This might be too deep for a Friday....

so if you need to sigh and come back on Monday ... I understand but those of you brave enough to venture on ... here it goes ...

Let's discuss something REAL that
EVERY woman/girl has to deal with....

CLOTHES!!

Odds vs.  Evens 
I was just going through some of my old jeans from college (not TOO long ago I could wear all of them and college wasn't THAT long ago - so don't be thinking Shia is sporting the "mom jeans") to see if and when they can make their grand appearance back into my wardrobe and happily out of the stack ... 2 pairs are golden, about 5 or so need like an inch more and then about 4 more need like um an inch or two but I digress.  When I was trying them on and looking at the tags the first thing I noticed is ~ when did I switch from odd numbers to even numbers?  I started thinking it was when I had to start wearing "professional clothes."  You can't go to the Loft or JCrew and find a 9/10 or a 5/6 or heck even just a 7. So once my professional clothes hit up the even numbers ... the rest just sort of followed suit.  It seems kinda (prematurly) granny of me ~ but it's kinda like I am too old to wear those odd numbers associated with Junior size clothes.

What comes after Juniors?  What happens really though when you grow up and leave Juniors clothes ... you have to then do what?  You shop at specialty stores for age appropriate wear ... like JCrew, the Loft, etc.  But let's just say you HAD to buy something at JCPenneys ... it's like the only place open and you are standing there in your underwear and you have to buy SOMETHING ... what section are you going to turn to??  Um not Juniors remember you're getting too old to be in the section with 13 year olds ... um Women's?  Are you kidding me?  Have you seen the clothes in this area? Def not for anyone in their 20s ... and please save me the story that you found something fabulous there ... it probably was just not put away correctly and it belonged in the Junior department and you felt less awkward trying it on because you weren't surrounded by those 13 year olds that I am talking about.  Also, I know what you are thinking ... but they have that "clubby" area in the Women's section ... come on ... all of those clothes are for older women trying to look younger ... not for younger women.  Okay there are better department stores than JCPenneys but with "better" comes more expensive.  So we go to college and get to buy cheaper clothes because we're young and we can shop in the Juniors departments, we graduate start our career and BAM we are out on the street?  Pay more or go bare??  Seems a little ridiculous to me ~ but you know me ~ I'm always looking for ways to save money.

So what if you can't fit into Juniors when you are a "Junior"?  So, one thing I forgot to even think about are the girls that can't fit in Junior sizes when they are age appropriate they def can't turn to Women's.  Since I rarely hit up the junior section in a department store these days I'll have to say I'm not 100% sure in the strides stores are making ~ but it does seem like there might be a few places with perhaps a more variety of sizes but again ~ if one store is all you got ~ what do you do?  Also, what if the store you are at nothing fits ~ how does that help a young girl feel confident about herself?  Okay vicious circle, let's keep moving!

Why do they sell out of never have my size?  Listen up everyone, this happens to EVERYONE ... for example, I have noticed recently when I have been trying to hit up the clearance rack while I make my shrink down to goal weight that the sizes are now too big and they don't have the smaller size I need ... I will sigh and be like ... REALLY!  If I needed that bigger size you wouldn't have had it and you'd just have like 10 of the size I need now.

Okay so this magazine promises to tell me what "shape" I am and what jeans are PERFECT for me ... um I don't look like ANY of these models  ~ now what?  I think jeans are the hardest things on the planet to shop for (hello if they weren't they would stop doing those articles!) because jeans are like their own species ... you can wear a size in one brand and then another brand they are too little, too big, too short, too long, etc.  Heck take that stack I just went through ~ most of those jeans were the same size and some fit today, some almost fit, etc.  My sister Debra who is like a size 2 now because she didn't get back down to her size 0 self after having Kaelyn (yeah I know ... I cry her a river ALL the time ... love you Deb) can never find jeans or shorts that fit.  So when you try stuff on ~ don't beat yourself up ~ skinny minnies have the same problems!!  You have to go out and hunt for the brand and style that fit you and then rock those.  I've noticed that the jeans that come in the European sizes are sized better but again open up your wallet cuz they are most likely going to cost a pretty penny.  I won't even tell you how much Debra paid for some jeans at Buckle ... TOO MUCH!  But they fit and looked great on her!  Also, my last point about jeans ~ if they were so easy to find why would they now make pimping infomericals with pajama jeans?

Quality over quantity.  How many times have you bought something because it was cheap and then you realized it itself was just cheap ~ wore out, the fabric got those little bumps on it, etc.  Since I'm in the process of switching sizes I've been buying a bunch of cheaper clothes because I won't be wearing them for long but I think once I am at my goal I am going to focus on a few key pieces.  I've been giving away everything once it becomes too big and even when I normally just clean out my closet I find stuff I never wear that I bought because it was on sale or cheap but it was never great.  I'm not saying always pay full price ... I'm just thinking pick quality pieces and don't just buy something because it's on sale.  Think about how each piece of clothing you buy will be a part of your wardrobe.  (having your closet organized helps too because you are aware of everything you own ... so maybe you don't need ANOTHER blue shirt, etc.)

So the moral of this post story is

don't be so hard on yourself

they are just clothes

and besides they work for you!!

I hope you all have a fabulous Friday!!