Last month I found a pair of bike shorts when I ended my no buy odyssey of July 2022-June 2023. I got two pairs for $20 which I thought was a bargain. When I got home and put them, I realized it was more than a bargain, it was what a good friend calls “a find.”
These bike shorts are super comfy, do not get clammy, fit well under dresses and skirts as well as on their own, don’t roll down and start the horrifying slide to public indecency, and bonus on bonus, they wash easily.
Every time I wore them in the last three weeks, I immediately felt regret that I hadn’t bought two sets. However last night I dropped into my favourite outlet shop and was pleasantly surprised to find another set of two for the same price.
Cue the dancing people and confetti sprays.
It got me thinking though on why I have difficulty finding clothes that fit. And by fit, I don’t mean the size. I can find lots in my size, but not much that fits properly when it is affordable and attractive.
I encountered my first challenge after I had my child. Though I was the same size as before I got pregnant, I noticed the clothes felt and looked differently on my body compared to before. It didn’t matter the type of clothing; my entire wardrobe didn’t hang right. Some clothes felt like they were more constricted; others felt looser. Some clothes would poke out and others would cinch in.
Over time I replaced the clothes with others that fit better. Then menopause came, and now in my sixth decade, I’m realizing my shape has changed again. I used to be pear-shaped; now I’m an apple (Gala if you please!).
I compared my old ratty bike shorts I had been hanging onto from pre menopause times with my new bike shorts. I’d share a photo but they are both matt black and you can’t see the difference in cut and style the way I actually feel them. But there is a difference.
I think the messages we get from social media, advertising, fashion etc drive us to think there’s only one reason clothes don’t fit and it’s all to do with weight. However, many times, it has to do with cut and style instead of size.
I’ve also noticed how a shift in body shape influences my work in the gym. Some exercises I couldn’t do as well before menopause are now easier, while there are others that were fine before now require some adjustments and modifications for me to complete.
And that’s okay. Modifications in fitness shouldn’t be seen as something less than. There is no single path to wellness. Why should there be when it comes to clothing? I’m embracing the possibilities this insight will bring in the future, and not just to fitness and clothing.
MarthaFitat55 enjoys weightlifting, swimming and yoga.
Good post. I am on a perpetual search the the perfect Skort: one that looks dressy and is a little longer than most Skorts but that I can ride my bike in. Pantagonia used to make a great one but they dropped that model a few years ago.