Tell us about them! :)

Hi everyone,
We've all talked a lot about vanity sizing. Would anyone like to share which brands they think are the worst (or best, if you're a fan of the practice). In other words, which brands do you notice run really large and which one runs smaller. I've noticed that I can always count on Dockers to fit me in size 6. Eddie Bauer, I've noticed will fit me, but a size 6 is a little larger through through the seat and legs and the waist is a little snug (maybe they cater more to Pear shapped girls instead of apples like me).
Macy's had a big one day sale yesterday. Oh, boy did I have fun! I tried on a size 6 Bandolino skirt and it was too big. Amazing. I ended up buying some nice gray slacks (Dockers) and some casual black pants (Dockers again). I got some nice summer sleeveless tops for next year, all for less than $10 each. In addition to clearance prices, they were running a coupon sale that was $10 off a purchase of sale or clearnace merchandise of $25. I took in 4 coupons (just in case they would accept more than one per customer) and they took all 4 of them! I feel like I hit the jackpot. Oh, and I got a pair of white ralph lauren shorts for $8. I love them and have no intention of not fitting into them and everything else I got next spring.

Hope everyone else had fun shopping this weekend!
Pam

I vote for Ann Taylor as the worst vanity sizer. I have to wear a *4* in Ann Taylor clothes!

The opposite of vanity sized clothes are fitness clothes, apparently. While I was waiting for my new bike yesterday, I started trying on padded bike shorts and those cute cycling tops with pockets on the back. I was definitely a medium, not a small, and some of the mediums were quite snug. Those tops are very adorable, even if they don't flatter my ego. :) The padded bike shorts feel like you're wearing a diaper. I'll need to buy some eventually, but they feel very, very silly when you first put them on.

I agree on fitness clothes, at least Nike. I wear a medium in their fitted gym pants and large in their sports bras (and I'm a 36C, which isn't that huge).

Expensive designer clothes (the kind I can't afford) are tiny. I guess they think all wealthy women are toothpicks. :lol: Generally, misses are cut bigger than juniors. More mature-type clothes like Liz Claiborne are cut bigger than clothes marketed to younger people, like JCrew.

I discovered something funny with vanity sizing last week. I like Jones NY because it fits me well and so I have a lot of their pieces stretching back over the five years since I reached goal. I got out some fall clothes and tried on a pair of navy pinstripe pants that were one of the very first things I bought when I reached goal. Size 4, pleated, classic Jones. They make the same pants year after year. But the five-year old size 4s are smaller than this year's size 4s! And it's not a fluke -- it's true with my other Jones pants that are four or five years old.

I was wondering why I was trying on pants this year that are too loose. Well, it's not me getting smaller; it's them cutting the pants bigger! I actually bought a pair of Jones 4s this year that I had to take in an inch. The five year old ones are at least an inch smaller. Sheesh!

I took a bet this week and asked a clothes store's owner to put a skirt aside for me--something a little more original than my usual old jeans, for sure. Since one of my 'tricks' involve putting coins in a pot on days when I am on plan (or should I say, when I 'just' eat normally and don't overeat), I should be able to gather all the money in less than 2 weeks to go and fetch it right for when school starts again. If this doesn't give me strength to do what it takes, I don't know what will. Can't let that mini-depression over thinking about food get me, can I?

Kery, I think that's a terrific idea because it focuses on the positives and rewards of weight loss. :) Be sure to post a photo for us!

Sure thing, Meg. :)

Remember those below the knee pants we were talking about a few pages/posts ago? Does anyone really wear those? They are on sale at Ann Taylor and fit me really well, but I can't decide if I can get away with wearing them to work. Or what to wear with them shoe-wise?

Mel

Or they'd also look good with some nice pumps, too.

I bought a pair of those short pants earlier this year--they're Fall weight, really, knee length but plaid wool. Unfortunately I bought them (on sale) just as I set about losing the weight I had gained over the winter and I never got to wear them. They're too big. :( They're also a bit dressy for where I live, in truth. I live in a very casual universe--most of the professors are wearing jeans most of the time. I look extra-dressed up when I wear black pants and real shoes.

baffled -- My campus is pretty casual too. Especially the men. Women tend to be more variable. I may end up being a little dressier than most this year but... I wanna wear nice things!!!! At least some of the time!!!

