Supersizing of America & a rant

[Dogmama]

First off, I hate to shop. Especially for jeans. Last weekend, I went to searching at Dillards. Two things popped out at me.

1. The petite section was noticeably smaller. It's being taken over by the women's section.
2. I actually found a pair of jeans & bought them. Ralph Lauren size 2. Ladies - I ain't no size 2!! I'm not huge, but I'm usually a 4-6 depending on the cut. If they keep increasing the sizes, I'm going to have to shop in the junior's section.

My rant - I bought a Reba skirt at Dillards- really cute crinkle fabric to toss in a suitcase & go on vacation. Washed it & it RAN, ruining two blouses and making the skirt look like a rag. This was a $100 skirt (I splurged, it's my birthday!) I took it back & got all kinds of grief because I'd washed it! This snotty little girl-manager was picking tiny little hairs off, saying, "You must have an animal because there is hair all over this skirt" (NOT!). She said they usually don't take back clothes that have been washed...what? How else would I know the skirt was defective? There was no apology because I had ruined two blouses, because I had to return the skirt - nothing. She acted like she was doing me a huge favor by accepting my return.

Grrr.....:mad::mad::mad:

[Veronica]

I weigh 147 and I have some size 4s! I am not a freakin' size 4! I "should" be a size 10. That's what I was in college when I was on swimming 5,000+ yards a day and weighed 140.

I guess Dillards considers their clothes disposable, if they don't even hold up to one washing. That's not good for the environment.

Veronica

[badger]

I hear you on the size anomalies, I remember once upon a time I was a size 4 at the GAP. Now I'm size 0, and I haven't lost any weight. Granted I haven't shopped there in years, but that's just an example.

As for that poor customer service you received, I would write to the customer service manager of that store. What ever happened to the adage "Customer is Always Right"? especially from a big chain store, that's a pretty deplorable service you received.

Once, I bought this down jacket at Old Navy. I hung onto it for less than 2 weeks, and found the exact thing on even more of a sale. I tried to get a price match, she (also just-out-of-teens-manager) said no way. I then said, can I return it so I can buy the other one? she said an emphatic NO to that. How were they to prevent me? I couldn't understand her logic at all, and how she didn't want to work with me. I just returned the sorry thing and walked out, I was so mad.

[Crankin]

We've had this discussion before...
Apart from the very rude treatment by the sales person, which is another story, I have also been confronted with the fact that petite departments are shrinking or disappearing altogether.A good deal of the female population is under 5' 4" and petite sizes generally go up to 14. I want to scream, what about short people, let alone thin, short people?
My case in point: J Crew stopped selling petite sizes in their stores. They no longer make petite sized sweaters, very few shirts and dresses. Mostly suits.
Banana Republic has special petite concept stores, of which the closest one is 25 miles from my house. There's another BR, not really much closer, that has a teeny petite department. The BR store closest to me has none. And I live in a major metropolitan area.
The Gap only sells petites on line, and I didn't even know this until 2 weeks ago.
Many petite manufacturers start their clothes at size 4 or 6... which would be OK, if those size 4s and 6s were *really* 4s and 6s. I generally wore those sizes since I graduated from HS. until about ten years ago. Now I am a size 2, but in many stores I am a 0 (incredible) and I have to buy a petite extra extra small in a top. I can only buy t shirts at Banana Republic.
I buy most of my clothes at Ann Taylor Loft, because it is 4 miles from my house and they fit me. Still, I get sick of shopping there.
Buying a pair of jeans has become a major production. I love the slim, skinny ones, but cycling thighs prohibit that, even if I go up in size. Besides, even jeans that fit me are about 1-2 inches too long, despite the fact they are petites.
Is the world really getting taller, too?
And what's with clothing companies thinking that all older women want to look like either old ladies or trashy young girls?

[jessmarimba]

Haha, not to make you petite people mad, but I'm tired of outdoor clothing companies thinking the whole world is so tiny! I'm pretty thin but I have a 33" inseam, long arms, and a long torso. Columbia is the worst, but I can't stand buying outdoor clothes because my wrists, ankles, and belly-button are all hanging out! Plus my shoulders are narrow enough that I'd need an XS which just makes the shirts shorter! I guess ya can't win :)

[jessmarimba]

Ooh and btw crankin, I agree on the skinny jeans but I found some that work! They're expensive as all get-out unless you're lucky enough to find a pair a TJ Maxx, but William Rast skinny jeans fit more athletic bodies. Guess Justin Timberlake designs clothes for curves or something, but they fit my thighs and calves perfectly.

[shootingstar]

With the exception of cycling apparel, I have not bought any other type of clothing...for nearly last 2 yrs. It's a cost thing right now at this time in life. I still have some brand-new non-cycling clothing, I still haven't worn yet. I can still wear them since they are classic styles..and because my weight hasn't changed much. Yes, petite sizing is a problem. Does it make a difference living in an Asian-Pacific Rim predominant city with some manufacturers attune to this? Well, one has to spend ALOT of time finding such stores or cool properly fitted clothing pieces. In the last 15 yrs. I have less and less interest perusing fashion clothing shops. Some of the fashion stuff would just make me look...trashy ..or just dumb-trying-to-recapture-my-youth for...a gal abit past 1/2 century.

With respect to quality of clothing and textiles....it gets lower and lower in quality for approx. same price or more. Poor dyes is a real problem.


What I am noticing now compared to 10-15 yrs. ago, is that clothing has more higher % of cotton but less and less wrinkle-resistancy. So in the end, the outfit demands much more ironing or else it looks cheap.

Another reason why I shop less for fashion is just not budget: I'm just a pickier person because I used to sew my wardrobe. I really want durability and workmanship. I am not the type of customer that picks a lovely top and buys within 15 min. More like at least, half hr. after preening away in front of the store mirror.

[Crankin]

Shootingstar, I mostly wear classic, preppy styles, as I look awful in anything flouncy or girlie. Yet, I prefer dresses and skirts for work, so hence, I end up buying at the same 2-3 stores. On the other hand, I think my idea of classic may be a bit different than someone who shops at Talbots, let's say, which is another store close to my house. I guess maybe modern classic is more like it. I like to show off my athletic body, while at the same time respecting the fact that I am closer to 60 than 50 :eek:. I find a lot of stores that cater to middle aged women have all of these "big" clothes. Even in my size they look awful on me. In my new profession, women seem to wear a lot of these "big" clothes, shawls, sweaters, long skirts. Ugh.
I would buy all of my clothes from Athleta, if I could wear them to work!

[Zen]

Size zero.
No but The Invisible Woman wears a size zero.
I hate this stupid womens sizing (non) system.

[OakLeaf]

I just bought a swimsuit for the first time in over a decade, and learned that there is no size inflation in swimsuits from Speedo. :o Luckily I brought in a TYR suit to try on - Medium is about right, and it fit.

I've been surprised and disappointed to find that there is size inflation in some brands of athletic clothes. I don't even care, as far as other things. Sure, I have size 12 clothes that still fit me when I buy 6's or 4's now.

