First a rant. I HATE the term “normal” section, it makes me feel like “women’s” sizes aren’t for “normal” people, when in fact that majority of the population probably wears “women’s” sizes or has at some point. Side rant…why the hell do they always put the “women’s” sizes next to the petite section?
I figured that it would be late spring before I was able to shop in the “normal” section of the department stores for clothes, but that step happened much faster than I realized it would. It sort of snuck up on me. At first I was finding everything in size 1X in the Womens Department to be too large. Well almost everything, some designers cut things pretty small. Then I ordered things from Old Navy in the smallest Womens sizes that they sell, and everything except the tank tops that I wear to sleep in had to go back. I gave up on Old Navy. I thought they would be a good inexpensive choice as my size changes so quickly.
Last week I was in Macy’s with a co-worker during lunch, and tried on several things in the women’s department, but they just weren’t fitting me properly. Since the store was fairly empty, me and my imposter ass headed over to the “normal” section and started looking around. No one warned me how blasted overwhelming that section is. It goes on forever and ever. It doesn’t end. The Women’s department is easy. They segregate you off to a small area, you have your own dressing room, heck you’re often on a completely different floor than the “normal” section.
I then ordered a bunch of things from my favorite go to store, Talbots, and found that many of the items that I had ordered were to big. Could it be? Was I ready to move into the “normal” section? Talbots can be confusing though. Their “normal” section sometimes goes up to a 20, mainly 16′s though. Their women’s section starts at a 14W. This is when I learned that a 14W does not really equal a regular 16. Women’s sizes are cut a bit softer, more round if you will, so there isn’t really a direct conversion. I went against my gut and ordered a lot (12+ items) from the Talbots outlet/sale section in “normal” sizes.
I kept on thinking it was a fluke, that one item after another was cut large for the size, with vanity sizing being what it is, that is easy to believe. I went into Old Navy this weekend, and since they only carry “normal” sizes, I was scared. I felt like I didn’t belong, like I was invading a strange world, and that the inhabitants were assuming I was lost. I filled up my arms with clothes to try on and off to the dressing room I headed. There wasn’t a single thing that I tried on that was too tight, and I wasnt . I actually had to go back and pick up XL’s, instead of XXL’s for all of the items. I just assumed that I needed an XXL. The pajama pants that I bought were just Larges, not even an extra in front of them.
When I got home from my adventure at Old Navy, where I bought a TON of things, I was surprised by the box of “normal” sized items from Talbots. My gut was telling me that I had so much success at Old Navy that there was NO WAY that the Talbots items were going to fit. As I was unpacking the perfectly wrapped items, as Talbots is known to do, and tried each item on, they fit. Every blasted item fit.
So besides this new world of unlimited clothing options, seriously it’s over whelming and scary, I also came to find something new. I wasnt focused on finding clothes that didnt touch my body. I was finding that even if clothes touched my body or didnt drape away from my body, that I was OK with it. Hence the title. I am learning to let the clothes touch me and actually fit.
I still have a long way to go to reach goal weight. I still have a pretty big fat tire around my mid section. I could open my own airline with the bat wings that my arms are sporting, but damn it, I am able to fit into normal sizes. My credit cards need to watch out!
Tata for now,
Scale Warfare
