# Does modern fit bother you?



## Dcsmith77 (Apr 18, 2011)

Is the newer trend toward garments that are pulled tight until the button holes stretch bother anyone besides me? I try to avoid clothes that are just too tight, but so many of the patterns now are designed not to come close to meeting in the front. You can make a larger size pattern, but then the shoulders and neckline are too big. 

I have started adding side stitches in ribbing to many patterns so that they fit better. Of course, you have to remember to add stitches to the sleeves, too so they will fit the armhole and that makes the sleeve kind of full. 

I just don't like them, but it's becoming harder and harder to find patterns that really fit. For my grand daughter that's ok as she is cute no matter what she has on (at age 20), but for those of us who are either more mature or more robust, it just looks like the garment is too small. 

I notice even on TV that women are wearing dresses that are so tight they ride up when they sit down and are wrinkled when they stand up, and sometimes the material is obviously pulling at the seams, even though these women are pretty slender. It used to be kind of insulting to look "melted and poured" into a dress, but now it seems the rage.

I just don't like it. Thanks for giving me a place to vent.


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## LadyBecket (Jun 26, 2012)

I have been big bosomed for a long while now and I hate when I can close the buttons without them popping open on me. It looks like my clothes don't fit. I try to always make my patterns two sizes bigger than called for.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

Dcsmith77 said:


> Is the newer trend toward garments that are pulled tight until the button holes stretch bother anyone besides me? I try avoid clothes that are just too tight, but so many of the patterns now are designed not to come close to meeting in the front. You can make a larger size pattern, but then the shoulders and neckline are too big.
> 
> I have started adding side stitches in ribbing to many patterns so that they fit better. Of course, you have to remember to add stitches to the sleeves, too so they will fit the armhole and that makes the sleeve kind of full.
> 
> ...


Ah! A woman after my own heart!
I LOATHE clothing that is skin tight. Even on matchstick -type models they look silly.

I'm tallish, most of me is a size 16 except my belly which seems to have a life of its own. I cannot find dresses that fit. I HAVE to buy or make tops, skirts etc. It pisses me right off that almost everything I look at in clothing shops is geared towards the young, (who have no mirrors in their house) and the garments presented are totally unsuited for the maturer woman who wants to look stylish without looking silly.

It would be nice for a change if some sensible designer came up with a range of affordable stylish clothes for us not-so-senile old ladies. I really dont need my boobs and belly and bum hanging out for all the world to see.

Madkiwi


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## galaxycraft (Feb 15, 2011)

madkiwi said:


> Ah! A woman after my own heart!
> I LOATHE clothing that is skin tight. Even on matchstick -type models they look silly.
> 
> I'm tallish, most of me is a size 16 except my belly which seems to have a life of its own. I cannot find dresses that fit. I HAVE to buy or make tops, skirts etc. It pisses me right off that almost everything I look at in clothing shops is geared towards the young, (who have no mirrors in their house) and the garments presented are totally unsuited for the maturer woman who wants to look stylish without looking silly.
> ...


:lol: :lol: :thumbup: 
Yah, I am done playing the mating ritual game.
I no longer need to attract a mate.
I only need to flatter myself now. :wink: 
But they sure do make it hard to even do that. :-(


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## galaxycraft (Feb 15, 2011)

...sorry double post.


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## Knitted by Nan (Aug 3, 2013)

One of the newsreaders here on the Australian Broadcasting Commission wears these tight clothes. She does not look professional. Her clothes look too small and unironed. I know I sound waspish here but honestly she often looks as if she is presenting the news wearing her pyjamas. She presents the mid day news. I often think that she does not own a mirror.

Another pet hate of mine is the plunging neckline, often by the more mature lady. Now if you have a good cleavage and are wearing an uplift bra it might be OK, but some ladies who wear the ever deepening V line neck line do not have either and the end result can be a rather sad look. Do we have to expose so much flesh all the time?


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## redquilter (Jun 24, 2011)

Modern fit is not for me at all . I'm a small person but still hate tight fitting clothes. Doesn't look very classy or professional to me especially when worn to business. And as for those plunging necklines EveMCooke was talking about - they are so unprofessional also when worn to work. Unless you're in a certain business!  Kidding !!!


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## burgher (Feb 9, 2013)

This has been my complaint for a long time now. I try and buy shirts without lycra in them. I hate clothes that cling, they are only good for skinny people that have no bulges. I'm not one of them....Even on TV they will show make overs, where they bring a women out dressed casually and then remake her into a short clingly skimpy dress which to me looks awful and her too high heels that she can't walk in. To me she looked much better in her casual loose clothes. 
I have a really hard time buying clothes. Pants too low on the waist (muffin top) and some of them too tight with stretch material that cling to my behind. Shirts too tight and short, dresses too tight and short. I have lots of old clothes because I can't find new ones that I like.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

burgher said:


> This has been my complaint for a long time now. I try and buy shirts without lycra in them. I hate clothes that cling, they are only good for skinny people that have no bulges. I'm not one of them....Even on TV they will show make overs, where they bring a women out dressed casually and then remake her into a short clingly skimpy dress which to me looks awful and her too high heels that she can't walk in. To me she looked much better in her casual loose clothes.
> I have a really hard time buying clothes. Pants too low on the waist (muffin top) and some of them too tight with stretch material that cling to my behind. Shirts too tight and short, dresses too tight and short. I have lots of old clothes because I can't find new ones that I like.


Darlin' join the club. Dont you just LOATHE those pants that make you feel as if you're being sawn in half upwards from u-no-where to throat? And singlets and thermals made for three foot tall pygmys with no bums or bellies? I've been buying mens singlets and stuff because at least its long enough to tuck into me knickers. I just cant bear to have a cold back!

Madkiwi


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## burgher (Feb 9, 2013)

madkiwi said:


> Darlin' join the club. Dont you just LOATHE those pants that make you feel as if you're being sawn in half upwards from u-no-where to throat? And singlets and thermals made for three foot tall pygmys with no bums or bellies? I've been buying mens singlets and stuff because at least its long enough to tuck into me knickers. I just cant bear to have a cold back!
> 
> Madkiwi


By singlets (are they shirts?) I have lots of mens shirts because they are comfortable and don't cling. I alway check out the polo's etc in Costco and Sams club to see if they have anything for me.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

burgher said:


> By singlets (are they shirts?) I have lots of mens shirts because they are comfortable and don't cling. I alway check out the polo's etc in Costco and Sams club to see if they have anything for me.


Singlet - sleeveless undervest. Also, mens stuff is usually made of cotton, and much nicer to wear. Not as pretty as women's but then I dont go round flashing my underwear, do you? And mens polos the same, nice and long and roomy, and cotton! Also mens dress shirts, dripdry no iron, no fuss, dead easy to wear and such nice colours. I've picked up several real cheap (like 50p) at the local charity shops.

Madkiwi


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

burgher said:


> By singlets (are they shirts?) I have lots of mens shirts because they are comfortable and don't cling. I alway check out the polo's etc in Costco and Sams club to see if they have anything for me.


Definition:
*singlet*

1. (Clothing & Fashion) _Chiefly Brit_ a man's sleeveless undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips

Personally, I'm strange. I detest buttons that are so tight it looks as though the wearer borrowed something too small. Yet, I need to feel comfortable in my clothes. I wear yoga pants as long as the temperature is warm enough; not really a good sight for others, since I'm on the fluffy side. Skin-tight jeans, unless they are stretchy, are not in my wardrobe, but no 'jeggings', please. Like I said, I'm strange.


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

I hear you! I am not large, not small, somewhere in between and really do not wear tight clothes. As far as I am concerned only my bra, undies and socks and shoes should fit well, the rest need to be loose to keep me from turning into the b**** from you know where!


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## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

If a cardigan or jacket does not meet comfortably in the centre front it looks terrible. many women make or buy them and they cover the nipples and stop. LOL fat or thin covered is best (IMHO)


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## Knitted by Nan (Aug 3, 2013)

madkiwi said:


> Singlet - sleeveless undervest. Also, mens stuff is usually made of cotton, and much nicer to wear. Not as pretty as women's but then I dont go round flashing my underwear, do you? And mens polos the same, nice and long and roomy, and cotton! Also mens dress shirts, dripdry no iron, no fuss, dead easy to wear and such nice colours. I've picked up several real cheap (like 50p) at the local charity shops.
> 
> Madkiwi


I agree with you. I would buy a man's shirt and then feminise it with lace on the collar and cuffs and embroider the front. My fancywork days come in handy.

As for singlets, they are so hard to come by today but they do keep you warm. Remember the 'Chesty Bonds' ads. People in the USA may need a translation for the name Chesty Bonds as I do not believe Bonds underwear was sold there.


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## Knitted by Nan (Aug 3, 2013)

Jessica-Jean said:


> Definition:
> *singlet*
> 
> 1. (Clothing & Fashion) _Chiefly Brit_ a man's sleeveless undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips
> ...


No, not strange but wise. I think you show good dress sense. I have often said people should walk behind theirselves or should that be themselves so they can see what they really look like.


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## Joan H (Nov 28, 2012)

With my more than ample chest I totally agree with you guys. I gave up on anything that buttoned more than 40 years ago, and I have to make most of my own clothes, especially dresses.... But my tops always get extra length, and more in the bust line area. 

I am also disgusted with the trend for garments to look as if they were sewn inside out. Why buy something that makes you look domestically incompetent????


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## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

I have never owned jeans..............hate them in the old days only the sheep shearers wore denim.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

cakes said:


> I have never owned jeans..............hate them in the old days only the sheep shearers wore denim.


Same here! Workmens clothes! And as for the skin-tight variety, Well!!!!!

Madkiwi


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## Barbara O (Jul 3, 2011)

dcsmith77 I think like you.When I go around the clothing shops there is just nothing for me. It is either too loud or too short.


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## Barbara O (Jul 3, 2011)

Cakes: I have never owned jeans I hate them. But waiting in the medicare office I noted that every body was wearing jeans. I don't like to see jeans on old ladies (forgive me ladies).


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## nitnurse (May 20, 2012)

I find too tight clothing to be unflattering - no matter what the wearers shape! You need room to move your arms and things not meeting at the front just makes it look like you have put on weight! Arrrrgh - when will this silly fashion be over!


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## desireeross (Jun 2, 2013)

I am a regular medium that doesn't need to adjust any patterns, however, I've also found the garments of late are too tight. They look uncomfortable so I've dug out patterns that go back 15 years and change them by using different yarn or stitch pattern. I live in jeans and jogging pants with a comfy sweater over it.


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## misslucille40 (Aug 9, 2013)

I hardly ever button a sweater or jacket(my belly would look like I' m smuggling pumpkins) but it WOULD be nice to have enough there to do it if I WANTED to!


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

misslucille40 said:


> I hardly ever button a sweater or jacket(my belly would look like I' m smuggling pumpkins) but it WOULD be nice to have enough there to do it if I WANTED to!


My feeling exactly.

When will the designers realise that there are a lot of people in the world who are not shaped like a racing whitebait?

Madkiwi


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## morningstar (Mar 24, 2012)

Jessica-Jean said:


> Definition:
> *singlet*
> 
> 1. (Clothing & Fashion) _Chiefly Brit_ a man's sleeveless undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips
> ...


Strange? Nooo! Sensible and wise, Jessica-Jean. It's getting more and more difficult to find understated clothing with classic lines. Even something as simple as a sweat shirt will now have some ghastly graphic painted on the front. A lady of a certain age wearing a palm tree or parrot on her chest, be she large or small, looks like a cartoon character. :roll:


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## ccbynum (Sep 1, 2013)

So glad to know that I'm not the only one with this complaint, what planet did the designerscome from. I hate to go shopping as it becomes real work, have to try everything on and to knit or crochet apparel is a real challenge. I never did think tight clothes look good so I do a lot of measuring and redoing my work. Hopefully 'fashions' will get back to reality soon.


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## paljoey46 (Nov 20, 2011)

I'm with you on this. My Mother always told me to "wear clothes tight enough to show you're a woman but, loose enough to show you're a lady". That was over 50 years ago, and I still follow that advice.


