• Cart
  • Checkout
  • My Account
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

Aging Schmaging

Women's Issues Midlife And Beyond

  • Aging Schmaging
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Art
    • Cards
    • Photography
    • Scarves
  • Playshops
  • Blog
  • Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact
there's something about your face that my heart finds irresistable
You are here: Home / Musings About Aging / Living Large: Why Women’s Clothing Sizes Mess With Our Heads

Living Large: Why Women’s Clothing Sizes Mess With Our Heads

October 8, 2015 By Gail Leave a Comment

“Give me an example of how women struggle with self-esteem.” Our professor stood in front of the class, scanning the room, waiting for answers. At first the silence hung as thick as fog over a swamp, but then a young woman tentatively raised her hand.

“Go,” said the professor.

“Well, um, my sister is really pretty, but she feels she’s too fat. I don’t think so, but try telling her that.”

The professor nodded and gave an encouraging, “keep going,” smile.

“So the other day we were out shopping for clothes and she saw this really cute jacket. She tried on a medium—a size she often wears—but couldn’t even get the buttons closed with this particular brand. So then she tried on a large, and then an extra large… which was still a little tight. She actually started crying because that tiny tag, that XL, somehow confirmed her self-loathing. I felt so bad for her, and angry at the manufacturer.”

I think every female in the room was nodding with understanding. We’ve all been there, right? How many of us squeeze into an article of clothing because we believe we’re a certain size, or worse, that we’re supposed to be a certain size. Everybody knows cultural perfection equals a size 4, or 2, or 0. (Is it only a matter of time before we get into negative numbers?)

The insidious thing is that it’s not a valid measure of our size, and it’s certainly now a valid measure of our worth. One brand’s size 12 fits the same as another’s size 10. One brand’s “S” is the next brand’s “L.” It’s crazy, we all know it’s crazy, and yet we let that freak’n little tag drop-kick our self-esteem across the room.

The other day I was talking to my son about jeans. He was saying he has a hard time finding a pair that fits. They are either too long, too tight in the thighs, or the waist isn’t right. “Shouldn’t a waist size be the same from brand to brand? I mean it is a measurement,” he said with so much innocence that I burst into maniacal laughter.

“Welcome to my world,” I said, “and be prepared to be confused. Often.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we based our size on healthiness instead of randomly assigned numbers and letters? I know, I know, I’m being irrational.

So tell me, how do you handle “size confusion” when shopping? Do you feel bad if you have to go “up” a size, or happy if you go “down?” Do you ever cut tags out of your clothing because you wouldn’t want anybody to see you’re a size                      if you passed out and the nice paramedic had to cut your clothing off? Let’s talk about it!




New Call-to-action




«
»

Filed Under: Musings About Aging Tagged With: Large, Sizes, Women's clothing

Avatar photo

A Message From Gail

Through my blog and website, I hope to share beauty, laughter, inspiration, aging & midlife lessons and advice on dealing with menopause. I will also devote time to integrative health and healing tips and news. I want feedback and questions because, while we may be sharing the journey, every woman has her own experience and her own story.

Get Our FREE 
Coloring Book!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Download
Our FREE
Coloring Book!

Get Updates – Signup

Once a month one lucky winner from the sign up pool will receive a scarf courtesy of Aging Schmaging. Good luck!

Categories

  • Giveaways
  • Menopause
  • Midlife Sex
  • Musings About Aging
  • Recipes
  • Remembering
  • Sharing
  • The Best Part Of My Day

Recent Posts

  • Past, Present, and Future: What I am Learning as My Husband Recovers from A Stroke By Gail Gates
  • In One Stroke, My World Changed
  • Christmas Fingerprints On The Surface Of My Heart
  • Tears Water A Memorial Garden
  • Crap Wildlife Photography: How I received 1800 “Likes” From A Fugly Photo

Navigate My Site

  • Almost Done!
  • Free Coloring Book
  • Menopause And Women In Midlife Blog
  • Playshops
  • Privacy Policy
  • Return Policy
  • Shop
  • Silk Scarves Playshops Registration
  • Sitemap
  • Success!
  • Testimonials
  • About
  • Contact

Recent Posts

  • Past, Present, and Future: What I am Learning as My Husband Recovers from A Stroke By Gail Gates
  • In One Stroke, My World Changed
  • Christmas Fingerprints On The Surface Of My Heart
  • Tears Water A Memorial Garden
  • Crap Wildlife Photography: How I received 1800 “Likes” From A Fugly Photo

Connect With Me

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Featured From the Shop

  • habitoi silk scarf Habatoi Hand Painted Silk Scarf 101 $35.00
  • grand marais summer solstice Grand Marais Solstice $10.00 – $45.00

Copyright © 2023 · Gail Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cleantalk Pixel