But have you tried other stores? Other brands of jeans? That's what really kills me about women's clothes - there's no standard about what a "6" means from store to store! And comparing today's 6 to a 6 from several decades ago shows a rather vast difference in the measurements. Why can't women's clothes just go by actual inches, like men's do? Are we really such delicate creatures that we couldn't 'fess up and ask for a "26 waist" or a "38 hip" or (my personal favorite) "at least a 31 inseam?" At least then we could shop in relative confidence from one store - or one catalogue - to the next.

Sorry - don't mean to vent on this and crush your high. I think it's awesome that you were psyched about the new jeans and size and that you understand it's not all about the numbers. Congrats on this!

But I'm also curious/concerned when you say you're not done yet. What are you aiming for? You've already dropped half a size, right? Lots of women would gnash their teeth in envy to fit into a 6 but you claim you're not satisfied. What, exactly, are your personal goals? What are your criteria?

I know these are rather prying questions, so feel free to tell me to f*** off if you don't want to answer! It's just that weight/food/body image are issues with which I constantly struggle, and I'm always curious to know how other women deal with these battles and how they see themselves in their bodies.

Posted by jms at November 7, 2003 09:30 AM