[GLC1968]

Shootingstar, I mostly wear classic, preppy styles, as I look awful in anything flouncy or girlie. Yet, I prefer dresses and skirts for work, so hence, I end up buying at the same 2-3 stores. On the other hand, I think my idea of classic may be a bit different than someone who shops at Talbots, let's say, which is another store close to my house. I guess maybe modern classic is more like it. I like to show off my athletic body, while at the same time respecting the fact that I am closer to 60 than 50 :eek:. I find a lot of stores that cater to middle aged women have all of these "big" clothes. Even in my size they look awful on me. In my new profession, women seem to wear a lot of these "big" clothes, shawls, sweaters, long skirts. Ugh.
I would buy all of my clothes from Athleta, if I could wear them to work!


Except that everything from Athleta is WAY TOO LONG! It drives me insane!

Besides vanity sizing, I have issues with the horribly inconsistent sizing in women's clothing. I'm 5'4" 154lbs and I currently have clothing that fits me in sizes ranging from a 2 to a 12 in my closet. That's just nuts!

[Crankin]

GLC, I don't know how tall you are, but Athleta offers almost all of their pants in petite sizes. They are usually a 28.5 or 29 length... as opposed to a 30 inch length in most of the "regular" clothes I see. I can barely thread a needle and I have had to pay for hemming a couple of pairs of wool pants I bought last year. I also bought 2 sundresses from them. One is a petite and fits me great.. good for showing off the arms. The other is not a petite, but I bought it in a smaller size and it fits perfectly; I think it is supposed to be fairly short, but on me, it hits about an inch above the knee, which is fine for me. I do wish their tops were a little shorter, though, but most are OK in the x smalls.
And Oakleaf, you are right. My bathing suit size has not changed since I was in my late twenties.

[PamNY]

Vanity sizing is funny because -- everybody knows about it! No one is fooled. I guess it works or the fashion industry wouldn't do it.

As far as style, there seems to be no -- or very little -- middle ground between trashy and mammaw.

[GLC1968]

Crankin, I've only bought skirts from them (none of which come in petite lengths) and all of them were SUPER long. All of the sleeves are always too long, too. I haven't tried their pants but perhaps I should! Though typically, even petite length pants are too long unless I wear heels (which I don't do anymore).

I'm a hobbit. Truly. At least my feet aren't hairy. :rolleyes:

[badger]

GLC, I don't know how tall you are, but Athleta offers almost all of their pants in petite sizes. They are usually a 28.5 or 29 length... as opposed to a 30 inch length in most of the "regular" clothes I see.


Most jeans I see are minimum 33". Occasionally I'll see 31", or 32", but they're getting very long. I guess it's to accommodate the willowy stick-thin teenagers who haven't filled out yet, and those who have shorter inseams will get them hemmed (assumption). That said, hemmed jeans, even with "real hem" hemming, just doesn't look right.

[Owlie]

While it's hard to tell because I've gained and lost weight and the spread of clothing I own reflects that...Right now, I'm fairly similar to my weight in high school, maybe a little less. 140ish at 5'6.5" I have a pair of Old Navy size 10 jeans from high school (so, 5+ years old). They fit pretty well, maybe a little loose. I have jeans that are the same brand, same numerical size that I bought two years ago. They are falling off. I have size 8 Gap jeans that are also falling off.
I'm probably somewhere between a 6 and an 8. Huh?

[esmorin]

As far as style, there seems to be no -- or very little -- middle ground between trashy and mammaw.

I agree with this so much!! I am only 26, but I have H cup boobs, and I have a really hard time finding anything that is business casual without looking super frump-tastic. All these girls at work have adorable tops and I am really limited to what fits right. Also, things that look conservative on small-boobed girls look trashy on me....by virtue of my boobs stretching the fabric so much. Ugh!!! :mad:

[zoom-zoom]

I am 5'3.5", medium build and was just telling someone a week ago that my goal was to get back down to a 2-4 (I was there a few years back, then regained 20+#s). She was appalled and said "oh, no, that is too small." I said...not so much. Today's 2-4 is like the 6s I wore when I graduated from HS in '91. When I fit into 2s and 4s I am generally still 10-15#s heavier than what is considered the low-end of healthy weight for my frame.

Think of the old thing about Marilyn Monroe wearing a size 14. Women like to kid themselves and say that they are the same size as Marilyn when they are obese (what...are we really so blind?). When I was a size 14 I looked NOTHING like Marilyn. But I knew it. I wasn't in denial.

A while back someone had taken some of her dresses and measured them...they were actually the equivalent of today's 4s and 6s.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

When I was in my 20's in the 1970's I was a size 8-10, a normal sized young woman. I had never heard of a size 1 or 0 until the past 15 years or so.....:eek: Women in the 1950's and 60's used to brag about being a size 8 like that was very slender and the ideal size. Fashion magazines used to refer to it: "she's a perfect size 8". I still think of size 8 as very slender and youthful. (I'm certainly no size 8 now! :cool:)
Size ZERO???? That means you don't even exist, right? lol!

[Veronica]

GLC, I don't know how tall you are, but Athleta offers almost all of their pants in petite sizes. They are usually a 28.5 or 29 length... as opposed to a 30 inch length in most of the "regular" clothes I see. .


I wish Athleta did a 30 inch inseam! No, their regular sized stuff has a 32 inch inseam.

In fact most companies seem to have moved to a 32 inch inseam as their regular inseam and tall is a 34.


Average height of a female in the US is slightly under 5'4". I am not sure whom clothing companies are manufacturing for. I guess the assumption is you can always get them tailored.

Veronica

[channlluv]

You petite girls aren't alone in the challenge of finding pretty, stylish clothes that fit. Try being a size 20/2X and finding something that doesn't look like a tablecloth.

Roxy

[Veronica]

Wikipedia has an interesting height table showing statistics from around the world and it tells how their data was acquired and when.

Data from 2003 - 2006, white and black American females, ages 20 - 39 average height is 5'4'1/2. Mexican American women are two inches shorter. This data was collected through measuring.

Self reported average height in The Netherlands is 5'7".


Veronica - who would make myself taller if I could.

[GLC1968]

Average height of a female in the US is slightly under 5'4". I am not sure whom clothing companies are manufacturing for. I guess the assumption is you can always get them tailored.


I used to complain when I worked for Ralph Lauren about how LONG everything was.... The theory was that all clothing LOOKS better when long, so that's how it's made. At least - for high fashion...and everything else is just a trickledown effect.

I also have heard it repeated often that you can always shorten things, you can't make them longer...which is true, but still a PITA. :p


Oh, and for the record, at 5'4" I don't really consider myself short at all. I just happen to have short arms and legs which makes buying clothing difficult.

[Veronica]

I read that just after I posted. Interesting that the self-reported countries are the tallest!


Yeah, I thought that was interesting. I wonder how many Americans have the correct height and weight on their drivers' licenses. :rolleyes:

My trainer went to the State Fair yesterday and was kind of appalled by the number of obese people there. That and the number of people who just randomly asked her how to look like her. Try several years of extremely hard work and eating almost no sugar - ever! I think the only sugar she eats comes from the 1/2 banana she puts on her oatmeal/egg white pancake.

