OPK (Other People's Kids)

Everyone knows that your kids behave soooo much better for somebody else.  So when my friend B was complaining that her daughter R (age 12) wouldn't even try anything on when they went shopping, and just look at her, everything that she has on is too tight...  I volunteered to take R shopping with Rosie and me.  Rosie could give the teenage fashion sense, but I had veto power over the final decisions.  It is was up to me to guide her in the right direction to accentuate the positive in her body type.  This child was not the female body type that I'm used to clothing.  R is stocky; not leaf slender like Rosie.

We first stopped at Chez Dix-Neuf (Building 19) since they had a special on boots.  That was for me, but both of the girls went wild over the grown-up footie pajamas and I let them both get a pair.

Then it was off to the mom's savior store- JC Penney.  Into the dressing room with arms overflowing, out of the dressing room looking for other sizes, out, in, out, look around some more, in, out and then mom has so much stuff in her arms that a sales gal remarks that there are bags "over there" to hold stuff while shopping. (of course, she didn't get one for me, but I sent Rosie over to get 2- she came back with 3).

I was hoping to show some of the clothes that we picked out for R- but those particular things aren't on the JCP website.  But the skirt suit she got is this one-- but with a green jacket with a black ribbon belt and the skirt is black with white dots.

This is actually in the women's department, but it looked so cute on R.  The poor child did not have the faintest idea of what size she is.  And her sizes were all over the place depending on the outfit.  The above skirt set is a 10, 2 pairs of Juniors dress pants are 11's, for tank top/sweater size is a large or extra-large, but a gorgeous knit dress was a medium.  Maybe it's a women's medium, no one can remember where we picked it up.

But bags full of what we were taking we ran upstairs to the undergarments area.  Running, because the store was closing soon.  Poor kid was trying on bra after bra while we were trying to get the right fit.  We finally ended up with 38A, but I really think that she is a 40 NA.  In other words, she's wide around the chest and she really doesn't need a bra to hold anything up, but she does need something for modesty.  But anything is better than the tight 34's that she is currently wearing.

Then rush down to the shoe department because R really only has her Ugg boots and a pair of sneakers. 

We found 2 pairs of black shoes that we liked, and neither R not I could decide between them, so I bought both.  The other pair has a wedge heel and are a little dressier.  The shoes were the only thing that weren't such a bargain- everything else was marked down a lot.  I figured that her mom would probably take one pair back, but turns out that I was wrong.

Well, the store is starting to turn out the lights on us so we'd better pay for everything.  I'm a little nervous that B (the mom) is going to freak out when she sees the bottom line ($350) but everything is wonderful when I get R home and she shows off the clothes.

Rosie managed to get herself a dress shirt and slacks at JCP also.  R still needs nice blouses so we may head out again during the week.  And horrors- R is having a Bat Mitzvah in under 5 months and we'll need to do this again, and again....  But at least we know what sizes to start with now.  When we started on dress slacks, between Rosie and R, I had sizes from 3 to 13 in my arms.  And then Rosie ended up in a 1 (instead of her normal 3) and R in a 9 in one brand and a 11 in another!

But R listened to me.  I think that she learned a little about how to look nicer.  Rosie was very helpful, too.  R was happy that she got a lot (!!!!) of new clothes that she really liked.  Rosie was happy to help a friend and get some stuff for own self too, and R's mom was escastic.  Me- my feet hurt but it was fun to spend other people's money- and it was a mitzva and a joy to help out my friend.

Comments

[JennH]

You are so nice to have done that for R. We women get a size stuck in our head and refuse to go up even if it would be perfect. Little do you know that you just helped to create a positive body image for this young woman for life.

[Claire]

I was obese when I was growing up, and would've loved to have gone shopping with someone sympathetic. That's lovely of you to have taken her! I hope she loves wearing them.

In the UK we have a store called Next - they only stock their own brand of clothes. I have walked out of that store with 2 tops - one a UK 8 (4?) and one a UK 20. Insane. I'm also shopping for Bridesmaids' dresses and have to buy a 13yr dress for my 9yo Bridesmaid. What IS it with women's sizing!? I'm consistenly a 34 in men's jeans but can be anything from a UK 14 to a UK 18 in trousers.