Day 28--The Misadventures of the gray slacks

Prologue:

Where are you, gray slacks?

I don't know any girls who enjoy shopping for pants.  There is a near-impossible ratio of pant length to waist diameter to how your butt looks to how it feels against your skin. 

I am a 4'11' tall girl with size 0/00 waist, and it has been a shopping curse for the majority of my life.  It's been my personal experience that only 50% of stores even carry size 0.  Of this 50%, only 30% will have a 0 or a 00 in store.  Of this 30%, 20% of these 0s are actually 1s or 2s, purposely mislabeled to make women think that they have smaller waists than they do.  A 0 should be about 24 waist inches.  So, using my personal statistics, only 10% of stores will carry pants that actually fit me, and Lord help me that the thing that fits actually looks good! 

And yes, I've checked out the kids sections.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, given standards), most girls pants have zero curves and style.  They look dowdy, and if they don't, they have sparkles on them.  So once again, I'm stuck in the 10%-if-I'm-lucky junior department. 

The Misadventures of the gray slacks 

What exactly does a post-grad wear to an interview?  I'll be writing an entry about this soon enough, but in my personal opinion, slacks are a necessary for a nicer job.  I honestly don't think that jeans will do, nor will skirts (but more on that later).  I think that black slacks are little too funeral for my age and so I'm on the hunt for simple gray slacks.

ex. of crappy slacks

I'm a domino girl when it comes to shopping, which means I tend to do things in a certain order.  Sure sure, I can buy the other parts of the interview outfit now, but I won't.  Once I get the pants, I'll get shirts to match, and get the shoes to match the rest.  Without the pants, I'm lost.  

I drove over the San Diego's Fashion Valley, which is a huge outdoor mall with everything from Gucci to Claire's. I had money in the wallet and absolute determination to find size 0 gray slacks.  Nothing else.  Just gray slacks.

And...

Abercombie -- Doesn't carry slacks

Bebe-- Only carries ugly slacks, and not my size

Charlotte Russe-- Doesn't carry slacks

Skinny slacks=jobs??

Express-- Carried size 00, but when I tried on each of the three varieties I found that they were misrepresented 00s and were in fact 1s or 2, judging by how they felt around my waist and the parachutes of fabric around my legs.

Forever 21--I'm shocked that they don't carry slacks

Gap--I had some luck at Gap.  They carried my size, but of the 3 brands, only one fit decent but I'd have to get a belt for it, plus and it was that awkward color of charcoal that looks like faded black that been washed too many times. They also sold skinny slacks.  Seriously?  People win jobs with skinny slacks?

H&M -- Only had 3 pairs of slacks in the entire store and none my size

Hollister-- Doesn't carry slacks

Why are the waists so HIGH?

JcPenney--I had some luck at Penney's.  They carried two 0s of different brands.  One was way too big (another misrepresentation), and the other one was surprisingly tight and went up only an inch or so below my navel.  Not really feeling the Urkle look. 

Macy's-- They had one brand of slacks and their size 0 is too big

Norstrom -- No slacks for junoirs

Target -- Their smallest size of pants is a 2

The way I see it, I have only 3 more options.  (1) Buy shitting slacks from either JcPenney or Gap (2) Try Banana Republic and (3) Try one more local store that I know carries 0s, but I'm not sure about slacks.

If only

The day was not a complete loss, however, for I learned a few things

--The style of slacks these days is to be really high above the hips.  I haven't worn anything less than a hip-hugger or low-raise since high school

--They are two main varieties of fabric: a stiffer wool-cotton type, and silky type.  I prefer the stiffer look which feel and look more like jeans, versus the silk, which looks like pjs.

-- The answer might not be slacks at all, but a gray pencil skirt.  It's a look I saw again and again.  The thing is, I get cold easy thus the pants, and I just don't know if I'm comfortable wearing a skirt to an interview. 

--Once again I wish that there were stores based on height or based on age.  What a world if things were designed for actual women's height and lifestyle.  I would totally shop that the 5' College Grad store where everything was my length, with a sleazy section for clubbing, a young professionals section for jobs, an exercise section for fitness, with a special corner with Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Target products. 

(sigh) Still on the hunt.