I'd like to be that disciplined - but I like my ice cream. :D

Veronica

[Veronica]

Every now and then Garnett Hill will have petite things with a 30 inch inseam. I know that doesn't help the truly petite, but it is nice for us truly average chicks. :rolleyes:

Veronica

[Veronica]

Ha ha. Discipline is remembering what you want :rolleyes:


Shut up!!!!! ;)

Veronica

Clearly, I want my ice cream.

[Zen]

GLC, I don't know how tall you are, but Athleta offers almost all of their pants in petite sizes.

I actually sent them an email regarding petite sizes in skirts and dress. I was told that they do offer petite sized dresses.

Yeah, all two of them.

[Possegal]

Self reported average height in The Netherlands is 5'7".




Although what we noticed in Rotterdam was that folks there really were tall. My friend, who is 4'10" I think, and is married to a man from the Netherlands, commented to us that had we noticed how much taller people were there, and we actually had already commented. So there may be a 'self-reporting' effect happening there, but honestly, there were some tall folks over there. :)

[SaNdEe]

Okay - so I'm 5'8" and all leg and a** (but nothing up top, thanks a lot there) - IF I am liucky enough to find something that fits, it is usually a price that makes me hyperventialate. Thank Goodness for consignment and thrift shops :)

[GLC1968]

I actually sent them an email regarding petite sizes in skirts and dress. I was told that they do offer petite sized dresses.


Yeah - when they start making petite skirts, I'll be impressed. Petite dresses do me no good. The waists fall at my chest. :mad:

What I really need is to find a good tailor. I've had good ones in other places I've lived and they are worth their weight in gold to us non-average body types!

[jessmarimba]

Veronica - interesting little piece of trivia: I studied forensic anthropology in college, and self-reporting of height on drivers licenses can actually make for difficulty in identifying bodies. According to one study, men tend to overestimate their height by an average of 2 inches, while women report theirs as 2 inches too short on their licenses.

So maybe most American women really ARE 5'6.5"?

Don't know, but have Muirenn's height and feet, it seems, so I'm thrilled that I can find pants the right length now. Before I gained weight and muscle from cycling/running and got back to normal sizes, I couldn't find a size 0Long anywhere.

I wish I had a size 6 foot so I could get all the cute shoes on clearance!

[badger]

What bugs me is the inconsistencies in sizing throughout the board. There's 26", or size 3, or XS. Which is it? Then I go to England and I'm size 8. My shoe size here is 7.5, but in Japan I'm 25cm. There should be some International Fashion Police to set some standards on what size things are, and that they will be the same everywhere.

And then there's the inconsistencies even within the same brand...

[shootingstar]

Although what we noticed in Rotterdam was that folks there really were tall. My friend, who is 4'10" I think, and is married to a man from the Netherlands, commented to us that had we noticed how much taller people were there, and we actually had already commented. So there may be a 'self-reporting' effect happening there, but honestly, there were some tall folks over there. :)

It made me wonder if Danish women were also tall or at least bigger boned. I kept on exclaiming to my partner when we were in Copenhagen for...5 days, many bikes that were too big for me when we would pass a row of parked bikes.

So glad I brought my own bike to Europe. Otherwise lots of time wasted just to find a bike that fitted me. German women aren't normally known to be petite boned and short on average either.

I know this is not clothing size, but same issue. ;):p

[channlluv]

Men have this challenge, too. Since he started cycling, my DH has lost almost 60 pounds and has gone from an XL jersey to needing a medium. He's 6'3". We haven't found any Medium Tall shirts anywhere, much less cycling jerseys. He likes the racing cut, the one that fits lower on the hips. Anyone got a source for that?

Roxy

[Eden]

SIGH......

I know this subject way to well - at 5 nuthin 105lbs little to nothing exists that fits me any more and yes.... if I want a pair of jeans I am now relegated to the kids section. At nearly 40 there's precious little that I find dignified enough in a size 12...... (NO rhinestones please, and they have to pass the shoe tie test - if I can't bend over and to tie my shoes without showing underwear or worse crack I won't buy them...)

I wear mostly skirts to work as it is soooooo much easier to fake it when a skirt doesn't fit just right. And as with Crankin, Anne Taylor is my only friend these days. Sadly even they have lots of vanity sizing.... I think I'm down to a 00p, when just a few years ago I was a solid Anne Taylor 4p.

[Eden]

Men have this challenge, too. Since he started cycling, my DH has lost almost 60 pounds and has gone from an XL jersey to needing a medium. He's 6'3". We haven't found any Medium Tall shirts anywhere, much less cycling jerseys. He likes the racing cut, the one that fits lower on the hips. Anyone got a source for that?

Roxy


I don't know about these days, but a few years ago Nike cycling jerseys were cut long and lean. My husband is also 6'3" and mostly torso. He really liked the Nikes he had.

[OakLeaf]

Petite dresses do me no good. The waists fall at my chest. :mad:

If I don't buy petite slacks, the waist falls at my chest. If I do buy petite slacks, the legs end above my ankles. :rolleyes:

Did I mention I have no waist?

[OakLeaf]

So maybe most American women really ARE 5'6.5"?...
I wish I had a size 6 foot so I could get all the cute shoes on clearance!

Maybe they are. I know at an honest-to-goodness measured 5'3", I'm below eye level. Women as well as men walk right through me on the street if I don't yield to them.

I wish I had just about any shoe size smaller than my 10-1/2 Wide. :rolleyes:

[Eden]

Maybe they are. I know at an honest-to-goodness measured 5'3", I'm below eye level. Women as well as men walk right through me on the street if I don't yield to them.

*snort*.... I'm 3" shorter than you and I refuse to step off of the sidewalk... yes, I have occasionally let bozos walk into me....

[channlluv]

I don't know about these days, but a few years ago Nike cycling jerseys were cut long and lean. My husband is also 6'3" and mostly torso. He really liked the Nikes he had.

Awesome, Eden, thank you!

Roxy

Edit: I went to Nike.com's online store and they've got a dozen sports listed, but not cycling. Lance Armstrong is featured prominently, though, as is his LiveStrong foundation and Nike's sponsorship of it, but no cycling jerseys that I could find.

[Zen]

If I don't buy petite slacks, the waist falls at my chest. If I do buy petite slacks, the legs end above my ankles.

I think that waist/chest cut is rampant these days in order to hide extreme pear shapes.
Works for me;)

[KnottedYet]

I finally gave up on women's jeans completely. I couldn't get the size waist I needed AND the length I needed AND not have a huge gap at my heinie showing my lovely polka-dot undies to the world.

Shrink to fit Levi 501 were great in high school, and they are still great now.

The men's sizes seem to be consistent. I know they will shrink to perfection at my waist. I don't show a plumber's crack. (at least not after a few washes)

Ibex had long enough sleeves for a while, but I'm finding they are gradually falling into the same "Large and Extra Large just mean big around" trap, so soon I'll be looking for a new favorite shirt maker.

[zoom-zoom]

Edit: I went to Nike.com's online store and they've got a dozen sports listed, but not cycling. Lance Armstrong is featured prominently, though, as is his LiveStrong foundation and Nike's sponsorship of it, but no cycling jerseys that I could find.

