Shopping 1

In the one day of complete freedom this week, in between my last exam and leaving tomorrow morning for Easter in the States, I decided to go shopping. Let me go ahead and say that I don't particularly like shopping. I LOVE looking in windows and online, imagining myself in all the pretty clothes, but when it comes time to try different sizes and drag myself from store to store in order to score the best deal, I'm just left with a fatigue and self-doubt that I will in fact look pretty in the things I purchased.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I decided that I've never had a jean skirt and that I want one before I'm too old to wear one. Technically, I guess you are never too old to wear a jean skirt, but I wanted a shorter jean skirt, and short skirts DO have an age limit. See, I never went through that phase that most kids go through in their early teenage years where they want to don belly baring shirts and barely-cover-the-bum shorts. Outside of dance team, cheerleading, and prom, I was also more of a tom boy until I hit college. Now that I've realized I have curves and I like dresses and skirts, I want things above my knees (a RESPECTABLE distance above my knees mind you). So priority one was a good ole denim skirt.

I went to the store, found a size 6 and tried it on. Although it fit perfectly, with about an inch to spare, in the waist...the skirt seems to 'hug' my legs and bum a little to tight for my self-consciousness to bear.   I'd come back in a few days when they had a size 8 in stock.

 Today I went back and tried that size 8 only to find that it was severely too big in the waist and would need a belt every time I wanted to wear it. The skirt was also loose enough for me to turn it all the way around, meaning that any movements in the skirt would misalign it. Decisions, decisions...get over my self-consciousness or buy the 8....

I bought the 6, then walked up and down the road about three times alternately telling myself the size 6 wasn't a scandalous purchase and telling myself perhaps I could shrink the 8 if I went back and got it instead.

As I walked, I thought to myself, "How come I can look at other girls in shorter skirts or form fitting clothes or wearing a back baring top and they look perfectly put together and not scandalous at all?  But then I put on something even a little form fitting and I constantly worry that everyone is staring at me and thinking in their heads I should be wearing more clothes?"

See why I hate shopping???

~Tam (needs a fashion consultant) in Toulouse