Saturday, March 7, 2009

I hate shopping!

Why does clothes shopping have to be so difficult? I spent a good part of my day looking for some clothes that would be
1. modest
2. attractive
3. affordable
4. comfortable
5. practical (i.e. suitable for an active lifestyle)
6. well made
and had absolutely no success. I find clothes shopping to be physically and emotionally exhausting.

If I buy stuff in my size, it's too form-fitting to be modest or comfortable. If I go up a size or two, I look sloppy. Am I the only person that finds this so difficult?

If I had more time, I could sew my own clothing; if I had more money, I would be more likely to find what I needed in the stores; but I have neither. *sigh*

I am seriously exhausted and I am going to bed (daylight savings time kicks in tomorrow, yay)

10 comments:

  1. No, you're not alone here :-) I find it does depend on the store/manufacturer which size I am, and even then, dresses, e.g. will never fit me on the top half and the bottom half of my body.

    Where do you shop? I get most of my clothes on ebay or in charity shops. If I could sew it might make life easier. . . but time is too short.
    Henrietta

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  2. I'm not sure if this would work for you, but, if you have small enough shoulders you might try getting a petite top in a bigger size? Then it might fit in the bodice loosely enough, but not be baggy in the shoulders etc. Just a thought.

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  3. Well I tried the thrift store/charity shop on Saturday. I looked through literally hundreds of tops and tried on a dozen, but nothing worked. Most of the stuff in my size was pretty well picked over, and what was left was mostly in styles that looked too teenagerey, or too much like something my grandmother might have worn. Maybe I'm just too picky. :)

    Then in a fit of desperation, I went to the mall and looked through half a dozen stores, but found nothing (except a nice basic black cardigan at Target, which I don't need so much now that spring is here, but maybe I should go back and get it for next year). I did find some tops that looked promising on the hanger, but once I tried them on, they were all wrong for one reason or another.

    Haley, the problem with petite tops is that I have both broad shoulders, and a long torso, so petite tops generally wouldn't work. But thanks for the suggestion. :)

    I have decided that once I find something that does work, like a good basic blouse, I will buy multiples!

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  4. You're *certainly* not alone in finding shopping frustrating! I hardly ever find things I like anywhere. Certainly not in new shops! Occasionally in secondhand shops I come across the odd thing that I really like, but it's sort of one in a million! and most things I do like, they don't fit. Of course, my problem is that I'm too big! But I really prefer to buy things for my children, as that's so much easier and less frustrating! So I think Peter often thinks I hardly go clothes shopping for myself, but it's just too difficult! lol Esp when most of the time I'm either preg or breastfeeding...so can't just wear *anything!*

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  5. Totally understand this issue!! And some people would think I have it easy...what they don't know!! I've given up on charity shops because yes I get too exhausted just looking and finding nothing. I tend to check out the big department stores and try to spend on sales mainly...not always easy I know. But just wanted to say your definitely NOT alone!!

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  6. Ugh, I understand your difficulty... I really, really dislike clothes shopping. I used to have a bit of success with Target, but it seems they're having less and less appealing clothes as well as more poorly made clothes. I've had some success at JC Penney but only if I'm patient enough to check regularly. I've hardly ever had the patience for stores like Goodwill and such, because there is /so/ much to go through before you find anything that even might work. Of course, now that I'm pregnant, shopping has become even more unsuccessful. I'd much rather shop baby clothes! :D

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  7. Oh, I loved shopping for maternity clothes! The local Once Upon a Child (resale shop) had oodles of nice maternity tops for less than $10, and the styles were much more modest, in general, than non-maternity clothes. And cute, too! I felt like I was better dressed when I was pregnant than when I wasn't.

    I've had some success making skirts out of pairs of jeans--perhaps the same could be done with maternity jeans/slacks?

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  8. I've heard of making skirts out of jeans, but I always wondered if they'd end up too form fitting-like a pair of jeans would be. How do you do it? :-) I always get annoyed at not being able to find long enough skirts, so that's why I ask. Oh, by the way, I know they aren't cheep at all, but denimskirts.com usually has nice skirts!

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  9. Hey, making a skirt out of maternity jeans sounds like a good idea! I never even thought of it.

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  10. Mercy, I have a pair of maternity jeans you could use! I'll send them home with Mom!

    Hayley, it can be done in such a way that the skirt is not too form-fitting. The key is to get a pair of jeans a size or two larger than your normal size. Men's jeans might work even better because they aren't as fitted through the hip and thigh. And it helps to have an extra pair of jeans to use as "filler" fabric between the legs, so that you're not trying to make do with too little material.

    I googled "make a skirt out of a pair of jeans" and all the tutorials I found were showing how to make a miniskirt or a skirt that was indeed too tight--I might have to make my own tutorial! Keep an eye out, I might post one soon! (If I can find the time, that is!)

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