Fashion to Figure Fun

Dressed for Thursday's outing

Thursday, I was out to do outreach at a human sexuality class at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. Before outreach, I planned to shop; after outreach, eat.

I wore a new hairdo, a new dress and new glasses and was out the door at 9:30 AM. I was back in the door at 9:31 to switch to heavier outerwear. It was a blustery 40 degrees and the trench coat I initially wore out was not going to cut it, so I switched to a new swing coat that was more appropriate for our wintery spring weather. (On the road, I actually ran into some snow showers!)

Originally, I planned to drive to a DressBarn located near the University campus to buy a pair of white jeggings that I saw for sale on their website. But the route to New Haven takes me right past the Meriden mall where my favorite Fashion to Figure (FTF) store is located.

I always score at FTF and with my annual roadtrip to the Hamvention in Ohio looming on the horizon, I thought I might be able to get some new outfits for the trip at FTF's very reasonable prices. So I took the exit for the mall instead of driving to DressBarn.

Upon entering FTF, I encountered my favorite sales associate (SA) who was so helpful during my previous visit to the store. Even though that was five months ago, she still remembered me!

I did not see white jeggings on the FTF website, so I assumed they did not carry them, but I thought it would not hurt to ask, so I did. I was correct, they did not have white jeggings and that revelation segued into a short discussion about how white jeggings were not necessarily a good fashion choice for zaftig girls like us. That thought had crossed my mind and now that it was confirmed, I crossed white jeggings off my shopping list.

I browsed the racks and found a white zippered pencil skirt and matching white blazer. They had my size (1), so I handed them to my SA and she started a dressing room for me. While I continued to browse, she showed me a gray flared pleated dress that I immediately fell in love with, so she added it in sizes 0 and 1 to my dressing room. I did not see anything else that caught my eye, so I went to the dressing room to try on the finds.

The size 0 gray flare dress almost fit, but the zipper was very stubborn, so I tried on the size 1 and its zipper was more cooperative. I stepped outside the dressing room to check myself out in the mirrors and model the dress for my SA. I loved the way it looked and the SA agreed.

Next I tried on the size 1 pencil skirt and size 1 blazer. The skirt was a perfect fit, but I thought I might be able to downsize the blazer. When I stepped out of the dressing room, my SA said that I looked "Presidential" and I agreed ― the outfit looked outstanding, but I asked my SA to get me a size 0 blazer to try on. I was correct, it fit and looked better than the size 1.

While I was changing, my SA presented me with another find: a blue belted wrap dress with an asymmetrical hemline. When she handed the dress to me, I had my doubts because it looked too small, but when I tried it on, it hugged my curves the way curves were meant to be hugged. I could see myself wearing the dress to one of the dinners I will be attending during Hamvention, so I added it to my shopping cart.

I was happy with the new additions to my wardrobe, checked out and said goodbye to my SA.

Payless is across the way from FTF, so I stopped in to see what fit. I tried on a variety of footwear in sizes 11, 11 Wide, 12 and 12 Wide. Only one pair that interested me fit me: a pair of white flats. They were on sale ($17), so I bought them because I don't own a pair of white flats and these were actually pretty rather than just utilitarian!

Time was running out. It was 11:35 and the human sexuality class began 20 miles away in 50 minutes, so I exited the mall a very satisfied shopper and drove to New Haven.

Wearing Ann Taylor

Prisoner of war camp femulation in the 1937 film La Grande Illusion.