Fashion Frustration Pet Peeve

Most of the time as a “retiree” (excuse me while I laugh into my coffee), I have no need to wear anything other than the sloppiest of casual clothes.

However, I’m not (yet) a hermit and there are those times when I must face the public. I would like to do so in something other than my 20-year-old halfway decent fashions.

But shopping for clothes is no longer the fun past time that once showed off my bargain finds, demonstrating fashion sense for mere cents.

I have … ahem … “matured.” While I enjoy the added wisdom of my mental maturity, I do not appreciate my body’s insistence on keeping up with my bulging brain.

However, I will not soon again don a mini-skirt (stop laughing! I once rocked 'em ... and yes, young’uns, you are simply regurgitating our '60s-revolutionary style) … I would, though, like to find something “in my size” in our department stores.

Does it truly escape the attention of designers and retailers that the FIRST sizes to sell out in a popular style are the AVERAGE and PLUS sizes?? Do you not recognize that “average” sizes in reality, are 12 – 18, NOT sizes 6 – 10?

Have the clothing manufacturers adopted the same stick-it-to-the-consumer ploy as grocery suppliers?

Do they REALLY believe we don’t notice that we’re paying the same price for a loaf of bread – in which the slices are SMALLER than they were five years ago?!

Note to clothing manufacturers – that doesn’t work in fashion. 

You can’t call it a size 14 and MAKE it in a size 10. You’re alienating curvy women who have just as much money as the skinny ones … but I for one, am not buying many clothes.

EVERY season we are subjected to short supply of fun, kicky, PROPERLY FITTING styles in sizes and PRICES that apply to many mature women … and although I haven’t asked, I’ll assume 50+ men face the same frustrating issues.

And by the way, we curvy women also like SOME of the styles you create for the petite and offer in larger sizes – but we also need fashions that flatter our bodies, not “sacks” or completely inappropriate designs that accentuate our flaws.

My suggestion: revise current erratic sizing categories (apparently a predominantly US problem) to a GLOBAL STANDARD (once again).

* PLUS sizes 12 to 18 – become AVERAGE, with the largest style quantity; this relocates size 18 from Plus

* 6 to 12 sizes – become SMALL

* 00 to 4 – become PETITE

* Sizes 20 + (1X etc) - remain PLUS

What is high on my lottery winning list? To create a fashionable and PERFECTLY fitting, AFFORDABLE line of clothing for mature people who are no longer the size they were in high

school, but haven’t withdrawn from society. We love life too!

Ciao for now!