It IS an amazing feeling to shop in *those* stores. Just amazing. It feels so normal and regular and ordinary, but on the other hand it feels so STRANGE and DELIGHTFUL and EXRTRAORDINARILY SPECIAL. I get the biggest kick out of it still. *Me*, yes *ME*, *I* get to shop everywhere and anywhere - after suffering for so many years...
Keep up the great work!!!
Yes!! That is exactly it! Nineteen years ago, I walked into a department store, and sick of not finding anything that fit, I went to the plus department and bought myself an outfit from ELIZABETH, the old Liz Claiborne plus-size brand.
Since that day, I have never once bought a single non-plus sized item. It has been YEARS since I've set foot in a normal store, to the point that I feel completely embarassed and out of place, as if I'm about to be a laughing stock.
I didn't even realize that in the intervening years "normal" sized clothes had gotten bigger. I thought I'd have to get down to about 175 before I had a prayer of fitting into a sixteen.
Right now, I'm still not completely there. I'm not little enough to fit into anything that strikes my fancy at Ann Taylor. When I get there, I think I'll just DIE OF DELIGHT!!!!
Michelle, I think I would have marched right up to one of those teenage nitwits, and told them I had been prepared to spend $200 on my daughter, but since I was ignored, I'm going to spend it elsewhere. Might have taught them a lesson.
Being able to shop at a regular person's size store is so wonderful. I know - it's hard to even know what size to get. Good for you!!!!!!!
It took me quite a while to realize that I was FIRMLY out of plus sized clothing. I remember shopping in Macys going up and down the escalator because they have the plus sizes on one floor and their regular sizes on another. I'd start off in the plus sizes and they'd be too big and then had to head down to the regular clothing. I'd pick up that regular sized clothing and think, no way this is going to fit me and then I'd head back UP to the plus sized clothing to check again and yes it was too big and so I'd head back DOWN the regular clothing, wondering if the sales people were looking at me like, "what's she doing here??" but everything fit. VERY strange.
I still pick up clothing that's my size now and look at it and think, how is this going to fit me, it's way too small and then funny thing is, it's usually too big. I have the opposite problem now, most of Macys clothing is too big for me. The smalls are not small enough. Who wouldv'e thunk it??
In my opinion there are some darling clothes for plus size people, but with any quality clothing if you want something nice, you have to pay for the price. I really think the fashion world has accommodated the plus size woman well in the last couples of decades.
I really like nice clothes, and I agree, things have gotten much better... if you can afford the high end (lol). Unfortunately, my taste doesn't match my budget right now. Luckily, I enjoy sewing, and while it takes time, I can use quality fabrics, and also get a much better fit. In the end, I don't feel too deprived.
It took me quite a while to realize that I was FIRMLY out of plus sized clothing. I remember shopping in Macys going up and down the escalator because they have the plus sizes on one floor and their regular sizes on another. I'd start off in the plus sizes and they'd be too big and then had to head down to the regular clothing. I'd pick up that regular sized clothing and think, no way this is going to fit me and then I'd head back UP to the plus sized clothing to check again and yes it was too big and so I'd head back DOWN the regular clothing, wondering if the sales people were looking at me like, "what's she doing here??" but everything fit. VERY strange.
I still pick up clothing that's my size now and look at it and think, how is this going to fit me, it's way too small and then funny thing is, it's usually too big. I have the opposite problem now, most of Macys clothing is too big for me. The smalls are not small enough. Who wouldv'e thunk it??
This is just so funny! And it totally sounds like something I would do!
I feel so awkward and out of place in "normal" stores. I feel like everybody is laughing at me and wondering why I'm there!
And I have NO SENSE whatsoever of the sizes. I'm going off of vague memories from the 80s about how big normal-sized clothes are.
This is just so funny! And it totally sounds like something I would do!
I feel so awkward and out of place in "normal" stores. I feel like everybody is laughing at me and wondering why I'm there!
And I have NO SENSE whatsoever of the sizes. I'm going off of vague memories from the 80s about how big normal-sized clothes are.
I have to admit that I still have issues with shopping in "normal" stores. It is one reason I do most of my clothes shopping online. I grew up shopping in plus size and it is always how its been. When I go into smaller stores that carry misses sizes, I feel like I'm a fish in a huge glass bowl and I get panicky. I just want to get in, grab clothes and get out.
One of my biggest motivators to start my weight headed in the other direction was realizing that most of my favorite brands were now well beyond the realm of stretch materials and a giggling tailor. I like to look well put-together, and for me, that wasn't happening at my high weight. I can still remember the first time someone - younger than me, even! - referred to me as being "well-dressed" after I'd lost down to my re-start of 190lbs... It was extra motivation to really get there. I regret throwing out my "skinny" clothes. I always bounced between 10-14, and after gaining 100lbs in a year and a half or two years (I wasn't keeping track, that's for sure.) I just gave them all away and bought "fat" clothes!!! I'd kill for that stuff back - but it taught me a valuable lesson about the mental state I was in, and why I can never, never go back there!! I might BUY a pair of size 20's, which was the biggest size I'd ever buy although I'm sure at the end of the gain a 22 wouldn't have killed me, and hang them up and claim them, and remind myself of where I was, and how damn ugly the jeans are there!
I just want to add some super-big encouragement to everyone, to!
Ladies, we can do this, we are doing this, we will make it!!
Sexy, classy, name-brand skinny pants, here we come!!
One of my biggest motivators to start my weight headed in the other direction was realizing that most of my favorite brands were now well beyond the realm of stretch materials and a giggling tailor. I like to look well put-together, and for me, that wasn't happening at my high weight.
Ugh.
When I first went plus sized, I used to be able to put myself together and I looked good, but by the time I went over 250 I just looked terrible all the time. I basically gave up....and I stayed that way for A LONG TIME. When I really needed to look good it was an expensive ordeal. I used to avoid certain types of public events, but if I really had to go, I'd almost always buy a whole new outfit because that was almost the only way to look decent.
And then, if I had to go to a conference or something, it totally sucked. I was always stressing if I had to look nice more than a couple of days in a row because my clothing options were so limited.
A simple thing, like getting up in the morning and pulling on jeans and a sweater had turned into an ordeal.
I just got home from a three day trip-- I threw a few outfits into my suitcase and I had no worries. I am so happy just knowing that I look pretty normal again.
