Stop being a VICTIM of…
“The Junior Department”.
Here comes my mommy confession.
At only 5 foot tall, I have been shopping in Jrs my whole life. 7 years ago, I could sport a size 0 no problem. Then it moved to a 1…to a 3…and after I birthed this child over here, it went up somewhere between a 5 and a 10, depending on the cut and the clothing style.
I admit that even at 31 years of age, I still shop in the Jr department. I go straight to it anytime I walk into a department store. I shop at Charlotte Russe and Forever 21. I don’t have to alter my jeans and they don’t expect me to have double D boobs.
Unfortunately the womens department assumes that once your an ‘adult’, that you have boobs. I have neither height nor boobs. I was blessed with beauty instead.
Kidding, Kidding.
Old habits are hard to break and today I went shopping for an upcoming business trip where I want to look F-a-b-u at. Around here, that means breaking out of the sweats and putting on something that resembles a pair of pants and a shirt that doesn’t have a cartoon character on it.
I went instantly to my safety net…the Jr’s department.
Now its not all bad.
Some of the styles are quite cute, although some of them make you look 7 months pregnant. I cannot for the life of me figure out why a 16 year old wants to wear an empire waist and look 9 sizes bigger then she is, but whatever. Hell, they may make clothes like that to hide the big bellies our teens seem to be sporting now a days, but what do I know. Either way, it looks stupid.
But the biggest issue with Jr. department clothing is that they fall apart about the 2nd time you wear or wash them. They look cheap. They are cheap.
Regardless, I gathered a variety of clothes, including about 10 past season prom dresses (hey, a girl can pretend, can’t she) and went into the dressing room.
Size 3…doesn’t fit.
Size 5…doesn’t fit.
Size 7/8 Kinda fits. If I suck in.
OK, that’s it for me. I have my limits. I refuse to, at 5′1″ and 105 pounds, put on a size 10. I know tags mean shit, but I don’t want that tag.
Its obvious to me that I have to have a new clothing plan.
Against my better judgment, I wander over to the womens section just to give it a look see. I’m passing flowery patterns (hurl)….linen…business suits. I’m starting to feel like I’m shopping for my MIL here and getting a bit discouraged. No offense to her, but we are over 25 years apart. Its bad enough I shop where 16 year olds shop, but no way in hell I’m about to start shopping where 50 year olds shop. Skanky vs. Old Biddy? Ill sport the skank any day.
Wait! What is this I see? Light at the end of the tunnel?
BCBG! ABS! Miss SIXTY!
Holy crap, they have nice clothes over here that don’t look like they are going to fall off the hanger the first time you wear them. Ruffles and bows and belts, oh my!
They look like adult clothing. Even, dare I say it, fashionable.
I tried a few things on. Dude! I’m a 2 in womens! I’ll take that over a 10 in Juniors any day.
The moral of the story is unless I find a store called Forever 31, I think I am free and clear of pretending my hips didn’t grow up. I expect all of you in denial to follow suit, put away your pants that say “Juicy” on the back, and remember its ok to dress like a mom…as long as its not your mom of course.
~Trisha
Richard (31)
Crystal @ Simply ... (1)
13 Comments
You know…I don’t think I EVER fit into the Juniors department…how sad is that? I was always the tallest girl and a bigger girl. (Bigger as in defensive player in soccer).
LOL! That is me for the world. I’ve been in juniors all my life and have been from a 0 to a now 9. It’s sometimes discouraging. That’s cool about the size 2. I’ve never really tried women’s clothes on myself. I’ll have to try and see what I’m in. And, that’s a great weight for a mom! Congrats!
Ok at 5′11″ and 145 I’m not even going to tell you what size I wear LOL it’s not too big, but it bugs me LOL I love Jr clothing and Forever 21 I’m so there all the time!
I agree that there needs to be an inbetween section! I look in the Jrs most of the time too. I just ignore the sizes there because there is no way I am as big as they say. Why do they make sizes so small for jrs? Don’t our girls already have self image issues?
I always stare longingly at the Juniors department. Alas, after four kids, I can’t do it anymore!
I saw a What Not To Wear the other day about just this. Except the lady was 40 and still shopping in the junior’s section.
I didn’t shop in the junior’s section when I was a junion- God blessed me with hips way to early for Juniors to ever work. Anyway- there are tons of cute clothes in the misses section that don’t make you look 13 AND fit properly. I’m glad you’ve decided to make the switch.
I shop the juniors department as well, but in my defense I am only 20. It feels weird though since I’m a mom.
@ Cat @ 3 Kids and Us:
If you were 105 pounds would you put on a 10? LOL
You’re complaining about a size 10, a friggin 10? I’m stuck in forever size 14. When I weighed 120lbs…I wore a 14…140lbs…a 14…post baby number that shall remain nameless….still stuck in a 14. Explain that one!
But I get what you’re saying about the styles, I refuse to shop in women’s department because the clothes are just plain ugly with waistbands up to your boobs and the Jr department is basically untouchable at this point….so I just don’t leave the house. LOL
I feel your pain except the other way around. I’m 5′9″ and wore high waters half my life until some genius decided to FINALLY invent pants that came in long sizes. DUH! I totally shop at Charlotte Russe, but Gap is a close second and I like how I wear a smaller size.
You sure are a tiny little thing miss size 2
Whenever I shop womens section I go down like 2-3 sizes. its funny how much the tag actually affects us- I hate when I need to buy something 1 size up because each style/ brand fits differently. I usually shop Jrs esp for jeans and tops.
BCBG has beautiful dressy/casual clothes- Every time I go in I try on a bunch of tops. I love it until i look at the tag LOL i wish it wasn’t so expensive otherwise Id shop there more often.
I have to admit, I shop in the juniors section as well. I just can’t help myself. I’m thinking they need to make an in-between section. There’s a big gap between 16 and granny, ya know?
What a great post, I love it! I too have had a hard time making the transition but it must be done. : ) I’m glad you had a fun trip.