Stitcher's Guild

Okay, I admit it, I am a jeans and T-shirt person.  My husband has to pick out dresses for me because I am so bad with clothing.  Quilts I can do.  Going into a clothing store is torture.  It's not that I don't like clothes, but I hate finding something that fits.  I stand there looking at clothing and think "What the heck is a petite, misses, womens, and plus?".  Why can't it be like men's clothing; find the waist, the inseam and out the door.  Men's shirts are far more comfortable as well.  It makes me mad that when I walk into the mall, these stores expect all of us to be a size 6.  I've never been a size 6 and never will.

Anyway, I need some nice clothes for an upcoming trip.  I'm tall and sort of wide around the middle (3 kids in 3 years just did me in).  Dress pants do not come in tall.  Shirts do not come to a modest length.  I'm not 25 trying to get a man and need myself exposed.  I am not average by any means and I'm not fat enough to be a plus size.  I'm not even close to petite and how come all their clothing is absolutely gorgeous?  I walked by Talbots today and felt like a giraffe and elephant mix.

What do relaxed, fitted, and stretch mean on jeans?  I don't like low rise, high rise makes my legs look longer and wide legs make me look fatter..lol.  Women's and plus size shirts expect that my chest size is double of what I am but don't go longer.  Why is it if I buy a pair of jeans they shrink, another pair expands(the pairs I have expand to 3 times the size) making them unwearable.  How do you know what's going to shrink or not? 

Are there options for tall elephant/girraffes out there?  If you want, I can give you measurements so you get a better idea of where I stand.  I don't want to be an embarrassment to my DH when we travel with my crummy jeans and tacky t-shirts.  Especially if we go into a really nice restaurant.  I've always been a tomboy and it's only been in the past year or so that I've wanted nicer things, but don't know or where to look.

Thanks for all the help. 

Hi Bethany.  I know you'll get lots of suggestions, but let me start off with one.  Don't let the stores get to you!  You're the customer!  Do you have some time before your trip?  If so, I'd start off with doing some shopping which doesn't necessarily include buying...

Call one of the best stores in your area (if you were around here, for example, I'd tell you to call Nordstrom's).  Ask for the personal shopper (almost all "good" stores have one).  If they tell you they don't have one, ask for their most knowledgeable saleswoman in the "misses" area (if that's your best guess on the size range).  Ask to make an appointment with them; that it's been awhile since you've been out of jeans & t-shirts and that you have a trip coming up--tell them about the trip, what you will be doing/expect you'll need. That your pre-baby wardrobe is dated and doesn't fit your post-babies body.  You need some help identifying what kind of things might work for you.  If you'll be seeing a salesperson who is not a "personal shopper" you will probably be asked to come during their "off-hours."  They'll probably ask you questions about size, coloring and price range so they can pull some things or have some ideas before you come. 

What you want is for them to assess your size/shape, etc. and set up a dressingroom for you to try things on in.   They'll see how things are fitting and bring you more.  Generally there is no pressure to buy, but you want to make sure that the service is complimentary--and of course they are hoping that you will find things you "need" and won't be able to find elsewhere.  And you might.  You also might find out that some style or maker that you never thought of will be right for you.

There is no reason to fight your way through shopping.  Not if you don't have to...and you don't.  If you discover that everything you've seen is out of your price range, you will still have seen ideas about colors, styles and sizes that you can use in another store.  And there may be some one must-have piece from the store that helped you...

Try to address it in a fairly light-hearted mode.  It is a real joy to go in and walk right past all of those racks.  You need not face them if you don't want to.  And often I don't!

Have fun! ;)

Lisa

Bethany, let's start the easy way: Lands End produces some of their styles in Tall.  Browse around there and see if you find something you might like.  http://landsend.com/cd/index/fp/0,,289,00.html?sid=2406149398046143000

It's my (unfashionable) opinion that with nice jeans, well-fitted khakis, and a nice quality pair of black pants, a girl can go just about anywhere.  Of course, tops to go with them would be nice - and some restaurants require them.  :o  We can worry about that later. 

