Robin, I too noticed that LB was expensive . I bought capris there size 14 after losing my first 35 lbs. I paid $38.00 a pair for them. It is nice now that I can buy capris for $15.00 a pair. I did like LB's mid-thigh length shorts and I haven't found anywhere else that I can buy them that I like as well.

CityLine is a programme out of Toronto. A couple of days a week they do fashion shows. This morning's was from the Gap. Black and white, khaki and red. I like that!

After another futile shopping trip, I have two more pet peeves. First, cowl necks. I disliked them in the 70s and haven't changed my mind. Not flattering, on me at least.

And more generally, why can't I find 'smalls' in the stores? Geez, forget the sale racks - those are all 'L' and 'XL'. But the smalls are immediately snatched up even in the regular price stuff. A sales clerk told me once that her store only gets ONE size 4 of any item of clothing. :rolleyes:

There's a gorgeous shade of orange-y coral all over the stores ... if you've got the coloring for it, this is your summer! :D

I went out today and got into a lovely pair of size 14 black "career separate" pants. They sit lower on the waist, have an overlapping tab, semi-wide waistband. I love them, and while I still want to lose some inches before wearing them out of the house, they are a 14. Considering I was in 20s from LB in September, I'm pleased. I also just mail-ordered this top from Macys:
http://slimages.macys.com/is/image/M...0.5,0&fmt=jpeg
http://www.macys.com/catalog/product...2&BannerID=264


I've decided to do most of my shopping online as well, bc I hate rooting thru the racks. If I don't like something or it doesn't fit, I can return it to the real store. But my kids play hide and seek in the racks which drives me nuts that they will get lost, so I can't do it with them around at all, unless dh goes with me to keep an eye on them while I browse.

You know, I used to be a "mom-jeans" wearer too (high waist band) and thought I would never want pants not on my waist band. Well, enough episodes of What Not to Wear under my belt, and now when I see the poor mom's in their high waist jeans, I hear Stacy saying "That just takes your biggest area and covers it in denim in the shape of a triangle with huge pockets plastered on it!" She's right. You do cut the bum in half when you lower the waistband. And not LO-RISE, just the "sits at natural waist" pants, which means at the navel, not at the smallest part of your waist. Finding the right pants makes all the difference, but I'll never go back to the high rises now that I've seen the light. So don't give up my friends, you just have to get the right pair on you.

Oh, and I think "flare" really = bell-bottoms. I got stuck with a pair or 2 of those on as well. The boot cut is really just a straight leg. We're just so used to wearing the tapered pants of the 80s and 90s that we don't recognize a straight leg.

OK, off to check the Loft online after all your good recommendations here.

Boy do I have shopping stories.

None of the clothes from last year fit, obviously. None are even remotely close to wearable. And 4 weeks from tomorrow, I leave on a 10 day cruise for the honeymoon. So off to buy a new complete wardrobe (could we have picked a more clothing-intensive honeymoon, by the way, than a cruise? Day wear, casual dinner wear, formal dinner wear, swimwear, loungewear, gymwear....)

However, I have -very- few complaints about the styles this season...except that strappy sandals seem to be out. I particularly love all of the young spring dresses floating around out there...JC Penney had literally 50 different spring dresses, all halters or strapless or tank dresses, for 25 dollars on sale. So between Sarah and I, we bought 8 of them. This may seem like a lot of casual/sundresses, until you consider that they can all be worn for informal dinner nights on the cruise (of which there are 7), pre-wedding activities, activities prior to my SISTER's wedding in July (shower, rehearsal dinner), PLUS the semi-formal wedding of a friend also happening in July. All in all I'm sure we'll get 2-3 special occasions each, not to mention countless brunch dates, spring and summer activities, and etc of of them, which makes them well worth the investment. And can I just say that I LOVE that I could easily find each dress in a 10 or 12, depending on cut, and that it looked FABULOUS.

In addition - lots of capri pants, lots of tank tops, and lots of t-shirts. AND...lots more gym wear! It is literally impossible for me to walk into a store and not purchase gym wear...plus i went down a few bra band sizes and needed new sports bras. I'm feeling much better about the cruise wardrobe now...was getting seriously worried I'd end up wearing the same 3 pieces over and over.

Mandalinn, that sounds just great. Those sundresses will really take you far. Depending on the style you can even dress them up, if need be, with a shrug or a cardigan. Not only will that make them dressier, but warmer, again if need be.

