So I ordered a bunch of new outfits from Ulla Popken, a catalogger/online retailer that I have really liked in the past. Because I'm a big broad, finding good clothes has never been easy, and I like Ulla's blend of lovely details with quality fabrics and construction.
But I'm a mite peeved this time. I'm tall, and I almost always opt to buy my pants with the "Tall" size rather than "Average". I picked out a couple of Ulla suits that I really had coveted from looking at the catalog photos -- one a navy pinstripe with white piping, the other a grey glen plaid with a long blazer. Both suits came with just ridiculously short pants. The catalog said a 30" inseam, but when I actually got out the tape measure (after trying them on and gasping) the navy pants had a scant 28" inseam, while the plaid ones were barely 29" -- and that's a LOT when it comes to pants, especially since "a great length" for me is usualoly 32" or even 33".
Grrrrrr.
So I called Ulla Popken, spoke to a very nice customer service rep, who gave me the most bizarre reason for the shorties: It seems that they make the inseam SHORTER as the sizes get BIGGER. And their "average length" (as in, "the length the catalog lists as the actual length")is really just the length for the size smaller than I had ordered.
Which made me think, since their sizes went up three more from what I ordered, did the biggest size come with a 22" inseam?
Jeez Louise.
After much thinking about it, I decided, what the hell. I kept both suits, and I just wear them both with aplomb, with ankle pants, as the style.
But man! A dream of mine is to someday find a way to get nice pant suits that really and truly FIT me.
Which makes me think about tailoring -- I have never had anything tailored. I've been chicken, thinking it'd be too expensive. (OK, not true -- I did have a dress "altered" when I bought it from Harper Greer in San Francisco, and it felt like SUCH a luxury! But that's it.)
In my dreams, I could even find someone who knows how to sew, who could copy two different very simply constructed suits I own -- but make the pants, sleeves, and jacket just a bit longer. I would love that.
Sigh... this is what happens when you exist beyond the bell curve of normal size. But I wouldn't want to trade it for anything! I am happy with myself, I am who I am and I don't ever want to be just like everyone else.
