11th February, 2020
I looked at Mother-Of-The-Groom outfits for a long length of time as my son and daughter-in law's wedding was put off twice because of Covid. The wedding finally happened last November. It was a fantastic day, a very special time for a very proud mother. For quite a while afterwards the days felt so flat and even Christmas didn't seem the same, although to be fair, for a number of reasons I am not keen on Christmas. Mother-of-the-Groom outfits still pop up on my YouTube and Facebook feeds and I found myself watching one for old time's sake. :-)
What I found interesting was what the lady said about dress sizes. She said that because of design and quality of fabric the dresses came up small and that ladies should order one size up to get the correct fit. She went on to say “don't let that bother you ladies, you are still the size you are, the dress size is just a number on a label”. It is, but it would, and does, bother so many ladies. Ladies wanting to be a size 12 or 14 (in the UK) if the dress label doesn't say that on the dress that fits them then it's the end of the world. They feel they are not the size a perfect woman should be. Is it only women, or do men also feel that way about their clothes? I am not sure, but I have heard it being said so many times “I am not buying that it's a 16!” or “Oh, I need to lose weight now because that dress doesn't fit.”
Do they ever think NO! It's not them, it's how the item has been made, or there isn't any stretch to the fabric. It's almost like it has to be us that is wrong, not the size. I shop for a lot of my clothes in charity shops because you can sometimes find a real bargain, get something really different, and often get really good quality clothes at a really hefty discounted price. What I soon learnt as I went through the racks was look at everything. Size is just a guide. Things are cut differently and to different clothes patterns. It's how it looks and fits that is the main thing. Cut the label out if it bothers you, but don't miss out because of a number on a label.
I am not sure where the idea of women having to be a certain size comes from. I suspect it would change from country to country, but I also think the fashion industry plays a large part in all of this too. All the models you saw years ago were tiny. It has changed a little in modern times with plus size models and larger clothes sizes but the main focus is still on the smaller models,actresses,and a lot of other women in the public eye. There are far more small sizes on the rails in a clothes store, even though the most common size is said to be a UK size 16. It's also cheaper to make smaller clothes.
When I worked in retail there were four size 12 and 14s to every two size 16/18s. There are quite often more smaller sizes left in the sales. What ever size we are, we really need to happy with who we are. Not because of a number printed on a label, that is just a guide, but because we are comfortable and healthy at the size we are. Healthy at that present moment and also thinking about our health as we get older. To fixate on a size can not only cause upset, but also health issues both physically and mentally.
When you look at clothes try not to take a lot of notice of the number. Look instead at the cut, the dimensions and the colour. Then look at the price. :-) Try it on if you can and look at how it fits on you and how it flatters your body shape. Don't miss out because of that small piece of fabric inside the garment says the wrong number.
That's all for now.
Until next time,
Love, Jackie.
xx
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