My hubby and I were just talking about this...I thought I had heard that Nike wasn't doing cycling stuff anymore (I have never seen their shoes or jerseys online or in stores), yet Lance's jersey has a swoosh. Or are they just a sponsor, but not the manufacturer?

[PamNY]

I wonder if vanity sizing will eventually lead to minus numbers. If it continues, I will be a size -12 before I die.

[Flybye]

Except that everything from Athleta is WAY TOO LONG! It drives me insane!



Don't mess with Athleta - their stuff fits me PERFECTLY :D:D

[blackhillsbiker]

"Large and Extra Large just mean big around" trap, so soon I'll be looking for a new favorite shirt maker.
I'm 5'8.5" and 125 lbs. No boobs. No butt. :( My daughters got all the curves. I can't even find jeans anymore. Lucky and Silver used to fit, but now they gap by about 2" at the back waist. I have a long torso and long arms. By the time I find something long enough, they assume I'm also big around. I hate skin-tight teeny-bopper shirts, but women's clothes are always too short, or they become shorter and wider with every laundering. Sigh. I hate shapeless guy's shirts – sometimes the only way I can find tees that are long enough.

I used to be a 10. Then an 8. Then a 6. Now a 4. I haven't changed weight in years.

Other pet peeve, while clothes go one way, shoes go another. When you wear a 10.5 or 11, and they run "1/2 to 1 size short, please order the next size up," AND they only go to a size 11 (if you're lucky)... It's almost impossible to find cute shoes.

Deb

[KnottedYet]

I'm 5'8.5" and 125 lbs. No boobs. No butt. :( My daughters got all the curves. I can't even find jeans anymore. Lucky and Silver used to fit, but now they gap by about 2" at the back waist.

Try shrink to fit Levi button-front 501 again. Seriously! I never thought I'd be wearing them again 25 years later, but really they are magical. Same thing we did in high school: add 1-3 inches to your measurement for the waist (more inches for larger hips) and 3-4 inches for the inseam. Keep washing, keep the faith, until the waist shrinks enough to absorb the gap.

If it weren't for good ol' Levi 501's I'd be buck nekkid right now...:eek:

[GLC1968]

Yeah, don't get me started on shoes. I thought I was a 6.5D. They don't make women's shoes in 6.5D (or men's that short), so I have been wearing either 6.5C or 7B my whole life.

Now I have a podiatrist that says I should buy even wider shoes. Dude, really? THEY DON'T EXIST! Oy.

And wow, Oak - those are some long feet for a short woman!! :eek:

[maillotpois]

wow - listening to all this, I feel like a GIANT. (and that's way before we get to the size 11 shoes....)

[NoNo]

While I agree that the vanity sizing is ridiculous, I don't see the issue with going to a tailor and getting little issues fixed. I'm a curvy 5'-1" (read: hips meant to birth a cow and an ample bum:rolleyes:) so everything is long and I have to buy a size larger than I need just to clear my hips. $10 at the tailor's gets them the proper length and the waist taken in. And don't get me started on these tiny leg openings on shorts that my thunder thighs can't even squeeze through! I can't expect them to account for every whacky body type out there, so I get as close as I can and fine tune it from there.

[Crankin]

I didn't look at this thread when I got home from dinner last night, so to comment on Veronica's question about the 30" pants; when I said "regular" pants, I meant pants not from Athleta, not "regular" sizes, as opposed to petites. Most petite pants are now made in 30" lengths, especially the jeans. Regular sizes are, as you said, 32-33 inches.
GLC, I have a couple of petite sized skirts from Athleta, so they do make them. Not a lot, but some. My bigger gripe is with Title 9. I love their casual clothes, but they have no x-smalls and their smalls are often size 6-8. I noticed in the catalog I got yesterday there were a few more x smalls, mostly from Mountain Hardware (not their own brand), which is a brand that fits me.
I don't mind bringing a pair of nice work or dressy pants to be hemmed, but since I am buying petite sized clothing, I don't think I should have to do this. I certainly don't want to have to pay to get athletic clothes or jeans hemmed!
And yes, my DH has the same problem. He is 5' 7" and weighs 148. He is very muscular. While he has no issues getting pants, since they come in waist/length sizes (although a lot of stores don't have the shorter lengths and smaller waist sizes), his problem is with shirts and jackets. He has to buy all slim fit dress shirts and now, at age 53 has suddenly become a "small" in a lot of brands, when he pretty much was a medium all of his life. And a lot of men's clothes don't even come in smalls anymore... yet they have the 2XL sizes.
What I loved about Spain is that I felt tall compared to everyone there!

[bmccasland]

Another reason to come visit New Orleans - there are a LOT of petite women here, and the stores continue to have pretty decent petite departments. I'm 5'3" and don't feel "short". Around some women in my office, I'm actually tall - I kid you not. The old European, French and Italian mainly, blood lines show, with a little inbreeding perhaps :rolleyes: (until H.Katrina New Orleans had a very low out-migration rate). There are some tiny well dressed ladies walking around this city, so the stores continue to carry petite sizes.

Can't help the vanity sizing, or the size difference even among the same manufactorers - tried on a 12 today that was too snug, so I put on a 10 that fit just fine when I was getting dressed for work :rolleyes:.

[PamNY]

While I agree that the vanity sizing is ridiculous, I don't see the issue with going to a tailor and getting little issues fixed.

I agree. I've never understood why men consider it perfectly normal (and expected) to have a suit altered when they buy it, but women expect that manufacturers should accommodate every individual in every particular.

Especially with lengths! Making clothing to suit every single inseam simply wouldn't be possible.

Of course, I do wish that women's trousers were made like men's, so altering the waist would be easier.

[Veronica]

Especially with lengths! Making clothing to suit every single inseam simply wouldn't be possible.


Go look a place like LL Bean. Men can get pants in pretty much any length or waist. Obviously when you place your order someone hems the pants to the correct length. Women's pants should be like that.

For $49.50 a guy can get a pair of chinos at the right length. For $39.50 I can get petite, regular or tall. Then I have to take my time to go to a tailor and get them hemmed correctly. I'd rather throw the ten bucks at Bean and just have them arrive at the right length. Plus the women's chinos aren't nearly as well constructed as the men's.

I can understand pants fitting women differently at the hips. Women can have several different butt shapes, which men don't seem to have. But length... we have really should have the same options

Veronica

[shootingstar]

In fact, I would be surprised that many people have alot clothing bought off the rack, that fits perfectly.

Anyone who sews, knows there is always abit of altering the pattern pieces before cutting the fabric. One really starts to understand in greater detail a person's unique body shapes/curves.

I never saw anything wrong cutting off 4-6 inches pant legs. Yes, it's a pain in the neck to do an alteration. Shrug. Yes, it can alter the overall look of a pant. But then...I don't buy the style in the first place. (which is why I won't wear capris. Doesn't complement shorty here.)

Maybe it's because women just tend to buy alot more different garments (?)..I can see it being a hassle for fashionistas who don't sew. Fashionistas who sew alot, would consider it a design/redesign challenge or at best, minor reworking.

[PamNY]

Maybe it's because women just tend to buy alot more different garments (?)...

I think that probably explains the difference in how men's and women's pants are manufactured/marketed.

