Today was my new office's holiday party (you may recall that my staff and I were "realigned" as of last week and now working for a different boss in a different office of the same agency). I had a long meeting that ended just before the holiday party and I went to the ladies room for a pit stop. I was horrified to realize that the upper thighs of these pants had come apart at the seams...not just a little, but a good bit. So here I was, with no time to go home and change, walking into a party of 40 or so people in my new organization, most of whom I don't know, and having to remember as I sat to be sure everything was under wraps.
When I got home and took the pants off, I was about to put them on the pile of stuff that needs repair or hemming. And then I saw that the hole on one thigh had HUGELY expanded since before lunch and the pants are now ruined--it has definitely gone way beyond a seam repair. I suppose there is a possibility I could use a patch, but it is a huge hole and it goes in all directions and, since the fabric is stretchy, it is just a mess.
So now I have pushed to the edge of a clothing conundrum that's been coming for a few months now. Several other pairs of pants are starting down this same road. Since I have gained some weight back since my lowest weight in 2004, I would need to go up probably 2 sizes to have something as comfortable as what I've been wearing because these are old and "broken in."
So it's either buy new pants in a bigger size that I thought I'd never see again, or figure out another option. Weight loss goes excruciatingly slow for me even when things are going well (which they're definitely not currently), so I don't think it's realistic to say "I'll just lose these 10 pounds so I can fit back into the smallest pants I bought in 2004."
One additional wrinkle is that I'm pretty seriously considering retiring in a year, so I really don't want to invest a lot more money in office wear at this point.
I think it's always helpful to bring these issues to the board because, let's face it, a lot of us have faced the same challenges. So, once again, I'd appreciate hearing your perspectives on this one.
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
Seeing the "well fitting jeans" thread reminded me to post here about my new black pants from Lane Bryant. I went out in the FREEZING cold yesterday to pick up pants from the tailor and wore the Lane Bryant ones today.
I think they are probably the most comfortable dress slacks I've ever worn. They fit snug through the hips and looser in the waist, but not so much that it is uncomfortable. I actually LIKE the waist having some extra room because I hate tight clothing. There is a lot of stretch in these too so even sitting all day is supremely comfortable!
The saleslady said she had them in every color (only 3 colors) and I'm already thinking about going back to get the gray ones.
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
Originally posted by D in St Pete: Sheri, if you remember the style of the pants, chances are really good you could order them off the Lane Bryant website. Ahem. Not that I ordered a pair of jeans (in petite length!) or anything when mine didn't have my size. And then proceed to buy several clearance items, a dress, and a skirt. Nope. Didn't do it.
Oh, it's not about being seen going into the store or being seen in the store, if that's what you mean. It is just a mental thing that I said I would never have to shop at Lane Bryant again, so it feels like failure to me to have to buy clothes there again. That would be as true on the website as in the store. But I appreciate the thought. I may actually do that at some point, now that I know I can have pretty good luck finding pants to fit.
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
Sheri, if you remember the style of the pants, chances are really good you could order them off the Lane Bryant website. Ahem. Not that I ordered a pair of jeans (in petite length!) or anything when mine didn't have my size. And then proceed to buy several clearance items, a dress, and a skirt. Nope. Didn't do it.
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
I had been planning to FINALLY go shopping for dress slacks this weekend. Then we had some nasty weather so I didn't go. I wasn't even planning to go today, but I decided to take a few pairs of casual pants I'd bought who KNOWS how long ago to the tailor (one of those things I am a terrible procrastinator about--pay money for new clothes and then not get any use out of them while they sit in a bag waiting to go to the tailor for weeks or months).
The tailor is at the mall, so I figured I'd stop into a popular local department store and try on some slacks. That store has either gone out of business or at least left that mall--I was really bummed. I was about to leave the mall when I saw Lane Bryant. Every fiber of my being was saying "You don't want to go back in there...you haven't been in there for almost 4 years and you vowed you would never have to shop in there again." But then I reminded me what you all said...just buy pants that fit and "get over" what size they are. So I went in.
I don't know what they've done since I was bigger, but I actually found 2 pairs of pants right out of the chute that fit me. I was stunned. Unfortunately, the jeans, while they fit, were snugger than I am comfortable with and the saleslady came back to tell me they didn't have the next size up. Bummer. Anyhow, I did walk out of there with a pair of black dress slacks (thank goodness, that is what I needed most!) and went back to the tailor before I left to add those to the pile.
So next Monday, IF I can remember to go back and pick up the pants, I will have several new pairs of pants to wear. YAY! At least two of these can pass for office wear, though I did not buy them with that thought (they were bought as nice casual slacks before the old work slacks started to fall apart).
I thank all of you for your guidance and support. Because of you, I walked into that Lane Bryant when my pride would not have otherwise allowed me to do so.
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
Originally posted by TriGirl: Sort of off-topic, but I hated the trend of the dressy shorts that you wear over tights. Apparently most other people did too, because they're all over the clearance racks.
That trend was quite popular here in CA in 2000. Many of my nice maternity outfits that year were the dress shorts and matching jacket type tops that you wore nylons and heels with.
Blessings,
Lori
Re-committing myself to a healthy lifestyle that will include regular (and increasing) exercise, and following the baby steps rule on food. 6/17/08
Posts: 3148 | Location: California | Registered: March 11, 2004
Originally posted by TriGirl: Sort of off-topic, but I hated the trend of the dressy shorts that you wear over tights.
