FINDING What Not to Wear

FINDING What Not to Wear


I'm watching a What Not To Wear's episode about a girl (Courtney) who lost 170 pounds. I'm grateful that I have not had to lose that much. I hope that I haven't gone to the extremes that she did … but I do recognize some things. I used to search for a loose fit. When you weigh 270, not a lot is loose. But anything that fits, showed my rolls … REALLY icky.

Now that I”ve lost some of the weight, I do have an urge to make up for lost time. I keep having to remind myself that I'm 55. Somethings will look ridiculous. I purchased a couple of dresses/skirts that may be too short. Leggings would be one way to handle it, but do 55 year old women wear leggings?

Like WNTW pointed out, I do find it easier to get a good fit in dresses or skirts, than in pants … but for the opposite reason that Courtney experienced. She has a smaller waist than the rest of her body would indicate. I'm just the opposite – still thick through the middle.

In my 20s, I wore a lot of turtlenecks. I have a long neck and well … there was a lot of room in a B cup. Then, it looked good. My body now is different. Stacy and Clinton made some points about the slimming and elongating effects of an open or V-neck.

FAT & FASHION: The Sizes, They are a Changin’

I’ve gone from a size 22 to a 14 and occasionally a 12. That’s a halleluiah moment in Pat-land. But I think it also contributed to my plateau.

BC (Before Children), I was a size 12. That was the early 80s. Everyone says you never get back to the pre-baby size. My original goal was to be a 14. So I hit goal, right? I mean, diet done. I’m already there. Wrong! The sizes they are a’ changin’.



There are 2 types of people from my generation who know their measurements: beauty contest gals and women who sew. While I personally don’t sew much, my mother and grandmother did. I remember what my BC measurements were. Today, I’d be a 6 … maybe even a 4. Let me repeat that. What used to be a 12 is now 6 or a 4.



In the 1970’s and 80’s, you couldn’t be 50 pounds overweight, like I am, and be a 14. I’ve brought this up to a few people. The prevailing wisdom is “clothes are getting smaller.” That’s like gaining 20 pounds and blaming the dryer for shrinking your jeans. America has gained weight and sizes have adapted to accommodate it.



Recently, I got a Lands End catalog and there are a couple of things I liked. When you’ve lost 73 pounds, you’re not sure what size to buy, so I consulted their chart. According to that, I’m a 16 to 18. I don’t care what number I am, but I wish reality were consistent with the size charts. I just donated a bunch of Land’s End 18s to Goodwill, because I swim in them. Seriously, the pants fell in gathers over my tush. Regular pants with a zipper and button could be pulled off without undoing either.




In Pat-land, size charts are consistent with the actual clothes.

FASHION While You Loose the FAT

I started out a size 22. I am now a 14. I’m dropping about a size every 20 pounds, so I hope to end up a 10 … maybe even an 8. (Yes, the holy grail of weight loss … a single digit dress size).

I have 2 kids in college, so I’m broke. I can’t afford a new wardrobe for every size. Here are some suggestions for a weight loss of 1 or 2 sizes:
· Make the seams bigger. Sewing a parallel line ½ inch from the back seam will take it in an inch. A ½ inch on each side seam equals 2 inches. Ease it back out at the armholes and neck.
· Darts. Hey, I took Home Economics in junior high. Add a dart to the back. If you wear a jacket or sweater, no one will even see it.
· Add ribbon or a piece of fabric to the side seams and tie in the back. As you loose, make it tighter.

Straight dresses and sheaths are easiest to alter.

Altering pants is beyond my limited sewing ability. Buy a couple per size in neutral colors. If you are loosing a pound per week, you’ll be in a different size roughly every 5 months. My rear end is a size 12, while my waist is a 16. I have an apple-shaped figure -- or lack of figure. Elastic waists give me a better fit around, but the rise is too long. As long as you don't tuck in, it's not obvious.

In cool weather, I normally wear blazers, but the 18s and 20s will be hanging on me this year. I think I’m going to buy cardigans. They aren’t quite as structured and formal, but they’ll work for 2009-10. Hopefully by the winter of 2010-11, I'll be at goal.

This has turned out to be a 3-year project. Before I get depressed, I need perspective. Three years to undo two decades of fat is not that bad.