I can't find the yahoo site where I was watching those fashion shows this morning. Sorry. Lots of drapey, loose shift dress type things. 70's geometric prints. One bit of totally out of place ruffle. Those 3/4 length sleeves.

We're going to Frankenmuth this weekend and I'd like to try a pair of those short pants. Above the knee? I might be able to get away with that.

Wyllenn, I'm with you. I like to look nice and I really love real shoes with heels. (I pretty much have only worn flip flops since April. Out to dinner, in my office, at the bar for drinks, I'm wearing flip flops because they suit the local culture. But really, given my druthers I'd be wearing high heels and boots and strappy sandals all the time. :) ) And besides, now that I can finally fit my chest into shirts with buttons, I wanna wear them! My excuse for being well dressed and well tailored is that because I'm rather young looking, the clothes give me an edge of 'authority' with the students. That's what I tell people, anyway. Mostly I just like to look well put together. :)

I was shopping the other day and this time I saw those short pants! They even had them in denim. And they weren't capris. It's more like a flare at the bottom. They're definitely not for me.

Mel, as for the ones that I have seen, besides the denim ones of course, they do look fairly professional to me. They are a nice weight and a nice print. Herringbones, tweeds and whatnot. I think for the office, they would look good with either a nice flat, a pair of low pumps or have you seen the new lace up ankle length shoe boots? Those are very professional looking as well.

I actually bought a pair of the ankle length boots. Very nice. And they are pretty comfortable. I got a nice mid-size heel. I bought a nice pair of dress shoes too. I didn't really need them, I have nothing coming up, but I figured it was good to have them just in case. I have a fairly wide foot and these had a nice sized toe box. I bought both pairs at DSW. I love that place. I had some rewards points coupons, which was a ten dollar savings on each pair.

I've also been buying belts like crazy. I bought a great large link silver metal belt last week. I love wearing a fairly long fitted shirt over a slim skirt and wearing a belt over the shirt, down towards my hips.

I love feeling put together these days. I used to feel so frumpy in what I used to wear. Everything was tent-like and baggy. And of course I couldn't be picky and really choose my own style. It had to be whatever would get around me. It's amazing how much wearing fitted clothing can really make you feel good about yourself. I'm sure the weight loss didn't hurt either. ;)

I'm likin' Robin's slim skirt idea. I have a black pencil skirt and will have to try that. Now that you mention it, I have more belts than usual too.

Good point about the fitness clohtes, baffled. I definitely agree. Some medium tops are too tight on me across the chest and I have to go with a large. If the top is really fitted, some larges are even too small.
Meg, I like Jones of New York too. We have an outlet store close by and I love to go there and stock up on basics. I'm usually a 6 in their styles, but find I really have to try slacks and shorts on because some just don't look good on me. As far as fitnes clothes go, I find that Nike runs large and Adidas runs small. Isn't that funny how our experiences are so different? I bought a pair of Danskin capris in a small, and that really blew my mind. They really attract lint and I don't like them much, except for that S on the tag. :-)

I just realized that my new black slacks have the anti-theft thingamabop still in place so now I have to go back to Macy's. Maybe I'll do some more shopping. Evil grin. Too bad the coupon sale is no longer going on.

Pam

Not too long ago I bought three pairs of size 4 pants at The Gap (khakis, "browns," and a pair of slightly dressier gray slacks). I wore one pair, but then it got too hot for pants. Luckily, I didn't get around to removing the tags on the others, because they're now too big. I'm so sick of wearing baggy butt pants that I took them back and exchanged them for size 2's. Good motivation to maintain...

I also looked at some of those short pants. I can't see myself wearing them more than once or twice. Seems like they'd be too casual for work, too formal for weekends, too hot for summer, and too cold for fall/winter (at least around here). I guess it's yet another fashion trend that will pass me by...

I'm over it.

Kim

I finally had some shopping success yesterday! After many failures searching for a dress to wear to the rehearsal dinner for my wedding, I wandered into a shop I'd never seen before called B. Moss. They had some great dresses on major sale -- I pulled a bunch of black and white dresses off the sale rack, couldn't decide, so I bought three! Each was only $15. If I had gotten there earlier I would have spent more time poking around since the rest of their clothes looked great, but by the time I finished with the dresses it was 5:50 and they closed at 6. Maybe next weekend I'll make a return trip!

