By Diane Kaye
There are clothes, shoes, jewelry, wigs, breasts, lingerie, and accessories. With all this at our finger tips, a girl can go wild and blow her budget at the tip of her phone dialing finger. Looking at all those gorgeous models wearing those lovely clothes is enough to make any girl want to buy, buy, buy! Alas, reality sets in and we realize that we will never look as good as that girl in the catalog, so we search for the styles that we look best in. The more the clothes cover, the better we look.
Loose fitting clothes generally look better than tight fitting ones, unless you have the figure. If you have a pronounced Adams Apple, then turtle necks and mock turtle necks are the choice. Us older gals need to dress more conservative to pass than the younger ones. With this in mind, there are some general rules I follow to help insure a fit when I open the package.
Remember, the clothes in the catalogs, for the most part, are for the average sized woman of 5" 4" to 5' 7" in height. This means that the sleeves, pant leg lengths, and hem lines will fall to the proper level for that height woman. If you are taller, or have long arms, then you will find the outfit too short. Now I realize that tall woman have the same problem, but we want to look our best. There are special "tall" catalogs for women over 5' 7", but I've found their selection limited.
Some catalogs like Lerners have some sizes in Tall. As an aside, if you buy off the rack, measure the sleeve with a tape measure from the middle of the neck to the end of the sleeve holding the tape over the shoulder. Compare this to the same measurement of your body. Add one to two inches to your dimensions and look for that length in your size for your best fit. For catalogs, stay away from long sleeves.
Sleeves of the 3/4 length or short sleeves are your best bet. I occasionally will find a long sleeve the proper length in my size 14 for Misses sizes, but I am taking a chance when I order it. Know your women's size when you order. Getting to this point is the hardest, as it requires some trial and error. Measure your body according to the catalog's charts to find your size. Be honest. Here is where good hip pads, such as the Classic Curves, come in handy. Your upper torso and waist dimensions may fit into one of the charts ranges, but your hips won't.
To make the clothes fit properly, you need hips. As an example, my torso is 35", my waist is 30" but my hips are 36". I would fit a size 14 except for my hips. With pads out to 41" I am a perfect size 14. My clothes fit well and don't sag or fall off. While many women fall short of this perfect size, and as a result have that eternal baggy look, we can better control our size, hence get a good fit. Watch out for the materials also. Pure cottons are nice and not too expensive, but they will wrinkle easily and require ironing. Blends are your best bet for an easy to manage wardrobe. If you can't keep your clothes hung up, then definitely stay away from cottons.
The following size chart for clothes gives you an idea.
** Natural waist line Misses or Averages fit 5'4" to 5'7" Talls fit 5'8" to 5'11" |
A men's narrow will usually mean a women's medium. A men's size 10 will usually mean a women's size 11. At least that's my experience, and I measured my foot on a women's shoe scale. My men's A was a women's B. The catch is that from shoe brand to shoe brand, there isn't a precise size uniformity. You may find a size 10 1/2 in one brand fits as well as a size 11 in another brand. Same for widths. Open toe straps will generally require going down one notch in width to keep your foot from sliding out. Here again, once you know your shoe size, you have a starting point. I usually prefer to buy off the rack while dressed. This way you know they will fit. Most places have a liberal return policy so your risk is minimal. Remember to wear the type sock you would normally plan to wear with the shoe. For heels, a nylon or very thin sock. For casual mall wear shoes, a knitted sock.
Remember, you get what you pay for. If you plan to wear something often, then be prepared to spend extra for that quality. Shoes, especially are important. A cheap pair of shoes won't last. I've found that cheap shoes will stretch more than quality ones, meaning they will become loose. They also break quicker. Most of the catalogs listed offer middle of the road quality and reasonable prices.
Jewelry Windsor Collection 6836 Engle road Cleveland, OH 44101-4549 1-800-800-0500 Merlite Industries 114 fifth Avenue New York, NY 10011 Lerner 6400 East Rogers circle Boca Raton, FL 33499 1-800-767-5622 Hats Paula's Hatbox PO Box 935 South Easton, MA 02375 1-800-332-HATS clothes Anthony Richards 6836 Engle Road PO Box 94503 Cleveland, OH 44101-4503 1-800-359-5933 Roman's PO Box 8360 Indianapolis, IN 46283-8360 1-800-274-7130 Willow Ridge 421 Landmark drive Wilmington, NC 28410 1-800-388-8555 Bedford Fair 421 Landmark drive Wilmington, NC 28410 1-800-964-1000 Chadwick's One Chadwick Place box 1600 Brockton, MA 02403-1600 1-800-525-6650 Lerner* Midwest Distribution Center PO Box 8380 Indianapolis, IN 46283-8380 1-800-288-4009 Spiegel PO Box 6105 Rapid city, SD 57709-6105 1-800-345-4500 Blair 220 Hickory St Warren, PA 16366 1-800-458-2000 Newport News Avon Lane Hampton, VA 23630-1291 1-800-688-2830 Sue Brett* PO Box 8384 Indianapolis, IN 46283-8384 1-800-784-8001 Old Pueblo Trading Post Palo Verde at 34thSt PO Box 27800 Tucson, AZ 85726-7800 1-520-747-5000 Lew Magran 414 Alfred Teaneck, NJ 07666 1-800-624-7267 Tall Sizes Catalogs (* Also Carry Tall sizes) Tall Classics 12680 Shawnee Mission PKWY Shawnee Mission, KS 66216 1-800-345-1958 JC Penny (Especially for Talls Catalog) PO Box 2021 Milwaukee, WI 53201-2021 1-800-222-6161 Long Elegant Legs 5 Homestead Road Ste 9 Belle Mead, NJ 08502-1912 1-800-344-2225 Tall Girl 22795 Heslip Drive Novi, Michigan 48375-4144 Wigs Christine jordan PO Box 953 S. Easton, MA 02375-9803 1-800-884-9447 Paula Young PO Box 483 Brockton, MA 02403 1-800-343-9695 Lingerie Fredericks of Hollywood PO Box 229 Hollywood, CA 90078-0229 1-800-323-9525 Victoria's Secret PO Box 16589 Columbus, OH 43216 1-800-888-8200 National Wholesale** 400 National Blvd Lexington, NC 27294 910-249-0211 (Clothe also) One Hanes Place** PO Box 748 Rural Hall, NC 27098 1-800-300-2600 ** Sell clothes Also Shoes Comfort Corner PO Box 649 Nashua, NH 03061 1-800-442-8730 Coward Palo Verde at 34th Street PO Box 27800 Tucson, AZ 85726-7800 1-800-362-8410 Misc. A little bit of everything Dr. Leonard's 42 Mayfield Ave. PO Box 7821 Edison, NJ 08818-7821 Fingerhut 11 McLeland Dr St. Cloud, MN 56395 No Phone #