clothing shopping whine
Jun. 21st, 2005 09:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chhotiiWhy is it that, even if I am willing to spend money, I find more useful additions to my wardrobe at a clothing swap than at the Burlington Mall?
I have pants, thanks to quietann. (If you really really hate shopping, collect friends who are the same height but just slightly older and plumper :) But I need tops.
One problem is that I am only in the market for clothes that are compatible with nursing. There are no actual nursing clothes at Burlington Mall; but shirts or dresses with with button-down fronts, soft shirts that can easily be pushed up, crossover tees that can be easily pushed to one side, etc. are ok. But easy boob access is not a factor that women's clothing designers keep in mind. It's so wrong-- if you follow the WHO's recommendations, you're breastfeeding for 2 years per kid, whereas you are only pregnant for 9 months (and, really, only need special clothing for about the last 4 months of that time). Yet there are "maternity" shops with pregnancy clothing all over the place (typically 2 per mall), but the only store with nursing clothes I know of is like 2 hours away from here. It's a real shame that clothes designed for pregnancy are not generally compatible with nursing. One tends to continue to wear maternity clothes after the baby is born, because the weight that took 9 months to gain takes 9 months to come off, except that maternity clothes are no more likely to feature easy boob access than regular clothes. Lame! Why don't pregnant women think ahead, and insist on nursing features in their maternity clothes? (Why didn't I think ahead? The dresses I bought last summer for slightly-pregnant me would be perfect now if I weren't nursing.) The problem is, I think, that the average American baby is probably breastfed for about 6 weeks (I don't know the exact statistic) which is a pathetically brief period of time. In those 6 weeks, new moms are too overwhelmed with basic baby care to get out of their pajamas, let alone go clothes shopping, so there is no demand for nursing clothes. Well, not no demand, but it's a niche market, like the market for cotton menstrual pads or the market for vinyl LPs. Sad.
Another problem is that I'm not used to the top half of my body looking this crappy. Once upon a time I wanted clothes that would show off my upper half; no more. I haven't been exercising, so I don't have nice definition of my arm muscles; my shoulders are all hunched up and scrunched over from carrying the baby all the time; my boobs look kinda shapeless and droopy; and my abdominal area features loose flabby folds of flesh that haven't finished springing back yet after pregnancy. I need to start doing yoga again ASAP, because summer is the wrong time of year to try to hide under layers of clothing. All the clothing in the Burlington Mall looks crappy on me. Or, rather, the clothes look fine, but the underscore and point out where I look crappy. I know, because I tried it all on. All the clothing at the mall, I swear. Well, everything that wasn't obviously incompatible with nursing and didn't require dry cleaning.
Oh, and care instructions... What's up with that? Public service announcement, people: Shirts that require dry cleaning are a Very Dumb Idea. Unless you are so rich and foolish with your money that you'll buy $50 shirts to wear once. Drycleaning coats, sweaters, skirts, etc., things that you don't sweat directly onto and therefore can wear over and over before you need to clean them, OK. But shirts? Shirts are sweat-catchers. Dresses, too, unless they are designed to go over a blouse. Anything that I have that needs drycleaning tends to get worn about once a year, because that's how often I make it to the dry cleaner.
A few hours shopping yesterday, and I got: one blouse, which I think I will return. What a sorry return on investment!
It was exhausting to try to get the shopping in at all, because Squeaky-Boo has a new trick: when she falls asleep after nursing, I can't put her down, because if I start to lower her into the co-sleeper or cradle, she wakes up and starts to cry. So getting to the mall yesterday had to wait until she was done having her afternoon nap on my chest. Which wasn't a bad thing; I enjoyed it and got a few zzzzz's myself. But then at the mall I nursed her in a dressing room (thinking "well, as long as I have my shirt off anyway...") and then I couldn't put her back into the stroller and I couldn't get dressed. I was stuck in the tiny dressing room, shirtless, for a while. I wouldn't mind carrying her but I don't think the Burlington Mall would appreciate me shopping in just a bra.
Because, we now know from that Janet Jackson flap, people's eyeballs might explode if they see a woman's chest. This is one of the things that makes it so daunting to breastfeed. I'm so glad I'm in a community (the nekkid-in-the-Baitcon-stream crowd) where I can breastfeed without feeling awkward at parties. Isn't it bizarre that women will do all these things of very questionable effectiveness, such as nag their children to wear sweaters to keep them healthy, and put earphones playing Mozart on their tummy when they are pregnant to try to make their kids smarter, but they don't breastfeed?
I have pants, thanks to quietann. (If you really really hate shopping, collect friends who are the same height but just slightly older and plumper :) But I need tops.
One problem is that I am only in the market for clothes that are compatible with nursing. There are no actual nursing clothes at Burlington Mall; but shirts or dresses with with button-down fronts, soft shirts that can easily be pushed up, crossover tees that can be easily pushed to one side, etc. are ok. But easy boob access is not a factor that women's clothing designers keep in mind. It's so wrong-- if you follow the WHO's recommendations, you're breastfeeding for 2 years per kid, whereas you are only pregnant for 9 months (and, really, only need special clothing for about the last 4 months of that time). Yet there are "maternity" shops with pregnancy clothing all over the place (typically 2 per mall), but the only store with nursing clothes I know of is like 2 hours away from here. It's a real shame that clothes designed for pregnancy are not generally compatible with nursing. One tends to continue to wear maternity clothes after the baby is born, because the weight that took 9 months to gain takes 9 months to come off, except that maternity clothes are no more likely to feature easy boob access than regular clothes. Lame! Why don't pregnant women think ahead, and insist on nursing features in their maternity clothes? (Why didn't I think ahead? The dresses I bought last summer for slightly-pregnant me would be perfect now if I weren't nursing.) The problem is, I think, that the average American baby is probably breastfed for about 6 weeks (I don't know the exact statistic) which is a pathetically brief period of time. In those 6 weeks, new moms are too overwhelmed with basic baby care to get out of their pajamas, let alone go clothes shopping, so there is no demand for nursing clothes. Well, not no demand, but it's a niche market, like the market for cotton menstrual pads or the market for vinyl LPs. Sad.
