My skinny girl vent

I'm a thin almost-50 yr. old woman who is tired of being ignored by clothing manufacturers. Today my mom and I went to Boscov's, a dept. store. She wanted to buy a package of underwear. Easy, right? Well, out of four different kinds, there were none in a Size 5. Nothing. She wanted new ones because the last few she bought were a Size 6; there were no Size 5s available at that time, and they were too large on her. I also wear Size 5 and am now really p*ssed off that now buying underwear will be a problem for me.

Most stores don't carry any pants/shorts smaller than a 4, IF they have any 4s at all. And most times, the 4s are too large. I dress in a classic conservative style and will not wear jr. pants that sit below my hips (well, I'm boy-shaped and have no hips to hold pants up). I'm not smaller than I was 20+ years ago because I found a pair of jeans I bought when I was 20 and they fit me perfectly now.

Oh poor you, I hear you say. Too thin. Well, what do you do when the smallest size is falling off of you? The pants I'm currently wearing are usually belted up with lumps from the excess fabric. Most times taking them in doesn't work because of the back pockets. I recently spent $59 on a pair of LL Bean jeans because they actually came in a Size 2 and fit!!! I've emailed them asking them to carry more pants in Size 2. I'm also too tall to wear Petites.

I have lost about 15 lbs. since cutting down my carbs and sugar and I'm not sickly thin, although wearing baggy pants makes me look unhealthy. My small frame just doesn't have any excess fat now, and no more bloated tummy. Thank goodness riding pants are still sized by waist measurements or I'd be really livid.

It seems that clothing is being made for what is now the "average sized woman". Today's Size 2 is 1980's Size 6.

Do you dress fashionably or just comfortably? If it's not about fashion, you might try the boy's department.

Pony Mom: I'm size 2 -4 although I am short (5'2") so I do wear petites. You might have luck with Jockey underwear. How radical were your diet changes? I am interested in doing something similar and it sounds like you've had good success. I would love to hear more.

Do you have Talbots? I looked on-line and they offer lots of size 2 in their regular line. Their size chart says for waist size 26. For underwear, once you know your size and favorite brand order on-line. I know there are lots of brands offered on Amazon.

I hear you. I often find that stores order tons of large and xl size clothing but stock very few of the small sizes. I order online these days so I can get my size.

I've been wondering what smaller/skinnier women can find to wear because lately it seems I've been buying size small shirts, when I used to buy medium-large. I'm fairly large framed, and taller than average, though totally small busted. Maybe it's the breast thing? But I think if I'm wearing a size small, when I'm bigger than a lot of ladies, what do the actually small ladies wear?

Oh, and of course with the small shirts the arm holes are too tight because my arms have some muscle.

I've given up on bras completely. Tried to order a 38A online, as there are only up to 36A in the stores, but I didn't even fill out the A cup on those, and the 36 band is just super tight and uncomfortable. Argh!

I just hate shopping so much. If you aren't whatever perfect size they are making these clothes for you're out of luck. At least I'm a minimalist.

Usually I'll buy Fruit of the Loom or Hanes cotton underwear (sexy, huh?) but it's getting more difficult to find the smaller sizes. A few years ago, when I wore thongs, I'd find plenty in XLG sizes but few in small. Ew.

I've been in Talbots and the pants literally fell off me; maybe their 26" waist is accurate, but their pants sat below the waist. As a thrift store shopper, I've had luck with petite sized capris from Talbots, Ann Taylor and Loft, because the length of capris doesn't really matter. Since I like wearing chinos, boys pants would be fine. My mom recently found a pair of boy's Brooks Bros. chinos for $6; they were too short for me. I even tried Old Navy for their small sizes, but the pants were cut very strangely.

LL Bean has XS shirts, which fit me well. But are other XS women out of proportion and need larger pants? I don't get it. And bras? My boobs and butt were the first things to go when I lost weight. Genie bras were very comfortable but now they just flatten me out. Kestra, have you been fitted by a bra fitter? They say we're all wearing the wrong size.

Rosarugosa, I followed the Wheat Belly diet, with modifications for my pickiness. Lost 5lbs of water weight the first week, I have more energy, sleep deeply every night, my joints feel better; I look slim and fit but not bony/skinny. I have limited carbs and try to avoid sugar if I can. And I don't work out but use my core a lot when horsebackriding.

i hear you (more past tense than currently).. my daughters had the hardest time with bras there is nothing in a 30 or 32 that is not a young girls size and usually a training bra. at one point my daughter was 32C or D. wearing a bra a number size too big means that it is always slipping up (i am supposed to wear a 34 DDD but get by with a 36 DD).

i honestly have to say for those who do not sew, and sewing pants takes a lot of skills, to get a seamstress to make a perfect pattern (called a muslin when you sew at home). have her ( or him) make a couple pairs of pants in your favorite colors that you can wear more than once a week and consider it an investment. you can also have them adjust and fit some pants you like but don't fit well. the pants you mentioned that are too short can be shortened or slimmed down into capris or what is very nice right now, pencil length (just a little above the ankle and slimmer than some capris). really a seamstress is your best friend or a talented friend with some skills. i wish i lived there, it actually sounds like a fun challenge.