As for vanity sizing, here's my experience. NY&Co I wear a size 6 or small. J. Jill I wear a small or extra small in shirts, never tried anything else there (for the record, my bra size is 30FF, and there is no way that is an XS in a shirt!!). Ann Taylor Loft (I don't shop at regular Ann Taylor) I wear a 6 regular or 8 petite usually, small in shirts (although I have one XS shirt I bought on clearance that fits ok). Express is 6 regular, 8 petite. When I tried on dresses at Macy's the other day 6 fit me in most brands, 8 in a couple. At the Gap I'm almost always an 8. At Old Navy I can sometimes squeeze into a 4 but usually 6 fits. That's about all the stores I shop at . . . The store I found last night, a small or 6 fit me.

Heather - I found Christopher & Banks in Eugene, Oregon last summer. Had a lovely time shopping there. :D They even shipped everything home for me, except one pair of white pants and a sweater I kept to wear at my conference. Great store!!

My friend who's smaller than me told me about www.anthropologie.com. Next time I'm in Philly, I'm going to check them out. She says that 80% of the clothes in her closet came from that store. She waits to shop after a season and gets great discounts. Their clothes are funky and have a lot of flare.

Today, I'm wearing one of my Goodwill finds - a straight, knee length, dark denim skirt with a slit in the front. It's comfortable.

Yesterday, I went to TJ Maxx just to browse. They finally got in their fall clothes. I found a pair of dress black pants in petite that will only need to be hemmed 1 inch when I wear heels. The pants are well tailored with darts instead of pleats and no pockets so they lie very flat.

Then I went to the Famous Footwear and looked for winter black high heels. I have several pair of black heels, but they are all opened toe and I know I'll need a pair that are closed toed for walking around NYC. The pair I picked has a pointy toe and an ankle strap. In the past, I never wore ankle straps because I always thought my calves looked too big with them. Now, I'm happy to show of my leggs.

Since they were having a buy one get the other 1/2 price sale, I splurged on a pair of rust color clogs. Do I need a pair, no. Do I want a pair, not until I saw them. Do I have much to wear with them, only a few things. Don't I already have a pair of blue seude clogs, a pair of black leather clogs, a pair of brown mules, a pair of olive seude clogs, a pair of burgandy mules? Didn't I just buy a fancy pair of cowgirl boots and have a pair of pink seude boots and a pair of loden seude boots? Don't I have enough colors in the rainbow in terms of footwear? Isn't the floor of my closet overflowing with shoes? Have I become materialistic, I think so.

Carolyn, you may be a tiny pixie-woman, but you are a world class shopper!

Anthropologie is ok, but their clothes are VERY expensive and they're all a bit too loosey-goosey-I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-after-a-3-day-coke-fueled-bender for me. I have a problem with paying $200 for a skirt that looks as though it came out of a dumpster and is 4 sizes too big. But it is very funky, I'll give them that. And I like some of their stuff.

I have four gorgeous black and white checked cabinet knobs that I bought at Anthropologie in Santa Barbara. They make the one cabinet I put them on look very slim and not a bit "coked out", or is that "coked up"?

Do any of you have brand suggestions for the apple shaped woman? It just isn't gonna matter how thin I get, I am not going to have a tiny waist. Clothes are always way too big in the butt and legs, and too small in the waist. Even with elastic.

I saw those odd length pants in Mervyns. They called them Bermuda shorts. Not the Bermuda shorts of my youth, for sure! I think you would wear the same heel type with them as with a similar length skirt - ie lower heels for shorter skirts.

I don't care for the tops that make the wearer look pregnant. I suppose it was the same trip to Mervyn's where I noticed all these young, pregnant girls. I finally decided that they were just wearing the latest style, not really all pg.

No matter how fat I get, my calves remain small, so I understand about the boots having big legs. I never could find a pair that fit my little legs smoothly.

My particular taste runs toward llbean, Orvis, Talbots - conservative/preppy I guess. Of course, I am way too old to be called preppy and I don't know what you call it for senior citizens.

