So THIS is what the "Size Zero" craze has caused.....LONG

[Ree]

Reminds me of an old agent tale:
Woman calls in livid because the airlines staff was unbelievably rude to her and put her physical discription on her bag. She was flying to Fresno - the city code for Fresno is FAT.

Funny story, but it's an 'urban legend' according to snopes.com
http://www.snopes.com/travel/trap/congress.asp

[Lace Neil Singer]

Good old Snopes. ^^

And my bmi I shall not post here, but it fails to take into account my hourglass figure; ie, big boobs and hips. So sorry I'm not a twig... *mutters insults against model figures* XD

[reformedwaitress]

not defending her actions

but I will say that I can kind of understand where she was coming from.

As most of the women here know, after you have a baby, everything is completely out of whack. I know for me I went through 6 months of feeling like a whale and then had the baby and I STILL felt out of whack for awhile. I still felt like I looked fat and was very very self conscious about everything. If anyone had asked if I was thinner before having the baby, I probably would have busted out crying.

I'm not saying this gives her a pass, nor am I saying what the assistant said was wrong, but if I know that someone just had a baby, I don't say anything at all about how they look cause I know it's going to be bad either way.

I'm agreeing with RK -- my guess is post partum. That can really f*ck with your head.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Even so, the assistant no way deserves to be attacked by a shrieking harpy; no matter what the reason behind the attack is. I can't believe everyone just stood there like lemons and watched this go on without at least trying to stop the woman from screaming, or calling security. O_o

The woman might have a reason for acting that way, but no assistant should have to put up with something like that. Where I work, anyone who verbally abuses a staff member will be thrown out of the store.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I've been watching What Not to Wear lately, and one of the things they always tell people who have this problem is that they should buy pants to fit in the hip/thigh, and then they can always have the waist taken in. Which is all well and good, but not all of us are shopping with a $5000 bank card from a TV show. Alterations cost money, unless you know how to sew. The most I know how to do is replace a button or repair a (small) hole in a seam.

I've been watching What Not to Wear lately, and one of the things they always tell people who have this problem is that they should buy pants to fit in the hip/thigh, and then they can always have the waist taken in. Which is all well and good, but not all of us are shopping with a $5000 bank card from a TV show. Alterations cost money, unless you know how to sew. The most I know how to do is replace a button or repair a (small) hole in a seam. It would be a lot easier if more companies just made clothes to fit different body types (and your type, I'm sure, is not all that uncommon, considering the number of times I've heard this piece of advice on the show). I can't afford to buy decently made clothes and then possibly double the price because I need to have it altered.

[Broomjockey]

Alterations cost money, unless you know how to sew.

Actually, the place I get my clothes from will do free minor alterations such as length and taking in the waist slightly on new purchases, it's only on bringing in old stuff that you need pay. Maybe there are a few shops around there that might be similar?

[BookstoreEscapee]

Actually, the place I get my clothes from will do free minor alterations such as length and taking in the waist slightly on new purchases, it's only on bringing in old stuff that you need pay. Maybe there are a few shops around there that might be similar?

Actually, you do have a point; I didn't think of that. Probably most department stores do; also higher end stores probably do, though I can't afford them anyway. Though, most of the places that I shop don't, as far as I know. So I guess it depends on where you buy.

[GingerBiscuit]

most of the shops I shop at don't offer it. Luckily, I have friends who can do minor alterations, and for trousers I shop in shops for slightly older women, where they cut for hips and arse.

Everything else is fine- I know what style of dress and skirt to wear to make sure it all fits.

[Mark Healey]

I am 6' tall, weigh approx 200 lbs (probably more now since I quit smoking 10 weeks ago) According to the BMI that I just had to do for my insurance, I am 55 lbs overweight. Neither me or my fiance can see where I could possibly lose 55 lbs. I could see being able to lose 20-25, but not 55. I'm currenly a 36/30/39 which really isn't bad measurments wise.

That's because the BMI is bullshit. It was cooked up in the early 1800s when all medecine was quackery. You're better off just looking at yourself in the mirror.

[NightAngel]

It means you're an incorporeal spirit.

Well, it's not the first time I've been accused of being flighty.

[Mark Healey]

The problem with the fashion and clothing industry is that the models who wear these clothes are rails.

The fashion industry is only partially to blame. The evolution of our brains has also contributed.

The key to sexual attractiveness is in emphasizing sexual differences (and for women a little neoteny doesn't hurt).

Women are naturally thinner than men so a thin woman is going to have an edge.

