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What To Wear When You’ve Got Your Period

What To Wear When You’ve Got Your Period
Carly Jacobs
A

few weeks ago I went to see my bestie in a play. She was magnificent as always and made the three hour long Albee epic, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf completely captivating with her goofy portrayal of Honey.

I like to get dressed up for the theatre because I just feel like it’s good manners. I will never, ever get over what a privilege it is to see live theatre. It’s actual people performing live for you – I will never not think that’s the coolest thing in the world. So I popped on my favourite structural white frock and went off to opening night and didn’t even think about what anxiety that would cause me sitting for three hours on a white dress on the first day of my period.

I’ve had my period for AGES, so leaks are very rare these days but they do happen every now and then. I switched to a menstrual cup a few years ago (best decision EVER) but one of the draw backs is that there’s no absorption whatsoever so if you’re having a heavy day and you didn’t get a chance to empty your cup… well you know where I’m going with this.

The end of this story is not dramatic at all. I didn’t leak but I did spend a large portion of the evening leaning from one butt cheek to the other making sure there wasn’t a Red Wedding situation happening on my chair. It was all good but I was super anxious all night and really annoyed at myself for wearing white. What a doofus. Here’s what to wear when you’ve got your period… just in case you’re about to hit your 15 year Period-versary and you forgot that white + period = bad.

what to wear when you've got your period

Wearing

Dress from Marimekko – This is just about the most exxy dress I’ve ever bought. It cost me about $300 (gasp! And that was on sale!) but it’s paid for itself ten fold. I wear it all the time. I would actually be quite happy wearing this exact cut of dress for the rest of my life, I love it so much.

Tights from Big W – I wear these when it’s that time of the month because they’re so stretchy and comfy. I find hardcore black nylon tights a bit restrictive when it’s period time.

Boots from Ecco – best purchase ever. These babies are made from gortex so I can practically swim in them and they keep my feet dry.

Bag made by me – It’s this months Crochet Coach project. If you’re keen to learn to how to crochet (and make this sweet as bag!) you can have a 7 day free trial! So you can go in, check it out and see if it’s your thing.

Tips…

Don’t wear jeans

This may not apply to everyone but pants or jeans are not my friend when I’ve got my period. I just find any additional pressure in that area is just not something I need. Free flowing or stretchy is what I need.

Don’t wear white

I can’t believe I’m actually writing this but I just constantly forget and end up wearing white. I do own a lot of white stuff so this does accidentally happen sometimes but yeah. If you suffer anxiety or crazy heavy periods or both, just don’t with the white.

Don’t wear stuff that only fits you on a good day

Another thing I like to do is wear things that are on the small side so when I try to zip them over my bloaty period belly I feel like a whale. Don’t do this. If you know something doesn’t fit well, don’t try to make it happen when you’ve got your period. It will only end in tears. This dress is magic – it looks pretty shmick but it’s crazy comfortable.

what to wear when you've got your period

This outfit was worn for a day of working – shooting Crochet Coach videos, recording Straight & Curly, writing and having a cheeky little dinner with my parentals Canberra. All that jazz.

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What’s your standard period outfit? Or are you one of those lucky ladies where your period doesn’t really affect your life at all?

 

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13 Comments

  1. Emily Furlong 7 years ago

    Oh I feel your anxiety…. I run the gauntlet every month as I looooooove white linen on my bed and I invariably wake up with mine. What a good morning surprise! Sometimes it’s a war scene, sometimes I’m lucky. This month I was lucky. I wear dresses, and flats. My hips are shit at the best of times, so any sort of heel while my pelvis is throbbing and uncomfortable is out of the question. I’m about to experience my 22nd anniversary of this delightfully side effect of being born female and am currently guiding my daughter through her first year. Every month she’s said to me at least once “this is not fair mum”. No it’s not kid, no it’s not.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      I’m the same! I can’t cope with any additional pain whatsoever when I have my period. My body is like ‘nope!’ not happening. I don’t think it’s fair either – everyone is like ‘oh boys have things they go through too!’. Not every month for 40 years.

    • Jane Gundogan 7 years ago

      I had to laugh at your “war scene” comment Emily. My daughter got her very first period last May. We were in Estonia at a 5 Seconds of Summer concert (I know but still better a better concert than Justin Bieber). Best night of her life became the worst morning after. We woke to a Freddy Kruger situation with blood from one end of the Marriott 300 blend white bedsheets to the other. I had to ring housekeeping and apologise profusely.

      Despite Daughter’s embarrassment she still threw this little gem out there, “5SOS made me a woman”!

      Dear God give me the strength!

  2. Reannon 7 years ago

    First, you are looking SUPER slim!!! It looks like you’ve dropped a stack of weight!! Go you!!!
    Second, that dress is gorgeous! I really like that style too.
    And finally, one of good friends uses a cup too & thinks it’s the best. It’s something I think I’d like to try but I’m a bit scared. Not sure why.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Oh yay! Thank you! I haven’t eaten carbs or sugar or drunk alcohol all year so it’s about bloody time I start looking different. Still haven’t lost actual weight but have lost inches. Cup is the best thing ever for real. I love mine.

  3. Lisa 7 years ago

    I’m a heavy flow-er if you catch my drift. Jeans, I’ve learned, get more than a little tight due to major bloating. It’s pure torture so, of course, I’ll be cranky as hell. I need to get those boots and the tights. I’ve always wanted one of each anyway so here’s my chance, right?

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Tights and boots are straight up my winter wardrobe. I don’t do pants. I’m just not built for them.

  4. Missy D 7 years ago

    Second Reannon’s comments above. You’re looking amazing. What is this thing you’re doing?

    I mostly use birth control to skip my period. 😉 But the times I do have it I just wear black… but to be honest I mostly wear black anyway so nothing unusual for me. Think I’m past the time where I worry about spillage, that kind of thing only really happened when I was in my teens. And I’m pretty lucky that my periods only last about three days.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Oh thank you! I’ll write about it eventually but I’m a bit weird talking about it because it’s quite intense and you should only do it under Dr superstition. It’s called Ketogenic or low carb high fat but it can have the opposite of the desired effect if you don’t know what you’re doing. That sounds like I’m being alarmist but I don’t want to give diet advice to people because I’m not qualified and this goes a bit beyond just normal, healthy eating, It’s freaking great though – I’ll be sticking to it!

  5. Kathryn 7 years ago

    Bamboo is great. Bamboo knickers, bamboo tights. It’s more absorbent than other fabrics. I do have some period knickers but they don’t seem to work on me, the absorbent area doesn’t line up with my body! Great idea in theory though. I’d not wear them as my only line of defence but having that extra safeguard would be great.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      I love bamboo! And that’s such a good point – I have a few pairs of period underwear which I really love but I would never trust JUST the period underwear on it’s own. I also have horrifically heavy periods so it’s just not a risk I want to take.

  6. Amber McClincy 7 years ago

    Great post! Anything deemed “comfy” in my wardrobe comes out during my time of the month. I’m glad I’m not the only one who has “period underwear.”

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 7 years ago

      Oh lord yes! I sometimes wear my period undies on fat days. 🙂

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