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.....

[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 . 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. 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 . 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.

[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.