Women are less hairy than men so a woman with less body hair is going to be more attractive.

The list goes on.

Fandom gave us Frazetta and Coop. They're just as unreasistic, with giant boobs and hips and 12 inch waists, but there you are.

The fasion industry introduces some wierd distortions because it has so many gay men who would rather be working with teenage boys.

The fashion industry gave us Erté.

[Seshat]

I've been watching What Not to Wear lately, and one of the things they always tell people who have this problem is that they should buy pants to fit in the hip/thigh, and then they can always have the waist taken in. Which is all well and good, but not all of us are shopping with a $5000 bank card from a TV show. Alterations cost money, unless you know how to sew.

Get a good sewing book, video or DVD to help you with this. But here's how to take a waist in.

Make your first attempt(s) on pants you buy really cheaply - perhaps from a charity shop. Be prepared to discard the first four or five pairs you try it on - you won't get it right first time, so don't expect that of yourself. Expect to screw up the first few.

You're investing in a skill that will let you have a much wider range of clothes to buy - it'll pay off over the course of your lifetime. If all you spend learning the skill is twenty bucks on pants from Goodwill, a few bucks on a sewing book or DVD, and a few bucks in needles, pins, thread and tailor's chalk, it's a bargain.




Make sure you buy pants with a waistband. Get a friend to make careful folds, keeping the side seam to the middle of the side. If it's loose in the back, the friend should make two or four folds, evenly spaced in the back. If it's loose in the front, folds in the front. She can pin them while she's making them. With the folds pinned, make sure you can squat and bend and move freely without putting tension on the folds. If you can't, get your friend to make the folds smaller.

Get the friend to mark the folds with tailor's chalk. The folds should be wide at the waist, narrowing to nothing before the hips.

Take off the waistband, being careful to see how it goes on. (Maybe use a digital camera and take good photographs while you take it off.) (You won't need to be so careful once you've done this a few times.)

With the waistband off, fold the pants where your friend has marked. You're going to make darts in the back, and pleats in the front. What that means is that you'll sew the back folds completely, and the front folds you'll just sew the folded bit at the top to the waistband.

Sew the darts/pleats.

If the waistband has a feature in the centre front, pin or baste the waistband into place from the centre front towards the back. Leave about ten centimetres each side un-sewn. Figure out how much excess waistband you have. Cut away some of the excess. 'Finish' the raw edges (zigzag, overlock or blanket stitch). Sew the waistband on, including sewing the cut ends of the waistband together with the seam in the waistband matching the centre back seam of the pants.

If the waistband is plain, sew the waistband back on, starting where the waistband seam was. When you have almost reached the seam again, cut away most of the excess waistband and finish the raw edge. Finish sewing the waistband on, including sewing the waistband seam.




Alternate method:

If you don't want a pleated front/darted back, you can cut the excess out of the side seams of the pants instead. Have your friend draw the new shaping lines on the side of the pants, instead of folds (with tailor's chalk). Pin the new shaping lines, and make sure you can squat and bend and stuff again.
Take the waistband off. Unpick the side seams to a bit below the shaping. Redraw the shaping lines - it's hard to make a smooth line while the pants are on your body, much easier when the pants are on the kitchen table. Mark them on the wrong side of the fabric as well - perhaps with loose sewing done in a contrasting thread.

Sew the pants back together along the shaping lines. Unpick the contrast thread if you used that method. Put the pants back on, holding them up with a knotted piece of elastic or some such. Bend and move and make sure they fit properly.

Take them off again. Cut the excess fabric out of the inside of the pants. Finish the raw edges with zigzag or overlock or blanket stitch or whatever your sewing DVD/book taught you.

Put the waistband back on as above.


NOTE: you can do this with pants without a waistband as well, but it's less easy to explain how in text. Once you've done it a few times, you'll have gotten used to examining how a piece of clothing was made, and you'll be able to figure it out.

NOTE 2: it doesn't matter if your sewing doesn't look 'professional' on the inside. As long as it fits properly and looks fine on the outside.

It would be a lot easier if more companies just made clothes to fit different body types (and your type, I'm sure, is not all that uncommon, considering the number of times I've heard this piece of advice on the show).

I've said that many times, and will say it many times more.

[Becks]

I can't believe everyone just stood there like lemons

How do lemons stand around?

Lemmings, perhaps?

[Lace Neil Singer]

It's an expression from the good old south east of England, where I live. XD

[GingerBiscuit]

yep. Standing around like lemons. Good old english phrase. Presumably as lemons don't do much that's helpful in a situation, ecept sit there.