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Fashion Blog (Archive): December 2003
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
2:02 PM (Pacific)
Hummm...definitely take a couple pics. It's an extra step but "a picture is worth a thousand words."
Clothes sound nice. Hum. I have a strapless bra...I got it at the Victoria's Secret semi-annual sale...but I haven't worn it yet. It's sort of a bandeau style with those plastic strips they use on thigh high stockings. I don't mean it has plastic straps...I've seen those too...the strips are inside the bra. Basically something to wear under camisoles. Wondering if something like that would fit the bill.
Well if you look at it...sizes have probably changed ever since they made ready-to-wear. Deregulating it, the first time, was good for me.
This time...unless they're willing to go into negative numbers :) then, a size 10 will just become a size 12. A size 8 will become a size 10. I have some size 10 pants from before I had the kids...not the same size as the size 10 pants I have now. But who cares?
Before the need to go into negative numbers, I predict the insurance industry is going to make overweight their priority (the same as smoking was a few years back). i.e. there will be a national drive for people to slim down.
Then maybe the number sizes will return to what they were before? ;)
--J.
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
10:12 AM (Pacific)
Oy, I have to get pictures of what I bought up. Debating whether I should have my boyfriend take pictures of me wearing the clothes or on the bed like last time. We'll see.
I bought a couple of American Apparel tops last Friday. Just a couple. A boat-neck 3/4 sleeve black T-shirt in their sheer jersey (not exactly sheer when black) and a pink camisole (that's a bit sheer). I love the boat-neck one. Boat-necks like me so I love them back :) The fit is really good, form-fitting but not tight. The pink cami has a similar fit. The only thing that's not quite so fun about the cami is that it's sheer. The dark colours aren't but the pink (and white for that matter) can't be worn without some type of bra or another camisole underneath. Unless you use the cami as underwear in which case the sheerness wouldn't be a problem. I've had an American Apparel T-shirt before and it's holding up well. No fading, no shrinking (it did go in the dryer a few times; and it would always go if it weren't for an applique that doesn't like the dryer). The quality is quite good.
My sister got a 3/4 sleeve baseball T and my mother got a long sleeved T in red. She felt the Ts were a little tight (she has some tummy going on so she doesn't like the more form-fitting tops). But then, I read about the men's T-shirts and I think they would have worked for her. The catalogue says they're made for men with a younger build (hoping that means they'll fit well on my boyfriend, Mr. Skinny) and women who want their tops to fit more loosely (sounds like my mother!).
I'll take pictures of those too (my Ts not my mother's or my sister's). I promise.
Oh, sizes! They are such a huge pain! 20-25 pounds ago, I wore a size 8. That's 10 years ago, at the ripe old age of 16. I now wear a size 6 most of the time. Huh? There's no way I gained 20-25 pounds of muscle! No way! I don't have any leftover clothes from back then but I'm convinced that they're more like a size 4 from today. Maybe even a 2? Not sure 'bout that one. Yup, vanity sizing most definitely exists. I wish they'd never changed the sizes like that.
Raphaelle
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
7:43 PM (Pacific)
Hummm...I have some "baby tummy" too.
In fact that's why certain brands fit me better...they're cut differently. I'm wearing one of the black Guess!'s right now. That, and the J.Crew, Express and Land's End...they seem more realistically cut.
I have my little pre-kids Limited and CK jeans still...they wore out so I made cut-offs out of them. Still I'm wondering, when I can stop taking the Pill...I think you go down some in weight. About three lbs.
I'm glad to see you are exercising. That should help me also. I've felt uninspired for a long time.
--J.
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
6:29 PM (Pacific)
More sock finds.
I got the coolest pair of socks today at WM. They're black knee highs with frowny faces :( of various sizes and colors sprinkled all over them and the word cRanKy randomly placed between the frowns. OOOOOOOH, are they funky. WM had a kinda cool though itty bitty selection of wild socks. Pink knee his with crowns and the word "princess", striped knee hi's with frogs and baby blue knee hi's with frogs wearing crowns. Cute, cute, cute. If I would wear toe'd socks the selection was even greater but I down right refuse to put my footies into toe socks!
I think I figured out why the pants all fit differently. Stretch. I can get into a small size if the pants have stretch built into them. That little bit of "give" makes a big world of difference. Pants can fit just fine until I sit down and my belly pokes out. My stomach muscles are completely shot after having carried 30+ pounds of baby. I birthed 3 10+pound babies in under 4 years. I'm never going to have 6-pack abs. Long live Lycra! :)
~carol m
Monday, December 01, 2003
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
10:38 AM (Pacific)
Sizes were deregulated at one point. I mean the numbered sizes. That was quite a while ago.