I love all the fashions you gals have chosen for fall. It is fun to read about individual tastes. Thanks for sharing.

Yes, I've become a clothes-aholic! Yesterday, I had to go to Bed Bath & Beyond and there was an Old Navy next door so I stopped in just to browse. When I saw these wide legged sailor pants, I just couldn't resist.

http://www.oldnavy.com/browse/produc...018&pid=542887

Krista - I was thinking of you last night when I cut off 7 inches before hemming them. They even have a 3 inch hem that could be turned down.

The Old Navy I went to really needs to invest in a steamer. So many of their brand new Fall cotton skirts and pants were very wrinkled hanging on the display racks. It was a definite turn off for me since I'm always packing my bag to travel to the boat or the apartment. I've got a bottle of the Downey Wrinkle Releaser in my bag to help smooth out the packing wrinkles of the clothes that don't travel as well. No way would I buy an item that I know is easily wrinkled.

This morning, I packed for being away for over a week since I'm heading up to the apartment this afternoon and will be up there all next week while DH has his collarbone surgery. It's still fun to go through my closet and mix and match up all my new clothes and know how well they fit.

We've been invited to a Black Tie affair so I'm going to need to get one of my gowns from the world cruise altered. If it doesn't work out, I can always wear my blue sequined dress that I wore for New Year's Eve. It really shows off my pint-sized curves.

:rofl: Thank goodness for that! Coked up cabinets are sooooo tacky! :)

Two hours at the Prime Outlets in Birch Run Michigan and ... nothing!
The first time I tried a 2 that was too big I was super excited. Later on I got depressed ... now where was that chocolate shop?
The closest I got to a really nice pair of brown pants was at Old Navy ... tweedy, flat waist, straight wide leg ... however, 32.50 and I would've had to have them tailored ... outlet prices? hmmm.

If you have time and want a suit tho' ... it'd be worth having a look. The sales were good. Half price $200.00 suits, nice selection of current colours.

I'm sorry your sales trip was unsuccessful Susan. I know what you mean though. It's SO frustrating when you keep trying things on and they're too big. Who wouldv'e thunk it? And there's no where down to go, nothing smaller to try on. Especially those wide leg pants. They run real big. Even a zero (The Limited and Express carry those) is too large. Grrr.

Every single pair of pants I buy, I must factor in a tailoring bill. It just goes without saying when you're all of 5 feet tall. But at least now, I feel tiny all over, not just my height. I almost get a kick out of my short height now, for the first time it kind of matches with my whole body.

I've sure had my days of disappointing shopping! Yesterday was a little better, though. I finally got a new pair of jeans, although they weren't quite what I was looking for. But they fit nice, so I got them as I really need a pair that are casual and fit nice. I got DH a pair of shorts and I also got a new T-shirt and some running shorts. Nothing spectacular. I may venture out again today!

There was an article in the London Free Press yesterday about man styled suits and accessories. I quite enjoy that look ... vests, button-downs, pants that fit your butt and then fall straight and wide to the floor, jackets ...

My daughter came to visit. She lives in Montreal. She said the Talbots jackets I had bought were too masculine and professional looking and definitely TOO BIG on me!!!!
She told me I "should" shop at the Gap and Banana Republic --stores I never went near when I weighed 35 lbs more( well I never went near any stores!!)
Hmmm she is now definitely my style guru.
I love all my jeans, pants and tops from Talbots but the jackets are definitely going back.
I am trying to decided between two leather jackets!!!!!!;):D I have the Gap one and the Banana one is being mailed from
their Internet store!!!
Now what to do with all the HUGE Land's End cashmere sweaters --which were the only things I bought when I was so heavy?????

Sell them on Ebay. People love things made of cashmere. :)

I almost forgot, but here's the skirt I so wanted to buy, and finally managed to get (too bad I couldn't take a pic with me wearing it, but that'll be for a next time. :)

You can't see it on the picture, but when the zippers are open and I walk with it, underneath you can see the same violet fabric that is inside at the waist.

Cute skirt Kery!

Another perk to maintaining is waiting for an outfit to come together. Remember when I bought those suits on Ebay? I think it was April. Today, one pair of pants has made it into an outfit that needs a sweater I've had for a while etc ... and it all fits at the same time!

