Just Another Work-Clothes Rant

[ladysprite]

I am not that small.

I mean, yeah, I'm short, and I'm not big, but I'm not freakishly teeny, either. I'm kind of.... average-sized. So why the hell can't average stores carry clothes in my size?

I need to wear clothes to work. And while I can deal with my non-work clothes being either poorly-fitted or highly specialized, for work I need simple, washable, professional-looking stuff. No hip-huggers, no pencil skirts, no babydoll tees.

Unfortunately, if I want clothes that fit, I need to either shop at Super Petite Elite Specialty Stores, where pants costs more than my wedding ring did and are dry-clean only, or at the Juniors department of other, more reasonably-priced stores, where the current trend in clothing is best described as Little Ho Peep.

All I ask out of life is a pair of non-pleated, machine-washable pants that start near my waist, end near my ankles, and either don't gap enough at the top for a patient to crawl down them or actually have belt loops. And a sequin-free, glitter-free blouse that doesn't hang like a tent. Is that too much to ask?

This rant is brought to you by my mad dash through my closet as I try to get ready for a new-practice interview today, in a desperate attempt to look professional and not like an eighth-grader in my mom's clothes.....

Comments

[mindways]

Another suggestion: secondhand clothing stores. I haven't perused the women's section in any, so I can't say for certain they'd work well, but if it's anything like the men's section, I've noted that there's usually a fair amount of "somewhat bigger" and "somewhat smaller" clothing. I'd also guess that even where the women's/junior's clothes fall into the "trendy" category, that they're not the *current* trend, but a smattering of trends from over the past decade. And the prices are usually excellent. (Moreso at Goodwill than at a specialty store like Ooona's, but still.)

The disadvantage, of course, is that if/when you do find something you like, you can't just buy a whole lot of that and call it a day.

(There's a stereotype that clothes from, eg, Goodwill, are shabby-looking. In my experience, while it's certainly possible to *pick* bad-looking secondhand clothes, the same is true of nearly anywhere one shops.)

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

1) Yes, secondhand stores are a wonderful place to shop if you're small, because that's a lot of what gets donated, stuff that people can't wear any more because they've gained weight. (And I speak here from experience as well as observation! *g*)

2) Try Salvation Army instead of Goodwill -- and pick one that's close to an upscale area. My partner's daughter found a London Fog coat for $20 at the Salvation Army store near the Heights. Also, you'll have a shot at some of the things rich women discard just because "I've already been seen wearing that a dozen times".