The Perfect Fit

On a recent shopping excursion, I had a difficult time trying to find something that fit me.

I picked out several blouses in my size to try on. I knew my size, and knew I would not have trouble with these selections. I was wrong. The size I knew was not correct. I was the next size up. I then began a tirade of negative thinking. Amidst my defeat, I decided to try on another shirt. To my astonishment, it fit! I stood there confused; I was the same body size, yet both of the shirts, which were same size, did not fit. What was the explanation?

The answer was simple-sizes. The two blouses were not the same size. They had the same letter on the label, yet they were not the same size. There is no consistency in sizes of clothing. Sizes vary due to the fabric of the blouse, the design and cut. I knew that sizes varied between labels; I had no idea they varied within the same label.

In a recent commercial, a social experiment took place. Women went in to a store to try on jeans. When the ladies went to look for a size of jeans, they did not see a number or a letter on a label. The ladies had to get measured to find out their size. Words like “radiant”, “charismatic” and “fabulous” were on the tape measure-not numbers. See for yourself:
 
Did you notice the looks on the women’s faces? They were elated. They were in jeans that fit their bodies, and were not defined by a number or a letter. They were defined by a wonderful word instead. The women were radiant, charismatic, and fabulous. The writing on the label read, “You are so much more than a number.”

That day in that store, I did exactly what those women did. I threw out all the rules. I decided to not pay any attention to the little letters on the labels. I looked for blouses that would look good on me, were sized to fit me, that flattered me.
I literally broke the rules when buying those blouses. I bought a shirt with horizontal stripes. I bought a shirt with a beautiful print. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. Yet, I found a new comfort zone-the zone of breaking the rules, of finding what works for me.

So what is the moral of the story? Clothes vary as much as the people trying them on. We come in all different colors, all different shapes and sizes. If you find yourself shopping for clothes and need to go a size up, do not attack yourself. It’s not you, it’s the clothes. Sizes vary by style and label. Be willing to expand your horizon, to break the rules we have been indoctrinated with, to be courageous enough to think outside the box.

Above all, do not define yourself by a number on a scale or by a letter on a label.
 
Find what works for you. Find the perfect fit.

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