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I went shopping with a coworker after work today. This came about almost by accident.
Last week, I was complaining about my difficulty finding pants that fit, after I told her that the problem wasn't that my body shape had changed and I had to buy new clothes, it was that I needed new pants and hadn't been able to find them, which was (a large part of) why I was getting "men's" pants from a catalog. She said it shouldn't be that difficult, and I asked where she would suggest I shop, then.
I was mostly thinking that this would get me sympathy/agreement that okay, maybe it is difficult. What it got was "Macy's" and a conversation that ended with us agreeing that since neither of us actually likes shopping for clothes, mutual support might also be good. Mostly, my goal was to take advantage of her offer of recent expertise, specifically knowing her way around there and having some ideas of what parts of the store/store brands would be likely to fit me.
The plan was that we'd look for pants for me, and maybe her, and then for a dress for her. (In the end, we revised that slightly, by stopping in at Lane Bryant briefly so she could figure out whether there was anything she wanted to try on after work tomorrow.
She asked me what size I wore, I told her, and she said this seemed unlikely. I don't think her saying that she didn't think I was that big was meant as flattery (I'm thinner than she is); more to the point, apparently, at least in Macy's sizes, she was correct. Either the catalogs I have been looking at use a smaller size 18 than Macy's does; things have been shrinking more than I realized in the dryer; or my waist is smaller than I thought. Possibly some combination. I now have three essentially identical pairs of pants, two black and one dark blue, in a "14 short." The same brand and style in a "14 petite" were both too large in the waist and too short in the rise (the latter is my usual problem with petities). The plan now is to wear one of them a time or three, and then launder it. If it shrinks significantly in the wash, I will return the other two; if not, I will have an idea of a place to look in the future.
These don't solve the problem of needing warm pants, because the fabric is a bit thin for that, but they are pants, they have pockets, and this is promising.
Not being sure of my pants size isn't as weird as not being sure how tall I am (because I'm standing differently), but it seems to be more of the same, in some sense. Less so in some ways—height is measured in inches or centimeters, which are well-defined units, rather than in "14" or "18W" or "L"—but it's all weird. However, I am reasonably confident that the shoes I just ordered will fit; they are the same size and model as the pair I'm currently wearing, and which is wearing out.
Even a successful expedition can be draining; I spent about two hours on my feet, though I didn't realize it until we were done and leaving the store. A much less stressful two hours than many such expeditions; mutual support is useful.
Also, I understand, somewhat, why a company might make their size 14 larger, so as to sell to women who want to think of themselves as thinner. I don't understand why the same model from the 14 petite was bigger around the waist than the 14. Haven't they figured out that if people can't find a product, they won't buy it?
P.S. She liked my tattoos.
ETA: I also ordered some gloves online, which arrived today. Two pairs, both medium. One fits well, the other is significantly too small. This is rather less irritating, as they aren't the same style, brand, or material.
Last week, I was complaining about my difficulty finding pants that fit, after I told her that the problem wasn't that my body shape had changed and I had to buy new clothes, it was that I needed new pants and hadn't been able to find them, which was (a large part of) why I was getting "men's" pants from a catalog. She said it shouldn't be that difficult, and I asked where she would suggest I shop, then.
I was mostly thinking that this would get me sympathy/agreement that okay, maybe it is difficult. What it got was "Macy's" and a conversation that ended with us agreeing that since neither of us actually likes shopping for clothes, mutual support might also be good. Mostly, my goal was to take advantage of her offer of recent expertise, specifically knowing her way around there and having some ideas of what parts of the store/store brands would be likely to fit me.
The plan was that we'd look for pants for me, and maybe her, and then for a dress for her. (In the end, we revised that slightly, by stopping in at Lane Bryant briefly so she could figure out whether there was anything she wanted to try on after work tomorrow.
