On Being Small

Usually shopping for apparel is a rather difficult/ annoying thing for me to do. As much as I love spending my little money on frivolous things, I don't. And it's not me being frugal or thrifty, it's the fashion world being cruel.

I'm 5' nothing". So buying pants sucks. I usually have anywhere from two inches to a foot of extra fabric to deal with beyond my feet. It's the two inches that really annoy me. I hate having to hem them or get them altered for such a small amount of fabric.So often I just end up folding them under which just looks grossy. Tim Gunn would scoff at me. Sorry Tim Gunn.

But Erl, why don't you shop in petites section? Well, I do actually, when it's available. But that's usually where I encounter the two inches of extra fabric problem. Dresses suck too. I usually look like a 10 year-old wearing her older sister's dresses. Petite clothes are usually fashioned for women who are 5'2". Didn't know that did you? Well I do, all too well I know it.

But I may have found the answer to my heathen prayers to the clothing gods. Target's Little Girls' section. Not the Juniors/Teenager section, but the section where 10 year-old girls would shop. I've been buying clothes from the Boys' section for years now, that's where I get my wifebeaters (hanes' tank tops) and sweaters from. If I get them in extra large, it looks like they were made for me.But these aren't the items in my wardrobe that I need to look like I fit in. I'd like a dress that looks like it was made for me, not a tank top.

It wasn't until yesterday that I ever ventured into the Girls' section. Lauren, Rajima, and I were on our way to the cashiers actually and passed through the girls' clothes. I saw a cute dress and as a joke put it over the clothes I was wearing. It was then Rajima and Lauren told me that it fit and that it looked nice. Halle-fucking-lujah. This has opened up a whole new world for me. You normally heighted people have no idea. I ended up buying that dress, as well as another that I will wear as my Halloween costume (it's a plaid jumper, much like my old elementary Catholic school uniform), and a pair of little girl boots (size 5) that I am rocking right at this moment.

I'd like to give a special thanks to Society, for all the pressures that it's putting on younger and younger girls to dress older, more womanly, if you will. Because without you, Society, I would have never been able to find a dress that is affordably priced and fits and without you some 10 year-old wouldn't be able to be jail bait.