Let's face it, folks. Most clothes in stores seem to be made for someone else. Not for me, not for you. And we seem to be only in the very early stages of understanding what to do about clothing humanity. For instance, if you think your feet hurt, think of this. Until sometime in the latter part of the nineteenth century, shoes were made generically, with no thought to our having left and right feet.
Of course, the positive side of that was that you simply couldn't put your shoes on the wrong feet.

We don't all have the same size feet, or girth, or height, and this makes finding clothing a bit of a problem sometimes.
I did a bit of hunting on the WWW to find some places that feature clothing for those of us with special needs because of our size, work, limited mobility and special interests.

Riding that motorcycle through cold territory? Gerbing's Heated Clothing

Not everyone has feet that match as far as shoe size is concerned. If your feet are two different sizes, here's a place to go and find someone with the opposite set - then trade shoes! SoleMates Shoe Exchange

For clothing customers who have underdeveloped limbs, are amputees, or who use a wheelchair for mobility, check these sites: Anitavee's Adaptive Apparel Wardrobe Wagon - Special Needs Clothing Store USA Jeans They basically do a custom fit and will do low-rise jeans, so if you or someone you know is affected by any form of dwarfism or are just very short in stature, they might be helpful. Adrian's Closet Fordes Functional Fashions Accessible Threads Custom garments. Rolli-Moden Designer clothing for people in chairs. Trisha's of Acton Sleepwear, ponchos, more. North Coast Medical Clothing aids, such as dressing sticks and aids for putting on panty hose. Specially For You Includes clever one-piece sweatsuits. Lokina Designs Abilitywear Handi-Robe by Creative Designs

In addition to checking with USA Jeans, people of especially short stature might want to try: Country Road Fashions Since they do custom measurements, you could, for example, get a good fit if you're short but have average or long arms. Hitchcock Wide Shoes For Men Roomy widths in sizes as small as 5. By the way, I learned a great tip while researching this area: Shoes with velcro are wonderful for kids and adults who have short limbs and a limited ability to bend and tie shoelaces. But this was the topper: If you still can't reach the velcro, a plain old pair of kitchen tongs is a great aid for fastening the velcro!

Mosquitos feasting on you every time you step outside in the summer? Skeeta Protective Wear

Lingerie for women who have had mastectomies: A Private Affair: A Women's Specialty Shop

The other day Ron and I actually saw a young teen wearing in-line skates and trying to navigate a bicycle near a busy street--no helmet, no knee pads. If you love your child, outfit 'em now! For the outdoor adventurer: Yucca Dune Appalachian Ski and Outdoors Aviation Apparel - Flightsuits and Flying Clothing

Seeking all-cotton, hemp, or other natural fiber clothing? Under The Canopy Decent Exposures Cotton Undies for Women and Girls Fair Trade Natural Clothing Oregon Cotton Mill Indo-Pacific Silk Aloha Classic Shirts

Why do they want fashion models who are over 5'8" but they don't sell clothing for
tall women?
Ah, but a few places do:
Extreme Lengths - Clothing for Tall Women
Long Elegant Legs
WinterSilks
L.L. Bean
J. Crew
Eddie Bauer
Tall Classics
Height of Fashion
Tall Temptations, Inc.
Stringbeans
Tall Vicki's Women's Apparel
IC3D Jeans Send measurements or send them a pair of jeans that fit, and they'll clone them.
Body Language
NIC Apparel
Tall Etc
Long Tall Clothing Company (Australia)
Action FitCustom leotards and swimwear - great for Talls or anyone else needing a custom fit.
Muldoon's (mostly men's, but adding some women's items)(server may be temporarily down)
Eddie Bauer Good long-torso fits available in casual wear.
Peggy Lutz - Plus Size Clothing (sizes seem to start at 14, so this may not be for tall thin types)
JCPenney

Plus sizes, large sizes, Big Men and Women:
Neel Gagan Indian Clothing and Apparel
HerGearSports and Active Wear
The Queen's BoutiqueUndies and more.
Better Half FashionsWomen's Clothing in sizes 18W to 40W.
Rocky Mountain JeansWomen's sizes 16W to 30W, also some Tall inseams of 36 inches.
Big and Tall DirectMen's Clothing.
Epic MenswearBusiness and Casual.
Big Men Tall Men Stout Men's ShopEverything from underwear to formal wear.
Maxwell BoxerMen's boxer shorts - also smaller sizes.
High and Mighty Big and Tall Menswear
Think Big Casual Male Big and Tall
Hajjar's Big and Tall Men's Clothing
Note: Many of the other URL's listed on this page also carry larger sizes, so do browse around.