For the sizes available in the stores, a wise woman I know who has worked in a large department store for over 30 years told me a few things.

The stores order more of the middle sizes and fewer of both the smallest sizes and the largest sizes. So they might get two size 4s and two size 14s, and a bunch of 10s and 12s. And those sizes will then sell out quickly.

If all the largest sizes sell out, but there are a ton of smaller sizes left, then the garment probably runs small, and customers are sizing up to get something that fits. And the reverse is true--if all the largest sizes are left and all the smaller sizes are gone, the garment runs large, and people size down.

Stores order what sells in their store. Even with the large national chains, there are items in the big city stores that simply aren't carried in the smaller regional stores. For the OP, to find size 2 in a store, try going to the largest nearby city and checking out the major department and clothing stores. They are more likely to have the smallest sizes than a store out in the boondocks.

And, unfortunately, the internet has changed shopping. If you are at the farther end of the scale, whether large or small, it is more likely that your size won't be carried in stores, but only be available on the internet. It is more profitable for the brick and mortar stores to have only those sizes that they know will sell, and keep the outliers available on the internet. My sister wears a size 10 and a half shoe, and even the stores that used to stock one or two pairs in that size pretty much don't anymore. She either drives a hour to a specialty shoe store, or she orders online.

Buying smaller sized clothes is a challenge, but there are ways of learning to deal with it. I have a lifetime of experience trying to find clothes that fit. My suggestions:

Target sells size 5 underwear. If you want work clothes or office casual, Macy offers smaller sizes and has a Petite department. I've run into the problem of not being able to find the smaller sizes because they get snatched up pretty quickly. Once i find something that fits, I stick with it. That way, I can order it online if the brick and mortar stores run out. If I find something that fits, looks good, and is comfortable, I buy several of them at once. Also, you can get creative and wear leggings and tunics without worrying too much about the sizes.

Hi ponymom - I hear you! For years I bought the Hanes hi-cuts in size 5 from Target, but apparently they've stopped making them entirely. The size 5s got progressively bigger anyhow, and though I'M the same size, I'm now a size 4 in underpants. I ended up ordering from Amazon Prime - no hi-cuts, but at least I don't have to go commando :)

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Originally Posted by Gardenarian

Hi ponymom - I hear you! For years I bought the Hanes hi-cuts in size 5 from Target, but apparently they've stopped making them entirely. The size 5s got progressively bigger anyhow, and though I'M the same size, I'm now a size 4 in underpants. I ended up ordering from Amazon Prime - no hi-cuts, but at least I don't have to go commando :)

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Oh great!! My chances of trying out a pair of 4s, if I can find them, is pretty slim. Ill-fitting underwear of any kind just ruins your day.

My mom was a great sewer but now sticks to making curtains. I'm going to take in the waistline of the shorts I wore today so they're up at my waist and not resting on my hipbones. Maybe I'll even remove the safety pins on the waist of my spa pants (stretchy with half elastic waist) and put darts in that as well.

Some pants are just so baggy that even with some alterations, they won't look right. I have one pair of khakis (thrift store, J Crew $6!) that I'm terrifed I'll rip or stain because they're the only ones I have. Having a back-up pair would ease my mind a bit. Come to think of it, I actually only own 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of corduroys, 2 different shades of chinos (khaki and stone), and 4 pairs of capris that fit now. Oh, and 3 pairs of shorts. Minimalist for sure.

I am always fascinated by the variety of shapes that the human body can take. Some of us are apples, some are pears, and some are carrots (long and thin). And a bunch of others don't fit any of those! This is especially true for women, I find.

Once upon a time when I was very thin, I used to shop a lot at Ann Taylor. I found that they had some good size 2-4 clothes that were for adults, not teenagers, and when they had sales, I got some things for very good prices. Plus, the quality was generally very good. In fact, I have several pair of pants from AT that I bought over a decade ago, and they still look good and wear well--when I can fit into them. Banana Republic was another one that was good with small sizes. I also inadvertently bought a shirt once in the boys department at Brooks Brothers.

I've tried some packaged underwear and used to have luck with Hanes, but they changed and started to fall apart too quickly for me. I find that Victoria's Secret underwear can last for years and wear well, so I only need to buy it every 5-10 years, and then I can usually wait for a good sale.

I hate to shop, but I've had luck also at Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory also. I try to go shopping maybe once a year.

Another place I've had luck is with Zappos online--with the shipping being included (both ways), I can order multiple sizes and multiple items and send back whatever doesn't work and get a full refund for it. And the reviews are helpful to tell you if something runs small or large or pinches or whatever.

Good luck, OP!

