The Dressing Room Story

Let me share a story with you. For as long as I can remember, I have been overweight. As soon as I pushed out of the kids clothes, I almost immediately moved to women’s clothing aka plus sizes.

Shopping for clothes was always an emotional and frustrating experience for me. I was never able to shop in the cool stores like my friends. The selection for plus sizes usually resemble a tent with a few seams or they only include patterns found on couches from the 80s. Which I can only assume was what they did with all that left over fabric when they stopped selling. Additionally, most department stores make you feel like even more of an outsider by placing the plus size section on the complete opposite side of the store from the “regular” clothes aka the misses section.

The department store where I found most of my clothes growing up actually kept the plus size section on a totally different floor from the misses section. It was sandwiched in between to the children’s clothes and household items. It is about a ¼ of the size of the misses section and so far away that you didn’t even realize they make fashionable clothing for grown women. Early this summer, just before I left for a business trip, my mom and I decided to go there to get me a few new outfits now that many of my clothes are getting unattractively big on me. We started in the basement, looking through the plus size section, finding a few pieces here in there.

After trying on a few, I realize that I now fit in the smallest size there. Not only that, but a lot of the smallest sizes are even a little big on me. My mom said “oh we are so going upstairs!” - The magical upstairs land where they keep all the formfitting, stylish clothes for women. When we arrive at the top of the escalator we are in awe of the amount of clothes and options. Overwhelmed for the first time in my adult life with the amount of choices, I decide to make it is, I will start in the clearance section. We comb through a few racks and grab a couple of shirts and a dress. Before I get too carried away, and fearful that none of these are even going to fit, we make our way to the dressing room. I try on the first few tops, and I can get them on, but they are still just a little too tight. Then I get to this really nice black top. I am already pretty happy that I can at least get these shirts on and off, but then I put on the final top and it happens. The shirt not only fits perfect, but it looks great!

In a bit of haze, I put on the dress, and I lose my breath. This dress was meant for me. I open the door to show my mom, almost in tears. Here I was, wearing a dress, I found in the misses section, and it fit me perfectly! I was actually crying happy tears while trying on clothes. I was finally able to see all that hard work over the last year and half had worked and is working. Weight loss does not come easy for me, I can’t boast about large pounds lost like others yet. Maybe in a year? Maybe longer? It will come. For me, right now, I need to focus on the small things. I am officially down 3 dress sizes, many inches, and I am in love with running (what!?). I am a new person and I feel I have a new lease on life!