Fashion Fast

I have been reading Scales from the Tale, a collection of blog posts written by women trying to lose weight. So basically, other blogs like this one. Only they make money from it.

Anyway, there are several essays about the state of woe Fat Chicks find themselves in when trying to shop for clothes. I add "for clothes" because as a people Fat Chicks tends to have the best shoes, purses, jewelry, and various accessories known to man. Some, like me, store warehouses worth of body, hair and makeup products in their bathrooms. We can shop, oh yes we can. It just so happens that the fashion industry in general doesn't really want us to.

Or at least that is how it seems. These Fat Chicks were bemoaning the fact that they have to rely on Lane Bryant or Avenue to do their shopping. As a small-town girl turned to midsize-town girl, I have to say: I do not pity them.

Growing up a size 14 Fairview, I wore a lot of XLs and Silvertab jeans (everyone was doing it). There was no such thing at Torrid, Maurices' extended line or even online shopping at that point. The JCPenney in Sidney had nothing for me then, and it doesn't now either.

So now I live in the city, right? Well JCPenney is still my only option. And their plus clothes have the styles for old and young mingled together, blended in with maternity clothes. A woman there today (need black pants for work ... no success) was bitching that everything looked maternity. Could be, she was IN the Maternity department.

A trip to Lane Bryant, for me, costs about $200 hands down. Their jeans still don't fit me (I wonder what it's like to have jeans actually fit?) but I can find slacks, tops, jackets and hell yes even PANTIES that fit me. I have never left that store (the nearest is in Fargo, so it's not like I have a lot shopping opportunity) without feeling like it might just be possible for me to look as hot as the friends I shop with.

A trip to Dress Barn in June (oh god, I just admitted it) actually resulted in some pretty cute clothes. Crop pants that I've worn on every interview this summer, denim capris with a matching jacket that is going to be adorable come fall, and even plain old tshirts that I dared purchase in pink! and orange! There are now two splashes of color on my side of the closet. Miraculous.

So until some hot designer (how pathetic, I can't even think of a name) comes up with clothes that will FIT me, you can find me in my "uniform" - tank top, capri work out pants, running shoes. Let me rephrase that - that's what you can find me in until I replace it with a uniform two sizes smaller.