WOW - is right! Amazing. I find this thread very motivational, btw. It recaptures that excitement I remember, about going thru the closet for smaller sizes, so it's a good one to come back to and get my ignition relighted.

I have never bought any clothing on-line. I'm too afraid that with sizing like it is , that it wouldn't fit me. Even a 5 lb. fluctuation in my wt. now drastically affects how my clothes fit. I do plan to shop for some nicer clothes when I go to OK CITY in September. Maybe with me, it's just a Fear that my size isn't what all my tags say it is. That it's a fluke and that I have to try on each item to make sure it will fit.

MEG, I know that you wear a size 4. Do you ever buy anything that isn't size 4? I ask because when I buy clothes in Jr. sizes, I buy a 5 or even sometimes a 7 . But, I can also fit into some of my DD's size 3's (but would never actually wear her clothes even though she pilfers my clothes quite often,LOL). It just seems to me like there is so much difference in how clothes fit according to whether it is women's or juniors and which store you buy them at.

Hi Lily. Junior sizes run much, MUCH smaller. In fact I just started shopping there. I can't stand baggy clothing anymore, just the opposite of how I used to wear things in fact. All my sized small t-shirts from the ladies stores were beginning to look sloppy on me. So I headed to the juniors. Now granted, being 43 years old there's not much for me that is age apporpriate, but I have managed to find some plain t-shirts. They fit me much better. Instead of a small, though I usually wear a medium.

I bought some juniors pants recently as well, 2 sized 5 and one sized 3. BUT, they are not tight pants, they're dress pants. I think if they were very, very fitted or even denim jeans, I would probably need a larger size. Since losing my butt and hips just these past few weeks I seem to be all over the place with sizes.

Not only are my hips and butt gone - history, buy my chest as well. Wait til you hear this one. I think I'm on like my 5th set of bras since I started this whole journey. I went from a 44DD to a 34 C. I still can't beleive it. Too weird.

Robin, you sound just like me. (Except I wear larger shirts than you). But, I do shop some in the Jr. Miss section now. Actually since I basically have no butt and very slender legs, the Jr.s seem to fit better than even the 4's in women's. It feels like they are made for someone with not much "junk in the trunk". LOL. I also lost my chest. I went from a 42DD to a 36C and I'm glad for this. At least now I have a better selection of sexier bra's. LOL. My DD gave me one pair of Cordouroy's from American Eagle that are size 2. I can wear them when I'm at the bottom of my wt. range (142 lbs.) but even a couple extra lbs. and they are too tight in the waist.

I was just curious if others here try to always buy the same size or if it all depends on whether it is Juniors or Women's and the style?

Lilybelle, I still don't get the hips and butt thing with me. When I was a teenager and weighed what I do now, I had a huge bubble butt and quite large hips - but now- they're history. I tend to think it has to do not so much with my age, but with my weightloss. I think that had I always stayed at this weight, I would still have the big butt and hips, but this weightloss totally and completely re-shaped my body. I'm not complaining though. It's just weird to me to no longer have a butt. I mean it used to actually be shelf-like. And now, it's pancake like.

I think sizes really vary Lily, from place to place and also from the cut of the pants as well.

I still don't get the shopping in the junior's department thing. Are there really no adult clothes out there that fit??? Why don't petites work? What am I missing?

I went on a little shopping trip yesterday to the nearest biggish town. Got some cute new tops and blouses and a new Calvin Klein bra (I love TJ Maxx!). I almost bought a really pretty white cotton lawn dress from the junior's section, actually, but it was a bit too damaged and they didn't have another

The most exciting part was that I got my new summer makeup from MAC. I love make-up and I always go and get new stuff after I've gotten a bit of a tan in the summer, and after my usual pallor has returned in the winter. I got some new foundation, concealer and *three* new eyeshadows. Hooray! New colors to play with!

Also, re the online shopping, Lily, I do LOTS of shopping online (in stores and on Ebay) because I live 4 1/2 hours away from the nearest real city with real stores. The key things to shopping online are:
1. buy from stores where you are confident about the sizes--I am always a size 6 from Banana Republic, so I'm certain that anything I buy from there will fit me, though, of course, I am less certain that it will be flattering and will 'work' on me. Of course, if they keep cutting the sizes larger and larger, I will have to re-evaluate.
2. Returns. You can send it back if it doesn't fit. I usually find a way to get free shipping on whatever I buy (I never make an online purchase without first googling 'store-name coupons') so I figure its no big deal if I have to spend $5 or $6 returning what doesn't work for me.
3. This is connected to the practice of returning, but if I'm not sure which size I will be at a particular store--sometimes I'm a 6 at J Crew, sometimes I'm an 8--then I just go ahead and order whatever it is in each size and then return the one that doesn't fit. That way you get to avoid feeling like a lump if the smaller, optimistic size doesn't fit properly and you still get to have the item of clothing you were looking forward to

I'm into it. As far as I'm concerned, online shopping is the only thing that makes living deep in the country possible

For me, looking in the juniors dept has to do with ... because I can ...
For a long time, nothing fit, nothing looked good, I didn't have time or money for clothing for me. Styles changed, I changed, my body changed ... I had to go looking, hunting, learning.

