I have decided that there is a conspiracy to weaken women's self-esteem by marking clothes in the wrong sizes. Specifically formal dresses.
I have come to terms with the fact that I have gone up a size since carrying those lovable children in my body. It is okay. I can live with being my current size. However, while getting fitted for my bridesmaid dress the other day for my sister-in-law's wedding, I suddenly found myself in a much larger size.
Let me take a moment and ask how is it considered appropriate to even be fitted in the first place? Yes stranger, please take a measuring tape and wrap it around my body, specifically the parts I am the most self-conscience about. Touch my boobs? Sure-of course you are allowed to measure those.
My favorite part of this particular experience was after she measured me, she asked me my size. I'm sorry-did you not just measure and violate me? After telling her my normal size, she frowned, looked confused and declared my measurements have me two sizes larger according to her chart.
Oh...well...the chart. Of course. We cannot diagree with the validity of her chart.
As if this news was not bad enough, she then found the dress we are ordering and wanted me to try it on. She handed me a dress that was a size smaller than I normally wear (you know, my pre-pregnancy size). I am not sure if she did not read the size or if she did and just felt like rubbing it in a little bit. After I pointed out there was no way I would fit in it, she found another dress that was completely a different style, but a size up from what I normally wear.
It was tight. Really? So I really have to order a dress two sizes larger than the clothes I actually had on my body and that fill my closet?
If these stores really wanted to make women feel good about themselves, they would mark the dresses larger, not smaller. Would it not be a delight to walk into a store, try on your size and be utterly thrilled that you need to get a smaller one? Now there is the real marketing.
But, alas, our culture has it backwards. Those in charge find it more fun to have us try on dresses that are marked smaller than they really are, have them try them on in ridiculous lighting that even the darkest person would have vampire-like skin, and then they size us up, declaring we need a larger size.
Oh, and then we get to spend money in their store for a dress we cannot believe we are about to fill out.
It is a conspiracy, I tell you. And something needs to be done about it.
The Kids
4 comments:
ah yes. being fitted today or tomorrow. fun stuff. this is always a big freaking let down. for my cousin katie's wedding, i had to wear a size 16 (i usually wear an 8...) because the top wouldn't fit with a smaller size. oh, and talk about embarrassing, i even lost 5 lbs the week of the wedding, and they had to sew me into the dress the day of. it didn't make any sense seeing as the dress fit perfectly two days prior, and i lost weight more weight.
Hello, I sometimes find your blog through friends of friends of friends. I love it.
It think it is a conspiracy. I had to order a size 16 even though it was too big, but the size 14 did not fit...I buy everything else in a size 12. After having to buy the horrible 16, I also had to have it altered sooooo much to fit right that I ended up paying another 250 bucks..... I feel your pain.
I laughed out loud at this. Of course b/c i've had the same experience. Im not sure if the people who make barbie teamed up with the bridesmaids dress industry, but their "charts" dont add up to normal people sizes. I had to but a dress once and the only thing that was right about it was that my arms fit through the sleeves and it was technically long enough. Everything else had to be altered, though this is what size "the chart" said I needed.
To my disgruntled bridesmaid
From the bride
Thank you for ordering your dress. I tried my best to get a dress that would be flattering on all my bridesmaids (as flattering as bridesmaid dresses are). I feel your pain as I tried on my bridesmaid dress for my friend's wedding a week before mine, only to find that the size smaller than normal that they ordered me was way too tight. It made my stomach look 3 months pregnant. At least the two other bridesmaids with me were in the same predicament. Needless to say, I worked out for half an hour during lunch today.
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