Friend of Julie: Blue Jeans Baby

I have been so fortunate to be the recipient of a great deal of hand-me-downs during my weight loss journey. This week, I decided it is time to find a pair of jeans that fit me just right. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to find a pair of jeans that fit in all the right place. But all that is about to change.

New blue jeans and sweater 11-30-13

Shopping used to be SO frustrating for me. I often ended up buying something that didn't fit right, because nothing fit right. My clothes were usually too big. My store choices were limited: The Avenue, Lane Bryant, and Catherine's.

In recent months, I expanded my shopping experience to include Penney's, Macy's, and Dress Barn. I even ventured into Victoria Secret's this year and purchased a few items.

This time I was hot on the trail for some new blue jeans at Coldwater Creek. I was determined to buy a few items from a "normal size clothing" store.

It was Black Friday and the saleswomen were wonderful, so full of patience. I told them that I have a few pair of Coldwater Creek corduroys that are size 18P and that they are too short. I asked for their help finding the right fitting blue jeans.  It was as if they were as determined as I was to find me just the right fitting pair of jeans. I have no idea how many pants I tried on, but trust me--I tried on a lot of blue jeans.

I started with size 16. I really wanted the size 16's to fit, but none of them would zip up. I wanted jeans I could put on without having to lay on my bed, so these would not do for me. Sigh. Keep moving. Nothing for you here.

I moved up to size 18 and they were not fitting right either. They were poochy in the thighs and too big around the waist.

I even tried on a size 20, just to see if I was missing something. Nope - too big. A big sigh of relief followed.  Keep moving. Nothing for you here.

Back to the 18's, this time with a lower waist. The tag indicated "Natural Fit Straight Leg, sits at the waist, shaped through hips and thighs." No poochy thighs. No baggy waist. The hemline was exactly where it should be. OMG - these are perfect! Woohoo! These are the blue jeans I'm wearing in the photo above.

I tried on a ton of blouses at the same time I was trying on the jeans. Every blouse I tried on was a size 14 and not a one of them fit. The size 16 blouses turned out to be a bad fit too. While I couldn't button the 14's, the 16's were baggy. At my current size, this is not the store for me to buy blouses.

I did find the beautiful turquoise sweater that I'm wearing in the photo at Coldwater Creek. I tried an 18, but just for good measure, I had to try a 16 too. No, no, no. The 18 looked fabulous. The 16, not so much.

Yesterday I wore my new blue jeans and the turquoise sweater and I felt incredible all day. I haven't felt this good in my clothes in a very long time. It feels wonderful to feel this way!

I went into Chico's next. I have a couple Chico size 2 tops, so I didn't hesitate to try on 2 beautiful size 2 tops. I bought them both and I'm excited to wear them this week.

There's nothing more rewarding than finding a pair of blue jeans that fit like they were made for you.  Having a beautiful sweater to go with those jeans - priceless!