felt like I was out of synch with the way other people dress, like there was this dress code printed somewhere that I didn't have a chance to look at. Or maybe it's just because I like dressing up a bit, but it makes me feel self-conscious at the same time. Thinking that I'm dressing too formally for an occasion. I've been trying to buy less visible clothing lately, but it just doesn't feel right.

I have to say that recently I came into possession of a 'statement' leather jacket. From the second I laid eyes on it, I loved it.

But it took me two months to actually wear it. I was terrified that as it was a statement piece (although not something crazy - just more crazy than I had been used to lately) that people would ask me about it, look at me more, etc etc.

However, I decided to take the plunge and wore it to the concert of one of my favourite bands, and I'm really glad I did. I didn't get any bad or unwanted attention, and when I met the lead singer of the band, he actually complimented me on my jacket, saying it was awesome.

Since then, I wear it whenever I can, and it's actually given me some confidence!

Next stop - getting my hair cut.
I'm thinking of taking along a friend to get hers cut at the same time, therefore I can interact with her and am not forced to interact with the hairdresser all the time.

I have always had BDD as well as social anxiety. In high school I was afflicted with bad acne and something called hyper hydrosis which causes you to sweat more than normal. I also just hated the way I looked in general. I hid under big black sweatshirts no matter what time of year, and not just for the sweating but mostly to hide my face as much as possible under the hood. I would sit in front of the mirror for hours a day analyzing what was wrong with my facial structure, my body, etc.
Luckily I grew out of the acne, I grew into my 5'11" frame, lost the baby fat in my face and body. I felt better a little better about myself. At least my appearance didn't want to make me kill myself anymore. Then I was approached by the producers of America's Next Top Model and they really wanted me for their show. I know that it sounds like bragging, but this was the first time that I felt I was not hideous. That maybe I was pretty. I still cannot look at pictures of myself, forget that. But at least I am a little more confident.
I really like clothes and because I am tall and thin they look good on me. I also like to wear a nice pair of heels once in a while. I will do my hair and makeup and ask my mother for advice as I go "does this look ridiculous?" "do I look ugly?" "is this stupid?". She reassures me it isn't and I look at the mirror in the comfort of my parent's house, looking good, not overdone, feeling confident and beautiful.
Once I walk out into public I can feel eyes on me. I feel like I get judged for everything. I used to have some really bitchy, nasty friends and I know the things they say about girls for no reason because in fact they are most likely jealous.
Anyway, I feel confident before I leave the house, i know that I haven't dressed outrageously. Once I step out I feel so self conscience. I wish that I were short and not easy spotted, or that I had decided to wear my big black sweatshirt so nobody could see that I might have become an attractive young woman.
I guess what I really need to do is not be so shy and awkward while dressed well, I have realized that I come off as a bitch. Instead I need to make myself comfortable and everyone else around me comfortable.
It is so easy when you write it down, "oh, this is all I need to do".
It is so much harder than that though.

OMG I feel you!! I come off that way too, and it makes me a loner, no one wants to be around my awkward self, so much easier said than done, being comfortable around others I mean. *sigh*