I went shopping the other day. It's funny, because it takes me soooo much longer now. In the old days it would be so quick, because there were so few stores to go to that carried my size and such a small selection and so little that was "cut" right for me. Now, I can spend hours and hours shopping. So many stores, such a large selection and I actually have to decide which items to buy instead of just settling for any sack that fits around me. I bought a few items that I am really, really happy with. Still trying to hold back, don't wanna buy too much just yet as I've got more weight to lose. I still can't believe just how enjoyable shopping is now. Trading in my pasta and rice for veggies is really paying off for me. As is eliminating fried foods and all that other junk I was eating. Not to mention what adding exercise to my life has done. Amazing, what a few small changes will do.

The hem of my pants keeps slipping between my heel and the sole of my slingbacks ... any tips?

It's been fun wearing my new Spring/Summer clothes on our Florida vacation. I'm looking forward to being able to wear them at home in a month or so.

Susan ~ sounds like you need to shorten those pants 1/2 or 3/4's of an inch.

My son suggested duct tape.

Susan, LOL at your son's duct tape idea. Sounds like my son, he truly believes duct tape can fix anything.

Well my new size 6 undies were too big. They were the mid-rise boy-short types. Obviously they are made for someone with a Butt.

Lily ~ you're going to have to start shopping for undies in the girls department!

You're right, Carolyn, or else she'll have to use that duct tape! :rofl:

Lol, that duct tape would at least help them stay on.

Hey maybe duct tape would keep them outta the way when we bend over in our low slung trousers.

Well, it wasn't duct tape......ya wanna hear a funny story? When DH and I got married my Mom made my wedding "suit". I didn't want a regular dress. We found a beautiful white on white brocade for the jacket and and cummerbund and then she made a regular skirt to go with it. I went to buy stockings and found some really cute ones. Not paying attention to the label, I bought them. Okay, fast forward to the church. The florist is putting flowers on the pews and my maid of honor and I are in the library getting dressed. OH MY GOODNESS!! These aren't panty hose! They're the kinds you need to hold up with a girdle! Maid of honor goes out, borrows the florists roll of masking tape and she dutifully tapes the stockings to my thighs! Wow, was that uncomfortable!!!

Oh Allison, that's hysterical! I'm sure you get a good laugh on every anniversary when you remember your stockings. :lol3:

So how many years has it been? DH and I are coming up on 28, and wow does that make me feel OLD!

Actually, I hadn't thought about that for years!!! It was just the duct tape talk that made me remember! We'll be celebrating 19 years in May.

Allison, that is too funny. Maybe I should try some duct tape or masking tape to hold my boobs up. LOL.

Gosh, I'm on 21 years here myself !! That duct tape is great, and in May extra delightful and hot/sticky. Eww, and the pain in getting it OFF!!! owwweee!!

I found some good clothes at Kohl's Saturday nite. But that place is so hit or miss, it can either be great or look like a Marshall's after a tornado!

Susan, maybe you need to LOWER the hem? Depending on the height of your heel on your slingback. But shouldn't they come below the sole of your shoe if wearing heels? Otherwise they tend to flap around like highwaters (the term we used in elementary school for flood pants!)

I used to HATE "highwater" pants when I was younger. I would have a conniption fit if my pants didn't at least touch the ground! Now I love the ones that are just barely show my ankle! In fact, I bought two pair at Talbots the other day and they are so cute!

Small rant ... I can't afford this yoyo thing! I started collecting newer more fashionable clothing ... after Christmas maybe ... and some of it's too big. I finally got the vest and blouse I wanted and now the jacket looks sloppy.

I may have to strike up a closer acquaintance with Liz the alterations lady. Anybody use a tailor much?


Oh Fran ... I thought pants were supposed to hang just a 1/4 of an inch or so off the ground. Carolyn's tip should work with flats.

Susan, I looked long and hard and finally found a seamstress who's proved to be priceless. :) My problem is that I'm 5'4" so am right in between petite and regular sizes. I need a regular in pants to fit me right in the rise but the legs are usually miles too long. And regular jackets and sweaters are about 1 1/2" too long in the sleeves.

The woman I found is awesome! She can take up sleeves with fancy stitching and buttonholes and replicate them so they look exactly the same. She took apart a sweater and took the sleeves up at the shoulders so there wouldn't be a hem on the sleeve end. She's taken in pants and reset the waistbands and done a hundred other things I couldn't dream of doing with my limited sewing skills.

