Size Doesn't Matter

.... but FIT does.

So the other day I was shopping because my favorite pair of bermuda shorts totally ripped and I was sad and depressed. I'd had them for like four years and was positive that I would never find a pair that I liked as much. Anyway, as I was looking through the racks of shorts, I came across a pair that I really liked. I looked at the tag (you guys are going to get more than you asked for in this post because I'm totally going to be revealing my sizing information) and the size six, which I usually am, looked impossibly small. I grabbed bot the six and the eight. I continued shopping, because I like to go to the fitting room with a solid armload of clothes. I've always wanted a pair of really lightweight pants and I found a pair in camo that I loved. But this time, it was a different brand and the six looked WAY too big. So I grabbed the six and the four and went off to try them on.

Well, what do you know? I ended up going home with a size eight pair of shorts and a size four pair of pants.

THIS IS WHY YOU MUST TRY THINGS ON.

I cannot stress how important trying on clothes is. Every. Single. Brand. Is. Different. You can't rely on your "regular" size to guide you because the fit and style will also have a bearing on how things look on your frame. So put on your big girl pants and go to the fitting room. Please.

Let's make fitting rooms less scary, shall we?

1) Acknowledge the fact that dressing rooms have the worst light ever, unless you're in a lingerie store. Take a look at yourself wearing your normal clothes before you start trying on to give yourself a baseline. That way, when you put on something and don't love the way it looks you can decide if its a bad fit or the fitting room is bringing you down.

2) When you're looking for a specific item, like a cocktail dress or swimsuit, DON'T BRING CHILDREN. I can handle my kids in a fitting room if its totally casual and I don't care whether or not I buy something. But when I'm on a feverish hunt for a dress, my kids totally drive me up the wall and I get flustered. I throw clothes on and don't give them a proper look before I decide, and it has rendered me plenty of clothes that I don't really like.

3) Make the fitting room attendant useful. When she says "Let me know if you need anything," let her know if you need anything. Don't abandon your efforts because something doesn't fit and you don't want to wander into the store in your underwear looking for a different size. Poke you head out and get her over there. She'll actually love that she's doing something other than unlocking doors and looking bored.

4) Keep record of what size you are in certain labels. For instance, if you shop at Old Navy a lot, have your sizing info on hand so that if they have a killer online deal, you can order knowing that things will fit. I just keep a little file on my computer, and when I get a piece of clothing from a brand I like, I'll punch in what size it was so I have it for future reference. Heaven forbid I ever miss out on a sale ever.

5) Get over the number. So what if you have to go a size up? It's better than looking like this:


Getting a larger size to fit the widest part of your body will make you slimmer in comparison. If you're like me and ridiculously misproportioned, get a tailor. The waist of my pants never fit me until I have them taken in. If you don't like the number on the pants, clip it out so you don't have to look at it. Do what you have to do to get over your size, because guess what? It's just a number. It does not determine how attractive you are. Stop concerning yourself about your size, and worry more about fit.

So the next time you're shopping and hopelessly squeezing yourself into something that absolutely will not work, decide how you want to be seen? Weirdly, misshapen sausage? Or lovely svelte lady? I think the choice basically makes itself.