I've gotten a bit of a shopping bug lately. I'm usually pretty good about not buying things just to shop (although I do like to look!), but for some reason whenever I have to start buying things for other people or have necessities to buy for myself, it sort of triggers the desire to shop more, more, more. Luckily, I'm pretty much a cheapskate, so I don't buy lots of impractical things, or the latest gadgets or fashions. But over the past few weeks, I've had to buy a new pair of work shoes (eBay!), birthday presents for TS (including a total steal on some slightly used boxing gloves and mitts, which I've already given to him b/c a former member of our class was selling them so I couldn't get around TS knowing in advance, or else he would have bought them himself), and some new jeans since my old ones ripped... and pretty much right in the crotch which is not acceptable. Actually, three new pairs of jeans, and here's why...

I bought an "emergency" pair on sale at Express (with a gift card) the day my old pair ripped, but they are way too wide-legged for my preference. My old pair had been Express, but either they make all different styles and cuts now, or (more likely) my body has morphed into a new shape, so none of them really fit me except this one pair. I have a feeling my workouts are somewhat working against me... my thighs are a bit more, um, full than they had been a year or so ago, but I think a lot of that is muscle. Unfortunately, this makes my waist-to-thigh apparently completely unique, as not a single pair in Express, which had been my jeans standby for about 5 years, fit me properly. So for my emergency pair, I ended up buying a size up, meaning they are kinda huge in the waist, but actually fit over my thighs without making my legs look like sausages.

Then the following weekend, I went to the mall and tried on just about every pair I could find... even ones that were in the $150 range I was so desperate. Nada. Same exact problem -- either it fit me in the waist, but were too slim in the thighs, or they fit over my thighs and left a three inch gap in the waist.

Seriously, what the heck? Aren't women supposed to be curvy?! Why aren't there any jeans made for women who aren't completely straight from the waist down? (Oh, and any jeans labeled "curvy," I had that same problem with, so I don't know what that label is all about.)

Anyway, I was getting desperate. My too baggy jeans are fine for lounging around the house or running errands, but I'm kinda swimming in them, so they aren't exactly the most flattering pair should I want to go out on the town. Which, I plan to do this weekend in NYC. So I was desperate to find something.

I decided to hit up Old Navy after work on Monday. There are two of them that are each about a 15-20 minute drive away, but neither are in a mall. I figured I had this older pair from ON that kinda fit... it was my usual size, but a little tight in the thighs (again!), but probably somewhat from their most recent washing. But they were still too tight for me to feel comfortable in them... I'm not all about rocking the 80s spandex look in jeans. So, off to ON #1 I went.

I tried on every pair in the store, in two sizes. Well, every pair that was not high-waisted, skinny jeans (although I tried one pair on accidentally, and if you are top heavy in the legs, let me assure you it is NOT a flattering look), or a wash I didn't like. Still, it was something like 12 pairs of jeans. Sometimes I tried them on more than once for comparison. I found one pair I liked. ONE. So I bought it. Sure, it's a size up so it's still a little big in the waist, but not as much as so many others I tried on. Plus, the cut was actually flattering for my larger thighs, with a little flare on the bottom to even things out. But, they only had one wash in my size and it wasn't quite as dark as I like for going out. So I drove to ON#2 to see if they had the my size in a darker wash, which they did. Two pairs of wearable-in-public jeans for $60. Sure, it's a little disappointing to go UP a size as a result of working out for 7 months and eating a healthier diet... I mean, my goal had been to go back DOWN a size after all. But I'm blaming the jeans making industry for that one, as obviously my waist hasn't gone up.

Wow, okay, that went totally off-topic. My point was... I've been spending more money than usual lately. Shoes, gifts, jeans. And now I want more! I want to get a cute pair of flats for going out (I'm considering making a Target run for that later), and a cute top or two for going out. All my clothes fall into "work" (which is frankly sort of dull) or "casual" (which is a little too casual for going out for dinner/drinks). I need some double-duty work/going-out shirts... or even a few cute single-duty going-out shirts that won't break the bank. But I don't really need them. I just want them. A lot. So I might do some more shopping for myself. Is that wrong? Do you want to talk me out of it? Or send me a link to a cute, very reasonably priced shirt that I can go buy today? Thanks.

Posted by: monkey | April 24, 2008 04:26 PM