Another problem is that I'm not used to the top half of my body looking this crappy. Once upon a time I wanted clothes that would show off my upper half; no more. I haven't been exercising, so I don't have nice definition of my arm muscles; my shoulders are all hunched up and scrunched over from carrying the baby all the time; my boobs look kinda shapeless and droopy; and my abdominal area features loose flabby folds of flesh that haven't finished springing back yet after pregnancy. I need to start doing yoga again ASAP, because summer is the wrong time of year to try to hide under layers of clothing. All the clothing in the Burlington Mall looks crappy on me. Or, rather, the clothes look fine, but the underscore and point out where I look crappy. I know, because I tried it all on. All the clothing at the mall, I swear. Well, everything that wasn't obviously incompatible with nursing and didn't require dry cleaning.
Oh, and care instructions... What's up with that? Public service announcement, people: Shirts that require dry cleaning are a Very Dumb Idea. Unless you are so rich and foolish with your money that you'll buy $50 shirts to wear once. Drycleaning coats, sweaters, skirts, etc., things that you don't sweat directly onto and therefore can wear over and over before you need to clean them, OK. But shirts? Shirts are sweat-catchers. Dresses, too, unless they are designed to go over a blouse. Anything that I have that needs drycleaning tends to get worn about once a year, because that's how often I make it to the dry cleaner.
A few hours shopping yesterday, and I got: one blouse, which I think I will return. What a sorry return on investment!
It was exhausting to try to get the shopping in at all, because Squeaky-Boo has a new trick: when she falls asleep after nursing, I can't put her down, because if I start to lower her into the co-sleeper or cradle, she wakes up and starts to cry. So getting to the mall yesterday had to wait until she was done having her afternoon nap on my chest. Which wasn't a bad thing; I enjoyed it and got a few zzzzz's myself. But then at the mall I nursed her in a dressing room (thinking "well, as long as I have my shirt off anyway...") and then I couldn't put her back into the stroller and I couldn't get dressed. I was stuck in the tiny dressing room, shirtless, for a while. I wouldn't mind carrying her but I don't think the Burlington Mall would appreciate me shopping in just a bra.
Because, we now know from that Janet Jackson flap, people's eyeballs might explode if they see a woman's chest. This is one of the things that makes it so daunting to breastfeed. I'm so glad I'm in a community (the nekkid-in-the-Baitcon-stream crowd) where I can breastfeed without feeling awkward at parties. Isn't it bizarre that women will do all these things of very questionable effectiveness, such as nag their children to wear sweaters to keep them healthy, and put earphones playing Mozart on their tummy when they are pregnant to try to make their kids smarter, but they don't breastfeed?
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no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 08:44 am (UTC)Maybe you just don't like the current styles or maybe like me you like clothing that's already been broken in a bit but isn't completely worn out or fake worn out? Or you're not willing to shell our obnoxiously ridiculous amounts of money for a pair of jeans that don't fit your body style or alternately that DO fit your body style? I've found that Gap jeans just under waist (which isn't ultra low waist that seems to be the style lately) fit my body quite well. However I like my jeans comfy and broken in. So every few weeks or so I pop into Goodwill and check out their rack to see if they have any of that style in my size in good shape. Since their jeans cost all of $6.99 and brand new they're anywhere from $49.99 - $59.99 and not broken in I'd prefer the goodwill ones. Plus for some reason folks seem to donate perfectly good jeans - but I'll take them.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 08:44 am (UTC)You may be able to borrow some prepregnancy stuff of mine that would work; would you like to come by and rummage in my closet?
no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 08:51 am (UTC)Now, if you are not a toothpick with no breasts and don't mind pants that show your butt crack and shirts that leave your stomach hanging out, then you are out of luck.
I hear you.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 09:14 am (UTC)Don't you mean "collect friends who were slightly plumper?" (not much one can do about slightly older, alas.)
no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 09:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 10:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 10:53 am (UTC)But I look at it this way. How many people can actually take time off to take care of and nurse their kids, and have active lives outside their home? I suspect this segment is small enough that the big clothing manufacturers just don't care.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 11:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 11:15 am (UTC)Um, yeah :) While I hate weighing more, it's been quite nice to see you wearing some of my "old favorites." And I have a couple of pairs of "gardening jeans" that would probably fit you, and a few more button-down shirts, too. I'll stick them in a bag and drop them off sometime this week, I think...
Oh, and BTW, I think your new boobage looks pretty darn good....
no subject
Date: 2005-06-21 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-22 06:13 am (UTC)Besides, I've got hand-me-down clothes. A whole closet full. I thought that, perhaps, I could get new clothes that are actually new, for once.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-22 06:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-22 06:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-22 07:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 06:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-23 05:46 pm (UTC)BTW if you haven't noticed yet, there are party supplies and a bag of clothing on your back porch. I dropped them off after work. I didn't see any signs of life from within the house, so I decided not to make my presence known in case you and Squeaky Boo were asleep or something.
no subject
Date: 2005-06-30 09:42 pm (UTC)