Lane Bryant

Yesterday afternoon as I approached the Lane Bryant store, I admit... I was apprehensive. I had never been in a Lane Bryant, have never shopped online from Lane Bryant. After all, that's the "fat girls" store. I don't mean it like, "I'm too good/thin (HAH!) to shop there" more like "I can't believe my body is really this size so that's not where I would shop." I still think my body just got this big a year or so ago. I dieted my way from a size 14 down to size 10 or 12 when I was 30, in 1993 and from birth until 1987 I was very slender. So basically the first half of my life I was slender and the last half I've been not slender.

I was apprehensive because I was dressed in blue collar type work clothes. I was wearing my company shirt that I wear to pick up the "shred" and black jeans. Apparently I look like a Walmartian for nearly every time I'm in Walmart dressed this way, I'm asked where something is. Last week I was in the fabric section and a lady asked me where the Southwestern type material was located. I told her politely, "I'm sorry, I don't work here." She was a bit hard of hearing and replied, "It used to be right here." So I repeated myself. Then she was embarrassed.

I was also apprehensive because even though we have air conditioning in the truck, it's so hot out that was already sweating, okay, glistening. But I smelled sweaty. And dh was dressed in coveralls. So we were quite a pair.

Nonetheless, I bravely approached the counter and asked the lady for help with a bra fitting. She was new, and said the other lady would be able to help me once she was done checking out her customer. So she did the fitting over my bra and shirt and said I measured 40" around my ribcage. Oddly enough, when I took my own measurement, it came out to 42". So she said you add two inches to your actual measurement. Another oddity, as on the Lane Bryant website it says nothing about that. I'm still curious how I'm 2 whole inches smaller with my own tape measure. I actually asked her to measure me again, while in the fitting room and then she said I was actually 39".

All right. I just stopped typing to tape my own measurement. I am only 39". Could it be that I was retaining water last week? Maybe that's what it was.

Enough of that.

After she deemed me a 42DD, she took me over to the wall to show me some bras, but first she asked me if this was for an everyday bra or a special occasion? I said actually we (pointing to dh) were remarrying, so she picked out a lacy bra. I told her I was making my own gown and it would either be light blue or jade green, so I thought beige would be the best choice.

I went in and tried on the bra. It was a challenge to get it hooked -- I finally caved a year ago and started buying bras that hook in the front -- but I got it hooked and got myself situated and OH.MY.GOODNESS. Was that really ME and my bust in the mirror? WOW. I have never had a push up bra, and my heavens did this one ever push them up! In a few seconds, my salesclerk was there at the door, asking me how the bra was fitting. She came in and checked the fit and deemed it good. That's when I asked her to measure me again.

She left and I took off the beige lacy bra. While laying it down, I discovered its secret... little baggies of air in side pockets, lol. No wonder it pushed and lifted. Next I tried on the black bra, it fit well also. Next I tried on the white "everyday" bra. She came and looked and said maybe I only needed a D cup since the bra looked a little big at the top. So she brought back a 42D and I tried that one on. It looked better than the DD. She reminded me they were having a sale on bras, buy one, get one for half off.

I decided to take the beige and the white. The beige was $34 and the white was $30. I have never spent anywhere near that on a bra in my life. I think $13 has been the highest I've ever spent and I ended up taking that one back. When I checked out, she asked me if I would like to apply for a charge account and get an additional 15% off. She said I'd get the discount whether I was approved or not. Once I was approved (I knew I would be) she announced I would receive 20% off.

So I ended up paying $42.30 for two nice quality (still MADE IN CHINA though, drat!) bras.

Overall, the experience at Lane Bryant's was amazing. Even dh commented on how helpful they were. To tell you the truth, I've never been to a "quality" clothing store and been treated so respectfully and like I'm really there. And the salesclerks were all "real" women and in addition they were mature women. Not just a bunch of young, skinny girls. Of course how inappropriate that would be to hire skinny girls to work at Lane Bryant's.

On a list I'm on for overcoming overeating (not to be confused with overeaters anonymous!) we have recently been discussing how as we age we become more invisible to store clerks. Maybe it's not JUST weight, but also age. I don't know. I am 44, but look more like I'm 25 or 30. So I still think it's my weight. My sister who has maintained her weight loss (I would guess about 40 pounds?) claims that store clerks consider her one of the "beautiful people" now that she's slender. She claims Walmartians practically fall over themselves trying to get her to check out in their lane.

I wish I had more money to spend on clothing, I would return to Lane Bryant's again.

I do plan to write a note to the saleswoman and thank her for the very positive experience I had in her store.

We have begun milking in the morning and so I am on my way out to milk. Today is the day we grocery shop and pick up the shred. I wish we could be home by noon so I could work on the dress again. Tomorrow I'm planning to go to a friend's house, the one that is going to do my makeup. I will arrive around 8am and I hope to be home by noon or 1pm at latest, again, so I can work on the dress. Ds2 did a "house blessing" on the livingroom yesterday, so that worry is off my shoulders. Also my Fit for Real People book came yesterday and I read some of it last night. Lots of information!

Until next time.