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## Knitted by Nan (Aug 3, 2013)

madkiwi said:


> My feeling exactly.
> 
> When will the designers realise that there are a lot of people in the world who are not shaped like a racing whitebait?
> 
> Madkiwi


Or a matchstick with the wood shaved off.

I wore blacj jeans as a teenager, so many years ago. i was skinny then.

My new avatar. My own effort. I spun the wool and knitted the long line vest. My first photo of my first finished item. It took me about two months from start to finish.


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## MimiPat (Aug 5, 2011)

burgher said:


> This has been my complaint for a long time now. I try and buy shirts without lycra in them. I hate clothes that cling, they are only good for skinny people that have no bulges. I'm not one of them....Even on TV they will show make overs, where they bring a women out dressed casually and then remake her into a short clingly skimpy dress which to me looks awful and her too high heels that she can't walk in. To me she looked much better in her casual loose clothes.
> I have a really hard time buying clothes. Pants too low on the waist (muffin top) and some of them too tight with stretch material that cling to my behind. Shirts too tight and short, dresses too tight and short. I have lots of old clothes because I can't find new ones that I like.


I could have written this. you took the words right out of my mouth!!


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## Moondancermel (Nov 18, 2012)

madkiwi said:


> Ah! A woman after my own heart!
> I LOATHE clothing that is skin tight. Even on matchstick -type models they look silly.
> 
> I'm tallish, most of me is a size 16 except my belly which seems to have a life of its own. I cannot find dresses that fit. I HAVE to buy or make tops, skirts etc. It pisses me right off that almost everything I look at in clothing shops is geared towards the young, (who have no mirrors in their house) and the garments presented are totally unsuited for the maturer woman who wants to look stylish without looking silly.
> ...


 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## mac.worrall (Jun 24, 2011)

I think this trend began in the sixties.Dresses which in the past had bust darts and roomy armholes were replace by garments measuring the same across the front as at the back,and with tight armholes.I imagine this was to save material.
If you were slim with a big bust you were unfashionable anyway.
Dartless dresses are the norm now,and only vintage[1930-1940] knitting patterns are 'tailored' to fit.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

While we're on the subject, can someone please explain what is attractive about skin-tight clothing on a "baby bump"?

In my day we were a little more discreet. Or is thia just me being old and "picky"? 

I accept that prospective mothers should be proud of their achievement, but there's really no need to thrust it down the throats of all and sundry, is there?

There are attractive maternity clothes available in plenty, so no need to look as if one had grown out of one's gear.

Okay, so I'm old fashioned. Good! 

Madkiwi


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

While we're on the subject, can someone please explain what is attractive about skin-tight clothing on a "baby bump"?

In my day we were a little more discreet. Or is thia just me being old and "picky"? 

I accept that prospective mothers should be proud of their achievement, but there's really no need to thrust it down the throats of all and sundry, is there?

There are attractive maternity clothes available in plenty, so no need to look as if one had grown out of one's gear.

Okay, so I'm old fashioned. Good! 

Madkiwi

oops sorry double post


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## Linuxgirl (May 25, 2013)

Guess I can join the club here. I'm still pretty slender, but definitely not sticklike in the bottom area. And it's always searching aroung for trousers that fit over my butt, but aren't far to wide at my waist.

Tightly fitting clothes can look good, but only if they are not TOO tight (which is mostly the case, unfortunately).
I really wonder, where the designers get their ideas as not even their models look good with clothes that look like they are at least two sizes too small. Do they have crooked sight?


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## hobbyknit (Jun 23, 2013)

You are so right!!I can't find anything that fits. I started making almost all of my clothes because of that reason.
I think the reason for the modern fit is to save on material no matter what you wear. If they make dresses short, too tight or patterns for knitting or whatever even cords for small appliances it saves them money and we pay more for less, and go around looking foolish, and like we are wearing our kids clothes.


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## Knitted by Nan (Aug 3, 2013)

madkiwi said:


> While we're on the subject, can someone please explain what is attractive about skin-tight clothing on a "baby bump"?
> 
> In my day we were a little more discreet. Or is thia just me being old and "picky"?
> 
> ...


I agree with you especially when the top does not meet the bottom and the baby bump is a patch of naked skin, complete with stretch marks. A bit like my other pet hats, men buying their wives, or girlfriends, personal hygiene products. Where is discretion?


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## Knitish (Feb 8, 2011)

Love the comments, someone used to say of things too small or tight: you did not have enough money to buys the right size or enough fabric! What is what the shirts which are missing the top two buttons or so? The purpose of clothing is to cover and protect from exposure damage o your skin and bodyt-- give that a few years! There are some better manufacturers as LLBean, LandsEnd, Patagonia, REI if you are in the US that carry FULLY-functioning clothes!


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## gillian lorraine (Aug 18, 2011)

All the extra long sleeves and trouser legs irritate me, I am sure we have not suddenly started growing shorter limbs so why have tha manufacturors started putting on extra inches, they are untidy and get in the way.... my mum said I notice because I was spoilt as she was a seamstress/tailor and made all our clothes to fit. I buy blouses fit my chest then tailor the waist to fit, and through her know how to reduce cuff length in blazers and jackets--- if I do not do it correctly my mum will come back and haunt me !!!!!!!!


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## Jeanne618 (Apr 1, 2012)

Like my mother in law says, everyone needs a 360 degree mirror to see what they actually look like before they leave the house! She said that after watching What Not To Wear!!!!


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## bagibird (Sep 30, 2012)

madkiwi said:


> While we're on the subject, can someone please explain what is attractive about skin-tight clothing on a "baby bump"?
> 
> In my day we were a little more discreet. Or is thia just me being old and "picky"?
> 
> ...


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## morningstar (Mar 24, 2012)

Knitish said:


> Love the comments, someone used to say of things too small or tight: you did not have enough money to buys the right size or enough fabric! What is what the shirts which are missing the top two buttons or so? The purpose of clothing is to cover and protect from exposure damage o your skin and bodyt-- give that a few years! There are some better manufacturers as LLBean, LandsEnd, Patagonia, REI if you are in the US that carry FULLY-functioning clothes!


Lands' End is my life saver. They carry a full line of ladies' petite sizes in classic cuts that are appropriate for any age. LLBean does the same but not as big a selection for petites. When it comes to very dressy clothing...that is a bigger challenge. A woman looking like she's wearing a nightie to dinner? Ugh. :-D


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

gillian lorraine said:


> All the extra long sleeves and trouser legs irritate me, I am sure we have not suddenly started growing shorter limbs so why have tha manufacturors started putting on extra inches, they are untidy and get in the way.... my mum said I notice because I was spoilt as she was a seamstress/tailor and made all our clothes to fit. I buy blouses fit my chest then tailor the waist to fit, and through her know how to reduce cuff length in blazers and jackets--- if I do not do it correctly my mum will come back and haunt me !!!!!!!!


I can cope with too long, but I cant abide too short!

After all as you say things can be shortened but have you ever tried to lengthen a vest or camisole top that was made to fit a pymy who was XL in width and 12 inches high?

Drives me mad!

Madkiwi


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## gillian lorraine (Aug 18, 2011)

bagibird said:


> madkiwi said:
> 
> 
> > While we're on the subject, can someone please explain what is attractive about skin-tight clothing on a "baby bump"?
> ...


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## Bernadettebunty (Nov 3, 2012)

This thread really amused me - some of the comments! I agree wholeheartedly with the fit of modern clothes being too tight and looking (as mother would say), 'Like a lady of the night'! When I started a new job many years ago as Mall Cleaning Operatives Supervisor - (big name for a little person) I was issued with a uniform, a nursing sister's overall, which was so tight I could barely fit underwear beneath it. Suffice to say I was followed around the Mall by security because every time I bent forward my ample chest used to pop the poppers. I had the last laugh though after working there for 6 months I dropped dress sizes from a 16 to a 10. My chest has always been at least a size larger than my waist and hip size. Recently because of health issues I have lost weight and dropped 2 dress sizes when I was out walking my pants kept sliding down so I had to buy new ones. Upside  my niece has lost 5 1/2 stone (77 pounds) and is now fitting my discarded clothes. I am 5ft tall and weigh 132 pounds however on trying trousers that fit over my bottom I found the legs to be flapping around like sails in a gale! I also found that as my weight and size went up the legs and sleeves got longer - Do only tall people get wider? I also found that sizes between shops vary widely also! My Tshirts and tops donated to niece were a size 20 I have dropped to a size 16 but like my tops loose (because of ample chest) so buy an 18 - I found a top in my wardrobe that was a perfect fit (just - it wouldn't want to be any tighter) from Marks and Sparks looked at the label and found it to be a size 22!!!  Bummer!! Thank you for allowing me to rant


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

gillian lorraine said:


> completely agree with you----- ditto the yucks


To my no doubt fastidious mind , totally disgusting. Cover it up. There's loads of pretty floaty things around that are attractive, easy to wear and shield the obscene bare flesh from the eyes of people like me who definitely dont want to see that!

Madkiwi

Oh dear, my hobby horse is getting a workout today!


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## Linday (Jan 22, 2012)

My brother once told me "Spandex is a privilege, not a right." I have to agree with him. It seems that, no matter the fabric, clothing is too tight. I wonder how people can wear tight clothing all day. I needs to be able to breathe. 

I find purchasing clothing one of the most difficult jobs in life. I have wide shoulders and a long body but my arms are short. By the time I get a shirt to fit my shoulders, it is too long in the arm, too big in the body, too deep in the arm holes and nothing is ever long enough in the body.

I often buy tops,, I like that and fit, in several colours. I can sew but not well enough to make all the adjustments needed for fit. It is frustrating to say the least.


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## gillian lorraine (Aug 18, 2011)

Bernadettebunty said:


> This thread really amused me - some of the comments! I agree wholeheartedly with the fit of modern clothes being too tight and looking (as mother would say), 'Like a lady of the night'! When I started a new job many years ago as Mall Cleaning Operatives Supervisor - (big name for a little person) I was issued with a uniform, a nursing sister's overall, which was so tight I could barely fit underwear beneath it. Suffice to say I was followed around the Mall by security because every time I bent forward my ample chest used to pop the poppers. I had the last laugh though after working there for 6 months I dropped dress sizes from a 16 to a 10. My chest has always been at least a size larger than my waist and hip size. Recently because of health issues I have lost weight and dropped 2 dress sizes when I was out walking my pants kept sliding down so I had to buy new ones. Upside  my niece has lost 5 1/2 stone (77 pounds) and is now fitting my discarded clothes. I am 5ft tall and weigh 132 pounds however on trying trousers that fit over my bottom I found the legs to be flapping around like sails in a gale! I also found that as my weight and size went up the legs and sleeves got longer - Do only tall people get wider? I also found that sizes between shops vary widely also! My Tshirts and tops donated to niece were a size 20 I have dropped to a size 16 but like my tops loose (because of ample chest) so buy an 18 - I found a top in my wardrobe that was a perfect fit (just - it wouldn't want to be any tighter) from Marks and Sparks looked at the label and found it to be a size 22!!!  Bummer!! Thank you for allowing me to rant


I find Marks and Spark sizing wants to send me to their diet aisle-- my ordinary clothes are a 12/14 but in M&S clothes I need a 16/18--- I assume they still cut the sizes from the 1950/60 size patterns , I think I read somewhere that to size vintage knitting patterns the 1950's size12 is a 2013 16/18
All the eldery ladies I know all say M&S clothes fit them perfectly as their body shapes are from a different era


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## judi wess (Sep 29, 2011)

I too hate to wear and see gaping button holes. I like to sew and found out too late that Vogue Patterns has changed their sizing,one size up. If you usually use a size 14 pattern a size 16 is what you should use. In the past, "better quality" clothes usually meant you could sometimes wear a size smaller. 
A pet peeve in knitting, sloppy fit. No not loose, sloppy sleeves, like in as children we borrowed Mommy's sweater loose.


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## Windbeam (Jul 31, 2011)

You see a lot of the news people on tv with jackets so tight you can see wrinkles in the sleeves. I wonder how they move their arms. Remember when they used to make tailored shirts for women with long sleeves and collars? Try to find one now.


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## Debiknit (Jul 7, 2011)

Where to find pants longer in the body than low rise or mid rise. I am long in the body,also fluffy and when I sit with
anything elastic waist it rolls down. Can't find anything that pulls up far enough to cover all the extra me. I also agree about the button shirts. I thought it was only me. As a kid in school I was always using a pin to keep the bust area closed. I am not, nor will ever be again a short, skinny teenager. There are so many more shapes than that. Why won't they make nice looking clothes in my sizes!!!


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## SherryH (Apr 4, 2011)

I wear lycra and I look like a badly stuffed sausage...not pleasant at all. I can avoid looking in the mirror, but I have to have some sympathy for those around me.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

Debiknit said:


> Where to find pants longer in the body than low rise or mid rise. I am long in the body,also fluffy and when I sit with
> anything elastic waist it rolls down. Can't find anything that pulls up far enough to cover all the extra me. I also agree about the button shirts. I thought it was only me. As a kid in school I was always using a pin to keep the bust area closed. I am not, nor will ever be again a short, skinny teenager. There are so many more shapes than that. Why won't they make nice looking clothes in my sizes!!!


We're all complaining about similar problems. How can we collectively get the message across to dress designers? I dont know!

Madkiwi


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## maureen0614 (Dec 16, 2012)

The famous Hollywood wardrobe designer Edith Head said "A woman's clothing should be tight enough to show she's a woman, but loose enough to show she's a lady." Works for me!


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## kmckinstry77 (Jan 18, 2013)

I don't like the look either & I tend to wear a 0 - 6 depending on the store. 
It makes everyone look sloppy & fat, even if they're not. Then again, I do not understand the tight jeans & shirts which produce muffin-tops look either. The other day, I saw a large (maybe size 16 or so) young woman wearing jeans so tight they practically gave me a wedgie just looking at them. Her top was tight & fat rolls poked out between the jeans & top. Tell me how that is supposed to be attractive? 
I find patterns I like & alter them as best as I can. Usually I can get away with increasing them in strategic locations, e.g. in front & back, so I don't need to deal with the armholes issue. I haven't made a pattern for an adult that required buttonholes, so I haven't had to reverse the button-hole "straining" look.


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## kmckinstry77 (Jan 18, 2013)

Linday said:


> My brother once told me "Spandex is a privilege, not a right." I have to agree with him.


 :thumbup:


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## BettyAnn (Mar 11, 2011)

The modern fit is just not my style. I was always taught to have sweater one size larger than you wore, and a blouse with gaps was too small. Everyone knows what a female has under her tops, there is no need to publicize the facts.


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## knittykitty (Mar 22, 2011)

To quote my late mother - 

Clothes should be tight enough to show you are a woman AND loose enough to show you are a LADY

knittykitty


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## mjo (Jul 21, 2012)

I am slightly over weight but not too bad considering my age. I usually wear either a size 6 or 8 depending on the manufactor. But I hate tight clothing it actually makes a person look fatter. And women's shirts are alway cut too short. I can't even wear a bra because they are tight. i have had skin cancer and bra straps rub on my scar tissue. I used to be able to get a cotton onsie garment to wear instead of a bra but can't find them any more.


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## tvarnas (Apr 18, 2013)

galaxycraft said:


> :lol: :lol: :thumbup:
> Yah, I am done playing the mating ritual game.
> I no longer need to attract a mate.
> I only need to flatter myself now. :wink:
> But they sure do make it hard to even do that. :-(


I agree completely! :thumbup:


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## John's old lady (Jul 14, 2012)

Jessica-Jean said:


> Definition:
> *singlet*
> 
> 1. (Clothing & Fashion) _Chiefly Brit_ a man's sleeveless undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips
> ...


Not strange at all J. Most of us, I think, like to feel comfortable and many of clothes one sees today remind me of things that 'nice' girls didn't wear in my day. 
p.s. love your description of being 'on the fluffy side'.


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## knitty (Apr 4, 2011)

God how many times have I said the same thing,ans also as a sewer I cannot believe the flimsy fabrics that are being used! if you've ever handled lovely fabric that is worth the money you know what I mean,and the retail prices!!!!!!!!!! I shop at the Salvation army at least there you don't have to pay all outdoors for something and if you really look you can find some really good and almost new stuff.


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## tielma (Nov 20, 2011)

Oh boy!!! You got me started! The dresses today are always way too tight and too short. We have weather reporting women on the TV whose clothing is actually funny. Way too tight with wrinkles across the hips, bust, and so short they are above the knees. There is hardly anything uglier than people's knees. I often wonder of they know what they look like. Maybe that's why the weather women hold files of papers in front of their bellies!


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## Ronie (Jan 21, 2011)

LadyBecket said:


> I have been big bosomed for a long while now and I hate when I can close the buttons without them popping open on me. It looks like my clothes don't fit. I try to always make my patterns two sizes bigger than called for.


Thank you LadyBecket I have the same problem... but then when I get something that fits across the top my waist is baggy and I look much heavier than I am.. (not that I am thin by any means) so its a vicious circle.. I hardly ever buy button up tops because even if they fit me when I buy them they will not after being laundered... so I agree the answer for me is NO I do not like the tight fitting clothes...


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## gsbyrge (Jul 12, 2011)

I long ago concluded that clothing is designed by people of both genders who absolutely hate women. :- ) Which is why I've always made most of mine. The crap they make for "plus" sizes is just that - if a person needs a size XXXXXL, WHY would they want horizontal stripes? And plunging necklines? Gah.


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## josephinemiller (Jul 12, 2012)

Try the clothing on TV. QVC has affordable and beautiful clothes. Once you figure out your size, it's a cinch. They also have designer clothes for dressier occasions. Everything I wear comes from them from underwear, from shoes and on and on. The prices are very reasonable, and they are in many countries. Just about everything I own is from them. I am tall at 5'10 and I wear a 1x and have no problem getting my clothes from them.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

galaxycraft said:


> :lol: :lol: :thumbup:
> Yah, I am done playing the mating ritual game.
> I no longer need to attract a mate.
> I only need to flatter myself now. :wink:
> But they sure do make it hard to even do that. :-(


Well said!!! :thumbup: :-D


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## ElyseKnox (Sep 16, 2011)

madkiwi said:


> Singlet - sleeveless undervest. Also, mens stuff is usually made of cotton, and much nicer to wear. Not as pretty as women's but then I dont go round flashing my underwear, do you? And mens polos the same, nice and long and roomy, and cotton! Also mens dress shirts, dripdry no iron, no fuss, dead easy to wear and such nice colours. I've picked up several real cheap (like 50p) at the local charity shops.
> 
> Madkiwi


Another comment about comfortable clothing:

For years now, under heavier clothes such as jeans, I have worn mens classic Y-front underpants. They are so comfortable because they are 100 percent cotton and the DO NOT ride up. I have always marveled that something designed for the male shape which is usually slim and flat in the back fits me so well when that is the least slim and flat part of me. Add to which they are much less expensive than nice women's undies.

For when I need something lighter, I wear 'hipsters' which are, at least in theory, full cut over the 'cheeks' but ride a couple inches lower than the actual waist. Some of them actually fit that way but many that I buy still are cut skimpy in the back and ride up.

My most favorite ever is something called a V-kini--full coverage in the rear for my pear-shaped figure but going down into a V in the front--no bulk at all around my waist. They were actually sold as a maternity item but I loved them. Of course they were only on the market for a short time. I have searched and searched and can't find them any more.

To go full circle with this part of the discussion, I can't remember exactly what the benefit is but my DH and his fishing buddies sometimes wear women's nylon panties under their waders.


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## JCF (Aug 3, 2012)

madkiwi said:


> Ah! A woman after my own heart!
> I LOATHE clothing that is skin tight. Even on matchstick -type models they look silly.
> 
> I'm tallish, most of me is a size 16 except my belly which seems to have a life of its own. I cannot find dresses that fit. I HAVE to buy or make tops, skirts etc. It pisses me right off that almost everything I look at in clothing shops is geared towards the young, (who have no mirrors in their house) and the garments presented are totally unsuited for the maturer woman who wants to look stylish without looking silly.
> ...


Ditto. 'nough said.


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## hersh (Nov 7, 2011)

Barbara O said:


> Cakes: I have never owned jeans I hate them. But waiting in the medicare office I noted that every body was wearing jeans. I don't like to see jeans on old ladies (forgive me ladies).


Don't appolgise.....72 here always...... have a 100 lb. + dog in tow......travel 3hrs round trip (EXCLUDING the many stops)for everything..Leaving him home alone.....too long.......plus no protection for Van contents & me alone on the mountain roads)
..Jeans are the only answer. NO cling hair.....love cords.....But omg hairy. As long as the jeans are clean.. in good condition......& FIT most especially in the rear and crotch area.......that's what works for me. Thanks for reading


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## knittinglottie (May 29, 2013)

I agree with all. I cannot stand tight fitting clothes, and plunging necklines, and hems that only come to the thigh. I have quit trying to buy new clothes because they are all designed for teenagers. 
when will the designers realize that there are older ladies who like to look like ladies and not street walkers. I am very discussed with the current trends.


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## Gurt (Feb 26, 2012)

L completely agree with you all, but I think that one reason may be that most clothes these days are made in Asia, and the Asian women are much smaller than we are, hence all the sizes are skewed.


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## kmckinstry77 (Jan 18, 2013)

mjo said:


> I am slightly over weight but not too bad considering my age. I usually wear either a size 6 or 8 depending on the manufactor. But I hate tight clothing it actually makes a person look fatter. And women's shirts are alway cut too short. I can't even wear a bra because they are tight. i have had skin cancer and bra straps rub on my scar tissue. I used to be able to get a cotton onsie garment to wear instead of a bra but can't find them any more.


My mom found some of those cotton "undershirts" because they're all that Grandma wears. They *do* still exist... stores like LL Bean sometimes carry them. I think my mom found some in... the Tuesday Morning catalog?


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## Gladrags (Mar 18, 2012)

madkiwi said:


> While we're on the subject, can someone please explain what is attractive about skin-tight clothing on a "baby bump"?
> 
> In my day we were a little more discreet. Or is thia just me being old and "picky"?
> 
> ...


Oh i'm with you 100% on this one,nothing looks more horrible than seeing a baby bump exposed to the elements,nothing nice about it at all,and it would be nice if i could get trousers to fit properly,i'm tall and getting them long enough is a nightmare,and why do I have to have four different sizes in my wardrobe? nobody seems to be able to agree on sizing.


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## SouthernGirl (Dec 28, 2011)

A fit that is not tight and not baggy is always in style and classy. Other fits which are extreme will fade with the trend.

I prefer a comfortable fit. It just looks nice.


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## MarciasKnitting (Sep 23, 2012)

I would just like to find some age appropriate clothes! I am now 63 and have lost about 25 lbs...but still have a thick waist..pants that sit on the hips\\\\



I would just like some age appropriate clothes. I am now in my 60's and have been working real hard to lose weight. I have no butt or hips but do have a belly & thick waist and am short in the stride. Pants just do not fit. I take in the seams on the sides but still can get a muffin top. I would rather knit then sew. Hate polyester.. too hot and these wild prints...yuck.






I don't want polyester, too hot,


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## MarjoryO (Aug 24, 2012)

I agree, not much out there that is flattering for the mature body. I subscribe to Creative Knitting Magazine and while I was leafing through the Winter 2013 issue, I thought there isn't one design here that I could wear. They seem either too small/tight or massively big/bulky and neither are very flattering for me. 

http://www.knittingparadise.com/compose_reply.jsp?topicnum=200998&postnum=3974189#


Dcsmith77 said:


> Is the newer trend toward garments that are pulled tight until the button holes stretch bother anyone besides me? I try to avoid clothes that are just too tight, but so many of the patterns now are designed not to come close to meeting in the front. You can make a larger size pattern, but then the shoulders and neckline are too big.
> 
> I have started adding side stitches in ribbing to many patterns so that they fit better. Of course, you have to remember to add stitches to the sleeves, too so they will fit the armhole and that makes the sleeve kind of full.
> 
> ...


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## dianm (Jun 4, 2011)

I not only dislike the new fit of most clothing but am not sure who thought that size XL was a size 12 must only know skinny teenagers. I wish there were some rhyme or reason to the sizing of women's clothing. I live in a very rural area therefore most of my clothes shopping is done through catalogs and the variance in sizing, if there is even a size chart in the catalog, is startling. Also my size 18/20 can mean almost anything the manufacture wants it to mean from a 16 to a 22 and everything in between. One manufacturer also sells pants touting the waist at "the natural waist" am not sure whose waist is about 3in. lower then my waist. I am 73 and really would like a shirt that comes down to hip level only as I do not find the area between tops of pants and bra all that attractive and am sure the public doesn't either. Plus I live in an area where it gets quite cold and cold air hitting that area can be very embarrassing if a rest room is not handy


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## JCF (Aug 3, 2012)

Also IMHO so many of the patterns in these magazines are modeled on rail thin perfectly proportioned women, which is not the norm for the average woman (or man for that matter).


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## gillian lorraine (Aug 18, 2011)

what about the dreadful trend of wearing thin leggings and short tops ( retching sound here) they are so thin you can see the colour of the under wear (the things are as thin as tights/pantyhose)


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## Poor Purl (Apr 14, 2011)

Linday said:


> My brother once told me "Spandex is a privilege, not a right." I have to agree with him. It seems that, no matter the fabric, clothing is too tight. I wonder how people can wear tight clothing all day. I needs to be able to breathe.


Your brother is a wise man.

I recently came across a website called Spandex World. Sounds like the entire fashion business.


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## EqLady (Sep 1, 2011)

Dcsmith77 said:


> Is the newer trend toward garments that are pulled tight until the button holes stretch bother anyone besides me? I try to avoid clothes that are just too tight, but so many of the patterns now are designed not to come close to meeting in the front. You can make a larger size pattern, but then the shoulders and neckline are too big.
> 
> I have started adding side stitches in ribbing to many patterns so that they fit better. Of course, you have to remember to add stitches to the sleeves, too so they will fit the armhole and that makes the sleeve kind of full.
> 
> ...


Tacky, tacky, tacky! Seems like the tight clothing on women started with the female doctor on House, and now it's everywhere. I complained then and I'm still complaining! If you have to pull it down when you stand up, it's too tight and too short!


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## bagibird (Sep 30, 2012)

gillian lorraine said:


> what about the dreadful trend of wearing thin leggings and short tops ( retching sound here) they are so thin you can see the colour of the under wear (the things are as thin as tights/pantyhose)


Hideous, hideous! And WHY in the name of all that's holy are the girls who wear these monstrous garments the very ones who really shouldn't? I can think of no good reason why girls with thunderous thighs, barrel bellies, and barn-sized bottoms should think there might be anything flattering about beyond skin tight clothing...

I'm glad to keep all my many imperfections well covered - I could never inflict what Jessica-Jean refers to as "fluffiness" on the unsuspecting public!


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## domsmum (Jun 20, 2012)

I've nearly given up on blouses. There is a UK company called Bon Marche that manages to make blouses that meet on a mature woman's figure but choice is limited. I might try a small nens shirt and see if that works.


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## domsmum (Jun 20, 2012)

I've nearly given up on blouses. There is a UK company called Bon Marche that manages to make blouses that meet on a mature woman's figure but choice is limited. I might try a small nens shirt and see if that works.


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## Grammy Toni (Apr 30, 2011)

For the past couple of years I have been able to buy blouses at K-Mart - first made by Lee's for wormen and now made by Basic Editions, K-Mart's brand - that have two extra buttons at the bust level so there is no gaping or popping open there. The placket for the button holes is doubled so you you don't see the buttons. They are also darted in the back so fit closer to the without billowing out behind you. I am a "fluffy," short, 72 yo who works and wears casual, work type clothing - khaki or navy pants with blouses during the warmer weather and sweaters and long sleeve shirts in winter. These all wash and wear, sometimes need some very minimal ironing or spraying with a wrinkle remover to straighten out the facing on the button and button hole plackets. What is "killing" me right now is the lengths of so many nice shirts - tunic length on me makes me look even shorter and dumpier than I am. Who needs that! Well, can't afford new clothes right now anyway so will make do with what I have again this winter. And as for "singlets", there is a brand here in the States called Cuddle Duds that sell a lovely line of undershirts - vests both sleeveless and long sleeved etc. for women. My mom wore them in her latter days for warmth.


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee (Sep 9, 2011)

I am definitely not crazy about the skin-tight look, both in tops and in pants. I HATE blouses that don't meet or that barely meet in the front! I just ordered several shirts from Old Navy in size medium and one in size large--and I'm a fairly small person--and even the large was way too tight in the bust and all over, for that matter.

I hate the fact that jeans dip waaaaaaaaaaaay low. Who knows what I'll be exposing when I lean over? And I feel as though my jeans will fall off at any point, cos they hang so low. But what can one do, other than make one's own? They're the only style out there. 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I like oversized tops, so that's what I knit. 

Hazel


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee (Sep 9, 2011)

EqLady said:


> Tacky, tacky, tacky! Seems like the tight clothing on women started with the female doctor on House, and now it's everywhere. I complained then and I'm still complaining! If you have to pull it down when you stand up, it's too tight and too short!


And remember that Cuddy, the female doc on house, was described by her mother as "dressing like an Italian prostitute." ;-)

Hazel


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## loisthornton (Aug 5, 2012)

Wouldn't you think there would be somewhere that a mature woman could buy decent looking clothes? I normally wear a size 6, and now find size LARGE tops that are still tight. Obviously the stores cater to the teens that are clothes freaks (and they really do look like freaks sometimes). Then when I finally find a style that looks like it might be appropriate for a grown-up it only comes in size 10 and up. I like to look profssional, but the only way I can do it is to wear clothes I have had for about 10 years. We should start picketing the stores or something!


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## Hazel Blumberg - McKee (Sep 9, 2011)

EqLady said:


> Tacky, tacky, tacky! Seems like the tight clothing on women started with the female doctor on House, and now it's everywhere. I complained then and I'm still complaining! If you have to pull it down when you stand up, it's too tight and too short!


And remember that Cuddy, the female doc on house, was described by her mother as "dressing like an Italian prostitute." ;-)

Hazel


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## yorkie1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Everyone may not feel as I do, but I think a pregnant person looks so much better in a loose fitting smock. They look so pretty that way. Today's fashion there isn't any maternity clothes they just pull their pants down below their tummy and then pull on a stretchy shirt of some kind or a blouse that is skin tight and fastens right under the boobs. Very tacky.
In Wal-Mart the other day there was a young girl, looking about to deliver and she had on a crop top and a skirt down below her tummy. Her bulge was bare and it was awful.
Also where do some men, with their big gut, think that we like to see them without a shirt. 
Thanks for letting me vent also. :-(


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## Dcsmith77 (Apr 18, 2011)

Wow! I went to bed last night and woke up to all this! So I'm not the only one. Thanks for all your comments. I'm not sure how to get this across to the knitting magazines and designers, but if you have any ideas, let me know.

I was hoping, since it seems like they copy everything else the Duchess of Cambridge does, that young women would follow her lead in maternity wear, but no such luck. She looked just perfect right up until...now. It seems like many mothers-to-be just don't bother with maternity clothes at all. I saw a woman in Target the other day who was about 7 mos gone, wearing what was an ordinary T shirt and continually massaging her stomach. It was really disgusting, so I looked away, and I guess that's what she would have said if I had commented. Seems like they just don't care how they look. I never thought it was anything to be particularly proud about. I was happy during my pregnancies, but I didn't have to flaunt it as if I were the only one who could achieve it. To me it was a family thing, not to hide, but not to exhibit, either, and keep your hands off my tummy!


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## Julesintahoe (Feb 2, 2013)

run4fittness said:


> I hear you! I am not large, not small, somewhere in between and really do not wear tight clothes. As far as I am concerned only my bra, undies and socks and shoes should fit well, the rest need to be loose to keep me from turning into the b**** from you know where!


My thoughts exactly! I like my clothes to fit in a way that is flattering to my body (which is a bit on the chunky side) and are comfortable. I tried some Spanx one day to look better in a dress. My husband had to help me get them on, even though they were supposed to be too big. I looked at my husband and said, "Hell no!" I'd have been homicidal in 10 minutes.

The trend of the buttons pulling looks really stupid, as stupid as the pants that show underwear and are 10 sizes too big and gathered up with a belt wrapped around the thighs. I shudder...


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## gma11331 (Oct 18, 2011)

I really dislike today's styles too. Dresses so tight that they wrinkle and cup under the butt are not attractive to me--and not just because I can't wear them. Nowadays comfort is the word for me...can't bear anything tight around my waist, etc. One of my GD's friends showed up in a dress one day so tight it was almost like the old "hobble skirts" except it was short but she still looked awkward in it. But of course I kept quiet....


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## mac.worrall (Jun 24, 2011)

Gurt said:


> L completely agree with you all, but I think that one reason may be that most clothes these days are made in Asia, and the Asian women are much smaller than we are, hence all the sizes are skewed.


Yes,that had occurred to me.


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## momanna (Nov 12, 2011)

I agree that tops are too tight. I don't think it is modern fit, I think it is different sizing. A lot of the knitting mags have models wearing sweaters that are too tight.


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## laceandbits (Jun 23, 2011)

Sleeves! On bought garments there are 3/4 length sleeves everywhere. Hate them. Again they often make it look as if the garment has shrunk but I think it's just the manufacturers making savings. It's been too many years now for it to be because they're fashionable. 

And on hand knit garments the sleeves are often too long (although that's easy to fix) hanging halfway down the model's finger, like little orphan Annie. But it is irritating when that bit shorter sleeve length means I could have bought one less skein of expensive yarn.


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## Gurney (Feb 17, 2012)

Here here to all the above comments. Designers ignore mature women and produce clothes fit only for stick insects. I'm not overweight (size 12) but not tall either so everything gets closer together as one ages, have to be so careful with what I buy, shopping trips sometimes sooo depressing, those awful mirrors in the changing rooms. And another gripe - I've seen young women classroom teachers wearing unsuitable tops cut way too low, unprofessional and terribly distracting.


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## brynmawr (Oct 24, 2011)

Fluffy - LOVE THIS. From now on that's my angle and I am sticking to it!!

BTW - always love your posts Jessica-Jean



Jessica-Jean said:


> Definition:
> *singlet*
> 
> 1. (Clothing & Fashion) _Chiefly Brit_ a man's sleeveless undergarment covering the body from the shoulders to the hips
> ...


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## boring knit (May 9, 2011)

I agree. Although I spent most of my life a size l0/12 now I am a comfy l6. When I pick up T shirts size l6 they look like they would fit a l0.. Why we have put up with it so long I don't know. It's all money in the manufacturers pocket. I buy size 20 to get a size l6. Who wants to look like a sack of potatoes, with everything showing. Now we have to buy scarves to hide our flesh. I hate people showing their boobs.


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## brynmawr (Oct 24, 2011)

I soooo agree with this!!



madkiwi said:


> While we're on the subject, can someone please explain what is attractive about skin-tight clothing on a "baby bump"?
> 
> In my day we were a little more discreet. Or is thia just me being old and "picky"?
> 
> ...


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## lindaknits (Mar 18, 2011)

So glad to see that others share my loathing of tight clothes!! And Madwiki you brought up something I hate. I go shopping and find a pair of pants I really like, try them on and they come nowhere near my waist! Why do clothing manufacturers think we like these things? But then I know most garments are made for really young women. So happy I've kept a lot of my older clothing patterns that fit!


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## Gurney (Feb 17, 2012)

Yeah, I do so agree about three-quarter length sleeves - who wants cold wrists? And I saw the silliest thing ever in a fashion mag, a thick winter coat without any sleeves!Obviously to be worn with those winter boots with peeptoes.


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## lindaknits (Mar 18, 2011)

Why in the world does anyone think that a sweater should have 3/4 length sleeves? I have always worn sweaters for warmth and that means a long sleeve!!


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## yorkie1 (Sep 5, 2011)

When are they going to find out that "CLEVAGE" is dispicable. I Hate it even on slender women.


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## PamP (Nov 6, 2011)

I have found that manufacturers make those tight little cap sleeves on women's t-shirts. Excuse me, but if I wear a size 3XL, what makes them think I have arms that are only 8 inches around. I lost 30 lbs. last winter and when I went to buy new clothes ( read smaller size) I found they had once again changed the sizes and I am still wearing the same size. And guess what, not all heavy women have large boobs. I don't, I still wear a B cup. Try finding a bra! The fashion industry is really messed up. I too am tired of all the clothes being for 20 year old Twiggys. I am not that young or thin and even when I was, I didn't like the way fashions went.


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## Gerslay (Oct 4, 2011)

I've noticed the same thing myself. It seems like women are wearing their clothes especially tight; their dresses are a size or two smaller than their true size. I wonder if they really think its flattering. Its not to me!


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## MrsMurdog (Apr 16, 2013)

OH! I do agree! I am not large, but I hate the feel of too tight clothes. I could scream every time I try on a cute jersey shirt and the fabric is so thin you can see through it and so tight I can't breath. I am buying most of my shirts through a catalog called Woman Withinhttp://www.womanwithin.com/ and a sister catalog called Roamans http://www.roamans.com/. Good quality cotton jersey, longer tails on the shirts. They are large size catalogs, but do carry a couple of things in Small. I did order this really cute tunic that fit just right except it is long enough to wear as a dress.


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## knovice knitter (Mar 6, 2012)

Muffin tops, horizontal stripes and cap sleeves, exposed baby bumps....no, no, no! Slim women look nice in horizontal stripes and cap sleeves, but for us "fluffy"ones, they only give the illusion of being even wider. I worked with a woman who was just five feet, but almost as wide. She had a slender waist, but oddly, her arms and legs were very bulky. She not only used talcum powder to get her tight jeans on, but shared a secret with me. She used a spray bottle of water on her seams and the zipper, because the damp seams would stretch enough to get the pants on, but dried on her body, skin tight, like she loved. Never understood that. One time she came to a meeting wearing decent cut dress pants and I swear she looked like she lost 30 pounds. I live near several schools and I see the young girls walking home. Obesity is running rampant with our youth. I guess the good news about so many of them is that the stigma is subsiding and kids don't grow up hating their bodies like I did. I was dangerously anorexic in my twenties. Cured and huge now. Anyway, the girls wear the tight, low-slung pants. Where they think the fat goes, I don't know. It is obvious, it bulges out of the top and then they cover it somewhat with broad horizontal stripes. This is not a good look.


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## Knitish (Feb 8, 2011)

Love the more comments and sharing: esp the spring weather is here and have to now look at everyone's axx --regardless of size!


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## Gweneth 1946 (May 20, 2012)

Some people can wear them, like the very young and slim. Other than that they are useless. Just like sizes. I use to wear a s/m or 11/12. Now its an xl or a 14. The fourteen I have to bring home and reconstruct to make it fit properly. the xl is usually in sports clothing. My spin shorts are a size small from about 25 years ago. When I went to purchase a new pair a few months ago and I had to take a size L, I'm still wearing the small ones they fit better. I hate to shop now, most of the time I just purchase scarves to dress up what I already have, since I have three closets full of clothes I just rotate them from season to season. I always bought items that could be worn for a long time and usually in black. It works for me, and I still get compliments.


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## albie (Jun 2, 2011)

could walk into any store, any where and take a piece of clothing off the racks and not HAVE to try it on.(size 10) now you have to try everything on. sizes are too varied. am now a nice fluffy 14-16. what i hate the most is seeing the crack of your akkkk., on men and women. DISGUSTING. boobs on a woman can be enhanced not over exposed,drooping,and a 44DD trying to get into a 34A. men with 50" waist, trying to wear a 38". I WEAR MOM JEANS and am proud of it,am comfortable and can breathe!!!!am also 68 and not trying to dress 40yrs younger. am looking my appropriately for my age,if you don't like it,don't look. fashion, only if it looks alright for my age and size.


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## tielma (Nov 20, 2011)

One of my pet peeves on the subject of out-sourcing products....as someone mentioned, Asian women are smaller than we are, and that means not only shorter, but narrower bodies. I sometimes can't even button a shirt around me, that fits everywhere else. GRRRRR.


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## lynnlassiter (Jun 30, 2011)

i feel the same way. and so short you can see the color of their undergarments.


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## kimmyz (May 9, 2011)

I don't like tight clothes. I'm on the small side, but I still prefer wearing my clothes a bit loose. A lot of larger women (and men) think that skin tight clothes make them look smaller (I guess?), but in reality, they actually make them look larger. Tight clothes are usually very unflattering, unless you have the body of a supermodel. And even then, sometimes it's not the best choice.


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## deshka (Apr 6, 2011)

EveMCooke said:


> Another pet hate of mine is the plunging neckline, often by the more mature lady.
> 
> My sister and I were talking a while back about fashions. Here is what she told me, "I am sick and tired of seeing women's navels through their neckline". That pretty much sums it up for me also.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

Now I know why!

Check the thread Dyson commercial

Madkiwi


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

Now I know why!

Check the thread Dyson vac cleaner

Madkiwi


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## Pope (Jul 25, 2011)

What drives me crazy are the leggings. Everyone on television wears them and they look like elves. All they need are jingle bells on their shoes.


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## KnitQuiltBeader (Nov 30, 2011)

My peeve, in addition to what everyone has already said, is sleeveless tops. I am like Jessica-Jean, fluffy. I'd even say fluffy-plus. And I am no longer young. And I live in hot, hot, hot Florida. I'd love to wear sleeveless tops but I won't expose people to the sight of my arms that are wrinkled and crepe-like at the top. I always have to wear sleeves to cover that part of my arms up. Why are there so many sleeveless fashions out there now?

I know the clothing industry looks at the money which is spent by young people and assumes we older folks don't spend. Well, it's obvious from reading this thread that we don't spend money because they aren't making what we want! I'm keeping my money and spending it on other things instead of clothing.

Augh!


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## Wandalea (May 11, 2013)

For me in my old days, jeans were wonderful & worn by kids & teenagers & cool hippies. I love 100% cotton faded denim (no stretch stuff), thin fabric, slightly snug on top & very wide & loose in the legs, like 2 feet around the hems--so comfy. What I don't like is the very low-rise type that are continually sliding down--I like them to come up right below my belly button. What I wear 90% of the time though at home is what I call my muu muus (Hawaiian word)--white cotton summer nightgowns that are the most comfortable garment for this warm, humid climate. I don't watch TV so I'm not seeing this fad of overly tight clothes. Comfort & health first--no high heels that distort your body's posture.


cakes said:


> I have never owned jeans..............hate them in the old days only the sheep shearers wore denim.


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

Barbara O said:


> ... It is either too loud or too short.


At 6", 260 lbs., and 67 yrs. - there is and never has been anything in women's clothing that's long enough for me. Summer clothes are easier, since short sleeves and shorts are OK. Winter? I just add leg-warmers and/or long socks to fill the gap between boot-top and pants' hem; longish mittens to fill the gap between sleeve cuff and wrist. Most of my outerwear is from the men's department. Drab is not my style, but they leave me no choice at the prices I'm willing to pay.
In _my_ lack of style-sense, there is no such thing as _too_ *LOUD*! Neon colours are my favourites! Clashing brights? I love 'em!


madkiwi said:


> ...There are attractive maternity clothes available in plenty, so no need to look as if one had grown out of one's gear....


When I was young and having my babies, I did look into buying traditional maternity clothes. They did look very nice, but there wasn't a single piece that I could afford to buy. My 'maternity wear' was nylon pull-up pants and slightly oversized t-shirts, because that was what I already _had_. The baby shower provided loads of tiny clothes that could be useful a few times before the kid outgrew them. No one ever thinks that maybe the mom-to-be might need something to wear while incubating. 
I am sure that many of today's pregnant women are in the same boat as I was. Since bare skin is acceptable by society at large, they just let it hang out.


gillian lorraine said:


> All the extra long sleeves and trouser legs irritate me,...


I wish I knew where you shop! I _still_ have trouble finding pants to cover my 36" inseam! And most women's long-sleeved tops are _still_ only three-quarter length on my 6' wingspan. 


Knitish said:


> ...There are some better manufacturers as LLBean, LandsEnd, Patagonia, REI if you are in the US that carry FULLY-functioning clothes!


Yes, if you're willing and able to pay their prices! In Canada, the equivalent seller to REI is Mountain Equipment Co-op http://www.mec.ca/AST/ContentPrimary/Services/Stores/Montreal.jsp , but I just go there to drool, not much to buy.


Dcsmith77 said:


> ... keep your hands off my tummy!


Yeah! What's with that patting of the baby-bump? I absolutely *hated* it when complete strangers would pat my belly!! Now, _that_ hits my yuk button!


yorkie1 said:


> When are they going to find out that "CLEVAGE" is despicable. I Hate it even on slender women.


It's not done for the sake of other women. My husband greatly appreciates all of it!  Unfortunately, he seems to *need* to point it all out to me, and I couldn't care less. Men!


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## SinandSape (Aug 29, 2011)

I also have a large bosom. I also have narrow shoulders, so enlarging the pattern doesn't work for me. 
The trick is not to knit a larger size, but to relocate the buttons. There should be a button located at the fullest part of the breast. 
There is an expanding button spacer available in sewing supply stores. This really helps in re-spacing buttons. Locate placement of the breast button, then expand the gadget until other buttons fit the rest of the space.(You can use a yardstick, etc. but it is more work.) You will need to redo directions for buttonholes, but once this is done, it usually will work for most patterns.


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## Bernadettebunty (Nov 3, 2012)

Just got home from food shopping - as we were pulling out of the car park, walking towards us was a rather "large" young lady wearing a pair of skin tight leggings which were black and white 1 inch wide vertical stripes and a black bustier top! Really Yucky!!


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## kikifields (Jul 3, 2011)

I abhor them. No matter how much I like the rest of the pattern, if this is part of the make up, I refuse to get it.


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## MrsMurdog (Apr 16, 2013)

Gweneth 1946 said:


> Some people can wear them, like the very young and slim. Other than that they are useless. Just like sizes. I use to wear a s/m or 11/12. Now its an xl or a 14. The fourteen I have to bring home and reconstruct to make it fit properly. the xl is usually in sports clothing. My spin shorts are a size small from about 25 years ago. When I went to purchase a new pair a few months ago and I had to take a size L, I'm still wearing the small ones they fit better. I hate to shop now, most of the time I just purchase scarves to dress up what I already have, since I have three closets full of clothes I just rotate them from season to season. I always bought items that could be worn for a long time and usually in black. It works for me, and I still get compliments.


I have to laugh at this. I have a 36" bust and almost always end up buying a L or XL due to lycra content.


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## Rene22 (Oct 29, 2012)

I have just finished knitting my partner A cardigan. Now he is about 5feet 6/7 inches small and 56 waist. Can you imagine what calculations I had to make to get this cardigan to fit him without as you say the buttons flying all over the place. Will get him to take A photo tomorrow and then you will see what I mean.


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## llander (Mar 7, 2011)

I'm with you DCSmith77! I despise sweaters that are designed not to close in the front. I'm not very big and I'm cold all the time so when I wear one of those sweaters the front of me is cold and I am constantly tugging on the fronts to pull them together in the hopes of warming up a bit more. It never works! 

I do not like the way they look either, I always feel like I am trying to wear a teenagers sweater when I should know better. I accidentally purchased one of these sweaters when they first appeared in the stores but I would NEVER consider wasting my time knitting one!


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## onemoe (Jun 23, 2011)

Since knits came on the market, they have forgotten how to make darts at the bustline, or cut back on sewing time at the manufacture for non-knits


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## Knuttyknitter941 (Oct 22, 2012)

I totally agree with you. Since I've never bought a pattern for myself that did not require some kind of alteration (short woman petite), I just figure out my own sts and rows. That way I can happily use any st pattern I want.


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## Bernadettebunty (Nov 3, 2012)

SinandSape said:


> I also have a large bosom. I also have narrow shoulders, so enlarging the pattern doesn't work for me.
> The trick is not to knit a larger size, but to relocate the buttons. There should be a button located at the fullest part of the breast.
> There is an expanding button spacer available in sewing supply stores. This really helps in re-spacing buttons. Locate placement of the breast button, then expand the gadget until other buttons fit the rest of the space.(You can use a yardstick, etc. but it is more work.) You will need to redo directions for buttonholes, but once this is done, it usually will work for most patterns.


I am 5 ft tall with a large front and narrow back - my bra size is now 32JJ - to make cardigans/sweaters fit I have to adjust both the length and the chest/bust fit. The last one I made for myself is a sleeveless vest/waistcoat. If I had followed the pattern to the letter it would have been down almost to my knees, gaping at the back and unable to fasten at the front (if it had managed to fasten at the front - the button is bust level - the armholes would have been dragged out of position! I got around this by knitting the body and armhole openings shorter and by knitting the back a size 14 instead of 16 and the fronts to the size 18 so that the finished measurement was the same as that given for the size 16. I dress-make so am used to adjusting patterns to fit.


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

tielma said:


> Oh boy!!! You got me started! The dresses today are always way too tight and too short. We have weather reporting women on the TV whose clothing is actually funny. Way too tight with wrinkles across the hips, bust, and so short they are above the knees. There is hardly anything uglier than people's knees. I often wonder of they know what they look like. Maybe that's why the weather women hold files of papers in front of their bellies!


I know what you mean - great description. I feel the same way about knees - they're only cute when you're four. After that, they're either dirty, scraped, and covered with bandaids - or bony, pudgy, and wrinkled!!


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

hersh said:


> Don't appolgise.....72 here always...... have a 100 lb. + dog in tow......travel 3hrs round trip (EXCLUDING the many stops)for everything..Leaving him home alone.....too long.......plus no protection for Van contents & me alone on the mountain roads)
> ..Jeans are the only answer. NO cling hair.....love cords.....But omg hairy. As long as the jeans are clean.. in good condition......& FIT most especially in the rear and crotch area.......that's what works for me. Thanks for reading


Agree - I HATE pants that are tight in the saddle. I have a hard time finding any that are comfy - and I have to hem everything because designers have never heard of short people!!!


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

Gladrags said:


> Oh i'm with you 100% on this one,nothing looks more horrible than seeing a baby bump exposed to the elements,nothing nice about it at all,and it would be nice if i could get trousers to fit properly,i'm tall and getting them long enough is a nightmare,and why do I have to have four different sizes in my wardrobe? nobody seems to be able to agree on sizing.


I agree with every thing you said. I'm short, but I guess it's easier to hem something than to make it longer - impossible! As for the "baby bump," no thank you. I love the graceful look of clothing falling gently over the baby. And I really don't like to see the shape of the belly button through the cloth. Just a little too personal for my taste.

I'm also just tired of turning on the news and looking down somebody's dress! Enough of cleavage already - especially at 7:00 in the morning. Keep it a secret!


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## aljellie (Mar 4, 2011)

It's really very simple. Nobody, thin, fat or anywhere in-between, looks or feels good in tight clothing. I don't understand why anyone would choose to dress unattractively or uncomfortably. I can't stand it when buttons strain their buttonholes across anyone's bosom, most especially my own oversized girls. I rarely wear buttoned cardis.
Elllie


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## bonbf3 (Dec 20, 2011)

Bernadettebunty said:


> I am 5 ft tall with a large front and narrow back - my bra size is now 32JJ - to make cardigans/sweaters fit I have to adjust both the length and the chest/bust fit. The last one I made for myself is a sleeveless vest/waistcoat. If I had followed the pattern to the letter it would have been down almost to my knees, gaping at the back and unable to fasten at the front (if it had managed to fasten at the front - the button is bust level - the armholes would have been dragged out of position! I got around this by knitting the body and armhole openings shorter and by knitting the back a size 14 instead of 16 and the fronts to the size 18 so that the finished measurement was the same as that given for the size 16. I dress-make so am used to adjusting patterns to fit.


It takes some know-how to make those alterations!


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## burgher (Feb 9, 2013)

bonbf3 said:


> Agree - I HATE pants that are tight in the saddle. I have a hard time finding any that are comfy - and I have to hem everything because designers have never heard of short people!!!


Even pants marked short have to be hemmed because the designers make them for women that wear heels. Why do women wear heels with jeans? When I was young and wore heels it was to make my legs look better or so I thought. What is the point of 5 inch heels with long pants?


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## just80 (Aug 22, 2013)

agree with all of you. I am a "petite" size 6 but a "senior" lady who likes fashionable clothes and likes to feel good wearing them. Fortunately, I do dressmaking and have been a seamstress for many, many years. Very hard to find a top/blouse that fits and is also age appropriate. At lease, I can embellish clothes myself so I do have an advantage...sorry for all you gals that cannot sew...but, it's not hard to learn. good luck with today's fashions.


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## Cats_Mommy2 (Jun 11, 2011)

Dcsmith77 said:


> Is the newer trend toward garments that are pulled tight until the button holes stretch bother anyone besides me? I try to avoid clothes that are just too tight, but so many of the patterns now are designed not to come close to meeting in the front. You can make a larger size pattern, but then the shoulders and neckline are too big.
> 
> I have started adding side stitches in ribbing to many patterns so that they fit better. Of course, you have to remember to add stitches to the sleeves, too so they will fit the armhole and that makes the sleeve kind of full.
> 
> ...


I agree with you! Do these people with all the rolls in skintight clothes not have a mirror? Granted, I am to heavy, and have large boobs, too! I hate tight clothes! They aren't comfortable or attractive. I feel they make a woman look cheap! As for cleavage, I try to cover mine, but it is hared to find a top that isn't cut too low. I find it interesting that there are so many who feel as I do and have the same fitting issues! I thought it was just ME!


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## BeadsbyBeadz (Dec 19, 2012)

And who knew you got FAT ELBOWS! Holy cow - where did they come from? And how did I get all those 'dimples' in the tops of my arms and legs? Mom didn't warn me about that either. I weigh the same but somehow fat cells redistribute themselves while you sleep (that's my story.....).

Those cute little cap sleeves are not a good look considering how my body has morphed. I wear a size 10 and medium top but have to try everything on - first to see if you can read the newspaper through it and then whether it's really a 10. I've seen tops hanging in both the medium and large sizes that look like they might fit a medium or large.....toddler. 

I'm 66 and do catch sales on comfy jeans from Soft Surroundings (reg $79 for $29 per pair) and they are so great. Soft and comfortable to wear all day. It's hard to find slacks I like so I wear those, a nice top and jacket when I go out.....unlike some of the gals I see out in the stores wearing their PJs and house shoes. Yea gads. 

For those that are looking for some of the undergarments and things you might look at The Vermont Country Store. They aren't cheap but they advertise themselves as "Purveyors Of The Practical and Hard-To-Find" - candies from the 1960s, comfy clothing and sleepwear, wool undergarments from Australia, chenille bedspreads, all those good old things we knew and loved from years ago.


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## Wandalea (May 11, 2013)

I got a long cotton flannel nightgown for winter from Vermont Country Store & the quality is wonderful. Good fabric. It's really beautiful, with lots of lace & details.


BeadsbyBeadz said:


> And who knew you got FAT ELBOWS! Holy cow - where did they come from? And how did I get all those 'dimples' in the tops of my arms and legs? Mom didn't warn me about that either. I weigh the same but somehow fat cells redistribute themselves while you sleep (that's my story.....).
> 
> Those cute little cap sleeves are not a good look considering how my body has morphed. I wear a size 10 and medium top but have to try everything on - first to see if you can read the newspaper through it and then whether it's really a 10. I've seen tops hanging in both the medium and large sizes that look like they might fit a medium or large.....toddler.
> 
> ...


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## lvchocl8nknitting (Mar 3, 2011)

Modern fit...doesn't. Even many young women who are mostly trim are not really flattered by some of these garments ... and if the average age of Americans (and probably the rest of the world population as well) is becoming a higher number (ahem) why is everything geared for size 2? I have OLD garments that are size medium that still cover nicely even if they aren't as brightly colored as they once were; but I can buy an XL and wonder who they're kidding with that size designation. Clothes can fit properly, look nice, and be classic or stylish without being "trendy." Wonder how long we have to wait until styles change to become decent again? This whole business of slacks that reach to the hip bone aren't flattering for most. I see a lot of "muffin top" young people who would look so much nicer if the top of the pants hit at the waist, or even just a bit below? Guess I've become "one of those old people..." lol


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## Ellie in Houston (Mar 10, 2011)

I agree - clothes are always designed for young people! I hope someone in the designer industry get to see these postings. Ellie


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## no1girl (Sep 4, 2012)

to cap it off.i went to a birthday lunch the other day.....the birthday "girl" was 85 and was wearing her first pair of Levi jeans.she IS small..............actually had 99% of her csncerous stomach removed last year..Not THJAT does keep on from eating much.

Even so at 84 i think she is 60 years too late for jeans.


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## yanagi (Jul 7, 2013)

I hate the modern look. I'm old, grumpy and a bit pudgy. I have a bit of a belly and don't appreciate not being able to find clothing that looks good on me. I seriously think that every store out there thinks women quit buying clothing at 40+. I don't want to wear clothing that doesn't even look good on its intended target demographic.


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## morningstar (Mar 24, 2012)

cakes said:


> to cap it off.i went to a birthday lunch the other day.....the birthday "girl" was 85 and was wearing her first pair of Levi jeans.she IS small..............actually had 99% of her csncerous stomach removed last year..Not THJAT does keep on from eating much.
> 
> Even so at 84 i think she is 60 years too late for jeans.


Nooooo! Jeans are wonderful, tough, comfortable and can look lovely if the coloring and fit and cut are right for the person and the person's shape is o.k. for the jeans. Sure beats those spandex pants that show every nook and cranny!


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## BeadsbyBeadz (Dec 19, 2012)

morningstar said:


> Nooooo! Jeans are wonderful, tough, comfortable and can look lovely if the coloring and fit and cut are right for the person and the person's shape is o.k. for the jeans. Sure beats those spandex pants that show every nook and cranny!


I so agree with you. I'm 66 and wear jeans all the time. I have the usual blue but also pastels for spring and summer and Calvin Klein jean-style in black for winter. I wear them with sandals in the summer - and the top and shoe color must match! - and boots, jackets, nice top and of course a knitted scarf for fall and winter. I don't let my age dictate my style - I do let good taste and fit determine what I wear.


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## cherylthompson (Feb 18, 2013)

madkiwi said:


> Ah! A woman after my own heart!
> I LOATHE clothing that is skin tight. Even on matchstick -type models they look silly.
> 
> I'm tallish, most of me is a size 16 except my belly which seems to have a life of its own. I cannot find dresses that fit. I HAVE to buy or make tops, skirts etc. It pisses me right off that almost everything I look at in clothing shops is geared towards the young, (who have no mirrors in their house) and the garments presented are totally unsuited for the maturer woman who wants to look stylish without looking silly.
> ...


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## Shirley Ray (Mar 3, 2011)

Re the patterns. If you think the current ones are small for the size the are supposed to be, have a look at an old book. Forties, thirties, They are just as bad, if not worse except that there's nothing sexy about them, just tight.


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## just80 (Aug 22, 2013)

Jeans are great as long as they fit well. better than baggy pants, jogging pants or spandex. I wear them with a top worn on the outside (not too loose, though) and do get a lot of compliments. I think women of any age (including us seniors) can wear jeans and look good. It's the complete outfit that makes them terrific for casual wear.


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## cherylthompson (Feb 18, 2013)

BeadsbyBeadz said:


> I so agree with you. I'm 66 and wear jeans all the time. I have the usual blue but also pastels for spring and summer and Calvin Klein jean-style in black for winter. I wear them with sandals in the summer - and the top and shoe color must match! - and boots, jackets, nice top and of course a knitted scarf for fall and winter. I don't let my age dictate my style - I do let good taste and fit determine what I wear.


I LOVE jeans and pretty much live in them. I also love loose fitting tops though and they ARE heard to find for my size. I am 5'2" and a size 14 with big chest......getting a larger size top means shoulders hang and it just doesn't fit right.....short of surgery, I feel my goal towards looking nice ends up being frumpy.


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## dialfred (Nov 21, 2011)

I do like clothes that fit, but not to the point where buttons pull. I add stitches at the opening edges so that there's enough overlap to close nicely. Also, I have narrow shoulders, so I sometimes have to decrease more at the armholes to end up the right width.


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## BeadsbyBeadz (Dec 19, 2012)

cherylthompson said:


> I LOVE jeans and pretty much live in them. I also love loose fitting tops though and they ARE heard to find for my size. I am 5'2" and a size 14 with big chest......getting a larger size top means shoulders hang and it just doesn't fit right.....short of surgery, I feel my goal towards looking nice ends up being frumpy.


How about tops with raglan sleeves? I also have a few that are all one piece for the front and back (no set-in sleeves seam) that are tunics and I really like them.


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## knitpicky1 (Nov 17, 2011)

Why, oh why, don't manufacturers realize that we are NOT all size 6-8? All I want is a simple dress, or long top, that can be dressed up/down with a scarf or jewelry. Just good fabric, and a simple design, that FITS a real figure..


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## cherylthompson (Feb 18, 2013)

BeadsbyBeadz said:


> How about tops with raglan sleeves? I also have a few that are all one piece for the front and back (no set-in sleeves seam) that are tunics and I really like them.


 :thumbup:


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## nevadalynn (Apr 27, 2011)

LadyBecket said:


> I have been big bosomed for a long while now and I hate when I can close the buttons without them popping open on me. It looks like my clothes don't fit. I try to always make my patterns two sizes bigger than called for.


a woman after my heart - been fighting this all my life.


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## onemoe (Jun 23, 2011)

I have good luck with TanJay clothes in Ontario


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## cainchar (Dec 14, 2012)

It has struck me that the present push of very fitted (in many cases- "too fitted") clothing, is much as I see in the retro-patterns from the past (far past- like 50's/60's.) I'm not liking it any better this time around (and I am certainly less of the "appropriate size"!)

When will the stores start to offer goods for the largest, most affluent group in history (baby boomers.)


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## PauletteB. (Feb 7, 2012)

I have never liked tight clothes. I like to feel comfortable and relaxed in my clothes.


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## kathycam (Apr 24, 2012)

I have been fed up with the skin tight designs for quite some time. All the major news channels feature men in suits and ties. The only skin they show is on the face and hands. The women, however, are barely covering the necessaries and what is covered is skin tight. When they sit, their hems are all the way up to their butts and they can't move....or else! Who else dresses like this? I have never seen anyone but the females on news shows with every possible inch of skin exposed. Lately, I have been looking at websites featuring fashions for Muslim women. These seem to be the only places to find clothing that doesn't appear to be painted on.


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## BeadsbyBeadz (Dec 19, 2012)

kathycam said:


> I have been fed up with the skin tight designs for quite some time. All the major news channels feature men in suits and ties. The only skin they show is on the face and hands. The women, however, are barely covering the necessaries and what is covered is skin tight. When they sit, their hems are all the way up to their butts and they can't move....or else! Who else dresses like this? I have never seen anyone but the females on news shows with every possible inch of skin exposed. Lately, I have been looking at websites featuring fashions for Muslim women. These seem to be the only places to find clothing that doesn't appear to be painted on.


That's mortifying considering what happened on 9-11. Sorry - can't hold back the comment. It hurt me so.


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## elly69 (May 3, 2013)

burgher said:


> This has been my complaint for a long time now. I try and buy shirts without lycra in them. I hate clothes that cling, they are only good for skinny people that have no bulges. I'm not one of them....Even on TV they will show make overs, where they bring a women out dressed casually and then remake her into a short clingly skimpy dress which to me looks awful and her too high heels that she can't walk in. To me she looked much better in her casual loose clothes.
> I have a really hard time buying clothes. Pants too low on the waist (muffin top) and some of them too tight with stretch material that cling to my behind. Shirts too tight and short, dresses too tight and short. I have lots of old clothes because I can't find new ones that I like.


Ditto! :lol:


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## elly69 (May 3, 2013)

knitpicky1 said:


> Why, oh why, don't manufacturers realize that we are NOT all size 6-8? All I want is a simple dress, or long top, that can be dressed up/down with a scarf or jewelry. Just good fabric, and a simple design, that FITS a real figure..


and for us shorties something without 6 inches or more to spare on the hem


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

elly69 said:


> and for us shorties something without 6 inches or more to spare on the hem


I'm sorry, darl, but I have to chuckle. I have very long legs and have spent a good many woman hours LETTING DOWN the hems of trousers so they wouldn't stop at mid calf? So for me it's a slight change for the better to find pants that are too long!

Now if only they had a decent length in the crotch so I wasn't being sawn in half! Or so they actually came up to nearer my waist instead of halfway down my bum!

Madkiwi


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## chooksnpinkroses (Aug 23, 2012)

Jessica-Jean said:


> ... but no 'jeggings', please...


Please, what are Jeggings?


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## chooksnpinkroses (Aug 23, 2012)

cakes said:


> I have never owned jeans..............hate them in the old days only the sheep shearers wore denim.


Sorry ladies, I ONLY wear stretch jeans in winter, they are so comfy and warm. I know I have a big bottom, but I wear my tops long. I thought I'd like to try skirts and thick tights, but they just aren't as warm as jeans and hand knitted woollen socks!! Sorry, comfort comes first. At home I prefer 'tracky dacs', (fleece lined stretch pants).

:roll: :roll: :roll:


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## Novice Sandy (Apr 16, 2011)

LadyBecket said:


> I have been big bosomed for a long while now and I hate when I can close the buttons without them popping open on me. It looks like my clothes don't fit. I try to always make my patterns two sizes bigger than called for.


Ditto!! Hate popping buttons. I too feel as if it makes the item appear too small. Makes me feel heavier than I am. Never like that. :thumbdown:


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## Easter Bunni (Jul 4, 2013)

morningstar said:


> Nooooo! Jeans are wonderful, tough, comfortable and can look lovely if the coloring and fit and cut are right for the person and the person's shape is o.k. for the jeans. Sure beats those spandex pants that show every nook and cranny!


Ditto!! I have several in bright colors as well as the basic denim and black...even in cordouroy. I can dress them up, down, depending on what I wear with them. Age is a number, not a sentence.


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## Norma B. (Oct 15, 2012)

Sorry, but I've read through nine pages now and just can't do anymore. Maybe later in the thread someone will have come up with this thought, but I'm going to say it anyway. Has it occurred to anyone that clothes ARE very often designed BY MEN, and much of what women wear on TV (I guess---I haven't seen any TV in over fifteen years and haven't missed it) is probably dictated BY MEN to attract MEN viewers. Hence all the cleavage you speak of, the exposed thighs, the skin tight fit. It's still a largely chauvanistic society ladies, and unless you yell in the right places at the right people it will continue to be thus. Do you think the men are complaining about women wearing tight clothes that show everything in detail? Do you think they'd complain about men wearing revealing pants that show every contour of what's in there, or shirts open to show their Tarzan chest wigs? "What. There were men on the screen?" They wouldn't even see them! 

Our little girls are being taught to look like tarts before they're ever out of the playpen, and little boys are allowed out of the house with pants crotches at their knees and their little buts sticking out, and grown men are dressing the same way! You want to discuss disgusting? 

I wear clothes I've had for 15 or 20 years because I think the styles for a long time have been either downright silly or downright ugly, and I consider myself a fairly modern woman. I think it comes down to common sense, and as so many have pointed out, the need to look in a mirror both fore and aft and really considering whether I have dressed attractively and appropriately. But I can't do a blessed thing about those who don't.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

I dont object to jeans if they FIT the person wearing them. I've seen some very smartly dressed women in jeans. What I object to are the ones that leave a great chunk of ugly belly and bum fat hanging out between the jeans and the croptop. which usually looks as if they've borrowed little sister's shirt. Me , I like to wear trousers, pants, sweatpants etc because of warmth and comfort. BUT they have to FIT the right places without straining to do up the zip (lying on your back on the floor with a coathanger hooked throught the zip latch to pull the darned thing up!)

Madkiwi

PS. You're spot on about the men designers. Why do they think that exposing bums and tits (excuse the vulgarity) is so enticing? And yes, our little girls ARE being encouraged to look like tarts. BRave of you to say so, but it's what I've been thinking for a long time.


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## gillian lorraine (Aug 18, 2011)

domsmum said:


> I've nearly given up on blouses. There is a UK company called Bon Marche that manages to make blouses that meet on a mature woman's figure but choice is limited. I might try a small nens shirt and see if that works.


Marks and Spencer make blouses with an extra panel (like an inverted pleat) in the bust area while the rib/waist area are still the correct size. I have seen a video of a very busty woman wearing one ....she really put to garment through it's paces and it never gaped once--- even climbing out of a taxi.and the pleat is invisible .


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## kneonknitter (Feb 10, 2011)

Dcsmith77 said:


> Is the newer trend toward garments that are pulled tight until the button holes stretch bother anyone besides me? I try to avoid clothes that are just too tight, but so many of the patterns now are designed not to come close to meeting in the front. You can make a larger size pattern, but then the shoulders and neckline are too big.
> 
> I have started adding side stitches in ribbing to many patterns so that they fit better. Of course, you have to remember to add stitches to the sleeves, too so they will fit the armhole and that makes the sleeve kind of full.
> 
> ...


I buy too big because I can't stand how the 'new look' looks. I am a big girl & don't like looking as though I need a crowbar to get into my clothes.


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## gma11331 (Oct 18, 2011)

I have found shirts with a matching tee underneath in Draper and Damon catalogs (I wait for the sales) that are comfortable on me altho I've had to go from medium to large...I simply can't bear anything tight and am not buxom so forego a bra most of the time...the over-shirt allows me to do that. Around the house it is PJ bottoms and sweat shirts.


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## ibrow (Mar 22, 2011)

Here in New Zealand we have this marvellous brand of jeans called NYDJ - stands for Not Your Daughter's Jeans. Wonderful, wonderful. They come up to the waist, are a stretch fabric but not skinny stretch, are designed to fit the mature figure (ie with hips) and they are very very flattering. If any of you ever get your hands on them (or should I say, your backside into them), you will be truly amazed. You'll never wear daggy tracks again.


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## Rene22 (Oct 29, 2012)

I am A woman and do NOT wear trousers of any sort. I may be 83 nearly 84 but I still like to be ME


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## BeadsbyBeadz (Dec 19, 2012)

ibrow said:


> Here in New Zealand we have this marvellous brand of jeans called NYDJ - stands for Not Your Daughter's Jeans. Wonderful, wonderful. They come up to the waist, are a stretch fabric but not skinny stretch, are designed to fit the mature figure (ie with hips) and they are very very flattering. If any of you ever get your hands on them (or should I say, your backside into them), you will be truly amazed. You'll never wear daggy tracks again.


That's what I buy from Soft Surroundings - aren't they the best? The company rates all of it's clothing and home items on softness - 1, 2 or 3. The jeans are stylish and the stretch comes into play when you bend or stretch and you don't look like a sausage stuffed into them. Love them!


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## mac.worrall (Jun 24, 2011)

ibrow said:


> Here in New Zealand we have this marvellous brand of jeans called NYDJ - stands for Not Your Daughter's Jeans.
> 
> I looked up a U.K. supplier -very nice jeans but very pricey,I thought.


