Ranting Major--shopping is not fun anymore!

Clothes shopping can be so depressing and I am not referring to the money spent, I am referring to how fast it brings one to reality--or not!

First some odd background on me and my bodily measurements (not like you need to know, but just to get the point across) I am about a size 10, sometimes I can squeeze myself into a size 8, or if I am very lucky and buying some good clothes from Gap or Banana I can definitely get myself into a size 6. I am short, about 5' 3", closer to 5' 2" than the 5' 3. I am a bit stocky, weighing at about 130s. My body shape is more of a triangle, having the main part of the chub around my hips and the endowed section boobs (remember, I am of Mexican descent ;) thus the hips).

Anyways, now that you know my "measurements", I can go on to explain my saddening experience of the day. I went shopping for a top to match this cute skirt I found last week.  As I was browsing through the "selection" of clothes, I just wanted to sit down and bawl like a baby. Everything was made wrong, I mean, they are nice tops, however, something is seriously wrong in the women's fashion department.

Exhibit A: Nice cashemere top, upon closer inspection, if a person with any boobs tries to wear it, the top will end up at least 4" above the belly button.

Exhibit B: Gorgeous silk top, upon closer inspection, the designer forgot to add half the material for the V neck--this thing gives the boobs the most open view to the world they have ever seen!

Exhibit C: XL ribbed top, upon closer inspection, the midsection is sooo darn tight that it barely fits around Nyah's midsection. How in heck did they manage that one!

Exhibit D: Perfect black top, goes with everything, except my shortyness! The sleeves are soo blooming long I can wrap them around me and call me Slinky!

Conclusion 1: Came home with two cardigans that can cover all the chubs and make me look "fill in the blank with your favorite adjective".

Really, I am asking myself--what are clothes designers thinking? Are they on crack all the time? Do they really expect "real" women to fit into the slinky clothes out there? I mean, I can squeeze myself into them, but I prefer to have all my skin "contained within the shirt" rather than having 1/2 of myself popping out at different places. Do designers really think that we are just made flat--nothing in the front and nothing in the back? Maybe if I were 12 years old I could fit into the top and have it reach a decent length upon my torso, but not even then as my boobs probably would have made it go up 3 inches up!

Conclusion 2: If I want something to fit me really nice and whichever way I want it, I am just going to have to knit it!

Hubby brought a good point up on the way home:

H: It seems that all the clothes are geared towards teens

Me: Yep, it seems that way. I don't mind fun clothes, but the size of them is a bit off.

H: You would think they would put clothes out there for people that can afford them. Really how much can a teen afford?

Me: Well, it appears that they can afford about 1/2 a blouse according to the sizes they are selling now a days.

Alright, so I was a bit frustrated at the time, but really, even my teen nieces have to buy undershirts to go with their tops so they can have their mid section covered.

Remember this is only my nightmare when trying to find a top. Don't get me started about trying to find a pair of jeans or a skirt!

Am I the only one seeing this when purchasing clothes? Tell me about your experience--tell me I am not the only one that feels "left out" from the fun shopping experiences.

Ok, enough ranting, now I need something to make me feel better--I think I saw some dark chocolate in the kitchen someplace....hehehe.

Comments

[Liz]

Oh, I agree with you completely. All the tops out there seem so tiny. It seems like todays XL is more like a S a few years ago.

[Miriam]

I'm curious... did you go to Old Navy? Because anything at old navy is basically guaranteed to not fit anyone with a figure. The thing is, there aren't enough women shaped like us here for there to be a market for clothing that fits women with large breasts and good hips. Have you noticed that most women here are skinny and "perfect" when they're young and then they have 3 kids (or 9 sometimes) and then there's no sign of their previous figures. Honestly, there just seem to be 2 types of women here, young slim ones, and older round ones without a waist. (No offense to any women without a waist that may be reading). What I'm saying is that nothing stylish is sold here for younger women who have a curvacious figure because there really aren't that many of us here.

