Way back when, when I was younger and not over-weight, I was trying on clothes in a store, and per usual, it was impossible to find anything. It was a really slow night at the mall, so the shop clerk told me to go ahead and take as much in as I wanted, rather than bother with the '3 items' rule. I tried on armloads of clothing. At the time, I stood almost 5'11" and weighed around 160lbs and a 36C bra size, somewhat thick of thigh and hip, with a 32-34 waist...I usually wear a size 14. I tried on blouses, sweaters, skirts, tons of pants, it must have been almost every pair in the shop, maybe a good 30 or 40 pairs it seemed. Anyway, when I came out with the last load, she asked if I had had any luck yet...without pausing to think, I said, "no, my legs are too long, my boobs are too big, and my waist is too little"... I suddenly realized what I had just said, and added on, "...you'd think those would be positive things, but they aren't when it comes to buying clothes, everything is made to fit tiny titless teenagers". She just about keeled over laughing.
Unfortunately, there is some truth to 'that is where the market is' because most women who are not packing any extra weight, are in the more common heights of 5'4"-5'8" and therefor are likely to be a 12 and under. Women that size who are overweight might fit into some 14s, and women that are taller but overweight a fair bit, are going to be jumping up to the 16-18s or into the 1x-3x sizes.
The other main reason it is 'where the market is' is that the average woman earning mid-income wages or less, are just NOT going to be slaves to fashion usually, and will often buy at less expensive outlets like Walmart or get items second-hand. One of the biggest sectors with disposable fashion clothing income is teenagers, also with parents that will often indulge them in that annual event known as 'back to school' wardrobe shopping.
*sigh*. For me, the crisis is that I've really packed on a lot of weight in the last two years, so though I have a wonderful wardrobe of size 14 clothes, I haven't fit into any of them for about a year and a half. However, the time has come (when I got my flu shot at the doctor's office, I weighed myself... there is nothing like the shock of seeing the actual number on the scales) I've joined the "Curves" gym, and have already started eating more sane things. Mostly it was just two years of on/off depression, stopping smoking, injured foot, lack of active sex life, and a medication that has a side affect of putting on pounds.
So, here's hoping I can stick with the new routine of eating healthy and exercising, and finally getting my wardrobe back. *wry grin*
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Unfortunately, there is some truth to 'that is where the market is' because most women who are not packing any extra weight, are in the more common heights of 5'4"-5'8" and therefor are likely to be a 12 and under. Women that size who are overweight might fit into some 14s, and women that are taller but overweight a fair bit, are going to be jumping up to the 16-18s or into the 1x-3x sizes.
The other main reason it is 'where the market is' is that the average woman earning mid-income wages or less, are just NOT going to be slaves to fashion usually, and will often buy at less expensive outlets like Walmart or get items second-hand. One of the biggest sectors with disposable fashion clothing income is teenagers, also with parents that will often indulge them in that annual event known as 'back to school' wardrobe shopping.
*sigh*. For me, the crisis is that I've really packed on a lot of weight in the last two years, so though I have a wonderful wardrobe of size 14 clothes, I haven't fit into any of them for about a year and a half. However, the time has come (when I got my flu shot at the doctor's office, I weighed myself... there is nothing like the shock of seeing the actual number on the scales) I've joined the "Curves" gym, and have already started eating more sane things. Mostly it was just two years of on/off depression, stopping smoking, injured foot, lack of active sex life, and a medication that has a side affect of putting on pounds.
So, here's hoping I can stick with the new routine of eating healthy and exercising, and finally getting my wardrobe back. *wry grin*