Collect and wait ... collect and wait.

Kery - are those purple skull & cross bones? Are you a 'Goth' chick? I know you love black.

Boy oh boy, did I do a lot of Fall shopping this weekend. I don't know if anyone else is from CA here, but one day it was 90-95 degrees, the next it was literally in the 60's and raining. Since it became Fall overnight, and last fall I was 230 lbs, I had nothing that was warm enough that fit. So, off to the Great Mall of the Bay Area.

First, the Gap Outlet - bought a nice pair of grey dress pants and a whole mess of basic tank tops to layer under sweaters and sweatshirts...they were only 2.99 each, so I stocked up. Then Old Navy - I found a whole lot of basic long sleeve and 3/4 sleeve t-shirts on clearance for $5.00 each (I was in bargain-hunting mode, what can I say) - bought black, green, and burgundy basic t's that I can either layer under things or wear alone. There was a great grey sheath dress (on sale for $10!) that looks adorable with tights and flats...so cute! I also got this sweater, which is very warm and extremely comfortable:
http://www.oldnavy.com/Asset_Archive...7-02p01v01.jpg

I also got a couple of the "capelet-like" sweaters - not sure how else to describe them, but they seem to be everywhere this season - they are sweaters with fairly loose sleeves that only button with a few buttons at the top and are open at the bottom - one in red, one in black. A grey short-sleeved sweater.

Finally, because I am limited to flats due to my knee being painful still, and because I had been living in flipflops which are not appropriate for the rain and cold that popped up, I bought these:

http://www.payless.com/Images/thumb/057754_thumb.gif

http://www.payless.com/Images/thumb/056926_thumb.gif

You're right--they are in style this year! I got the a-okay to buy one from DH yesterday (but he confessed, he needs new "parts" for his jeep!--I guess I can buy clothes when he needs toys!)

Hi ladies, just ordered this cute-as-a-button dress in a size small! I just think it's adorable, hope it fits the way I think it will when it arrives in the mail - this is the only downside to online shopping - delayed instant gratification!

OMG Rachel!!! Look at you, am I reading that right? 141 lbs? Wow, when did that happen? You're about a minute away from hitting your goal. That's just absolutely, positively, incredibly marvelous.

Anyway, I LOVE the dress. And in a size small to boot. Time for some updated pics.

Thanks Robin! Yup, I am officially one pound away from the goal I set for myself last year, and 134 pounds ago. I haven't been focusing too much on losing weight in the last 6 weeks or so because I've been training for a marathon (which is coming up in 2 weeks), so my appetite has been up and I felt that fueling the extra miles was more important than losing weight at this point. But the scale gods have still smiled on me - I keep edging down.

You're probably right that new pictures are in order...I'll have to get one taken in this spunky new dress when it arrives - maybe I'll post it with a photo from the marathon, so stay tuned!

Carolyn -- Indeed, they are, though they're not the reason I bought the skirt. I'm not especially goth in itself, I just go with what strikes my fancy (and yes, I like black, fat or not ;)).

I was a HUGE fan of "fall fashions" back when I lived up in DC. But there really isn't much "fall" in Florida and it's too hot right now to wear the typical "fall" apparel. Fall styles are really cute, though and pretty classy - blazers, cords, light sweaters, vests, and overshirts are all lovely.

I went shopping a little over a week ago and bought these jeans. No, that isn't me wearing them :lol: I just ganked it from the Nordstrom site. Knowing my camera whore ways, I probably WILL eventually take pics, though! ;)

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I'm okay with brown and gray. Olive green and brown can look good together, as do gray and black.

HOWEVER, as a general rule, my fall colors are like my winter and my spring colors, which are also my summer colors:
BLACK, BLACK, AND MORE BLACK! :D I've been a fan of black for years, even before I ever got fat. It's just a sexy color. I also like pink, but it must be accessorized with black.

Oh. I'm not a "goth" chick - just a "rock" chick. I'm not allergic to the sun, nor am I "dark" enough to pull goth off properly - I smile too much ;).

Kery, that skirt is adorable, and so are you!

Rachel - LOVE that dress. Hope it fits.