Two clothing things

[mrissa]

I ran my tights first thing at the bagel place this morning. Came home to find the next pair of brown tights in the drawer was not run but clocked from hell to breakfast. Sigh. So I am on brown tights version three this morning. Any further tights damage means changing my clothes completely.

But as I was digging through the tights drawer, something became very very clear to me: the Great Trouser Experiment of 2003-2004 is officially over. Three and four Christmases ago, I got trousers, on the theory that, hey, I live here, it gets cold, I might want some trousers. Turns out: no. Many of the things sold to women to be "dressy" are no warmer than good tights and a skirt, if as warm. I will now -- sometimes, occasionally -- rarely -- wear corduroys. But in general, the attempt at trousers was a dismal failure, and I declare it done, and I'm not really interested in going back. Jeans, yes. Skirts and dresses, yes. Trousers...not so much. It turns out. I just can't get into it, really.

Also, I have started looking for a "light-colored" dress (or matching skirt and blouse, but more likely a dress) upon the bride's request for a wedding in the late winter. I have time, so I've just been doing online preliminary looking. It's good for me to get out of the dark colors rut. (Although I like it in here and will probably slip right back in after this wedding.) But so far the only pale blue options I've found are from a store that thinks I am a size 8 on top and a size 2 on the bottom. Hint: that's not going to work. So I may have alterations in my future, and I certainly have further shopping in my future, but -- hello, clothing manufacturers! I am not a size 2! I don't particularly want to be a size 2! I do not feel all vain and proud when you try to make my measurements into a size 2! I am fine with the 4 I generally wear. Don't go vanity sizing me into nothingness and some of my friends into negative numbers. And this thing where you make the waist and hips bigger and not the bust: I am not feeling loved, clothing manufacturers. I am not feeling your affectionate regard. I am not even feeling like a Barbie doll, but I'm feeling like you think I am one. That makes me annoyed with you, not with myself.

Harumph harumph harumph harumph.

Comments

[owldaughter.livejournal.com]

Don't go vanity sizing me into nothingness and some of my friends into negative numbers.

Hear, hear. As one of those people being downsized into a 0 or girls' sizes, I emphatically echo your irritation. There's just too much pink and sparkly stuff happening in the girls' department to make it worth the effort.

I remember when I was considered a size 7 by the clothing industry, about ten years ago. And it's not like I've lost weight.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yep, there are some stores I don't bother going into because they say they carry 4s, but they lie.

[crimini.livejournal.com]

I have the opposite problem that when I see a size 0 or 2 I get giddy, try them on, and watch them fall off my non-existent hips and butt. *sigh*

Someone we know should really become a tailor so we can have custom fit clothing made to our tastes and measurements.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

That's sort of what I mean: I have existent hips and butt, but people who vanity size things make sure that I can pull their size 4 pants off without unzipping them. This is Not Okay.

[redbird]

I was complaining and ranting to my loves about clothing sizing, and noting that I realize it's not specifically an anti-Vicki conspiracy. And here we see that it's not even, as it often seems, an anti-fat-people conspiracy. My sympathies.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Thanks. But yes, it's definitely not just my problem.

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

What are clocked tights?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The little stringy bit that has created a bunch in the weave rather than a hole.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

I have started looking for a "light-colored" dress ... upon the bride's request for a wedding in the late winter.

Um, is that weird at all, to be telling your guests what to wear? To be wanting to tell your guests what to wear (especially where it's against their usual habit)? Or do I just not go to enough weddings...?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

It would be if I was just a guest. I'm doing a reading there (one imagines a Bible reading or a poem or the like; I don't expect to be reading "Carter Hall Recovers the Puck" or something), so I'm in that fringe region where I will be in pictures but not as such a major player as a bridesmaid. If I'm a bridesmaid, I expect the bride to have full control of all non-permanent aspects of my appearance if she wants it: dress, shoes, hose, hair, makeup. For some other role in a wedding, I don't think "please don't clash with the major players in the wedding party" is an unreasonable request.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

No, you're right: that is fair. Happily, the only times I've been a significant player at a wedding (that's twice best man - to the same man, hurrah! - and once reading a poem [I can give you a good one on eclipses, romance & the human condition, if so be they're eclipse-chasers...]) they've been happy to go with my own native choice of garb. The Brenchley wore black...

[genevra.livejournal.com]

I have the opposite problem you've got. I'm plus size, so I need a big waist and even bigger hips. But I don't have the bust to match, so dresses will often gap at the top. Not a good look.

Everyone I know seems to have one problem or another with the clothing manufacturers!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

And the clothing manufacturers don't seem to be specializing adequately! They could do this thing where one manufacturer was really good at clothes for hourglass shapes, and another for linear shapes, and another for pear shapes, and etc., but they don't. Wretches.

[batwrangler.livejournal.com]

For some odd reason they seem to be committed to dressing fictional women instead of real women.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

One wonders how they manage to make any money at all.