I went shopping during my break between clinic and student rep meeting on Friday. I had a gift card for Old Navy and the store downtown has a much bigger selection than the one near my house. Excited to purchase a new pair of jeans, I was quickly disappointed when I noticed only three styles were available: the Flirt, the Diva and the Sweetheart. Now I don’t know the difference between these styles. Believe it or not, I’m not a fashionista. I found a size 6 (yes, I’m a size 6) and they happened to be short, too! I was excited! I ran to the dressing room to find out that hey were too big! Wtf?! I also noticed they were just normal boot leg jeans.

I prefer the jeans that hug your curves and flare out toward your feet. So I put them back, reluctantly, because they were the first pair of jeans I found that I thought would fit in a long time. I dug through the racks of jeans and found plenty of 0s and 2s. Nothing short. Many longs.

It didn’t take long before I began feeling bad about myself: I wish I were taller, had less hips, smaller boobs and a longer torso. I looked at the mannequins and the cool styles of clothing they had up and around the store and sighed. I could never dress like that because the pants won’t fit me and the stupid button down shirts won’t button down because of my boobs. If I get a bigger size, it hides my already small torso and I look like I’m drowning in my shirt. I don’t like having my pants shortened. Sometimes they end up being too short or messing up the style of cut of the pants. Most of the time I want to wear them right away and don’t want to wait for the alterations.

I’d shop in the junior section like most short people do…but because I actually have hips and some meat on my bones, the waists are too small - this then makes me feel chunky. It doesn’t help that I’ve been gaining some weight lately. Note to self: don’t shop after checking the scale.

I have one pair of jeans. I found them on my first trip to American Eagle. I paid an arm and a leg for them, but they didn’t need to be shortened or altered in any other way. I want to bring the jeans in and tell someone to find me these exact jeans. Unfortunately, there is no size on them and I have no idea what they are. It seems sizes are different at every store.

This answers the question in my subject line. I always walk out of the store with another tank top or T-shirt because they fit. I can put the tanks under the stupid button up shirts that won’t button up. But I end up with no pants. I don’t want to wait until there are holes in my jeans before I find a new pair. So…with that said…I am on a mission - starting two weeks from now after I get paid haha.

Clothing stores, watch out! I will question you, make you climb to the top shelves to grab my size, dig through bins in the back, I might even make you cry, but you will sell me a pair of jeans that fit!