Plus, perhaps men aren't as particular? Ordering a specific inseam from a catalog doesn't necessarily produce a good fit. You need to try on the pants to see how they hang.

[skhill]

I've been thinking it's time to improve my sewing skills. Following patterns is not my thing...

What really gets me is how much harder it is to find clothes that come anywhere close to fitting me these days. When I wore a size 20, it wasn't so hard-- things might have been frumpy or not to my taste, but I could at least find stuff that basically fit. Now, most places I can afford to shop don't carry anything under a size 4, which is usually huge on me. I'm just thankful for the boy's department; all my shorts come from there, and a lot of shirts too. I just wish boy's jeans were long enough... But it's kinda ridiculous that I'm nearly 40, and stuck dressing like a 12 yr old boy. It's almost enough to make me want to put 50 lbs back on... improving my sewing skills is definitely a better option!

[channlluv]

Yeah, don't get me started on shoes. I thought I was a 6.5D. They don't make women's shoes in 6.5D (or men's that short), so I have been wearing either 6.5C or 7B my whole life.

Now I have a podiatrist that says I should buy even wider shoes. Dude, really? THEY DON'T EXIST! Oy.



I just bought some Keen sandals in a size 8 and I have really wide feet, too, and generally get sized at DD or E. I've had the same challenge as you -- they don't make women's shoes in DD or E. But these Keen sandals fit. They may do for you, too, and they had 7s in stock (I bought some for my daughter, too), so they just may fit you.

Most of the time I wear Birkenstock Arizonas because they have such good arch support and are very wide. If they discontinue that style, I'll be in trouble. Not all of their shoes fit me. I'm glad I tried the Keens.

Roxy

[Thorn]

But men's (unisex) clothing does seem to have the same issues. Have you noticed the change in what a "large" T-shirt is to some manufacturers?

Last year, one of the rides we participated in up-sized their "large". The T-shirts were barely wearable. This year the "large" is a full 1.5" wider in the shoulder than last year's oversized shirt.

I never had to try on T-shirts and sweatshirts. Now, for many T-shirt manufacturers I've gone from being a large to being a medium.

Like shootingstar, I really haven't bought any clothing besides cycling gear for the last several years. I dread the day my current set of jeans wear out...

[zoom-zoom]

I just bought some Keen sandals in a size 8 and I have really wide feet, too, and generally get sized at DD or E. I've had the same challenge as you -- they don't make women's shoes in DD or E. But these Keen sandals fit. They may do for you, too, and they had 7s in stock (I bought some for my daughter, too), so they just may fit you.

Most of the time I wear Birkenstock Arizonas because they have such good arch support and are very wide. If they discontinue that style, I'll be in trouble. Not all of their shoes fit me. I'm glad I tried the Keens.

Roxy

Plus Keens come in kids' sizes, too--and those are also wide. I have a pair of Keen Venice sandals and those seem to run wider than any other model of theirs. I generally wear a 7.5-8.5D, so I loves me some Keens. Dansko clogs are good, too, at least the ones with the more traditional sole, like the Professional model.

[badger]

one thing I've noticed that's gone the opposite spectrum is underwear. For a long time I could never find panties that fit me without looking like granny undies up to my belly button. Then there were all sorts of low-rise panties that fit so well. Now they're back up higher again, and there's no way I can wear them without the tops showing up past the jeans waist. The only ones that fit are from Pink these days.

[Veronica]

one thing I've noticed that's gone the opposite spectrum is underwear. For a long time I could never find panties that fit me without looking like granny undies up to my belly button. Then there were all sorts of low-rise panties that fit so well. Now they're back up higher again, and there's no way I can wear them without the tops showing up past the jeans waist. The only ones that fit are from Pink these days.

Try Patagonia's Barely Bikini (http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodPA_32390_0.html).

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

It's most depressing in the children's sizes.

I started buying "youth" T-shirts at the races several years ago - more for the length than the size, and sometimes because I just liked the design better or they were sold out of small adult sizes. Eight or nine years ago when I first started doing that, I could squeeze into a youth XL.

Lately, Medium children's T-shirts just hang on me. :(:(

[redrhodie]

While I agree that the vanity sizing is ridiculous, I don't see the issue with going to a tailor and getting little issues fixed. I'm a curvy 5'-1" (read: hips meant to birth a cow and an ample bum:rolleyes:) so everything is long and I have to buy a size larger than I need just to clear my hips. $10 at the tailor's gets them the proper length and the waist taken in. And don't get me started on these tiny leg openings on shorts that my thunder thighs can't even squeeze through! I can't expect them to account for every whacky body type out there, so I get as close as I can and fine tune it from there.

A couple of years ago, I had a top taken in to the tune of $50. That was more than it cost! I was shocked. I've also had pants hemmed for $17 (just the length, no lining, nothing complicated, no waist). I think that's standard for this area, but too much for me.

I finally found a reasonable tailor 20 miles away ($10 hems, not including waist), but she is BUSY. When I asked her last month if she could make me some skirts, she said she slows down a little in Feb. Is it like this in other parts of the country, or am I in a dead zone for tailors?

[GLC1968]

Plus Keens come in kids' sizes, too--and those are also wide. I have a pair of Keen Venice sandals and those seem to run wider than any other model of theirs. I generally wear a 7.5-8.5D, so I loves me some Keens. Dansko clogs are good, too, at least the ones with the more traditional sole, like the Professional model.

Yep, the Keen youth 6 fits me as do many of the women's models in a 7 if I remove the insoles. I also had luck with Doc Martins back in the day because I could just get a 'unisex' 5. Thing is - none of these are technically wide enough in the toe box for me. Better than anything else I've found, but still not quite wide enough! Danskos and Sanitas are also close - but again, not wide enough in the toes. I'm actually going to be selling the two pair I tried here on TE later this week. ;)

But, I recognize that the shoe thing is because my feet are really odd. It's not a fair gripe when the current type of footwear offered actually fits MOST women.

[GLC1968]

A couple of years ago, I had a top taken in to the tune of $50. That was more than it cost! I was shocked. I've also had pants hemmed for $17 (just the length, no lining, nothing complicated, no waist). I think that's standard for this area, but too much for me.

I finally found a reasonable tailor 20 miles away ($10 hems, not including waist), but she is BUSY. When I asked her last month if she could make me some skirts, she said she slows down a little in Feb. Is it like this in other parts of the country, or am I in a dead zone for tailors?

I found this too. In fact, even fiding a GOOD tailor is exceedingly difficult in some areas! Honestly, if the thought of spending my day sewing didn't sound so dreadful, it would probably be a good field to get into! Job security and all...

[limewave]

Go look a place like LL Bean. Men can get pants in pretty much any length or waist. Obviously when you place your order someone hems the pants to the correct length. Women's pants should be like that.

I love LLBean. I have to buy all DH's pants there. He's a 30 x 34. Nearly impossible to find at a department store.

[PscyclePath]

Dillards is home-based here in Little Rock (AR), by the way... They are not a bike friendly business, nor a bike-friendly bunch in general.

I used to do a fair bit of clothes shopping there for business wear, but the last time I was in there a couple of weeks back it looked like they had changed their entire inventory over to women's wear... I had to look across two floors to find the little corner where they had stashed the men's department. Pickings were pretty slim.

