Special Ordering Temple Garments

[NerdGirl]

Have any of you ever special-ordered garments for any reason, and if so, how did it go for you? I have basically stopped wearing my garments for reasons that I will get into in a minute. And I think I have literally tried every fabric and style, including one-piece, maternity, and nursing tops, and some men's styles (which don't really work under women's clothes). There are three problems that I have with garments. First, the cups don't fit (even the full cup is too small for me). The fit might not seem like that big of a deal, but when I'm doing medical things that require concentration and that require me not to be twitchy, I really need my clothes to not be moving around and having things pop out of them. I've tried wearing a bra under them instead of over them, but that still doesn't work well because the tops are too short because of the cups not fitting, and that makes the waistband on the bottoms touch my skin, which leads into problem number 2 - I get contact dermatitis from the lace and from the elastic in the waistbands (it's been diagnosed by a legitimate doctor who gave me steroid cream and told me to stop wearing them). This was actually the main reason I stopped wearing them, because my doctor told me to. I had this really bad rash around my belly button, around my neck, around my upper arms, and around my knees - right where the lace and elastic are. If I'm going to try to wear them again, I need to get some that don't have lace and that have either no waistband or a covered waistband (and in case you're wondering, the underwear I have replaced them with has no elastic around the waist and legs). Problem number three is more of a minor problem - when I'm having a bad flare-up of my GI issues, the waistband is in exactly the wrong spot and just makes the pain worse. That could simply be solved by wearing one-pieces if problems one and two didn't exist.

So I was thinking about this today, because every now and then I try putting them on again and end up taking them off after a few hours and today was one of those days. And I had the thought that if I could get some one-piece garments with no lace and with a cup size that's bigger than the full cup (and the one-pieces don't even come in full-cup, by the way), that might solve all of my problems and I could wear them again. I've talked to the distribution center workers about the cup issue in the past, and I basically got accused of wanting to wear immodest clothes, which didn't even make sense, but that seems to be the default reaction when people complain about how garments fit. So I am just wondering if anyone has experience with calling the phone number to special order them. Is it worth trying, or are they going to accuse me of wanting to be immodest? Will they even make them without the lace? The lace is kind of a deal-breaker. I can wear them for short periods of time without developing contact dermatitis, but I am scared to have that lace on my skin 24/7 again because it took about a month of putting steroid cream on it (after I had stopped wearing my garments) to get rid of that stupid rash. Any thoughts? It's been several months since I stopped wearing them, and I don't feel like it's necessarily bad for me to not be wearing them because I really think that God understands why I'm not wearing them (and I'm not convinced that God cares as deeply about our underwear as we think), but I honestly love the symbolism of temple garments and for the last decade they have really been a source of spiritual comfort for me, and if there's a way for me to be able to wear them again, I would really like to.

[bobtheenchantedone]

... I had never thought about the possibility that garments wouldn't have big enough cup sizes...

NOOOOOOOOOOO I HATE ILL-FITTING CLOTHING ESPECIALLY OF THE BOOB-COVERING KIND

I am now picturing myself having all kinds possibly inappropriate conversations with distribution center workers. ("GUYS. These are H's. Normal clothes DO NOT FIT THEM.")

So I called my mom, since she has experience with garments and such, and she suggested a couple of things. One was talk to your bishop, as he might have suggestions or at least might believe that you're not trying to wear immodest clothes and be able to talk to others about getting special garments. Two was that the lace, at least, can easily be removed (she's ripped it off of hers before due to discomfort), and you might be able to find someone who can sew some fabric of over the waistband so it's covered.

She also suggested a camisole top for the cup issues, but it sounds like you've already been there done that.

[Whistler]

I was reading on store.lds.org and it sounds like special ordering is exactly what you need. According to the site it even includes "Personal preferences for garments made in style and fabric combinations not otherwise available may also be filled through special order for an additional charge." And yours is a medical _need_, not a preference. The customer support number is 1-800-537-5971; maybe the people answering the phones will be more understanding than the check-out workers?

[chillygator]

To second Whistler, it is SOOO easy to have garments specially made. They do it all the time--particularly if there's a health or medical issue. Apparently you can also call the Relief Society offices (at least, that's what my mom did -- they had to special-order some for my grandma when she was sick with cancer and couldn't wear the regular ones due to medical stuff).

And I though they stopped making them with lace? At least the "new" (maybe a year or two old) ones I have don't have lace, but still a waistband.

I'm sure you won't have any trouble if you go directly to the source.

[Portia]

Isn't this all rather expensive? How does it compare to, say, lingerie from Nordstrom's in cost? I am quite happy with my underwear situation and am glad I am not looking to change it anytime soon.

[C is for]

I can't imagine that special-ordering is much more expensive than ready-made, which is very cheap. I'm guessing $10 or less for a one-piece, even specially made.

Edit: Just looked it up, I bought two sets this summer for $12, so that's $3 each for normal ones.

NerdGirl, I really hope this works out for you! I think it'll be a great option. And bob, now you know. Hooray! Forewarned is forearmed, etc.

[chillygator]

And this is from the store.lds.org website:

Special Needs Garments

Some members have a need for garments that meet particular needs. Some surgical procedures such as mastectomies or colostomies may make standard garments uncomfortable or unworkable. Garments adapted to these needs are available through special order.

Special orders are also available for members who are unable to obtain correct sizing in standard garments or who have workplace requirements. Special orders for these reasons will be priced the same as standard garments. Personal preferences for garments made in style and fabric combinations not otherwise available may also be filled through special order for an additional charge.

If you have a sizing concern, a medical need, or a special requirement at your workplace please call Customer Support and discuss your situation with a service representative. They will assist you in finding a garment to serve your needs or help you place a special order. All special orders for garments must be placed in quantities of two and must be prepaid. Allow 8-10 weeks for delivery.

I'm sure if you call them they will be happy to help. I'd call and ask pricing, but I hate phones so, that won't happen.

[TheAnswerIs42]

So, I actually used to work at Beehive Clothing making garments (sweat-shop style). I was a worker bee that wasn't involved in the special order section, but on my first day they toured us around the whole plant and talked to us about the special order area. And their entire goal was to help out people like you! They said that they did a lot for military (they actually have to have them in camo colors, in some cases), and all different sizes, all the time. And the cost is the exact same as the ones you buy on the rack. The cost is subsidized anyway, so they don't charge extra no matter what your needs. I'm really sad that the distribution center people weren't helpful, because the entire goal for that section was to make sure that everyone had garments they could wear, no matter what their needs. Please call them!

[NerdGirl]

Thanks, peeps! I will call them this week and see what happens!

Bob - yeah, the normal cup ones are B cup and the full cup ones are DD. Doesn't quite do it for people like us.

I'll let you all know what I end up doing after I call them!