I went into town this past Saturday to pick up elastic at Jo-Ann's and made a stop into TJ Maxx to see if there were any major clothes or shoes sales. I'm not one for buying clothes unless I can buy them for much cheaper that it will cost to make them. Case in point when I was in Florida a week or so ago I bought those 10 pieces of clothes for around $34 which averaged a a little over $3 a piece. Now that was a steal!!! Out of the clothes I purchased one item was a brown pair of comfortable capris which I paid only $6 for but retailed at around $40. Come on, at $6 I'd rather buy the capris and spend time sewing up something else.
So back to my story, I went to TJ Maxx and noticed that there were rack's of capri on clearance. During Spring & Summer, aside from dresses, capris are pretty much all that I wear---especially at work. I definitely could stand to get a few especially since they were on sale. I grabbed a few of them and went to the dressing room to try them on and here's what came of my efforts........
(I found this cute pair of black sateen capris with zippers at the hem. They fit like a glove and were very cute. Since I needed a pair of black capris I swooped these up to buy.)
(I thought I'd give some short shorts a try. Well once again I'm reminded why I don't like to wear short shorts. I just don't feel comfortable in them. I like short shorts, just not on myself. Since my legs are so long I just think capris balance out my body much better. I love to see others in them. If I were just a little thicker and a little shorter I'd sport these because they probably wouldn't look SO short on me.)
(Now this is more of my speed!!! I love cargo style capris with lots of top stitching, zippers, etc) These are just awesome and oh so comfortable.)
(Look at those details up close. These are great!!! To be honest with you I would hate to sew this. It would honestly drive me insane. There's more details on these pants than I'd care to sew up. Isn't that sad. But for $13 I'd gladly buy these.)
(I loved how these tan capris fit near my hips but the longer length aged me a bit. I needed a shorter, hipper style. So I had to skip on these.)
(Well I started with 8 pairs of pants/capri/short. I don't have the best luck with finding pants & capris since I'm super picky about their fit. Being a seamstress will make you like that (wink)!)
(These are the only 2 capris that I ended up with and I'm happy with my finds.)
Well that was my dressing room adventures. I'll definitely have more in the future.....
What about you, do you like to try on clothes? If you sew, have you found it easier to face dressing room disappointments? Or do you like to skip the dressing room all together and take it home and return it if necessary (I often do this)? What say ye?
I love to take stacks of clothing into the dressing room, especially if it's a style I'd normally choose to wear. If I can buy it for less than I can make it I'll purchase it. If it needs minor - very minor - alterations I'll purchase it. If there's some pretty cool details I want to examine closer I'll purchase it.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is easier to face the dressing room disappointment knowing I can always sew exactly what I want anyway.
I hate to return things so it's pretty rare for me to purchase something without trying it on first.
By the way, your TJ Maxx sure has nice fitting rooms! Much nicer than the ones I shop at.
Now that I've begun to sew, I've definitely had fewer issues with trying on clothes. I think it has to do with understanding exactly what your body looks like and accepting that you don't fit the mold that department stores produce for.
ReplyDeleteSince sewing, I am more likely to gather up a size range rather than "my" size. So, shopping is easier for me now. I recently picked up some trail/hiking pants at REI and didn't really look at the sizing. The camera is a wonderful idea-I'll try that on my next shopping trip across the mountain (this coming Sunday).
ReplyDeleteI'm heading out this very afternoon to do the same thing with a sewing gal pal. Snoop shopping is such a great way to try new styles, get color ideas and notice embellishment details. I agree about those capris with all the zip and hardware detail....something I'm not going to sew for myself so it's much better to buy them.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the cargo capris... those are cute!
ReplyDeleteI would rather poke myself in the eye with a stick than go into a dressing room to try on rtw. So, about twice a year, my daughter pokes me in the eye with a stick and we go shopping together. Urg. Even the things that come close to fitting have to be altered -- so it's good that I can do that! I sympathize with your long legs fitting problems.cMy long waist, deep rise and short legs make for fitting nightmares unless I am sewing from scratch.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely hate trying on clothing. When anyone points out the time it takes me to make clothes, I always tell them that it is less than the time I would take shopping to find anything that fits and then it isn't that likely to be really what I want anyway.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely detest trying on clothing in stores, especially in winter, when so many layers have to come off before the trying on even begins. I'm not much of a shopper, either, I guess, so I really prefer to do my "snoop shopping" online or in magazines.
ReplyDeleteVery cute cargos!!! I love cargo capris!! I'm a big fan of looking at/trying on rtw for inspiration! It's just a fun trip and looks like you got some great deals while doing it too!
ReplyDeleteI really, really love trying on high end clothes! It's a great opportunity to exam them inside and out. Plus, it's a great time to test out whether a style will work for me.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to go into a TJMAXX store and not find SOMETHING on sale....that I love! Actually after reading this post I may have to see if I can go and find those cargo pants - lol! I like the idea of frugal purchases that lend themselves to specialized sewing projects!
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