I'm sad to see that you guys are having the same problems, despite the amount of floor space those goobers expend...

[Eden]

I agree. I've never understood why men consider it perfectly normal (and expected) to have a suit altered when they buy it, but women expect that manufacturers should accommodate every individual in every particular.

Especially with lengths! Making clothing to suit every single inseam simply wouldn't be possible.

Of course, I do wish that women's trousers were made like men's, so altering the waist would be easier.

Well..... for some of us "alterations" would pretty much mean just re-using the cloth to totally remake something that actually fits, because the normal sizes no longer fit anywhere... and I really can't sew. I break sewing machines just by looking at them...

[Crankin]

Yes, I guess you can call me a fashionista who can't sew. I almost failed home ec because of it in eighth grade. I doubt I would sew, even if I could. There are some good tailors around here, though.
I spend a lot more $ on cycling and other activity type clothes now, so the problem isn't so bad. But, I am going back to work in a year and I will need some new skirts and dresses. I've thrown out a lot of stuff that is getting dated.
Shoes, yea, well, I wear a size 6 in casual shoes and a 5.5 in dress shoes. Not fun. My dad was a shoe manufacturer for years and the sample size used to be 4. Now it's 6. So, I guess feet are getting bigger, too. I guess I should be happy I am not my mom, who wore a size 4 and had to get her shoes for my wedding in the kid's department, since dad was no longer in the shoe business.

[sfa]

I don't know what y'all's problem is.

I wore a size 10 in high school when I was 115 pounds and a size 10 in college when I was 125 pounds and now I weigh 145 pounds and I STILL wear a size 10. I'm sure my frame just can carry the weight well so I don't have to change sizes. That must be it. :rolleyes:

[Veronica]

According to Wikipedia I am not a fashionista. But I still want my clothes to fit.

Veronica

[JennK13]

[QUOTE=redrhodie;522620]A couple of years ago, I had a top taken in to the tune of $50. That was more than it cost! I was shocked. I've also had pants hemmed for $17 (just the length, no lining, nothing complicated, no waist). I think that's standard for this area, but too much for me. QUOTE]

I hear ya! I took two - read that TWO - pairs of slacks in to have the waists taken in and hemmed up the length and it cost me $70!!! I'm cheap, and almost always buy clothes on sale, so this was way more than I paid for the pants; more than I would have paid for them off the rack if they fit. But I was at a loss on what to do!

[JennK13]

I don't know what y'all's problem is.

I wore a size 10 in high school when I was 115 pounds and a size 10 in college when I was 125 pounds and now I weigh 145 pounds and I STILL wear a size 10. I'm sure my frame just can carry the weight well so I don't have to change sizes. That must be it. :rolleyes:

LMAO!

I logged on today after returning from a lunch time trip to the mall to get some new clothes for work. I haven't bought any in probably 6 months (a long time for me!) and have been buying cycling attire instead. Well, my slacks are looking sad, so I need some more! What a frustrating experience. How can I walk into a store wearing pants I bought from there last year, and got to the rack and pull a couple that are labeled the same size and cut, and have them all fit differently??? It's just annoying. And, btw, at 170, I am NOT a size 8!

I do have to agree with the earlier post about outdoor attire - it's even more difficult to find pants that fit as Columbia and others make them for women built like men - straight down, no hips. I do have lucky with Mountain Hardware and Prana, but I end up spending a fortune.

[shootingstar]

I dunno. As for the tailoring issue and usual issues that I've always had with pant legs, sleeves (cuffed, long tops are abit of headache), no point for me to complain too loud.

My sewing machine is still around in the storage rm. So no point in me sittin' on my butt and doin' nothing. I do my own alterations....always even if it means cutting off pant length, sewing on seam binding and hand stitching up the hem..which is what I do for any dress pants, skirt.

Altering jean length are faster. But it's been several years since I've bought a new pr. Like Thorn, I dread the exercise of looking for a pair that structurally fits me without showing my butt crack. I keep putting it off because right now I have a great excuse --can't afford a new, stylish pr.


Other people don't mind weeding the garden whereas I don't mind minor clothing alterations.

Last few years, I have also come to the conclusion a healthy, reasonably fit body is way more fashionable and long lasting. It is a the foundation to help any piece of clothing look good/better. Hence, that's why I've lost alot of interest in fashion store browsing myself.

[OakLeaf]

Altering a pair of pants to shorten the rise is not much less work than making a new pair of pants.

Adding fabric onto the legs was fashionable for a few years, and I'm far from a fashionista, but I don't know that I'd do that now. :p

I'm so glad that low rise jeans are staying in fashion for the time being. "Superlow" jeans are more like low, "low rise" are more like normal on me. I HATE wearing pants that come up over my ribcage.

[bikerHen]

Yes, sizes are getting bigger but . . . coming from the fat end of sizing I'm down to a size 12 for the first time in my adult life. :D I know deep down, it's a "vanity" size, but I don't care! I no longer have to shop in the plus size department for those ugly floppy clothes that I hated. I've got another 10 to 20 pounds to go. Maybe I can make it down to a size 8. :eek: That would be truly amazing. So, I'll buy into being vane, I've earn it! :p bikerHen

[badger]

I'm so glad that low rise jeans are staying in fashion for the time being. "Superlow" jeans are more like low, "low rise" are more like normal on me. I HATE wearing pants that come up over my ribcage.

I hear you, sista!! I would die if the rise went up to "mom jeans" height again.

****
I've hemmed jeans where I'll cut off the real hem and re-stitch it back onto the new edge, but it's fiddly work. I just roll up the back where they tend to get scuffed under shoes now.

have any of you also noticed that some stores will put out "narrowing" mirrors that make you look slimmer so people will buy?

[emily_in_nc]

I love LLBean. I have to buy all DH's pants there. He's a 30 x 34. Nearly impossible to find at a department store.

They also have shorter petite pants than some places -- 28.5" or 29". Their smallest petite size is still 4P, but it's sized more like a 0-2P from Ann Taylor Loft. I have their LL Bean Visa so get free shipping both ways -- nice way to try to see if something will work, and if it doesn't, send it back at no cost to me!

[emily_in_nc]

[QUOTE=redrhodie;522620]
I hear ya! I took two - read that TWO - pairs of slacks in to have the waists taken in and hemmed up the length and it cost me $70!!! I'm cheap, and almost always buy clothes on sale, so this was way more than I paid for the pants; more than I would have paid for them off the rack if they fit. But I was at a loss on what to do!

I just got two pairs of pants cut off and hemmed for $10/each at a little tailor shop here - and this is in expensive Chapel Hill. I am lucky! :)

[Veronica]

They also have shorter petite pants than some places -- 28.5" or 29". Their smallest petite size is still 4P, but it's sized more like a 0-2P from Ann Taylor Loft. I have their LL Bean Visa so get free shipping both ways -- nice way to try to see if something will work, and if it doesn't, send it back at no cost to me!


I use to love Bean; until they made their regular sizes too long. Regular formerly was 30 inches. They have now bumped it up to 30 1/2 or 31. And, you now have to be careful because it's not consistent anymore. Some of their older styles are still 30. But those are the pants that come up WAY past my belly button.

