I decided, as the lovely Mumsie sent me some money for new clothes recently, that I'd pop into H&M on Northumberland Street and try something on.
Big mistake. What started off as retail therapy has resulted in a need for therapy. I hate clothes shopping. Why is it that clothes designers/manufacturers believe that anyone above a size 12, can fit their arms into sleeves the same size of a person who's a size 8? And for goodness sake, WHERE ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO PUT YOUR BOOBS?
I tried on so many clothes this morning, skirts, shirts and dresses. It was so depressing, I actually cried in the changing room. I eventually found a (rather see-through) black shirt, which isn't the most summery item of clothing, but is very nice, and rather smart. It will be useful for crits and design reviews. An architect can never wear too much black :o)
Anyway, I have concluded that I:
a) need to spend the rest of my life in the gym
b) look like ****
c) am very glad this book arrived last week:
I am in love with this book. Particularly with this jumper:
I have decided that, if I manage to pass this degree, I will knit this jumper for my graduation. It's knit in Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb (aran/worsted weight). Obviously with my student budget I can't afford that scrummy yarn (Mumsie stated, 'clothes'. Yarn that will be made into clothes does not count. Mumsie is no fool. grrrr.)
Any suggestions for yarn? I have a US contact who can send me Knit Picks yarn (very cheap, aran weight cotton). HOWEVER, I will be going to WoolFest in June. So, the question is, should I wait to buy yarn from WoolFest, which will leave me only two weeks to knit the entire jumper?
Help blog readers, I need advice!
12 comments:
There is no way you look like ****. I should know, I look like ****. You are talking to the woman too embarassed to go get help for her back because she looks so ****. You are GORGEOUS! You have breasts - thats utterly fabulous! :-) Sadly only very dear clothes cater for breasts, tell
Mumsie you need more cash LOL
Sal x
ps that book any good?
Alice, you are perfect. Most of the clothes in our shops are made in far eastern sweat shops and no one cares about fit, proportion, style, fitness for purpose or anything else. Personally I've given up buying clothes except from charity shops where you sometimes find things made before we lost our entire clothing industry. I look like a rag bag, ok, at my age it hardly matters. I pity the young, faced with a choice from among so much rubbish.
Love,
Vicki
It's the shops that have the problem love, not you.
On the yarn front, the knitpicks will be a good bargain but bear in mind that the cotton won't stretch or hold shape the same way as the yarn used in the pattern. Not sure if that has any influence on your decision. Have you checked their online catalogue to see if there is something else nearer to the yarn used? What about wool of the andes? Or were you hoping for a more summery yarn?
Alice, I love you the way you are, inside and out. You are a beautiful, strong, sexy, funny and intelligent woman. Clothes size is an arbitrary number that someone made up. Don't let it define who you are. There are a few American clothing shops that could make a killing here supplying for us big girls!!
I'd like to get a look at the book sometime!!
x
Please, please don't do what you did with the red cardigan ie still trying to finish it when you should have been on the bus/train wearing it!!!
The new book looks good - anything in it for an old biddie like me?!
Do you have a T.K Maxx near you Flossie ? I get most of my stuff there ( except knits) .They have a larger women's dept .I like linen tops and they have had a lot of Eastern influence stuff..plus if you wait for clearance it is even better .I havn't been in a changing room since Holly was born !Curvy girls.....Jeff adores them..lucky for me and I think an awful lot of guys do too.
What folk have said here is right - it's the clothing manufacturers that have go it all wrong - trust me, I have more than one degree in this area and teach it! (industrial as well as arty - the many wonders of Textiles)
Having met you, you are an incredibly well proportioned lady - you are beautiful as you are. Have hope in the fact that clothes for smaller woman are no better. Time to get yerself a sewing machine, my dear! xx
american cotton yarn is superior to anything at woolfest.go for it and satisfy the urge to knit now.2 weeks post exam pre graduation is no time for knitting at least it was not in my day--live now don't wait
ChrissieD
Hi Alice,
Keep going with the frill top it looks great, and avoid H&M in future. As a size 16 myself i hate that shop as all their sizes are pants. After years of nearly crying in changing rooms i decided that it wasn't worth it and found different shops with clothes that fit, i still sometimes have to put something back on the rail that i really like as it won't fit, but then i just find somthing else just as nice that will. And if i have to wear a size 18 then so be it. it doesn't make me (or you) a bad person
Hi Alice
I've just knit the Bombshell using Rowan All Season's Cotton that I picked up in the sale last year. I'm pleased with it and will post photos on the blog once it is dry. I've already cast on for my 2nd pattern from the book so I think it is a good buy purely for the sections on fitting - the patterns are a bonus!
I echo the suggestion of TK Maxx - i've just bought some great jeans and tops from there and I'm a lot larger than you.
Are you going to be able to make the KCG AGM?
First of all, I agree with anonymous: you are perfect! And second of all, H&M is particularly depressing. Even for the two weeks of my life when I was a size 8, I cried in the H&M dressing room. Their clothes are designed for surfboards. Not surfboarders- but the boards themselves!!!
If you want any American wool let me know, I'm going to NY in a few weeks.
xoxo
Silly me, I didn't read your post properly. I wouldn't have your yarn to you in time. Never mind! But let me know if you want anything anyway!
xoxo
Jen
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