Thursday, January 29, 2009

#27 Tyra and Marilyn, Size 8?

The summer between my freshman and sophomore year I interviewed to be a receptionist for an Ophthalmologist. I was told during this interview that if I got the job, I would have to wear dresses or skirts. Fast forward to shopping for those dresses and skirts. The time is 1981 and I'm on the thinner side of my weight loop. As I shopped for my office attire, I automatically went to the racks that had size 10 and/or mediums. Back then, even at my thinnest, I bought size 10. When I got married in 1991 [10 years later], I was 126 pounds and wore a size 10 wedding dress - nipped and tucked here and there, but still a size 10. Truthfully, there was no way I could have worn a size 8 without the seamstress letting it out... a lot.

Why am I telling you this? Because today, as you know, I range between 134-138 lbs. What you probably don't' know is that I wear a size 6. Don't you think that's weird? Sharing this new found knowledge with a good friend of mine, she nodded her head in agreement. This is one of the few people I know who, besides gaining pregnancy weight, pretty much maintains her size and weight from year to year. She told me that for most of her adult life she has been a size 2. However, now when she shops, she has to buy a zero.

I wonder what size Marilyn Monroe would wear today? I did a little research and discovered that she was a size 12 during her hey day. Well, if the camera puts on 10 pounds and she was a size 12, just shoot me now. I mean she was curvy and buxom, but not what we consider a size 12 in 2009. If I worked as a sales associate in Bloomingdales today and Marilyn asked my advice as to what size dress to try on, I would send her to the size 8 rack. I would also recommend a more natural shaping bra instead of the double missile launcher on her chest and also recommend that she love herself and stop looking to men to make her feel complete [but that's another babble].

Look, I understand why the designers do this. It's a psychological mind game they play with us crazy women to make us feel better about ourselves. In the end though, I guess it comes down to how you feel about yourself - without the outside influences of people or garment size. Maybe we should all be a little bit like Tyra Banks. She supposedly weighs 40 pounds more than she did when she was modeling and feels just as good and just as beautiful and just as sexy as she did then. It sounds banal, but if you know your true self, then YOUR self image should shine through and the size on the clothing tag really shouldn't matter... much.


Quote of the day: People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why it is recommended daily" Zig Ziglar

4 comments:

Juice said...

Step into my closet and you'll see size 10, size 8 and size 6 pants from Ann Taylor. AND THEY ALL FIT. Because they were bought in different years! I'm wearing 6s now, but it's a sham. The truth is I'm probably hovering at an 8 or 10. But, 6 / 8 / 10 - they're all better than the 12's I was buying in 2008! My goal was to get into a size 6, but with the "new" sizing, I guess I need to aim for a 4. Ugh.

PS Based on the white bathing suit pic, I'd peg MM as a 10, not an 8.

Thinning said...

Yeah - it's called 'vanity sizing' and has been going on for a while. I guess it's just one more reason to go for a healthy body than a particular size.

The other relatively new thing is 'vanity stitching' on jeans. Remember how jeans used to have the side stitching right down the center of the side of your thigh? Now the stitching has been moved a bit to the front of the jeans. This way when you look at yourself in a mirror head-on the stitching doesn't add bulk.

Bobbie's Babbles said...

thanks juice. i agree, in the white bathing suit she does look a little "thick", but who wouldn't wearing white. However, did you notice that she has no cellulite? I don't think they "touched up" photos back then. I'd go for her "bulk" without cellulite any day!

Bobbie's Babbles said...

thanks, thinning. i never heard of vanity sizing, but that's what this is for sure! my husband used to say that women are an illusion... all smoke and mirrors. he was referring to spandex, mascara, push up bras, etc, but now he has to add stitching on jeans to his repertoire.