I DO NOT shop in stores. Everything I do is mail order.

Veronica

[blackhillsbiker]

Try shrink to fit Levi button-front 501 again. Seriously! I never thought I'd be wearing them again 25 years later, but really they are magical.

I lived in 501s in high school & college. I didn't realize you could still buy the non-shrunk ones. I've just seen the prewashed ones. I guess I'll have to look around.

As for undies, Jockey Elance hipsters and I have been friends since 1986. If they ever discontinue or redesign them I'm in serious trouble.

Deb

[Jolt]

Most jeans I see are minimum 33". Occasionally I'll see 31", or 32", but they're getting very long. I guess it's to accommodate the willowy stick-thin teenagers who haven't filled out yet, and those who have shorter inseams will get them hemmed (assumption). That said, hemmed jeans, even with "real hem" hemming, just doesn't look right.

Jeans are getting way too long! I was recently trying on jeans at Old Navy (I liked their "Weekend Fit" that they used to make and saw that they had a style by that name again) and they were dragging on the ground even if I got the short length. I used to wear the regular and it was just right (with flat shoes, of course). Do they think we're all going to wear stilettos with our jeans all the time? I don't THINK so!!

[PamNY]

Low-rise can't go away. I will be devastated. I can't have jeans up to my boobs again.

[Eden]

Sigh... I'm a short person with a looooong rise and a small waist.... low rise jeans have been a nightmare for me. Low rise unless they are perfect totally gap in the back and show the world what color undies I wear (or what my butt crack looks like)

[Dogmama]

Sigh... I'm a short person with a looooong rise and a small waist.... low rise jeans have been a nightmare for me. Low rise unless they are perfect totally gap in the back and show the world what color undies I wear (or what my butt crack looks like)

Me too. Fixing that gap in the back would require completely making over the torso part - we're talking a good 4-5" in some jeans.

Eden, I bought a pair of Ralph Laurens that are decent. They aren't "boyfriend" pants, but they don't come up to your ribcage either.

[zoom-zoom]

Low-rise can't go away. I will be devastated. I can't have jeans up to my boobs again.

No joke! It looked like those super-skinny, high-waist jeans were trying to come back into fashion, but I don't know anyone who likes that look or that fit.

[zoom-zoom]

'blouses in my size don't fit because they are too small across the bust.'

What? No! Go up a size, even two. That is the correct size! If going up means having to take in the waist, guess what, that is still the correct size!


Or maybe they are like me...tiny shoulders, small waist, big boobs. I am a 34 band, but D cup. Often the tops that fit me through the boobs hang on me everywhere else. And if they are sleeveless the arm holes are often gaping in the ones that don't stretch across the girls. It kinda blows.

[zoom-zoom]

Sigh... I'm a short person with a looooong rise and a small waist.... low rise jeans have been a nightmare for me. Low rise unless they are perfect totally gap in the back and show the world what color undies I wear (or what my butt crack looks like)

Have you ever tried the Levi's Curvy jeans (528 or 529 depending upon whether you try Juniors or Misses sizes)? I run into this, too, but they are great. They are higher in the back and they are cut with a narrower waistband, even though they are still relatively low-rise.

[Eden]

Have you ever tried the Levi's Curvy jeans (528 or 529 depending upon whether you try Juniors or Misses sizes)? I run into this, too, but they are great. They are higher in the back and they are cut with a narrower waistband, even though they are still relatively low-rise.

I have a pair of kids Levis on right now..... sad but true, the best fit I can get in jeans at this time are kids 12's or 14's depending on the brand. They tend to be the right length and when I'm lucky I can find some that aren't too weird (no ribbons, rhinestones or tons of embroidery) and aren't too low - I guess mfg's still have some compunction about showing too much skin on little girls..... I'm too little for Misses..... (though I haven't tried Juniors for a while)

[OakLeaf]

Or maybe they are like me...tiny shoulders, small waist, big boobs. I am a 34 band, but D cup. Often the tops that fit me through the boobs hang on me everywhere else.

Tops fit me the same way, and I'm a 34A/B. It's just that no matter how much or how little upper body work I'm doing (and at the moment it's precious little :rolleyes:), my pecs and lats develop more than my delts. Or maybe it's bone structure - broad through the ribcage but smaller through the clavicles. Either way, tops either fit me like old lady tops, shapeless and saggy everywhere, or they're tight across the chest. Waist is actually much less of a visible problem for me than shoulders.



Actually - now that I think about it - I'm thinking that the problem begins more in the shape of the shoulders than anywhere else. Mine are quite square, and it seems that most women's tops are constructed for sloping shoulders. When I do find a top that's the right circumference for my shoulders and my chest, normally the neckline is up around my ears somewhere. :mad:

[Becky]

Or maybe they are like me...tiny shoulders, small waist, big boobs. I am a 34 band, but D cup. Often the tops that fit me through the boobs hang on me everywhere else. And if they are sleeveless the arm holes are often gaping in the ones that don't stretch across the girls. It kinda blows.

This. Blouses are a nightmare, unless they're stretchy. I don't even wear sleeveless anymore.

I would pay good money for tailored blouses that come in cup sizes.

[badger]

I think blouses in general don't fit women off the rack. For me, the problem is I'm pretty flat (34A/B), so there's an extra pouff of fabric that I can't fill out. I'm just counting my blessings that work allows me to wear whatever and I take advantage of that. I'm wearing my t-shirt, capris and flip flops :D

[Veronica]

Then there are those of us with a significant amount of muscle on our backs. Every time I try to use the Title 9 bra fit calculator - it tells me my numbers are impossible.

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

I found a picture of the person for whom women's blouses are designed!

http://i.ehow.com/images/a04/8r/09/achieve-thicker-muscular-neck-800X800.jpg

[GLC1968]

Then there are those of us with a significant amount of muscle on our backs. Every time I try to use the Title 9 bra fit calculator - it tells me my numbers are impossible.

Veronica

Or those of us with smaller than average sized boobs and waists, but big arms. I can wear sleeveless shirts off the rack but if there is a sleeve, I need to order up a few sizes. Not all women have sticks for arms but you'd never know that by blouse design. :mad:

See - this is why there is no standard for women's sizes - even in the same size, women come in so many shapes that there is no way clothing manufacturers could please all the women, all the time. This is exactly why adding lycra/stretch to woven garments took off the way it did!

[GLC1968]

Have you ever tried the Levi's Curvy jeans (528 or 529 depending upon whether you try Juniors or Misses sizes)? I run into this, too, but they are great. They are higher in the back and they are cut with a narrower waistband, even though they are still relatively low-rise.


These are great fitting jeans - but they are too long! Even the 'short' length is longer than 30' and impossibly hard to locate. And, for whatever reason, jeans don't seem to shrink in length anymore no matter how much I try drying them. As a teen, I remember leaving jeans out of the dryer in order to avoid turning them into 'floods'. Why the change??

[Selkie]

Are they making jeans longer because some like wearing heels w/them? When I was younger, heels w/jeans was a hootchie fashion trend. ;-) Liked big hair, lee-press on nails, and frosted eye shadow.