She asked me what size I wore, I told her, and she said this seemed unlikely. I don't think her saying that she didn't think I was that big was meant as flattery (I'm thinner than she is); more to the point, apparently, at least in Macy's sizes, she was correct. Either the catalogs I have been looking at use a smaller size 18 than Macy's does; things have been shrinking more than I realized in the dryer; or my waist is smaller than I thought. Possibly some combination. I now have three essentially identical pairs of pants, two black and one dark blue, in a "14 short." The same brand and style in a "14 petite" were both too large in the waist and too short in the rise (the latter is my usual problem with petities). The plan now is to wear one of them a time or three, and then launder it. If it shrinks significantly in the wash, I will return the other two; if not, I will have an idea of a place to look in the future.
These don't solve the problem of needing warm pants, because the fabric is a bit thin for that, but they are pants, they have pockets, and this is promising.
Not being sure of my pants size isn't as weird as not being sure how tall I am (because I'm standing differently), but it seems to be more of the same, in some sense. Less so in some ways—height is measured in inches or centimeters, which are well-defined units, rather than in "14" or "18W" or "L"—but it's all weird. However, I am reasonably confident that the shoes I just ordered will fit; they are the same size and model as the pair I'm currently wearing, and which is wearing out.
Even a successful expedition can be draining; I spent about two hours on my feet, though I didn't realize it until we were done and leaving the store. A much less stressful two hours than many such expeditions; mutual support is useful.
Also, I understand, somewhat, why a company might make their size 14 larger, so as to sell to women who want to think of themselves as thinner. I don't understand why the same model from the 14 petite was bigger around the waist than the 14. Haven't they figured out that if people can't find a product, they won't buy it?
P.S. She liked my tattoos.
ETA: I also ordered some gloves online, which arrived today. Two pairs, both medium. One fits well, the other is significantly too small. This is rather less irritating, as they aren't the same style, brand, or material.
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Which provides a possible explanation of why the waist is bigger: maybe they're thinking of people like me. At 5'2", I can wear a 29-30" inseam so the main reason I look for petites is specifically for the shorter rise. (If it were only about leg length, they could be hemmed.) Because I am both short-waisted in proportion and short overall, my waist area is *really* small - if I stand very straight there's maybe 3" from the lowest point on my ribcage to the top of my pelvis bone. That means that my waist doesn't indent very much because it can't. Given what you say about the difference between the short and petite sizes, it sounds like the petites may indeed be aimed at women with proportions like mine, so it makes sense that they'd have a bigger waist for the same size hips.
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She asked me what size I wore, I told her, and she said this seemed unlikely. I don't think her saying that she didn't think I was that big was meant as flattery (I'm thinner than she is); more to the point, apparently, at least in Macy's sizes, she was correct. Either the catalogs I have been looking at use a smaller size 18 than Macy's does; things have been shrinking more than I realized in the dryer; or my waist is smaller than I thought.
I think part of it is your preference for wearing looser pants than the current fashions for women (nothing wrong with that, but it means you might go up a size to get a more relaxed fit.) Another part is that it's so easy not to notice that pants are a little too big in the waist, when you always wear them with a belt.
I now have three essentially identical pairs of pants, two black and one dark blue, in a "14 short." The same brand and style in a "14 petite" were both too large in the waist and too short in the rise (the latter is my usual problem with petites).
I often have the problem of pants being too large in the waist and too short in the rise. Sometimes it's because the pants are designed for somebody with a different shape. More often, especially in the last few years, it seems to be because they are not designed to be pulled up all the way to my waist. Very low rise pants are obviously "low rise." When the waistband is meant to go only an inch below the waist, it's hard to tell on the hanger--but it makes a considerable difference in the size of the waistband and the length of the rise.
Looking at the Macy's website, the "Style & Co." petite slim leg jeans are described as "mid-rise." That's generally designed to fit 1-2" below the natural waist. In regular sizes (30" or 32" inseam), the same jeans are described as "high-rise" or "high-waisted." Another common name for pants that fit at the natural waist is "classic rise." There is a straight leg style, in the same brand, that appears to be "mid-rise" for both petite and regular lengths. The website will let you sort by rise, but if you're at the store you have to fumble for the descriptive tag on each pair of pants.
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