Shopping rant (with apologies in advance!)

If you don't like negative posts, you might want to skip this one...

Ok, I warned you!

I have been to every single women's store in our mid-sized city over the last week and have come away empty handed (oh yes, every single one!). I am desperate (oh yes, desperate!) for work-appropriate warm weather tops and I am at the end of my rope with all the boxy, flowy, sheer business I am finding in the stores! I am an hourglass with a strong shoulder line and surrendering the waist does not work for me at all. I don't think I could find a less flattering look if I tried!

In the dressing rooms, I found myself cursing my curvy figure, wishing I was a different body type. Then I realized there's nothing wrong with my weight or my body type, so I snapped myself out of it. Well, I tried to, anyway.

This is the first time I can remember where the stores have been dominated by a trend that has hampered my ability to find anything else. I am so discouraged and literally don't know what I will wear to work on Monday. I know that online shopping is an option, but living in Canada seriously increases the shipping fees and I really can't afford to waste any of my modest budget on inflated shipping costs, especially if the items require return or exchange. *Sigh*.

If you made it this far, thanks for listening. I generally try not to be this whiny but just had to get it off my chest. I know that this, too, shall pass, and in the grand scheme of things, it's not a life-threatening situation but it still makes me crazy!

11 years ago

Anonymous

What kinds of tops are you looking for? There are a bunch of us Canucks on the forum, and I for one hate paying shipping, so I have found a lot of stores that have free shipping and returns.

Peri

Veteran

I feel your pain...I was that way with the reign supreme of skinny pants. I would go in a store, ask if they had anything that wasn't skinny cut, and get a scornful stare. I'm still having trouble with the reign of cropped. And all the styles of shorts I want only come in super short. Stores are crazy!

Check out Transcona Shannon's posts. She has shown a lot of tops from a Canadian store called Smart Set that made me wish I could order from Canada. Maybe they would have something for you?

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Kimberley, I'm sorry it's been so frustrating! I can make the boxy floaty stuff work for me for casual wear, but if I had to dress for an office and I didn't have recourse to the things I already own, I would be SOL, so I feel your pain. I don't know what stores do or do not ship to Canada at non-usorious rates, but what about some 'old fashioned' options: Lands End, Coldwater Creek (for a few more weeks), LL Bean, anywhere where the average age of the shoppers is 40+...

always trying

I am in the same fix, except I have some tops from past years, and do not have to dress for work every day,but can not find much to buy for summer either--also fabrics are so thin and in lite colors are too transparent!

kkards

what is your office dress code? i have found great things at the gap and BR, both of which i believe ship to canada. joe fresh also has some nice looking tops, which look like they can be dressed up or down depending on the bottoms and shoes they are paired with.

maybe you can post a picture of what sort of top you are looking for?

rabbit

I second Laura's suggestion of the classic dependable stores like Lands End, LL Bean or the Canadian equivalent as they tend not to change styles from year to year and have good coverage and durability.

I like the current styles and if I wanted more waist definition would simply tuck or semi-tuck them in and wear a jacket over them, but if I really wanted a classic more tailored or body-con style in a blouse I'd probably check the thrift options, where in my experience it's not hard to find natural fabrics and good brands in styles that are slightly older.

Freckles

The Bay (Jones NY has conservative tops), Melanie Lyne, le Chateau.

Suz

Kimberley, so sorry this has been frustrating for you! I hear you on delivery costs to (and from) Canada. I live in a medium sized Canadian city, too, and find I must mostly shop online or on trips to larger cities. Occasionally I get lucky here, but it's rare. Still, as Ceit and others have said, there are some great online options out there for us. Banana Republic for workwear, maybe Cleo or Laura , The Bay, Joe Fresh, Club Monaco, Zara....there are possibilities.

Can you post a photo of the type of top you'd love to have?

Meanwhile, I agree with what rabbit says about semi tucking or tucking with a jacket. Remember also that silky fabrics actually move and collapse in on the body in motion, so you probably don't look as "blocky" as you may think when you stare at yourself straight on or sideways in a mirror.

Let's see if we can get you sorted!

Glory

Another Canadian here. Would love to help you find some options. Like Suz suggests, post a couple of pics of the ideal top and we will find some suggestions for you!

lyn*

Another canuck here - I think we may have a similar top problem, and I've found a few winners at Ricki's - do you have one of them in the area? I hate paying shipping too!!! It makes me very angry!!!

Kimberley

Sorry I have been AWOL - I was away for two nights with no internet access (horrors!).

Thank you all for your commiseration and suggestions - it is genuinely appreciated. The issue for me is the shape the boxy style creates on my figure... I love to half-tuck, faux-tuck, and sometimes will even full-tuck, but for me these techniques are not enough to combat the maternity-wear feel of the boxier tops. And after four pregnancies in four years and almost 70 pounds of post babies weight to shed, it's not a place I can go back to, ever I love the style on others, but just can't do it myself.

I will search more thoroughly online at many of the retailers suggested here and see what I can find. Thanks!

Let us see photos. Sometimes our eyes need to adjust, and sometimes (truly) it is a fabrication issue. If a fabric is truly drapey, I don't think it should make you feel like you're wearing maternity wear. But if so, there are still some more fitted tops around.

Gigi

Argh, I'm glad you were able to realize that it's not you or your body! Although fashion is much more inclusive of differing styles now than perhaps it was in the past, there are still pockets where you can't find anything but what's on trend. Ankle pants are a good example...it's very tough to find pants that aren't cut short right now.

I hope the other posters' ideas of where to shop help you out. Could you imagine what we would do if there were no online shopping? I would be Miss Frumpy, since I often have the same experience as you—nothing fits in the B&M stores.

Mander

I don't have any practical advice but I feel your pain! Something about my body shape just doesn't seem to fit into anything for sale lately, and on top of that I just don't like many of the current silhouettes, so it's all been rather frustrating. I have hardly been on YLF at all recently, partly because I've been feeling so out of sync.

Good luck! I hope you find something that works for you soon.

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