I think it's well worth checking to see if you can find someone like that (I asked around for recommendations). You'll be amazed at the difference a well-tailored pair of pants can make!

Speaking of pants, here's a hint from What Not To Wear: have the side pockets sewn shut and removed. The last thing most of us need is emphasis on the hips, right? Which is what a gaping pocket is. It's an amazing change. Now I look for pants without pockets and I really like side zips with no waistbands and no pockets. :)

I finally got fitted last night for the proper fitting bras. It wasn't nearly as embarassing as I thought it would be. Found that a 36C with a full cup fits perfect and I don't fall out the front. Very comfy indeed and looks great with my clothes on. I'm so happy that I finally bought the bullet and had it done. It's kind of strange to be 47 yrs. old and not know what size and type of bra to get. LOL. This is the first time in my life that I've actually tried on several bras before buying any. The sales lady was friendly and very helpful.

Meg - I'm with you on the pants issue. I'm also 5'4" but I need petite pants for the rise and end up with the length juuussst long enough. I cannot as a rule put my pants in the dryer. Jeans are better than dress pants for some reason. (And don't get me started on the difference between short and peitite - some manufacturer's don't get it - or the fact that people who are short may be larger than size 14! )

Pat and Meg, I am totally with you! I'm also 5'4". In some stores a regular is a perfect fit, in others it's several inches too long. In some "petite" or "short" is perfect, in others it only comes to my ankles. The worst is when the regular is 2 inches too long and the short is 2 inches too short! I thought 5'4" was supposed to be average height for american women!

Pat, that bugs me too (about "petite" meaning "skinny" when it doesn't). What really gets me is that a size six regular is a size eight petite. ??? Who thought that up? Short people often have the same size waists and hips as tall people do, we just have shorter legs! And there are plenty of short, overweight people out there too. If they would just size women's jeans like men's (but maybe do waist-hip-inseam measurements) everything would work out so well.

Yay! Short people unite! :cheer:

Although, honestly, at least we can hem. I really feel sorry for tall women because they are pretty much out of luck. My sister is 5'11" and can't find any pants or jackets that fit. :(

You're right about sensible sizing! But I doubt that will ever happen - instead we're going to have vanity sizing gone insane so that we're all in negative sizes. :dizzy:

Boy, do I find that true. I tried on a size 2 skirt at Ann Taylor's Loft that was too big. I'm not sure the size 0 would have fit either. And I'm just not that small.

Carolyn, I know what you mean! I'm taller than you and am by no definition small ... I'm muscular and kinda stumpy. Trust me, you'd never look at me and think 'small'. But I was trying on some Ralph Lauren pants yesterday in a 4 and they were too big! The waist was about an inch too large and the butt was droopy (and I have plenty of butt, thankyouverymuch :lol: ). What the heck? As far as I know, size 4 is as small as Ralph Lauren sizes go ... so what's a genuinely small person like you supposed to do??

I seriously believe that manufacturers are trying to re-do sizes so that there aren't any more plus sizes. No woman wants to be plus-sized (I sure hated it) so if they can figure out a way to make everyone fit into a regular size, they'll sell more clothes. If you're a plus size in Brand A but a regular size in Brand B, which one will you buy? It's a no-brainer!

I don't think there used to be size 2's and 0's (and isn't there a 00 now in some stores?) They've had to create new sizes because they're bumping up all the old sizes and making them bigger. It's insanity and I swear a little person like you, Carolyn, is going to end up as a negative number in another year or two. :rolleyes:

I completely agree. I'm just not that small. It astounds me that size 4's fit me. I'm a little taller than you ladies, and I'm NOT tiny. I'm wearing size 6 levi's today that my son bought me and they are Way too big. I have one pair of size 2's from American Eagle. ME, a size 2, truly I don't think so. No matter what the label says, I consider myself a perfectly "normal" size 8. That is what I wore before at this same weight.

My son's best friends GF wears a 00. She is 5'9 and 115 lbs. She has always been very naturally slender. I guess if she lost a few lbs. she'd need to shop in the little girls' dept. Truthfully, I'd rather be my current size forever than to be a OO.

I hope we never do get to negative sizing. I have a hard enough time now trying to know what clothes to buy. LOL. It's really strange but I don't notice the vanity sizing so much with shirts. I still buy mostly medium-large shirts. The larges are a little loose through the stomach but the mediums are usually snugger through the chest area. Is there vanity sizing in shirts too?

