I wrote last week about how I’ve been a weight watcher my entire life and how I’ve always been self-conscious about my thighs. But now that I’ve gotten older, my thighs are really no longer a problem; all the fat has travelled down to my knees. You’d think that by now, being a septuagenarian, it wouldn’t matter to me, but it does.

For quite a few years, I’ve worn almost exclusively blue jean capris during the summer months. I wear my favorite blue jean capris to the point they start falling apart, and then I reluctantly put them in the “cut up” pile. I had to do that with two pairs of jeans this spring and since that time, I’ve been on the hunt for replacements.

I have a real aversion to trying clothes on in a store. I hate having to find a dressing room and take my shoes and clothes off and then fit the clothes on in a small room. Because of this, I buy most of my clothes online, on Amazon. They are delivered directly to my house. I can fit them on in the comfort of my own home, and I have ample time to decide whether I like them or not. If I don’t, I can send them back for free.

Over the last year or so, I have bought six different pairs of blue jean capris and they all went back. I am very picky with how my clothes fit and none of them fit me the way I liked or felt comfortable.

Therein lies the problem. Why is it that one pair of women’s blue jean capris would be sized for two sizes, 16 and18? Does that mean that if you are a size 16 and you buy them, they will be too big? If you are a size 18, does that mean they will be too small? I don’t think you see many men’s jean sizes like this. Men not only get their waist size, they also get their inseam length. I get that T-shirts would have these vague sizes; I think everyone expects them to, but jeans?
To answer this, I went to the source of all knowledge, Google, and now it’s big brother, AI:

“Clothing manufacturers make garments that span two sizes (like S/M or L/XL) primarily to reduce manufacturing costs and simplify inventory management while relying on flexible fabrics to bridge the gap.  Dual-sizing exists primarily to lower production costs by cutting fewer distinct patterns, run fewer setups, and spend less money on product development. Additionally, retailers and online stores can stock fewer variations of an item which lowers warehousing costs.”

And, by using fabrics that stretch, that size 16 just maybe, would fit the size 18 without making the woman feel like she was poured into the pants (or not).

So anyway, I branched out and bought two pairs of blue jean capris from J. C. Penney. I bought two only because the shipping on one pair was $8.00 and if I spent another $10 I got free shipping. I was able to find a pair of light colored blue jean capris on clearance for $10 so they ultimately only cost me $2 and I got free shipping.  Neither one of the jeans fit the way I wanted. One of the pair’s legs was flared at the knee (I tapered the legs and shortened them–not my best work, by the way) and the other pair, my bargain pair, well, let’s just say that if my waistline was near my bra line, they might fit.

So, I’m still looking. Most recently, I bought a pair of blue jean capris labeled “XL” and the sizing chart says they are a 16-18. I’m guessing that this is one of those pairs that, if you are a size 18, they are too small. This would be true.  I thought they would work; that they would stretch out and fit fine, but to my disappointment, they have not, so this will be another pair in the pile of “money wasted”. (I know, I should have sent them back, but I thought they would stretch.) So do I order the next bigger size and hope they run small? Sigh.

So here’s a funny for the week. After church, the Great Hunter and I decided to go to breakfast. While waiting in line, I realized I knew the woman standing in front of me. I greeted her and we talked for a minute or two and then the waitress came to seat us. The waitress must have assumed we were all together and led us to a table. The woman had previously told me she had come here alone to just get out of the house. I asked the woman to join us and after some coaxing from the Great Hunter, she did.

We had been sitting there talking for a few minutes and then the Great Hunter stuck his hand across the table and said “By the way, I’m…” I looked at him and said “you don’t know who this is?” He said, “no.” The woman and I then had a good laugh and I said to the Great Hunter, “Well, let’s just say we are the ex-wives club.” He looked startled and said he had no idea. He thought she was a woman I knew from church, when in fact, she is my ex-husband’s second wife (who is now also his ex-wife). It’s been 45 years since he and I divorced and probably about 30 years for her.