It's fun to try on juniors even if you don't buy anything.

I'm not sure what it is about me. My look? my shape? but it's really easy for me to look matronly. I have to experiment a bit.

Sizes are all over the place! Baffled, there aren't always petites and they are usually more expensive if you can find them. Regular misses 4's are almost always too big in pants and skirts for me, so I tend to head to the Jr's department or "younger" stores for them.

Unless she always buy the same brand and cut of pants, there's no way that a 4 ALWAYS fits anyone. I wear a 4 petite perfectly at Talbots (and wyllen- where is there a Talbots outlet????), but they fall off me at Ann Taylor. I just bought a pair of jeans on sale at Ann Taylr Loft for the dumb reason that they were on sale and a size ZERO fit me. A different cut there was too small in a 2. The 4's were too big. I know I'm falling for their vanity sizing trap- that's really the only reason I bought them and a pair of wide leg capris also size 0 that look more like ankle gauchos on me

I think I'll wear them with the tag still on It'll make me feel good, which is exactly why these stores are doing this and my truly tiny twenty-five year old daughter can't even buy clothes although she needs to dress like an attorney. And not like the ones on Boston Legal

Mel

Mel -- The Talbots Outlet near me is in Geneva IL. I actually just went there yesterday and bought 4 items, including 2 jeans skirts. One was $7.25 and the second was $8.50. At those prices, I didn't need to choose!!

Some of the items are not much lower than the store sales. Other items range from 25-75% off of lowest tag price... I've scored some great finds. Oh, and sometimes the outlet has its OWN sale. Look out, then!

Apparently, there are no Talbots Outlets near you in West Chester, PA. But some in NY. At least, if this site is to be believed: http://find.mapmuse.com/re1/interest...ALBOTS_OUTLET&

Robin, when I was in high school and was 135 lbs., I had a nice round butt. I now have that pancake butt too. LOL. I like to wear jeans and capri's with big pockets on the butt to make me look like I have a little butt. (I saw this tip on What Not to Wear to help people with a flat butt).

When I buy in the Jr's dept. it is usually things such as Levi's or Capris' that the exact same style is available in women's section. But the 5 in Jr.'s usually fits better than the 4 in women's. I avoid anything with brads, sequins or any of the stuff that makes it look like kid's clothes. I do wear a lot of American Eagle jeans that are a 4, I love the fit on them. I always avoid the scrubbed out, bleached and holey looking clothes that are out there for kids.

Mel, I'd wear them zeroes with the tag still on them too. This reminded me of when I was young and my Levis always came with the size label right there on the butt for all to see. Heck, if I bought some now with the size label on the butt, I wouldn't be at all ashamed to wear them now. LOL.

baffled, thanks for clueing me in on the return policy. I didn't know they could be returned. Here where I live, shopping is very limited.

I can't believe there isn't one in Lancaster I thought lancaster was one of the biggest outlets areas. Looks like the nearest one to me is in Cockeysville, MD. I used to take my daughter near there for lacrosse practice twice a week when she was playing club lax in highschool. It was a long drive...but my car knows the way Or my previous car did. Actually, I usually wait until their clothes are one their second rounds of markdowns or have already been sent back to the online store and are marked down again. I've usually tried them on in the store already, so online is not a problem.

Mel

Lily & Robin - I've also lost my butt. It's flatter now. Still surprises me when I turn sideways toward the mirror.

Baffled - like others have said, I range from a 0 to a 6 depending on brand and cut. Gotta try everything on.

Land's End and LL Beans size 4's are actually size 4's so I've had very good luck with them. Wore my new Land's End two piece to the beach last weekend and was very happy with it.

I'm really enjoying wearing all my new clothes this summer. I look forward to what I can put on each day.

Mel -- I can let you know when I hear our outlet is having a sale. Might really make it worth it to drive to yours!

I'm with Carolyn ... I now have three sets of those scrubs with the stretch panel in the side and love them! I had DH choose a colour before we went to bed last night. So it'll be pink today. Imagine being excited about wearing new scrubs!