Either that trend didn't make it to DC or I have blocked it out--I don't think I've seen anyone here wearing that kind of outfit. Even if I had, it doesn't sound like something that would look attractive on a 50+ overweight and undertall woman. hehe
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
Sort of off-topic, but I hated the trend of the dressy shorts that you wear over tights. Apparently most other people did too, because they're all over the clearance racks.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2868 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
Originally posted by TriGirl: What if you bought capri pants and wore them as trousers?
I've done it a number of times, actually--it has worked well on and off with casual pants (as Isabel says, it depends on the cut/style), but it hasn't worked so far for me with dress trousers. I bought one pair of capri dress pants that I thought would work in the store but when I got them home and tried them with the shoes I'd wear to work, they didn't work.
Most capris I find are just THAT much too short to look right as full length pants (or turn out that way after a wash or two). The only capris I've found that are more than long enough to wear as slacks and no one is the wiser are some Eddie Bauer casual slacks that I found last year.
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
i am barely five feet tall. i have worn capris as trousers. sometimes it works, other times it does not, depends on the cut and so forth.
i am sorry you are frustrated!
Goals: 1. Stop thinking like a chronic dieter and start living to inspire. 2. HALT (hungry, anxious, lonely, tired) I will stop and tune in with myself should I experience these things, and respond with something healthy. 3. One word 2008: courage 4. Eat slow and mindfully.
Originally posted by TriGirl: I understand about the tailor stuff -- I have a bag of clothes that has been wanting to go to the cleaner's for a long time.
Yea...it doesn't help that I have to factor in a week at the tailor (plus more money) for every article of clothing I buy. It's not like I can go buy a pair of pants on Monday and wear them to work on Tuesday. Bleh.
I mean, yea, I have the sewing expertise to hem a lot of stuff myself--and I do some stuff like pajamas and sweatpants myself--but when you spend a lot of money on something, you want to be sure you don't mess it up, and it's a lot easier to have someone mark something on me than it is to try to guesstimate how much to cut off while I'm wearing it!
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
I always like shopping alone best because there is no pressure to keep another person happy and I can take as long to decide between the black pair and the brown pair as I want! Hopefully you get a chance to browse at a more leisurely pace soon. Sounds like you are literally coming apart at the seams! I understand about the tailor stuff -- I have a bag of clothes that has been wanting to go to the cleaner's for a long time.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2868 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
Well JEEZ LOUISE, I can't win! Ya know how I said I had several pairs of pants of the same brand/style in different colors and it was the black pair that blew out the thigh seams? Well I have on another pair today...sort of a gray/black tweedy color...and the zipper just came open! Thinking my zipper had just fallen down, I went to pull it back up and found the zipper pull at the TOP vs. the BOTTOM.
This is what I get for procrastinating! I was going to shop for slacks the day after Christmas--even stayed in Rehoboth an extra day so I could do that--but then David wanted to go with me on my "errands" so he could return some gifts and when I went into Ann Taylor Outlet just to see if they had pants in my size, I got a clear indication he didn't want to stand around while I tried on pants, so it didn't get done. (sigh)
I am gonna have to start this weekend. After I posted this original topic, I realized I had 3 pairs of slacks in a bag waiting to go to the tailor. I bought them for casual wear but at least two pair are nice enough to wear to work so if I can at least get them to the tailor (no, I didn't get it done yesterday--though the bag did make it as far as the car this time LOL), I will have something to wear temporarily until I can buy work slacks.
Sheesh! I am my own worst enemy!
Personal Healthy Habits Challenge - 10/1 to 12/31/08: 1. Exercise: Get back to consistently working out 3-5 X week. 2. Food: Get back to consistently preparing healthy lunches for the week with increased veg servings. 3. Behavior: Reduce intake of sweets.
Posts: 7298 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
I really like Coldwater Creek and I just got an email I get from them every few months that announces 50% off everything on their site including clearance. I've gotten some killer deals on this deal.
Use code WJH4528 and the offer ends at midnite ET next Thursday.
Hope some of you can find something great!
Sheri, I never commented originally but I had the same thought Cathy did. You are going to need clothes after retirment too. You're going to travel, you're going to have lunches and events to attend and all sorts of stuff. It's not like you'll be able to live in sweats as much as you might want to. Go get yourself some good stuff to wear. You've got enough stress at work these days without worrying about whether your pants are falling apart. Even if you spend a few hundred dollars on clothes, I bet it's not going to break your bank. And if you get your weight loss rocking again, the least you can do for that feat is buy yourself some clothes again. You'll deserve it!
I wear black pants almost every day and I don't really think anyone can tell which ones are which, and don't notice if I wear them more than once.
Dawn
Me too! I have more pairs of black pants than jeans. I used to be a huge jean wearer, but I just can't find ones that really fit well so I wear black pants, a lot. And like Dawn said, no one can tell the difference with black pants.
I think someone posted about a consignment shop. We have several here and I have found some really great pants and shirts in these places. There is one that only resells designer brands and I think the most I've ever paid for a pair of pants was $10.
And after Christmas you should be able to get some really great sales.
Oh, a favorite store of mine is Ann Taylor Loft. You can get some really nice clothing at decent prices and I'm pretty sure they carry petite sizes.
Jill
Summer Challenge Goals: 1) Walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week 2) Plan weekly menus
Originally posted by SheriaVa: I don't think I want to go near there before Christmas, but I'll check it out when I get back.
I know what you mean. I got a nice gift card from my mom for my birthday, but I'm waiting until after the after-holiday rush to go see what I can find.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2868 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
