Meg- YES! YES I never expected to become so picky. Perhaps it's not settling for the only things that fit. Maybe it's a broader selection (although finding a size 8 turns into a mission from God at times).
Forgot to mention - my biggest problem now is ... LACK OF CLOSET SPACE! I live in a 52-year old house with teensie-tiny closets and have stretched mine to the limits of my ingenuity. Organizers, double bars, shelves, plastic storage boxes under the bed ... if I don't figure something out soon, I'll have to stop buying clothes!
I love shopping so much now I went 3 years wearing the exact same pair of size 18 loose fit Eddie Bauer jeans every...day. What's hardest for me is leaving "safe" stores - like J. Jill and Eddie Bauer. I don't need frumpy long sweaters and long velvet tunic tops anymore! I am trying to dress trendier. Wearing fitted clothes is also a psychological challenge - to me, if I can "feel" my clothes, it means they are "tight."
It's definitely wonderful motivation for maintenance.
DH and I are going to Calfornia next week and I need a few things, especially the perfect pair of dressy white pants. DD and I were in Banana Republic yesterday and I spotted a really pretty and colorful silk skirt - on sale. I was having a fat day so I took a 6 into the dressing room. Whereupon I zipped it up and it promptly slid down three inches until it got stuck on my hip bones. DD went back and got me the 4 which is still a little big but looks great.
Then onto the great white pants quest. I found an awesome pair of white silk pants: no pockets, no waistband, side zip = no camoflague. I took the 4 into the dressing room and z-i-i-i-i-i-p - they fit perfectly (except they're 1 1/2 inches too long, of course ) The only question is underwear - even though they're lined, EVERYTHING shows. Maybe I'll go commando??
As I stood there and looked in the mirror, I thought about all the hours of cardio. All the weights I've lifted. All the foods I've said NO to. And I asked myself if it was worth it?
I agree Meg, it is all soooo worth it. Yesterday I went shopping for a while. I am looking for some shorts for this summer. I don't have even one pair that I can still wear. I need mid-thigh and all I can find are daisy-dukes or capris. I now have plenty of capri's. Does anyone know where to get good shorts. I'm 46 and don't want shorty shorts. I did buy a new purse and some more capris yesterday, "just wanted to buy something". I'd shop every day if I had the money. I spent years not caring about how I looked and never really spent money on myself, I'm making up for that now. My husband always talks about wanting to win the lottery, I said then I would need a big storage building for all my clothes, shoes and purses. LOL, I need a sugar-daddy I guess. LOL
Shorts are LONG this year. I looked for some a few weeks ago and found Bermudas everywhere. I'm short and they make me look really stumpy Old Navy had a lot, Banana Republic, Gap. I ended up in the Jr's dept. at Target because they had mid-thigh cargo shorts.
From Banana Republic (Old Navy has basically the same thing, less expensive):
Hmmmm....guess the image tags don't work in this forum.
They look absurd on me- but I'm barely 5'3".
OK, they also have them mid-thigh according to the website. They weren't in the stores a month ago.
Thanks, I tried Old Navy and didn't find any that I liked. The ones that said medium lenghth were short on me. I'm 5'7. Also, I want thicker material, I don't like thin material in shorts or pants. I am taking my daughter to the mall tomorrow to let her pick out new clothes, and I'll try to find me some shorts as well. May try Target , wal-mart and TJ Max as well. It didn't used to be a problem cause all my stuff came from Lane Bryant and I liked their shorts.
Hey gang I'm BACK from Brussels and love the discussions on shorts and white slacks. I just love white and black as wardrobe staples and yes indeed, Meg, all worth it when they hang just so and accentuate the curves. Life is really good!
I bought a skirt at The Gap a month or so ago - a white diagonal detail pintucked cotten with a flirty flair at the hem. I wore it several times in Brussels and got just rave compliments. It is comfy, fun, and can be dressed up, down, or sexy even for evenings. I had debated and debated on the white or black and just went online, find it's on sale and ordered the black. I think I need it, doncha agree?
Here's the link - so much fun to be into summer and feeling good body wise. So good!!
I went shopping the other day and found the cutest rack of skirts that were on sale for $5.99 and I wanted one so bad. I looked at every single one and the smallest they had was a size 9. I was so dissappointed, because I am in a 4 in misses or 5 in jr. miss. I'm with you ,Meg, sometimes I cant find my new size. It used to be that I had a hard time finding a size 20 unless I went to Lane Bryant. I am now 5 lbs. to goal and have noticed that the last few lbs. have come off my boobs. I need to go shop for new bras now.
I guess the lesson is that whatever size we are is sure to be the one you can't find. I used to think that only the small sizes were the ones left over for sales but now that I actually wear a small size, it seems like it's all L's and XL's. Go figure. But a salesclerk at a local department store did tell me once that they only order ONE size 4 in each style so you gotta grab 'em fast (actually, that was one of my best NSVs - I was buying my first size 4 dress and the clerk said 'you probably already know this since you're a 4 ...' and I got to say that it was actually the first time I had ever been a 4 in my life! )
Yesterday I had the pleasure of trying on a pair of size 3 shorts and having them fit perfectly. I was so happy that I called my husband at work to tell him about it. Of course I bought the shorts...and a few other things as well.
I live in a 52-year old house with teensie-tiny closets and have stretched mine to the limits of my ingenuity. Organizers, double bars, shelves, plastic storage boxes under the bed ... if I don't figure something out soon, I'll have to stop buying clothes! 
I went 3 years wearing the exact same pair of size 18 loose fit Eddie Bauer jeans every...day. What's hardest for me is leaving "safe" stores - like J. Jill and Eddie Bauer. I don't need frumpy long sweaters and long velvet tunic tops anymore! I am trying to dress trendier. Wearing fitted clothes is also a psychological challenge - to me, if I can "feel" my clothes, it means they are "tight."
(except they're 1 1/2 inches too long, of course 
) The only question is underwear - even though they're lined, EVERYTHING shows. Maybe I'll go commando??
Old Navy had a lot, Banana Republic, Gap. I ended up in the Jr's dept. at Target because they had mid-thigh cargo shorts.
Can you afford to check out thrift stores or consignment shops? Sometimes they even have brand new stuff with the tags still on!
I used to think that only the small sizes were the ones left over for sales but now that I actually wear a small size, it seems like it's all L's and XL's. Go figure. 
But a salesclerk at a local department store did tell me once that they only order ONE size 4 in each style so you gotta grab 'em fast (actually, that was one of my best NSVs - I was buying my first size 4 dress and the clerk said 'you probably already know this since you're a 4 ...' and I got to say that it was actually the first time I had ever been a 4 in my life! 