For me it's good. The shirt sizes of yore never fit me. If they fit in the bust, then the sleeves were too long. And the pants...they used to sell pants unhemmed. I loathe putting up pants, it never looks right.
Then...just recently...there has been talk of "vanity sizing." i.e. a size 10 now is larger than a size 10 before. And...some shops have even gone to an entirely different scale. You can be size 0, size 2, size 4...it's insane.
I tend to go by brand. Gap and Old Navy jeans do not fit me. The butt isn't right. Likewise Geoffrey Beene.
But Limited, Express, Levi's, J.Crew, Land's End, Guess!, Calvin Klein...those are all good for me.
Guess! are kinda interesting...they're cut differently from all the rest. I'd say for more of an hourglass figure.
Levi's--now those are for people with small butts.
Limited, Express, J.Crew, Land's End...to me they're quite similar. More for an average type figure...forgiving, flattering, versatile.
The Levi's and CK's imo, are the most androgynous, the most like the '70's style of jeans (keep in mind that Levi's ruled the jeans world back then).
Limited, Express, J.Crew, Land's End...more feminine.
Guess!--completely feminine.
:) I've never owned colored jeans either, unless you count black. I have some black Guess! ones. Then I have an overdyed(?) Levi's Silver Tab. It's more of an intense blue than plain denim.
The rest of them are all regular denim...some are that light colored denim.
--J.
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
10:21 AM (Pacific)
I knew it. Perfect fashion advice. :)
Grey and red...that's what I forgot. Red and grey go perfectly together.
Blue and white striped top...that's great too. And the "drabs."
I think the Pucci prints were more '60's...early '70's. I actually remember them from when I was a kid.
--J.
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
10:19 AM (Pacific)
oooooo, such good ideas!
*scribbles away furiously*
Thanks a bundle, I knew you'd (both) be able to help.
I'm a little leery of wearing the red jeans. I've not ever owned a colored pair of jeans before. These are definitely on the bright side of red. I love the idea of plaid with them, maybe something subdued to tone it down abit. If I feel like going totally kitschy I was thinking of something navy with stars and I'll walk around lookin' like a big ole ameer-i-can flag! LOL :)
Pants sizes are something else these days. I'm in anywhere from an 8 to a 14 depending on the brand. Its kinda frustrating. I can get into an 8 from old navy but I tried on a pair of 10's at Christopher&Banks and I couldn't even get them up. The jeans from my mom are Bill Blass and they're 12's. They fit, but they're kinda snug. I've got an (old) pair of Cherokee jeans from Target in size 14 and they literally fall off of me when I walk. Yet a pair of black Dockers in size 16 are big on me, but still wearable. Large sweatpants don't stay up at all yet Mediums are far, far too clingy. And my Lands End knit pants are mediums (10-12?) and they fit perfectly. I need a petite in them actually 'cause they are wayyyyyy too long.
Do men have this problem? Or is a 32x30 jean a 32X30 no matter what the brand name?
*humph*
~carolm
posted by TheBroadroom.Net at
7:26 AM (Pacific)
Yup, navy and red are a classic pairing. You've already got the navy, white/cream, and tan. As far as neutral colours go, any shade of brown will do, from light beige, to camel, and chocolate. Taupe too. Anything drab works. Grey is really great with red too. Especially a nice charcoal.
For other colours, it can depend on the shade of red so here are some ideas and you can figure out how they work. Light blue is a good one. I've seen girls out with light blue cords and a striped T-shirt in red and white. So red jeans with a striped light blue and white T-shirt might look nice too. You could also try the light green in a stripe. Stay away from the bright or dark greens if you don't want to scream Christmas. Only exception: olive looks fantastic with red (thank Dain for this one; she suggested it a long long time ago).
Yellow and orange (and red too) could look great too if you're not afraid of being bright and colourful. A pattern would probably help tone it down.
Speaking of patterns, they're really great. I have this top that's mainly brown and has fuchsia flowers on it (there's some cream, and blue on there too). If the flowers had been red, it would have been perfect for your pants. A Pucci print in 70's (or is it 60's?) shades of brown, orange, and red would look cool too. Or a plaid in camel/cream/black/red.
Some people would pair pink with red. I wouldn't but if you like it, then by all means, go for it! I'm very much of the opinion that one should wear what one likes regardless of what others may think (unless "others" includes your boss...).
Hope I helped!
Raphaelle
PS: Language note about the colour "taupe". In French, "taupe" is a colour but mainly it's the colour of an animal called a "taupe". And that's a mole, I think (they live underground and are almost blind). I wouldn't be surprised that the word used in English comes from the French word. It's pronounced the same way too... Languages are fascinating...
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