First let's see if Lands End has styles you think you'd feel comfortable in..... And BTW, if you look at that size chart and don't think that any of their sizes are geared for you, they offer custom-made stuff for surprisingly reasonable prices.  Even a few custom pairs of pants would probably give you a big boost in the wardrobe department.

Karla,

I put together a model of myself and everything looks terrible..lol.  How accurate is the model? <grin>.  White pants are definitially out of the question <hee hee hee>  I don't think the tops were made long enough for me.  I don't want to bend over and let everyone see my underwear.  I do like the site and it's great to see tall pants.  I will keep playing with the model and the site.  I'm running about an 18 to 1x.  18 is almost too small and the 1x will drown me.  The problem is that my measurements don't fit into one size.  My waist runs a different size than my hips.  So if I buy pants that fit my hips, I have extra on top.  If I buy for my waist, my thighs and butt don't fit in them..lol.  Anyone run into this problem?  The answer is simple..lose a few pounds..which is hard on the killer meds I am on.

As a sewer, can I buy the 1x and fit them to my waist or am I just asking for serious issues? 

Thanks for the site :)

Bethany

Bethany, I have no idea how accurate the on-screen model is, and I don't want to know.  Mine certainly didn't look like Cindy Crawford...... ???  But then again, I have said before that the Pillsbury Doughboy and I could be fit buddies.

If you don't want to go with the personal shopper idea that Lisa suggested, then you could drop into a Sears and try on some of the Lands End clothing to get an idea of the right size to order.  And maybe you'll get lucky: they could have some Tall pants in stock.  If not, then after determining how they fit, you could go home and order the best size online.  As for altering, I know someone who always had to buy Liz Claiborne pants in a size to fit her waist, and have a tailor slim the hips down.  I think reducing the hips and leaving the waist alone would be the easier way to go.

Another option: Lane Bryant.  They have Tall pants sizes, too, and again, you could go into a store and try some things on to get an idea of the right size.  Here's their size chart:  http://images.redcatsusa.com/images/site_images/lanebryant/gra_fitchartv_20040408.gif
Lane Bryant appears to do a great job of producing both classic and trendier styles for larger sizes.  It looks very current.  The url for the stores is www.lanebryant.com and for the catalog, it's www.lanebryantcatalog.com

If you think you need some guidance about what styles look best, do consider the personal shopper idea.  They'll have the best ideas about what will fit and what styles will be versatile and wearable.

JC Penney of all places often has Tall versions of their St. John's line of pants in the larger sizes. Check them out. I'm always having to bypass the tall stuff in order to find my averages...

All of you have been great.  I didn't know Lands End was in Sears. It would give me a better idea of what would fit.  Too bad all the good stores are an hour and a half away and I can't drive myself up.  Dragging a husband and 3 kids wouldn't be cool.  Grrr, seizures suck when I need to drive.  However; my husband might be going to see a movie today and there's an outlet mall nearby.  Maybe he will drop me off. 

The personal shopper is a great idea as well.
 

I just checked out Lane Bryant.  Way cool! When it says 29 inch length for the shirt do I start at the shoulder and go down 29 inches?  The sizing charts are easier to figure out.  I wish there was a Lane Bryant store where I lived.  Poor DH would be dragged out so fast..lol.  I still mess up on the shirt sizes a little, but after sleeping on all the information, it's making more sense.  Maybe I should start making my own clothes again :)

Usually they start at the CB neckline and go down.

I got brave today and went shopping for clothing..lol.  After reading how measurements work from the websites that were posted and taking my measurements I went in more educated.  My son had to come with me as my DH and daughters went to see X-men.  He handled shopping pretty well.  Kids are honest too..lol.  "You look fat, Mom" as I show him a pair of pants I tried on.