An older sales lady at Dillard's was helping me shop for a swimsuit the other night. She looked me over and said "You probably need a 10-12 in the top and a 4 or 5 on the bottom". I was astounded. She guessed it perfectly. She let me pick the top from the women's swimsuits and the solid colored bottom from the jr.'s dept. This is the first time I've ever had to do this. Of course, among my many medical conditions my DH laughingly says I also have Noassatall. LOL

Just wanted you ladies to know the bra's that I bought that have the "full-coverage" front that fit perfect on me were called Playtex Secrets at JC Penney's. I love them. Not as granny-looking as my old Playtex 18 hr. Cross your heart bra's.

Goofy, ain't it? I'm now on the hunt for xxsmall scrubs. I bought two sets in xsmall today because I NEED them. I'm having a hard time getting my head around the notion of having to alter scrubs.
I started working in a nursing home on my 16th birthday and I'm sure my first uni's were size 8. And I certainly was NOT 130lbs.


.... and yes they both need to be shortened.

Wow, Meg I bet you're right, but I don't know if I can give up pockets! I am lost with pants without pockets -- no place to put my office keys when I'm running around, or stick that tampon when I need to slip into the ladies room. :o I no longer carry a big purse so sometimes those pants pockets are handy.

I'm with you Wyllenn, pockets are necessary for those things esp at work, I also like a lip balm in mine. :) I've found that Meg is right though, and my dressier pants have no pockets. And at work the heat varies so much I often wear a "branded" (with the library name) fleece vest which has nice pockets. I too no longer carry a heavy purse. In fact if I didn't wear contacts and need to carry my glasses (I'm really blind) I could go smaller - I do on vacation, keeping my glasses in DH's backpack.

Hmmm. This is intriguing. Couldn't you wear a jacket and keep your tampons/lip gloss/keys in that? Bulging pockets are *so* unattractive, and really, who needs the extra inches on the hips? I carry around a purse. The only thing I'll slip into my pants' pockets are cash and tampons on the way to the bathroom :)

Nope, I'm not giving up my pockets. Need them for tissues for my running nose.

Yes, one thing that I was not looking forward to for getting back to my normal weight was finding clothes to fit. Often size XS tops are a bit big. When I can, I shop in the petite departments for the smallest things they have and even then, I need to hem everything. L.L. Bean is a favorite for the cut of the clothes and I know a 4 will actually fit me like a 4 should.

This season, I need to get a new bathing suit and I don't think there will be many obtions. I'm not comfortable in the skimpy juniors sizes that fit and most stores don't carry the styles that I do like in as small as I need them. I've got both the L.L. Bean and Land's End catalogs and have found suits in them that would work, though I'd really like to be able to try a suit on before I buy it.

heh. There are sooooo many more things to think about when you start caring what you look like!!!!! I never thought about the bulge before... but then, I think I was one BIG bulge :D

Stuff in the pockets will show with a jacket, too. And for a good portion of the year it's too warm to wear a jacket indoors.

Overall I'm usually more concerned with function than fashion. If someone doesn't like what I look like because I have stuff in my pockets (no, I'm not going to carry a purse if I don't have to), they don't need to look. Problem solved.

I really liked reading over this thread. There is major vanity sizing and we all know it. I had to wear plus sizes from a very young age so I wasn't exposed to real sizes but i just knew they were out of my league. I've recently bought size 18 misses petite pants and they are so close to fitting (I've bought a few from different makers, all seem to fit the same). I'm not sure I'd imagine being 250 and almost being completely out of plus sizes. I also bought an XL misses top and it is too big. I will be excited in the next 10-20 lbs when i can kiss plus sizes goodbye but I'm really scared of venturing into the world of "regular" sizes.

The scariest part of fitting into regular sizes ... is that there's too much to pick from!!! It's like sensory overload. I know it sounds dumb to say that too big of a selection is a problem but it is when you're used to a small plus size department. After years of buying something just because it fits (and being grateful), all of a sudden you find yourself having to make CHOICES! Because everything fits and (almost) everything looks cute. :D

Get ready to do some serious shopping once you're in the regular sizes!

OMG, I am starting to finally experience this. Nelie, she's right, there's so much choice you don't even know what to THINK sometimes!

Come to the light, Nelie!!!! :D

Well I took DH shopping a couple times and unless it is a small store or small section, I get all confused and want to leave. Luckily he is tiny and I can take him to the young mens section which is usually a smaller subset of the mens section. I think I tried to walk into a misses section to look at tops and I really can't do it. All the misses clothes I've bought so far were from online.