I have to admit that I'm glad the inseams on the petite jeans are longer because it's hard for me to find regular jeans that fit. I'm 5'5" but small boned, so my frame is petite but my height is not. Sorry Crankin! I'm sure the trend will reverse itself as people rediscover flat shoes.

[Veronica]

I couldn't find the 528s at the Levi site.

Veronica

[GLC1968]

Are they making jeans longer because some like wearing heels w/them? When I was younger, heels w/jeans was a hootchie fashion trend. ;-) Liked big hair, lee-press on nails, and frosted eye shadow.


I think that's probably the case. I've permanently give up heels and now I'm getting even more frustrated with jeans. Oh - and add white sunglasses to that list, please. ;)


V - I found the 529 on Amazon but they were out of the short length. I've also heard that Kohls carries them but I haven't checked. What size do you wear? You can have mine if you want - they are just tooooo long for me (though they might be too big for you too but I can check).

[Veronica]

Mostly I was just curious. I got new jeans last year from J Jill. I got the roll up ones in a regular size and just didn't roll them up. The length turned out to be perfect for me.

I usually only wear jeans once a week to work. Unless I'm having a bad week and just want to be comfy. :D I would like to find some khaki colored jeans though. The ones I've got now are quite large on me.

I tend to wear chinos and I'm having a hard time finding ones that fit well. I found some chino like pants at Garnett Hill in an inseam that works for me and fits my butt and thighs, sit below my belly button and no gaping. I'm hoping they'll have some new colors this fall since I bought all the colors I liked last spring. Do women really wear white or pink pants? (The colors I didn't buy.)

Fortunately, I'll be able to wear skorts until the end of October or so.

Veronica

[Selkie]

I think that's probably the case. I've permanently give up heels and now I'm getting even more frustrated with jeans. Oh - and add white sunglasses to that list, please. ;)
.

LOL -- I never, ever, ever would wear heels with jeans, even when I was in my teens/20s. Like you, GLC, I don't wear heels at all.

Instead of jeans, I mostly wear Patagonia tights or capris during the cooler months. I do have some jeans that fit---Levi's petite sizes that I found at Macy's. They are a smidge too short in the inseam but at least the waist doesn't gape. Might have to resort to the juniors department for jeans if this vanity sizing trend continues.

Work clothes, I can find some Talbots stuff that fits, but unfortunately, the company has fallen victim to vanity sizing. Pants---I'm wearing a 0 petite, which is ridiculous. I can usually get by with size 2 petite skirts, but sometimes, I have to pin the waist. Tops aren't a problem, thank God. More and more, I'm buying Patagonia skirts and dresses for work. The clothes are very comfortable, high quality, and FIT. That is one company that hasn't capitulated to vanity sizing. In addition, J Peterman has some very nice stuff that fits (not vanity sized)---tailored, good for work, and a lot of the stuff is very unique.

White sunglasses? :D Is that the latest?

[Veronica]

Patagonia is having a 30% off sale right now. I really like their dresses. I have three different ones. Merino wool tees are on sale. :D Some of their bottoms are a little too low rise for me though and sometimes don't fit my supersize muscular thighs.

Veronica

[Selkie]

V --- I actually got up at the crack of dawn this morning to shop that sale! LOL. Was well worth it because a few things I wanted were included in the sale and they had them in the color I wanted/my size.

The dresses drape well---very flattering. TE sells some their stuff, including some of their dresses.

[PamNY]

I wonder if problems getting pants that fit is one reason tights/leggings are so popular. Not the only reason, but I'll bet it's a factor.

I am so tempted to get some, but I am almost 60 years old...

[GLC1968]

White sunglasses? :D Is that the latest?

No, no...that was the trend in the 80's. Only the dumb trashy chicks wore white sunglasses and drove white cars...at least in my neck of the woods. ;)

I did wear heeled boots with jeans...but not anymore. :(

Now I'm off to Patagonia - funny, but I was perusing their site yesterday and had no idea a sale was starting! I too love their dresses and skirts but have not had luck with their pants or shorts.

For pants/shorts - I'm having luck with Royal Robbins, actually. (REI carries them) I also like Mountain Hardware, but they can get pricey.

[Crankin]

I do wear heels with jeans, but that's for "dress up," i.e. going out with DH, etc. And, they are not super high heels; sometimes the jeans would be too long still! I have a pair of short boots with 3 inch chunky heels that I wear with some of the longer pants I have for work. I couldn't do it when I was teaching, too much standing, but now I sit most of the time at work.
Going to look at Patagonia.

[SaNdEe]

Being all leg makes it super difficult to find jeans that don't look like I'm "waiting for a flood" - things are much better since high school in the 1980's (incidentally, the Grease Sing-ALong is in Ocala, but I digress, BTW my name is Sandy).
I was thrilled with the new longer leg-lengths!
But even I have had a few jeans to wear heels with (in the South, heels are the weapon of choice to keep DH interested) :D

[Selkie]

No, no...that was the trend in the 80's. Only the dumb trashy chicks wore white sunglasses and drove white cars...at least in my neck of the woods. ;)

.

I'm glad you said it, not I. Those chicks usually drove white VW Cabriolets, right? Now a lot of the ones who "made it" by marrying $$$ drive white Lexus SUVs (with tri delt stickers on the rear window---a reminder of their glory days). Sorry, that was *&^%$y, but I readily admit to being an anti-elitist (an elitist anti-elitist? I have my own snobbishness but it's premised on different values).

I don't remember the white sunglasses trend in the 80s---I was a punk rock girl then, so I probably didn't notice.

[Selkie]

I do wear heels with jeans, but that's for "dress up," i.e. going out with DH, etc. And, they are not super high heels; sometimes the jeans would be too long still! I have a pair of short boots with 3 inch chunky heels that I wear with some of the longer pants I have for work. I couldn't do it when I was teaching, too much standing, but now I sit most of the time at work.
Going to look at Patagonia.

Crankin, I was referring to those "Sex in the City" type heels---really high ones with the pointy toes. FM shoes, to put it crassly. There are 20-30 year olds who wear them to work with those skin tight, low rider jeans on Fridays.

[Crankin]

I pretty much knew the type you were talking about... I like the look of high heels, but my body says otherwise. Yea, sometimes I have had to tell younger colleagues, "no crack showing, please!" (and this is when I was teaching 11-13 year olds!). And, I love low rise jeans, but I know the limits of this!
Eh, my DH has a Lexus SUV. We keep it because of its ability to haul 4 bikes, a canoe, suitcases, and 4 adults. Besides, around here, the type of person Selkie refers to drives a white Cadillac Escalade with private school stickers on the back. Lexus is a pretty common car around here, so those Cadillacs really make a statement.

[SaNdEe]

Florida is an interesting place - below the "deep South" - so while many steriotypes are found here, there are enough transplants from other places to keep it interesting.
The heels look here has been moving more towards the Latin-style (more elegance than trash). However, I can rarely wear heels since my feet cramp terribly if I do - I much prefer my comfy old lace-up boots, but those don't really work in the office . . . plus, I'm taller than my DH if I wear heels!:rolleyes: