Penningtons and Addition Elle Fall Previews

Penningtons and Addition Elle have fall previews out now. Click the links to be taken directly to the preview pages.

The eggplant colours featured in these previews are gorgeous. It's one of my favourite colours to wear. I also love embroidered pieces like this skirt. Embroidery adds such dimension and texture to fabric. Oh, who am I kidding. Taking fashion advice from me is like asking a fish how to fly, hehe. At any rate, you can't deny that I love looking at fall clothes!

If you missed it, the last two featured fall previews were from Sears and Eddie Bauer.

Sears’ Top Picks for Fall

Just because I adore fall clothes shopping and can finally buy "permanent" clothes, I've been trolling the internet looking for new fall lineups. Last week was Eddie Bauer, this week it's Sears!

I'm embarrassed to say that I've been checking their website daily but didn't notice the words "for fall" tacked onto one of the banners until today. Advertisement fail.

Anyways, Sears has their fall clothes out for men and women in plus, regular, and petite. I really like the shirt pictured here. It comes in colours that I really love – teal, orange, and green. If I don't watch myself, I'll probably get all three.

I also like this jacket. It's got two things going for it: it's plaid and has a Mandarin collar. Okay, stop looking at me funny now. What can I say? I love plaid. Plaid is autumn. Why can't plaid come back in style? (Don't answer that.)

Eddie Bauer’s first look at fall

Now's about the time when the fall previews start coming out at various clothing stores. As I absolutely ADORE fall clothes shopping and I can finally buy permanent clothes instead of transition clothes, I'm particularly jazzed to see what's on the fashion menu this year.

The first out of the gate is Eddie Bauer. They sent me an email this morning with a link to their Fall 2008 lineup. There's pages for both women's and men's fashions. Eddie Bauer carries clothes in petite as well as plus sizes.

Of their new fall line, there's a number of cardigans and pants I like the look of. The pants especially because their pants fit me really well. However, what I'm most excited about is the scarf pictured here. The colours make me think of hot apple cider and cavorting in the leaves. Some gals love shoes, but I'm a scarfaholic. Fall shopping, love it, love it, love it!

As I find more fall previews, I'll be sure to post them.

Clothing rant with a side of bargain

I confess I've been having a hard time shopping for my goal clothes. I've been so long from any sort of serious clothes shopping that I've no idea where to shop, what's appropriate for my age, or even what colours go together. Add that to the fact that I was seriously depressed that, after all this effort, the smallest size I could get into at Reitmans was a size 8.

Yes, despite all my flowery words to the contrary about being happy with my body blah blah blah, I'm still a little shallow in that I want to say "oooh, I'm a [insert ridiculously small size here]!" Yeah, I know. Sucks to be me ;)

But after four shopping trips, I've figured it out. Clothing sizes suck. While I might be a size 8 at Reitmans, I'm a size 6 at Eddie Bauer and MEC, a size 4 at Lululemon, a medium at the Bay, a small at Mark's, and a potpourri of sizes (including XL) at any given store I've been into. No wonder shopping is hard.

Anyways, now that I know clothing sizes are all over the board and I fit into a size 6 at more than one store, I'm a little happier and my closet is less empty now.

But enough ranting. How about some deals? I picked up a few bargain tips that might help other people.

• Retimans: Between now and June 28, 2008, get a $25 savings card for every $50 you spend. The card is good for the month of August (fall shopping alert!) on purchases over $75. More info on their website. If you go in, keep your eyes peeled for the stretch "business" capris. They're comfy and look really classy.
• Mark’s Work Wearhouse: Check out the RedFlagDeals forums for a $30 off coupon. I used it last night without problems. It's good until June 30th. If you sign up for Mark's Rewards Club, you'll get advance notice of coupons automatically. Lastly, there's a 3-day sale coming up. 20% off all women's clothing (pdf link). Mark's is often surprising in their clothing selection. I found a number of really nice work tops there.
• Eddie Bauer: They've got excellent prices on clearance jeans right now. I bought a pair for $20. Sizes can be limited but it's worth a look. Also, if you join their free "friends" club you'll get advance notice of sales and get coupons, too. You can sign up online (though I'm not sure if it also covers Canada) or in-store. Oh, and if you have a small waist like I do, their Shaped Fit jeans are the bee's knees.
• RedFlagDeals.com: It's surprising what you can find if you do a bit of searching at RedFlagDeals. Not only did I find the Mark's coupon I mentioned above, but I also spied in-store coupons for American Eagle, Sport Chek, and Bluenotes. Check the main apparel page, the coupons page, and the hot deals forum before you go shopping. Note: though this is a Canadian site there appears to be a number of online deals that'll work for anyone.

Hopefully these will help snag you at least one good deal. If you're still working your way to goal, get out there and treat yourself to something special. Looking nice has a funny way of making you feel nice, too. And if you feel nice, you look great inside and out :)

Goal day shopping and other things

Aside from a bit of unplanned eating on Sunday night (note: just because you get to goal doesn't mean you're cured), things have been going pretty good during the last few days. Things are settling down and I have lots to think and talk about. Thoughts on Maintenance, plans for the future, fears, and everything else that comes along with the next phase of my journey.

So, there will be a lot of introspective posts coming up, but today I'd rather talk about what I've been doing with myself since Saturday. First, I did most of everything I had planned to do on goal day. The only thing I didn't do was the last charm for my bracelet. There's a reason for that, but that's another post.

When we went shopping, I didn't get as many clothes as I would have hoped. I was still suffering pretty badly from my cold so trying on clothes was a bit exhausting. However, what I lacked for in quantity, I made up for in quality.

The first thing I bought was a bathing suit. And I bought it without shame or embarrassment. Just walked right in among the racks and started poking around. The first suit I tried on fit so well and looked so good on me, that I actually started jumping up and down in the change room for joy. I wound up buying it and can't wait to go swimming.

Next....*drumroll*....I went shopping at Lululemon. You may recall how utterly out of place I felt the first time I tried shopping there. This time, I felt like I had a right to be there. There was a live DJ in the window which kept Mr. Trim entertained while I had fun poking around in the racks. I wound up buying a bra and some crops. The crops are a size 4! Never in a million years did I think I'd get into a size like that. The crops are currently getting hemmed and I still want to get a Lulu shirt so pics will have to wait. Size 4!

Otherwise, the last few days have been about getting rid of my cold and easing back into the swing of things. I haven't been exercising much lately due to my cold and fears about my abdominal issue, but finally made myself do a WATP video a couple of nights ago. Fortunately, I was able to do it without pain so I did it again last night. I'm hopeful that the trend continues and I'm on the mend.

That's my update for now. And of course I hope it goes without saying that I'm very grateful for all the visitors lately to my blog who've congratulated me on my goal and welcomed me to the Healthy You Challenge. You guys rock and keep me going :)

In the knick(ers) of time

My new gym pants from L.L. Bean arrived in the mail just now. Thank goodness. Tonight is my first running clinic and considering the near wardrobe malfunction* I had last night, these new pants couldn't have come at a better time.

I tried them on and am really happy with the length of the legs. Sometimes "petite" fits are too long for me, but these are perfect. I also really like the fabric – it isn't clingy and hangs well. The only complaint I have about them is that...well...they're a bit too big! I ordered a large since that's what tends to fit best on me nowadays, but I guess the manufacturer just fits big in general. Still, they're much better than my old gym pants in that they shouldn't head south as soon as I think about moving.

All that aside, I've learned a valuable lesson. Black gym pants = black underwear. No exceptions!


* Similar to the last time something like this happened, my gym pants started falling down as I was running during Bootcamp last night. Though I was proud that I could keep beating those girls, nothing says humble like having to run, one hand yanking up the front of your black pants to keep them from showing the two inches of bright white panties you were inadvertently displaying for goodness-knows-how-long.

Gym pants are pants in disguise

Why'd I think shopping for gym pants would be any easier than shopping for regular pants? Arrgh! It seems like all I did this weekend was try on badly fitting gym pants. But, I'm happy to say that I succeeded in the end.

But first, let me tell you about my Lululemon shopping trip. After a hassle finding a parking spot (half an hour, don't ask), my husband and I finally walked through the doors. And stepped into an alien landscape. Literally.

It was as if we were transported to some other planet that was filled with tall, athletic, good-looking, designer-wearing, organic-bottled-water-drinking creatures of (presumably) both sexes. I thought I must've wound up in Hollywood by mistake. And, as I stared up at all these beautiful people, all I could think of was "not gym class again!"

But, like many good ladies on the WW boards will tell you, only you can let yourself feel inferior. So, I sucked it up as best I could and tentatively wandered back to where the pants were. I made the mistake of checking the prices and my stingy little heart seized up even though I knew what to expect. My frugal self is deeply ingrained. I can suppress it mostly, but at seeing the physical price tag, it hit the emergency stop button and took over all motor functions. It tried to take me right out the door, but I managed to make a left and wound up at the discount rack instead.

I did try on a pair of pants from the rack, hoping that my bum would magically look awesome as I was assured it would. But alas, it looked like...my bum. Covered in expensive fabric. *Sigh* Even $100 pants can't make my bum look anything more...or rather "less" than what it is.

After that, I scuttled out and sucked in the sweet air of the normal world. Wow. What an experience. It just goes to show that I'm not ready for it yet. But at least I gave it a try and am willing to try again. Just...closer to goal. And when my bum is a bit less...enthusiastic in the wide department.

But I hear you asking, but what about the pants? You said you were successful! Why yes, I did! After Lululemon, I wound up at SporkChek. I tried on a few pairs and came to the conclusion that athletic people are tall. Every single pair I tried on would need to be hemmed by 6 or more inches. Not that I don't mind hemming. Okay, I do mind hemming. But rather I'm not very good at it. And (stingy heart again) I don't really like paying for it.

I threw in the towel and headed straight to the computer and googled for petite athletic clothes. With two clicks, I was on L.L. Bean's site looking at a pair of relaxed-fit fitness pants that actually came in petite lengths. My frugal self gave me a high-five, so I took the chance and ordered them. They're also black and loose fitting so my bum will be happy, too. I also ordered a coolmax t-shirt. Both should hopefully be here by the beginning of February.

So in the end, I'm successful in that I bought some gym pants. Hopefully the gym pants themselves will be successful.

Concert and a coupon

Since I'm still feeling better (touch wood!), I took the plunge and just now ordered some tickets for my sweetie and I. I'm taking us to a Christmas music concert tomorrow night. I was going to just dress as nice as I could with what I have, but then someone on the WeightWatchers.ca board shared out that there's a 20% off coupon on Reitmans' site. Woot! I'm definitely going to check out what they have tonight or tomorrow.

I wub coupons and so am passing it on to the rest of you. Get out there and shop for something special, you deserve it! :)

• Reitmans 20% off coupon (valid December 6, 7, and 8)

Thanks to perkyhappygirl for finding it!

UPDATE:
I just got back from shopping. Success! Reitmans has a lot of really pretty holiday tops right now and at very good prices. Little black dresses not so much. But, I found a sparkly black top, some black dress pants (that fit!!) and two necklaces. I even saved about $18 with the coupon.

Tomorrow I'll post some pics of my new ensemble. It's about time for some progress pics :)

The little black dress

First of all, thanks everyone for your kind words! You guys really do keep me going :)

Second of all, I'm thinking I might buy a little black dress as my 50 lb loss reward. Although there's no special parties to go this season, I think it'd be really nice to have a night on the town with my husband. A theatre show and a (points-friendly) dinner would be so nice. However, I haven't owned a nice dress since oh...I got married seven years ago.

I went over to Sears.ca to poke around their dress selection and guess what? They finally got around to adding a MyVirtualModel feature to it! Best of all, if you've created an MVM account before, you can sign in using it so you don't have to redo your model. So far, Sears.ca only has dresses and swimsuits, but it's a good start.

So here's where I need your help. I'm fashion-challenged, so I've no idea what looks good, is in style, or anything like that. Here's my choices courtesy of Sears.ca. What do you think? What looks the nicest for a night on the town? A, B, C, or D?

Blood test

I finally got in to get my blood test done this morning. Now all I have to do is wait. I hate waiting!

In other news, I'm afraid my "new" black pants may have to go to another home. I wore them all day yesterday and came to the conclusion that they're just too big. Teehee!

Shopping in your own closet is awesome

There's been this pair of black jeans kicking around in the bottom of our drawers for a long time now. I thought they were my husband's. He used to complain that his black jeans were too tight and so stopped wearing them. Since he's lost about 8 lbs since I started WW, I told him to go try them on this morning. That's when I hear from the bedroom, "Honey, these say women's cut on them."

Sure enough they were! They'd been around so long, I'd forgotten they were mine. I assumed they'd be too tight for me (after all, they'd been around much longer than I've been fat) and almost put them back in the drawer to wait for thinner times. On a whim, I slipped them on, did them up, and found they were a bit too loose. Eeeeheeeheee!

I now have a pair of serviceable black jeans. I don't know whether I'm more excited that they're loose or that I don't have to go pants shopping!

Snow, snow, snow, and ski pants, too!

I'm super excited! We're going on a ski vacation this Christmas! After being taken for granted by our family for 13 years, my husband and I decided to take care of us instead this year. So, this Christmas we'll be spending four glorious nights on a snowy mountain with three of our closest friends. I booked it yesterday. Whoohoo!

But that's not what I'm excited the most about. I'm more excited because I will finally be able to hold my head up high when shopping for ski pants. It used to be that I'd have to borrow ski pants from my husband's work in the biggest men's size they had and still have them be too tight. I can't tell you how shameful that felt. But now, now I get to shop for my own snow pants and in regular sizes! Yay!

New clothing = the key to better posture

In new clothing, I sit up straighter, I keep my stomach in. No, it's not because I've found a stronger sense of pride in myself. Instead, it's to keep from everything hanging out. Clothing which fits – being neither too big nor too small – has no room for slouching. None whatsoever. Take this lovely sweater I'm wearing today. One momentary lapse of control and it won't be pretty.

So take it from me, new clothing will help you sit up straighter. It'll also work your abs, too!

The cupboard is no longer bare

My shopping excursion yesterday was, on the whole, successful. The morning was the most successful. I bought a jacket I'd been keeping an eye on - a $200 winter jacket on sale for half off - as well as a number of pretty and professional shirts. The afternoon was not so fortuitous as I became increasingly tired and desperate to secure a pair of pants or shoes that fit.

Pants have always given me trouble and, like pantyhose, care not a whit as to my size and were just as ornery now as they have ever been. Though I told pair after pair that they darned well better fit this time, alas, none of them listened and continued - resolutely - not to fit. They were either too small, too big, or too "look at my pantylines!"

The quest for shoes faired no better. Just about every single pair that I tried on was either too tight across the toes or too loose in the heel. After a sales girl at Aldo earnestly assured me that the shoe I was trying on was supposed to feel like an excruciatingly tight metal clamp, I conceded defeat and headed to Walk In Comfort where I found a pair of black nondescript Rockports that fit reasonably well. Though not fancy or exciting as I would have hoped, they're good quality, leather, and should last.

Troubles aside, I'm happy with my purchases (the best of which is this darling little black hat) though my shopping isn't quite done yet. After removing tags and organizing everything into my closet today, I see I need more casual shirts and sweaters. And of course the pants. I only found one pair that fit well enough but I need more than that. After a few days of rest and recuperation, I should be back at it, wandering the Sears clothing racks looking for that elusive beast - the pant that fits.

Well that was fun

I just finished weeding my closet and drawers. Take a look at the aftermath:



Yes, those lonely clothes hanging out on the right side of the closet are all that's left of the clothes that still fit me or are too dear to let go of. Of the clothes that I purged, the best clothes (about 3/4s of it) will be going to a local women's charity. As these clothes are still quite wearable and in good condition (some are not even a year old!), it's hard to part with them. But, I kept reminding myself that they would give someone else pleasure if I released them back to the wild.

On a lark, I decided to find out how many pounds of clothing I was liberating. So, I hopped on the scale with a laundry basket full of the clothes, did a quick calculation and came up with 28lbs. Yep. 28lbs of clothes. Almost as much as I've lost! And in case anyone is wondering what 28lbs looks like, here it is:



Add 10lbs more to include the cat.

Yup. That was definitely fun :) :) :)

The Cupboard is Bare

I can hold off no longer. My wardrobe choices have dwindled to one pair of jeans and a few summer shirts. Everything else is either too big, too old, or too ratty. Even my shoes are needing replacement. The cheap barely year-old peeling-at-the-toe ratty black pleather shoes just don't seem to go with my new sense of self-esteem anymore.

So, this weekend I'm off to indulge in my most anticipated excursion of the year. Fall shopping for clothes. Squeak! I plan on buying as inexpensively as I can – after all, I'll be going through the same wardrobe replacement process in about half a year's time – but I'm not going to scrimp on the shoes.

Here's what I plan on getting:

• Black leather shoes: good quality that'll last and go with just about anything.
  
• Winter jacket: nice and warm for the skiing I plan on doing! If I can find an inexpensive fall jacket, I might get one of those, too.
  
• Sweaters: as many as I can afford, I get so cold nowadays without my padding.
  
• Long-sleeve shirts: pretty and professional for the office and grocery shopping. I must look good wherever I go!
  
• Pants: two pair and again, for the office/glamorous grocery trips.
  
• Underwear: and not in the two sizes too big I accidentally bought the last time.
• PJs: you know your nightgown is too big for you when you bend forward and everyone can see everything from your bosom to your slippered feet.
  
• Scarf: purely for frivolous reasons. Some people love shoes, I love scarves.
  

We'll see how much I can actually afford but it's always fun to dream! I plan on hitting all the stores with sales/inexpensive buys as well as some secondhand places.

