I'm sure some of you have reached the point where you feel like your clothing has turned into tents and tablecloths.

So I went clothes shopping at a department store, and of course went to the "women's" plus section on autopilot, and none of the shirts seem to fit! Eee gads.

So I started thinking... could I actually be in the "regular" misses size shirts already?? So I left the "safety" of the plus size area (which is always stuffed into a remote corner of some godforsaken area of the department store, so as to shield the "normal" people from the fat people), and ventured into the mainstream.

What a surprise a got! No, it wasn't the clothes, it was how I felt... like I didn't belong. Like a salesperson was going to spot me, point her finger at me, and scream "fatty, go home!", accompanied by alarm bells and strobe lights. I felt seriously weird being in the misses clothing. I was actually worried about what the other shoppers would think of me being there! Boy, being obese has really screwed with my mind. I've never felt discriminated against, and I've never felt like people treated me differently. But what a number I do on myself!

Anyhoo, turns out I now wear a 16W shirt, which is about as easy to find in a department store as a racoon on roller skates.

WHOA girl that is a MAJOR milestone!! I am sooo happy for you!! I can certainly understand how you felt about being stopped and the alarms going off LOL I am sure that is exactly what it would be like!! I bet thats the best shirt you have ever bought ..Gosh I can't wait till that day comes for me too. Congrats!!

KimNWI

Congratulations on your weight loss. Pretty soon you'll be tripping into the Misses area and thinking nothing of it! I border between the Misses and Plus sizes. They have a lot more to choose from. Now if they would just make the tops long enough!!

It's our internal dialogue that always gets the best of us! You have every right to be there! Congrats on your weight loss and size 16 is awesome.

I seem to be in a clothing purgatory when it comes to shirts. Somewhere in between womens and misses. But my big bum still puts me in the plus sizes pants. LOL!

Yes, it is amazing how it does!

Congrats on the size 16, and don't worry about being in clothes purgatory, it won't be long before you will be in a 14!!!

Thanks for the support, everyone! It's surprisingly hard to give up my vast collection of 2X T-shirts.

I think the same thing when going into misses sizes. like they must surely be thinking "what is SHE doing here?"

Also I was just lying in bed last night looking at my closet and thinking that I need to get rid of all the (shirts mostly) clothing that is now way too big. Some of it is really nice. I think I am going to look into a women's charity.

"godforsaken area of the department store, so as to shield the "normal" people from the fat people"

MAN, aint it the truth?!?!??! Here in Fabulous SF I go to Macys and Nordstroms for nice work clothes, and they hide the womens dept. way in the corner, behind the coat section-I mean, Ive had to ask DIRECTIONS to it before. And nordstroms womens section is the size of my bathroom, I swear.

Guess they dont see much of a market for fat womens clothes when everyone is skinny and gay. What to do?

Congrads on the milestone. I too am looking forward to buying pants that dont need to be folded twice at the waistband to fit on the hanger.

I was in a Massachusetts dept store (I can't remember which one) where, in order to get to the women's plus clothing, you had to go to the housewares department floor, walk through housewares, turn several corners and find this remote, tucked away section of the building completely outside the main floor plan. They tried really hard to hide it.

Beeblebrox
thanks for the laugh, I felt the same way when I started shopping in the non plus section. I felt like security was going to stop me, and everyone was laughing at me. Glad to see I'm not alone.
Astrid

I have a friend who recently went to Famous-Barr and had the same experience. They didn't have size 18 in the Misses section so she went on a search for the Women's section. She finally found it, in a small dark corner way beyond the housewares section. She was so mad that she wrote a scathing letter to them chastising them for treating potential customers and PEOPLE this way. Like we should be ashamed to have to shop in the plus sized section (it's bad enough that the clothes tend to be more expensive, now they have to make us go on a scavenger hunt for them?) She said she will never shop there again.

Funny post Beeblebrox. But more importantly, what a great milestone! Good for you, I bet you feel great.

Since I'm cheap, I can't tell you how much it pisses me off to have to pay an extra 10 bucks for a few inches of extra fabric!

Great post!! Congratulations to you, that is fantastic!

Congratulations. That is a great accomplishment.

This is was off subject but I had to sneak into the misses section for a completely different reason.

My future step daughter is 9 years old and we went into Walmart to pick up a new bathing suit and a few clothes. She is visiting for part of summer break.

She is built just like her dad: no bottom/legs/chest but has a big belly. (Apple shaped?) She's also rather short...about 50 inches. The girls 14/16s are tight. If I do find something that fits right around her middle, the legs and sleeves are way too long (and I don't sew). I finally found one plus sized kids bathing suit. I decided to check out misses to see if I could find some cute shirts. I couldn't find anything modest enough for her. It was all cut too low or had built in bras that was inappropriate (not even starting to develop).

It was frustrating for me and I know it is frustrating for her. I remember from my own childhood how frustrating it was not to be able to where the "cool" clothes.

I'm praying for a growth spurt to add a few inches. She and I have talked several times lately about a need to maintain her current weight so that she'll thin up as she ages. She is doing better when she's with us because there isn't a lot of junk in the house. Unfortunately she isn't at our house all that often.

Oh this has ended up way too long....Thanks for listening to my frustration.