I came back with two capris.  Very comfortable as I haven't worn capris before.  I found a great pair of black pants for going out somewhere nice.  I tried on several sizes between women's and plus jeans.  Understanding how this works because I know my waist and hip measurements now, I realized that neither are right for me (at least for this store) and I bailed out to the men's section.  I pulled out several sizes and went back and tried them on to compare.  Much better fit and found the 32" inseam I needed.  No tall/long in the women's jeans.  Way more comfortable and better around the waist.  I normally wouldn't buy men's jeans, but these fit so much better.  Probably because they are straight all the way down and minimized the belly.

I took a look at shirts.  Knowing my bust and waist size made it so much easier and I could instantly tell if this shirt was going to fit or not.  Or if it didn't fit, I knew why.  I found a beautiful white silky blouse with embroidered flowers on the front.  I never buy this pretty and it fit!  I only came back with one shirt.  Nothing else had the length I wanted or it was made of crappy cotton that will shrink.

I found a couple of bras that I will have to take in the cup size.  I have to do that with most of the bras I buy so that's easy to do.  Try explaining to your son what the letters mean..lol.  I figured it wasn't important right now.  He thinks A is for average and B is for Big..lol.  He didn't have an answer for C or D.  I couldn't begin to explain to him when he asked why they had letters next to the numbers.  He doesn't need to be that educated.  I'm glad he did as well as he did and was a really big help.  It was just hilarious as he yells out "MOM!  I found a "blank" size for ya!".  Before anyone panics about me taking my son shopping, he doesn't go into the dressing room and he doesn't see me undress or dress.  He went off to check out the toys or the game cards he collects and checked in with me every few minutes.

He did great walking home with me.  It was a good 2 mile walk and I'm proud of him.   





       

I'm glad you had some success today, Bethany.  If men's jeans fit, grab 'em - the jeans, I mean.... :-[  I've seen that suggestion lots of times in women's fashion magazines, and I'd do it myself if I could find some that were designed for men with thigh bulge....

Long tops, yeah, they're a problem right now since everything has the "shrunken" look.  That's why I sew.  Next time you're near a Walmart, look in the women's department.  The plus sizes are made longer, and I occasionally buy a long tee shirt or blouse there and tell myself that the excess shoulder width isn't really so bad.  ::)  If you have shoulders that are in proportion to the rest of you, more power to you - they'll fit, and the prices are really low, which is nice if you are experimenting with colors or styles that are new for you.  (Another topic: low prices=low wages in foreign sweatshops, so I must admit that I minimize purchases there for that reason.)

Anyhow - glad you found some things today.  Keep your eyes open for more good stuff, and enjoy your trip.

Went into a city today..lol.  I found some more clothing and DH got lots of new clothes for this trip.  He's easy to shop for.  Men's slacks have the coolest feature.  They put expandable elastic up to 4 inches on the inside of the pants and you can adjust accordingly.  My kids's pants do the same thing.  Ingenius idea.  I found some more tops and we are all set to go.  I have learned alot about clothing this week  ;D 

I helped my sister-in-law buy a new outfit for work last Christmas. She changed jobs from working in a home for "wayward teens" (or whatever they are called these days) to working in the office of a state agency, so her wardrobe requirements changed from jeans and sweatshirts to "business casual" or slightly better. She does go to court representing the child/teen now, and needs to dress appropriately.

She is short (5'2" or less), very large-breasted but with reasonably broad shoulders to carry them and good posture, no waist, no hips/bum, and no sense of style or fashion or even any color sense for her complexion.

We found separates for her in an outlet mall in the Jones NY store, I believe. After looking critically at her figure and coloring and the selection, we found her best combination was a 14W jacket and 12P trousers. Fortuantely, because we were in such a store, everything was coordinated among the Petites, Misses, and Womens in terms of fabrics. Even so, we had to hem the trousers about 5" as she is uncomfortable wearing high heels, and I think it is a mistake to put a late-40's woman in high heels for the first time just to avoid a simple hemming job. And she could have used size 10P trousers, but she spends a fair amount of time in the car, so we felt the slightly bigger waist would be more comfortable.

It was very much a "What Not to Wear" experience, but if you (Bethany) have an outlet mall anywhere near you, it may help if you are wildly different in sizes top to bottom.

BetsyV