Tonight I'm going to ruthlessly go through my closet and start a donation box. I'm going to keep those pre-WW jeans of mine (the ones that caused a near wardrobe malfunction the other day) as a memento though. There's a few sweaters that might pass muster, too. And I might even weed out my scarf collection. Everything else though? Donate, donate, donate!

New jeans = awesome

I bought some new jeans today and now I can't stop looking at my legs. The jeans were bought in a hurry (they were needed to avert a major wardrobe malfunction*) but dang if my legs don't look mighty fine in them. My legs are much thinner than I thought they were and I've been trying not to stare at them as I walk.

The jeans are dark-blue size 12 petites, just right for my short legs. They're also tighter than I would normally get which is why, combined with the narrow cut of the leg, I think they look so good. Normally, I'd just get something on the loose side because I'm all about comfort. But not this pair. This pair looks great. My legs look great! I don't know how long it's been since I've looked at my legs with admiration instead of disgust :) :) :)


* Desperate for pants this morning, I grabbed my old pre-WW jeans to wear to work. Though most of the day was spent hitching them up, the near critical meltdown came in the evening as I was walking in the mall. With each step, the waistband dipped lower and lower until it cleared a good three inches of underwear. I knew then that it was essential for me to buy new pants lest I get arrested by mall security for indecent exposure. It was a near thing, but a strategically placed hand on the hip with one finger slipped through a belt loop kept the whole thing from going horribly wrong.

The Pantyhose Polka

Tiny Trim Tip of the Day: getting into pantyhose is NO easier after losing weight. It was hard at 204lbs, and it's still hard at 169lbs. I didn't mention it before, but I earned a good number of Activity Points rolling around on the bathroom floor at the wedding trying to get into a pair. There was a few tense minutes when I couldn't get the crotch section to go any higher than mid-thigh. I briefly considered just leaving it be, but decided I couldn't pull off walking around like a duck all day.

Shopping on the “Other” Side

It is true when they say the grass is always greener on the other side. I never expected it to apply to clothes shopping as well. Over the last week or so, I've been wandering into regular-size stores like a lost lamb. Shopping feels different and not in a good way. Instead of seeing sizes that are too large for me, I'm now confronted with size fours, zeros and even double-zeros. Who the heck can fit in a double-zero anyways???

At the beginning of my forays into the other side, I felt like a stranger in a strange land. Too skinny clothing and commission sales associates. I had forgotten about those, sales associates that is. I know they're trying to do their job, but I like to be left alone and only get help when asked. I knew I was in foreign territory when I stepped out of a change room to show my husband a so-so outfit when a perky girl popped up and exclaimed I looked "darling." Gah!

The unexpected emotions that come with shopping in regular size stores also dogged my footsteps. I started imagining that I really ought not to be there, especially when one store's "Large" would only fit a six-year old. I even wandered back into the plus-size sections and Addition Elle, seeking the comfort of the known. But even then I felt like an outsider. It was like I was in limbo. A specter doomed to exist between the two worlds.

However, with a number of shopping excursions under my belt, I'm slowly becoming acclimatized. I'm pickier about the places I wander into and have been mainly sticking to stores that carry both plus-size and regular size. Though I'm not technically a plus-size anymore, I just like the comfort that section brings to me and will wander through it when I'm feeling overwhelmed. My soul refreshed, I'll invariably return to the other side which, for some reason, always looks a bit greener.

Goodbye Penningtons

I had always thought that when this day came, it'd be much more momentous. That I'd walk into Penningtons, try on an "X" and find it too loose. I'd shed a tear of happiness and perhaps sadness before bidding adieu to my faithful plus-size store and galloping off to a smaller-size store in the peachy glow of sunset.

Instead, this day came quietly as I was researching clothing conversion charts. I had been trying on clothes at the Bay this evening, trying to find suitable clothes for a wedding when I started getting curious as to how letter sizes translated to number sizes. I went home, fired up the internet and found myself a conversion chart.

The "large" shirt I tried on was a size 12. The skirt I tried on was also a size 12. Both fit perfectly. And, as I was contemplating the conversion chart, two realizations hit. I used to be a size 20 and Penningtons only carries 14+.

This means I no longer have to shop at Penningtons. Or Addition Elle. Or the "Above Average" section of department stores. Or any other "Women's" sections for that matter.

I used to say that I hated shopping at Penningtons and the like. But now that I'm officially into new clothing territory, I can't help but think with fondness and gratitude that there are stores like Penningtons. Being able to find nice clothes in my size meant a world to me though I felt shameful to admit it.

So, farewell Penningtons. May you prosper and may you always help women feel good about themselves.