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## Debiknit (Jul 7, 2011)

Then there are these blouses with the seams front and back in addition to the side seams. Supposed to make you look slimmer. Well where they go in my body goes out. I look ridiculous in them.. I will say I can get longer slacks but they still don't fit high enough in the waist. And if I ever want to wear a large print balloon top please stick me with a knitting needle. Are they making bras out of different material lately? Mine are so uncomfortable and never seem to fit right. I react to something in them as well.


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## tielma (Nov 20, 2011)

Annelisse said:


> Please, what are Jeggings?


As far as I can figure from watching HSN shopping network, jeggings are a cross between leggings and jeans. Very tight leg-hugging jean-type affairs. Only good for matchstick legs :roll:


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## tielma (Nov 20, 2011)

Norma B. said:


> Sorry, but I've read through nine pages now and just can't do anymore. Maybe later in the thread someone will have come up with this thought, but I'm going to say it anyway. Has it occurred to anyone that clothes ARE very often designed BY MEN, and much of what women wear on TV (I guess---I haven't seen any TV in over fifteen years and haven't missed it) is probably dictated BY MEN to attract MEN viewers. Hence all the cleavage you speak of, the exposed thighs, the skin tight fit. It's still a largely chauvanistic society ladies, and unless you yell in the right places at the right people it will continue to be thus. Do you think the men are complaining about women wearing tight clothes that show everything in detail? Do you think they'd complain about men wearing revealing pants that show every contour of what's in there, or shirts open to show their Tarzan chest wigs? "What. There were men on the screen?" They wouldn't even see them!
> 
> Our little girls are being taught to look like tarts before they're ever out of the playpen, and little boys are allowed out of the house with pants crotches at their knees and their little buts sticking out, and grown men are dressing the same way! You want to discuss disgusting?
> 
> I wear clothes I've had for 15 or 20 years because I think the styles for a long time have been either downright silly or downright ugly, and I consider myself a fairly modern woman. I think it comes down to common sense, and as so many have pointed out, the need to look in a mirror both fore and aft and really considering whether I have dressed attractively and appropriately. But I can't do a blessed thing about those who don't.


I'm totally with you as to men being the designers of women's clothes. Been wanting to mention that aspect of things for a long time. What do most men seem to have on their minds most of the time?? You guessed it....That explains a lot IMHO :evil:


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## morningstar (Mar 24, 2012)

Norma B. said:


> Sorry, but I've read through nine pages now and just can't do anymore. Maybe later in the thread someone will have come up with this thought, but I'm going to say it anyway. Has it occurred to anyone that clothes ARE very often designed BY MEN, and much of what women wear on TV (I guess---I haven't seen any TV in over fifteen years and haven't missed it) is probably dictated BY MEN to attract MEN viewers. Hence all the cleavage you speak of, the exposed thighs, the skin tight fit. It's still a largely chauvanistic society ladies, and unless you yell in the right places at the right people it will continue to be thus. Do you think the men are complaining about women wearing tight clothes that show everything in detail? Do you think they'd complain about men wearing revealing pants that show every contour of what's in there, or shirts open to show their Tarzan chest wigs? "What. There were men on the screen?" They wouldn't even see them!
> 
> Our little girls are being taught to look like tarts before they're ever out of the playpen, and little boys are allowed out of the house with pants crotches at their knees and their little buts sticking out, and grown men are dressing the same way! You want to discuss disgusting?
> 
> I wear clothes I've had for 15 or 20 years because I think the styles for a long time have been either downright silly or downright ugly, and I consider myself a fairly modern woman. I think it comes down to common sense, and as so many have pointed out, the need to look in a mirror both fore and aft and really considering whether I have dressed attractively and appropriately. But I can't do a blessed thing about those who don't.


Hi Norma in Durango, Sure hope you and your loved ones are doing OK during this tragic time for your part of our country. Your comments triggered this one from me. Have you ever wondered???...men, all buttoned up in suits, ties, and comfortable shoes while women are draped in flimsy little dresses and perched on painful, pointed-toe spike heels? How will history view this? It is absurd! :roll:


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## Norma B. (Oct 15, 2012)

morningstar said:


> Hi Norma in Durango, Sure hope you and your loved ones are doing OK during this tragic time for your part of our country. Your comments triggered this one from me. Have you ever wondered???...men, all buttoned up in suits, ties, and comfortable shoes while women are draped in flimsy little dresses and perched on painful, pointed-toe spike heels? How will history view this? It is absurd! :roll:


Thanks for your concern Morningstar. Fortunately we in Durango have been spared the scourge of fires and floods so far, but we worry so about those in other areas who've suffered unimaginable loss of life and property. There will be enormous work to do to put lives back together for those left with nothing. I lost everything I owned in the recent depression, but it doesn't come close to what these people are going through. I at least have a few of my personal things left and friends to help.


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## kathycam (Apr 24, 2012)

Norma B. said:


> Sorry, but I've read through nine pages now and just can't do anymore. Maybe later in the thread someone will have come up with this thought, but I'm going to say it anyway. Has it occurred to anyone that clothes ARE very often designed BY MEN, and much of what women wear on TV (I guess---I haven't seen any TV in over fifteen years and haven't missed it) is probably dictated BY MEN to attract MEN viewers. Hence all the cleavage you speak of, the exposed thighs, the skin tight fit. It's still a largely chauvanistic society ladies, and unless you yell in the right places at the right people it will continue to be thus. Do you think the men are complaining about women wearing tight clothes that show everything in detail? Do you think they'd complain about men wearing revealing pants that show every contour of what's in there, or shirts open to show their Tarzan chest wigs? "What. There were men on the screen?" They wouldn't even see them!
> 
> Our little girls are being taught to look like tarts before they're ever out of the playpen, and little boys are allowed out of the house with pants crotches at their knees and their little buts sticking out, and grown men are dressing the same way! You want to discuss disgusting?
> 
> I wear clothes I've had for 15 or 20 years because I think the styles for a long time have been either downright silly or downright ugly, and I consider myself a fairly modern woman. I think it comes down to common sense, and as so many have pointed out, the need to look in a mirror both fore and aft and really considering whether I have dressed attractively and appropriately. But I can't do a blessed thing about those who don't.


 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: I couldn't have said it better. I have read that the weather girls in Russia are totally topless in order to get male viewers and improve their ratings. It kind of makes me sick to think in this day and age, women are still seen as sex objects and educated women in the media allow themselves to be used this way. Why bother to get a law degree if you are only going to be the eye candy on camera and read, or otherwise regurgitate, the "news" with the spin required by your network?


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## kathycam (Apr 24, 2012)

morningstar said:


> Hi Norma in Durango, Sure hope you and your loved ones are doing OK during this tragic time for your part of our country. Your comments triggered this one from me. Have you ever wondered???...men, all buttoned up in suits, ties, and comfortable shoes while women are draped in flimsy little dresses and perched on painful, pointed-toe spike heels? How will history view this? It is absurd! :roll:


 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## mmorris (Sep 5, 2013)

I use 'Sweater Wizard' that rewrites patterns. Very pricey but it pays for itself. I agree with you about the modern fit.


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## hgayle (Aug 22, 2011)

Knitish said:



> Love the comments, someone used to say of things too small or tight: you did not have enough money to buys the right size or enough fabric! What is what the shirts which are missing the top two buttons or so? The purpose of clothing is to cover and protect from exposure damage o your skin and bodyt-- give that a few years! There are some better manufacturers as LLBean, LandsEnd, Patagonia, REI if you are in the US that carry FULLY-functioning clothes!


I would add Coldwater Creek to that list. Their jeans fit a real woman - not stick thin models.


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## Joan H (Nov 28, 2012)

Pope said:


> What drives me crazy are the leggings. Everyone on television wears them and they look like elves. All they need are jingle bells on their shoes.


Yeah and large yarn stashes to bestow on us all !!!LOL


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## Joan H (Nov 28, 2012)

I am a firm believer that the bruises that must be left by the camel toes I bump into daily are not beauty marks!!!!


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## missyern (Jan 23, 2011)

I agree - I lost 30 pounds and had to buy new clothes. Surprise - same size as old. The have changed the labels.


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## yorkie1 (Sep 5, 2011)

Pope:
I'm like you. Those horrible leggings. Seems like any one that is plump to obese wear them all the time, everywhere. 
My X daughter-in-law had the hour glass figure, with all the sand on the top,(huge boobs, big stomach and no butt) She was huge on top. everyday she would wear sweatshirts or XXlg. tees that came down over her big stomach. She wore leggings and her back view was UGLY with her tiny little butt cheeks all scrunched up in those horrible leggings.
It was really embarrassing to go anywhere with her. 
Anything but leggings would have looked so much better on her. :-(


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## Norma B. (Oct 15, 2012)

yorkie1 said:


> Pope:
> I'm like you. Those horrible leggings. Seems like any one that is plump to obese wear them all the time, everywhere.
> My X daughter-in-law had the hour glass figure, with all the sand on the top,(huge boobs, big stomach and no butt) She was huge on top. everyday she would wear sweatshirts or XXlg. tees that came down over her big stomach. She wore leggings and her back view was UGLY with her tiny little butt cheeks all scrunched up in those horrible leggings.
> It was really embarrassing to go anywhere with her.
> Anything but leggings would have looked so much better on her. :-(


 :-( INDEED! You must be rather glad she's an ex.


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## yorkie1 (Sep 5, 2011)

We all are.


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## yanagi (Jul 7, 2013)

My biggest problem, other than the one already discussed, is that I can't wear polyester. I'm a bit of a sweat hog and it feels like I'm wearing plastic wrap. I need at least 80 percent natural fibers.


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## madkiwi (Jul 7, 2013)

yanagi said:


> My biggest problem, other than the one already discussed, is that I can't wear polyester. I'm a bit of a sweat hog and it feels like I'm wearing plastic wrap. I need at least 80 percent natural fibers.


Me too. That's why I buy men's under garments, yes including yfronts, because on the whole they are made of cotton. Much nicer to wear without the sweat running down you back!

Madkiwi


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## rderemer (Nov 13, 2012)

As far as I'm concerned, if you can't button it up properly, it doesn't fit even if you never have any intention of wearing it buttoned.


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## carriemae (Aug 28, 2012)

This is from the influx of illegals into usa their style is to wear everything too tight just look around and you'll see I'm right...It's a trampy look


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## carriemae (Aug 28, 2012)

This is from the influx of illegals into usa their style is to wear everything too tight just look around and you'll see I'm right...It's a trampy look


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## knovice knitter (Mar 6, 2012)

I can't believe what I just read.


carriemae said:


> This is from the influx of illegals into usa their style is to wear everything too tight just look around and you'll see I'm right...It's a trampy look


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## gma11331 (Oct 18, 2011)

knovice knitter said:


> I can't believe what I just read.


Ditto....


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## yorkie1 (Sep 5, 2011)

:thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown:


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## ibrow (Mar 22, 2011)

Oh dear, please let's not use this knitting forum to discuss the clothing preferences of other cultures. Let's stick to our knitting and try not to be judgmental of others. A preference for body-hugging clothes does not make a woman a tramp. It just makes her the same as thousands of others and different from thousands of others.


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## mac.worrall (Jun 24, 2011)

ibrow said:


> Oh dear, please let's not use this knitting forum to discuss the clothing preferences of other cultures. Let's stick to our knitting and try not to be judgmental of others. A preference for body-hugging clothes does not make a woman a tramp. It just makes her the same as thousands of others and different from thousands of others.


 :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## Dcsmith77 (Apr 18, 2011)

Actually, when I originated this post, I was really referring to knitting patterns, not the way people dress. I didn't mean to stir such a passive pot! However, I notice in the newest Creative Knitting magazine, although they have very few patterns that fit (mostly gifts - scarves, hats, potholders, etc.), the two or three that they have are nicely fitted.

Let's keep reminding all the pattern makers that we want the patterns to FIT! Do watch out for whether the pattern size is for the bust measurement, or for the finished garment size. That makes a lot of difference, also.

I've seen enough to know I'm not the only one, so I'm baling from this thread. Thanks to all who answered!


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