Tuesday 6 July 2010

Damsel in Distress (Over a Dress)

Some people campaign for plain English. Or nuclear disarmament. Or human rights. I'm afraid my own campaign is considerably less lofty:

Ladies, do not ever, under any circumstances, attempt to guess another woman's dress size. There is no need for it. It is just as bad as guessing weight, and please tell me you don't do that.

Sunday I attended a party where the guest of honor looked lovely in a dress style I'd seen her in before. The dress is stocked in very few shops, none near me, so – with some birthday money from my dad -- I've been debating an online order. Which still involves multiple trips to the post office, so I want to be as sure as possible before going ahead.

"Are they true to size?" I asked her.

I don't know why she didn't just answer the question based on her own size, but instead she said: "What are you, a 12? A 14?" (Why ask such a thing, I ask you? For the record, I am a UK 8/10. And for five minutes last year I think I fitted into a 6, but never mind about that.)

Then she answered my question: "I think they come up a bit small."

This exchange has been doing my head in ever since. Around and around it goes: Do I look like a 12 or a 14? (Not that I really know what a 12 or a 14 looks like, frankly.) Is that because of the lingering Dorset pounds? And yikes, if ever I had to guess someone's size I'd definitely underestimate out of politeness, so do I really look like a 16 or an 18? Hmmm, I really could use a snack. But if I have a snack...

You can see where this is going: Do not stop, do not pass go, go directly to NOWHERE GOOD.

***

I'm trying to confine my scale-hopping to once a week, and today was the day: 10 stone 6, or about 3-4 pounds of Dorset weight left. Post army, I'm quite pleased with this. Twenty-three days binge-free.

5 comments:

  1. first of all, 23 days is phenomenal progress, congratulations, tomorrow will be 24

    now, don't give another thought to that ridiculous woman's assertions...obviously she wasn't underestimating to be polite as manners would dictate not estimating at all. it's near impossible to gauge someone else's size, unless it's in comparison to our own. I'm 5'10", 36 inches across the back, and wear a size 10, my friend is 5'2", 34 across the back, also a size 10. how does that make a spot of sense?! standardised sizing for bodies which are anything but standard is absurd.

    god she sounds like a total dose, such a smug snotty cow! oh dear i'm getting all riled up...

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  2. How rude. I would never guess somebody's size, mostly because sizes are so different on everyone. As the commentor above said so eloquently. I'm a size 14 at 227 pounds. I was a size 10/12 (US) at 180 lbs. Peope I talk to on the WW boards who weigh much less than me and are much taller are much larger sizes... I have more muscle (at lesat that's what I assume). that was just a rude comment and I'm sorry she made it. Pay her no mind.

    Good job on 23 days! That's huge -- that is almost 30. Wow.

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  3. Oh God, you just reminded me I have to buy a dress for my sisters wedding. My problem is.. enormous boobs. It doesn't matter what size it is, it's going to be either too tight in the top or, if it fits the boobs, it's too big below the waist. And, naturally, the fashion is all about being poofy below the waist so that just exaccerbates the problem. I dont' understand that. So, the idea is to make your bum look luscious? Look at my ass, it's HUGE! It's so huge you can't even see how huge it is because of this ridiculous dress that makes it look even bigger! I'm campaigning for everything to be made of that stretchy stuff that sucks your wiggly bits into line.

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  4. I spoke to her last night and she claims she never said that at all - she was saying she's a 12 but they come up small. And it was clear that she wasn't being polite - she genuinely didn't think she'd said such a thing and she certainly didn't think it. So either she had a slip of the tongue or you misheard. And it's not worth torturing yourself over

    love
    Peridot x

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  5. What an absolute bitch! She obviously felt threatened by how beautiful and slim you looked and worried that you might buy the same dress and look MILES, MILES better in it than she ever could.
    Ignore her - jealousy is such an unattractive feature.

    You've worked hard to get where you are. Don't let a little nobody like her spoil everything for you.

    Love Fi xxxx

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