[stitchnsnitch]

I have "few boobs," but still feel your pain in finding tops that cover what you want to cover and hide what doesn't need to be seen by the public eye. The bane of my existence is pants shopping, though. I have what's affectionately called "junk in the trunk" or "J-Lo booty," and finding pants that fit my waist and butt both is a nightmare.

[Tracey]

I hate hate hate shopping for clothes, and not just because I'm pregnant. But because I'm overweight even when not pregnant. It makes me cry to look at clothes (not necessarily tops so much as pants/jeans/dresses/skirts.) For overweight women, the clothes are so awful, they are like ... 'old lady' clothes. Long ugly flowy things. Being pregnant just makes it worse, but I already have pregnoid clothes, so thankfully I don't need new ones at the moment. I do know how you feel though, just in a different sense of it since I'm quite a bit heavier than you. Hang in there, maybe someone will come up with a store for people like us who want "real" clothes, and not barbie doll clothes.

[Denise]

oooh I am going to be bad and send you a pattern.. it is customizable to fit all those problems you mentioned!!
Pretty cool!
And pretty..
My problem is though I am about all the same measurements as you.. (Mabye a little less in some areas..) I have a long torso and SHORT legs. So.. every single pair of pants is too short.
AND! with these !@#$% low rise pants in style I sure wish I was getting paid the salary of the plumber I resemble!!
UGH!!!

[Lori]

This is called "vanity" sizing. Clothing man. actually
have altered sizes and women's measurements to make women feel better while shopping. Remember the days when a size 5 or 6 was the smallest size you could find in the stores and now they have negative numbers.
I'm not going to even get started on body measurments
because I am rather "round" shall I say, and even the plus size cataloges feature stick figure models.
Rachel Hunter shops at Lane Bryant (My butt)!
I did not get the shopping gene that is for sure.
I remember seeing that even some teenage girls were getting sick of all the short shirts and low rise pants and complained to the store, and they now had a new more modest line of clothing to suit their needs.

[Mary Ann]

Wait until you are 60 years old and trying to find something stylish, modest, and reasonably priced. VERY DIFFICULT. Lately I have had success at Cold Water Creek's outlet website. I actually found a DRESS! I tried all day last month trying to find a real dress, you know, the kind that is all one piece with a bodice and skirt. I think those are an indangered species.

[Lynn C in SW Michigan]

It's not just you and it's not that much easier if you're skinny "on top". The only time I had anything in the chest department was while I was a nursing mom. I went from an A cup to a C, what a shock for a 30-ish woman! Anyway, I can't even buy tops in the store these days, seems they are all crop-tops with sleeves to the knees! And in colors that would make people ask me if I was feeling okay, and did I need a barf bag or anything. :(

[Rhea]

Amen, ladies! I HATE shopping. I buy clothing only when absolutely necessary. My husband has reached the point where he KNOWS that if I'm shopping for pants, I will come home in tears. I'm a 14/16. It's impossible to find decent clothing that looks good. I think they take what looks good on one of those figure-less nymphs, deign it "fashion," and then just make it bigger for the rest of us. I hate to tell them, but women with curves drape differently! There are clothes that are designed to look good on real women. But who can really afford them?

[debra roby]

Ok.. this is too funny. Two women with blogs called "A Stitch in Time".. both blogging their disdain for trying to buy tops in the same month??

It must be in the stars...

[Carrie]

Um, designers don't make things for real women. Ever. Y'all are on the small side when compared to me - I run about 18/20, and lemme tell you, there just aren't any nice fitting clothes out there. (Um, hello? Belly-shirts in a size 20? No one needs to see that, really.)

[Heather]

I know I'm really late to comment...but I hear ya. I am currently a size 26, depending on the mfr, and I tell ya, most stores don't carry that large. And if they do, fit? Forget it. It's HUGE in the boob area, if I get it around my abdomen I'm afraid the seams are going to split, and hips? Well, it's not even that long because apparently EVERYONE wants to see my gut hanging out. :-( UGH UGH UGH