Guys, if you just can't find shirts you like in the department stores, and you don't live near a deft tailor: Ripley Custom Shirtmakers

If nothing will do but that you make your own clothes, and you have a pattern you love, but it's just too, too small: My Own Pattern

While we're on the topic of clothing, I happen to be a fan of knee socks. Can anyone tell me a reliable source for knee socks for women, especially if they come in queen or tall sizes?
White ones will do, but I especially seek the black, navy, and other colored ones.

Did you go to that last Civil War Reenactment, Medieval Gathering or Renaissance Faire in jeans and a tee-shirt and feel a bit too modern? Reproductions of Historical Clothing MoiRandall's Web Catalog Shadow's Treasure Chest Medieval and Renaissance Clothing Creative Garb Round Two Costumes Past Reflections - Civil War Clothing The Celtic Weaver Grand Illusions Clothing Company - Civil War Uniforms and Clothing Sense and Sensibility Clothing Valentine Armouries - Costumes and Clothing Men's Vintage Fashions by Carol Nolan Zoot Suits and Oxford Baggies Visabella Mythic Clothing Much of it suitable in our time period.

Specifically on making your own period clothing: Past Patterns Farmhouse Fabrics Nineteenth Century Reproduction Fabrics Victoria Louise, Mercers Patterns, Heirloom Fabrics and Notions, trims, more.

Speaking of making your own: Fabrics and Accesories for those of you brave enough to craft your own fashions: AWB Velvets Velvets, Velveteen, printed, embossed. Designer Jeans, Inc. Including instructions, fasteners, denim-strength needles. Frostline Kits Outdoor and Insulated Apparel Kits Linda Clifford - Tartan Fabric You can even get custom-designed tartans Sun Jose Hawaii Polynesian Fabrics Batiks Etcetera Jeannies Just Sew Shop Lingerie fabrics, appliques, and accessories. Ginsco Trims Sew What's New Patterns Patterns for Wearable Art Celeste And Blanc Royal Laces Sew Fabulous African fabrics Sew Divine Designer Fabrics Birch Street Clothing Patterns Very attractive - they make me wish I could sew!

And now one for helping others help themselves:
Have any business/work clothing you're tired of, but have kept in excellent condition?
If you happen to live in Southern California, this place can use donations.
Clothes The Deal
And there is the New York-based:
Dress For Success
This site lists more programs:
Bottomless Closet - Similar Organizations
More programs exist. If your area isn't one of them, consider getting together with other professionals to start one.

On Kosovo and Littleton: Did anyone else feel the searing irony in the comments our U.S. President made concerning the violence at Columbine High School (something about teaching our kids that violence isn't the answer) followed by firm remarks concerning military attacks in Yugoslavia/Kosovo?
We can blame child violence on the media, on video games, on the NRA, on school officials, drugs, TV, and a dozen other things, but when are we going to realize that children learn their most important lessons by watching adults?
If adults cannot settle adult differences without war, how can we expect children to learn this lesson?

This is not a jab at the suffering people in the Kosovo region at all. And it's not a political statement on who is wrong and who is right in the conflicts there. I'm just pointing out our failings as adult residents of Planet Earth to give children a good example.

I have one other general gripe about war. Have you ever noticed in the line-up of the world leaders who are making decisions to start wars (ethnical cleansing, grabs for territory, bombing the "enemy" posts to immobilze their efforts, any aspect of war) that nearly all of these people are males over the age of 50?
Now notice the line-up of those who fly or maintain the stealth bombers, load weapons onto the ships, and march in bloody combat. The faces are all young. Once they were young men, but now they are both men and women.
If the political old gents cannot get along, perhaps it's time they fought their own battles and left living to the young.

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