My skinny girl vent

[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

[pony mom]

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

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.

[TVRodriguez]

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!

[rosarugosa]

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.

[ctg492]

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!

[Zoe Girl]

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,

[ctg492]

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?

[ApatheticNoMore]

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.

[pony mom]

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!

[rosarugosa]

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.