Shopping weekend

A friend and I went shopping this weekend, and while I was mostly reminded how much I hate malls (especially on weekends, it’s pretty much my idea of hell) and shopping in general (I love clothes, but I’m a lazy, lazy shopper), I was also reminded of how frustrating I find the lack of consistency in sizing from store to store. I’m teeny tiny at the Gap (on what planet am I swimming in a S and is XS loose on me?), while at J.Crew I wear anywhere from an XS to M and 4-8 depending on the piece and the fabric, and at Club Monaco I’m a short fat girl.  

I exaggerate a little, but I think Club Monaco’s fit model is tall, skinny, and minimally curvy. I’m drawn to Club Monaco this spring because I love a lot of the pieces and the colour palettes, but not everything fits well. Still, first world problems, right?

The Willa Dress looks fantastic on Saucy Glossie here, but not so much on me:

This is an 8, it’s knee-length instead of mid-thigh like on the model, and it’s way too tight around the shoulders. The black panelling around the shoulders also reminds me of a wetsuit, am I the only one who sees that?

The Sunny Stripe Tee is a bit better:

But it doesn’t look anything on me like it does on the model. Also, as a girl with boobs, I rage against these breast pockets—they don’t serve any purpose (what am I going to put in there, a subway token?) and they don’t work on my chest. I don’t think it’s supposed to be off to the side like that.

(The worst example of a breast pocket is J.Crew’s Peony Tee. What pocket? Exactly what I thought until I tried it on. There is one there, for no apparent reason.)

Sunny Stripe Tee and Cecilia Skirt:

I’m not tall, and I think this skirt is short.

Sunny Tee and Tavie Skirt:

I love the mint, but it washes me out too much. I looove the skirt, despite the length. And I haaate the price tag.

So going into Club Monaco is a bit like self-harm, because I always end up feeling bad about my body because the clothes don’t fit the way they’re supposed to. I just have to remember it’s not me, it’s the clothes. Some things work, not everything does, that’s okay. Also, thanks to the very nice, perhaps slightly over-friendly, perhaps flirty male sales associates who said “a size 8? there’s no way you need a size 8, I’ll get you a size 6” when I was getting a size for the Tavie Skirt. For the record, he was right.