I am in between sizes right now and most of my work pants for summer are a bit too tight. I bought two pairs of pants at the Loft yesterday and the 2P fit me perfectly. I noticed that they carry two sizes smaller than 2, (00 and 0) and I believe they have these in non-petite as well. So you might want to check them out.

OH I hear you loud and clear!! I have mentioned this before that about 15 years ago I contacted Lee Jeans and asked What happened to Sizing? The Vanity Sizing thing insulted me I felt, I was a 5 in 1979 at 100 pounds, than I became a 4 at 120 ?? Then three years ago I suddenly became a 2 in most brands???? Now at 120 I just grab a 4 if they are on the rack at all, which is few and far between, some brands are 2. Yes I could venture into the teens department, but really the way I would look>:( I would have to streek my hair pink and purple, silly.

Call it as it really is on sizing is my thought. In measuring for sewing a pattern the sizes are greatly different then the manufacturers that are afraid to tell women what size they really are. Geeze we look in the mirror each day and know how big or small we are!

can i add narrow shoes. i used to be able to go to a nice shoe store and get narrow shoes when i was growing up. Now everything is wide. i am glad there are wide shoes for people who need them and they are not all orthopedic styles but with narrow shoes i just look for certain styles that tend to run narrow. For running shoes i can special order the new balance shoes because they come in several widths. i have had some plantar faciatis (sp?) and so getting good shoes to fit is really extra important,

So If the size of people in general is getting larger in America and it is quite obvious, Why are the manufacturers afraid to keep sizes the measurement they are suppose to be? We have normalized many things and that is wonderful, acceptance is a very good thing, so WHY would they think we would be ashamed of what ever size we are?

I was a 4 at 98 pounds and I starved myself pretty much (never ate more than 1200 calories a day, was hungry every day). Are you supposed to be a 4 without starving yourself? It's supposed to come naturally? Certainly I'm not.

I also think it's a very difficult task for women to be as skinny as they once were when they were housewives (which actually gets some real physical activity!) when all they do is sit on their behinds in cubicles all day now at work, because it's what needs to be done to survive these days.

Vanity sizing may be a myth:
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/arc...vanity_sizing/

I have no idea if sizes are changing, I suppose I don't notice.

I saw myself in a lot of those comments from that vanity sizing article. At 98 pounds, I doubt you'd find any pants that would fit. Even at my pre-Wheat Belly weight (118), almost all pants in small sizes were too large; it was only my bloated lower belly that kept them up!

I weighed 98 pounds for most of my life, and that was my effortless, eat anything weight, but with a pack or two of cigarettes a day thrown into the mix. Talbot's size 2P pants fit me most of the time. Now that I'm three years post smoking, I'm at 104 pounds and some of those pants are too tight - but I'm OK with my new weight, I'm not going to beat myself up over 104 as a non-smoker, post-menopausal weight. I just needed to find some new pants :)
I also love NYDJ jeans, those are comfortable and nice looking.

i will take the weight for the not smoking and eating healthy but not controlling it too much. i am 48, i had 3 kids, it is all good. But when i was very small and my girls both have been very small naturally it was harder. My middle was called anorexic and she told that person off. She really eats! but their grandmother on dad's side was 5'11" and about 100 lbs

What you kids need to do is read my thread topic about EatCations. See---if you'd go on an EatCation on a regular basis, you'd start blubbering-up. Also, eat lots and lots of Pizza. Then, you'll be Normal. It's the American Way. Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee.

ponymom,
I know what you mean. I'm 5'8", and I weigh 116 lbs. I knit my own tops and sweaters, and cut down the patterns to an XS. I've found some clothes that fit at T.J.Maxx. Like you, I wear a lot of capris. I've found some shorts at the Salvation Army. I'm going to have to move the button on a few pair. For undies, I get mine at Costco. They fit really well. They were out of size 5's for a while, though. (just like you said.) Sun dresses from Ross fit me well. They are usually made in India, where women are smaller...

The Chaps dress I recently bought for a wedding fits me perfectly; it clings in all the right places. Pants and shorts from the Chaps brand are too large, which is a shame because they're mostly basic, classic designs (I think at one time it was a division of Ralph Lauren). Liz Claiborne used to have things that fit as well (and their other lines, First Issue and Crazy Horse).

Last night I sewed small darts in the waists of 4 capris/shorts. I don't mind having a limited number of bottoms, as most of them are khaki or stone colored and look the same anyway. But being light colored, I'm always afraid they'll get stained or ruined somehow and then I'll have nothing to wear, so I'm constantly looking for backups. Finding small sized tops hasn't been a problem for me, even though they're all bought in thrift stores. Being pretty flatchested, I'm used to loose fitting tops. Petites would look better, but I have orangutan-length arms. In fact, most of my long sleeved shirts/sweaters aren't long enough.

Finding uncommon sized shoes must be a nightmare. It's difficult enough to find comfortable, well-made shoes.

For shoes, try www.zappos.com (mentioned above). In addittion to free shipping both ways, they carry a lot of widths for shoes. I think Nordstrom online also has a lot of sizes and widths.