I really think it's time for all the clothing  manufacturers to get their stuff together and standardize the sizes for ladies wear. I know it's not me because I barely eat enough to stuff a budgie. But every time I need to find a new outfit, the sizes seem to change on me--again. Have you noticed this yourself?

When I was growing up, loose, comfortable clothings was the standard for expectant Moms. Now I notice that a number of "Baby Boomers" are opting for the loose, comfort clothes--you know,  oversize sweat shirts, blousy tops, loose floral skirts down to the ankles. When I first saw this, I thought the fashion was going retro and heading for the hippie era.

I did a bit of research and came to these conclusions. Many of the dresses were meant for skinnier, almost anorexic bodies. The hemline seemed to be dictated by long, slim legs and stylish boots. And, here I thought boots were meant to protect the feet from rough terrain and/or wet, snowy weather.  The long, lean look is definitely out there.  Of course, it also means the teeny-tiny waist and the high cheek bones,  although I don't think high cheek bones really matter when you slither into the slinky dress. AND, slithering into the dress is one thing, but the real test is can you pull up the zipper? Another observation--what happened to the backs of dresses? Did the manufacturer run out of material?  I did notice several other pieces of clothing made up like a patchwork of bits and pieces of different contrasting or co-ordinating patterns and colours. Come to think of it, some of the dress fronts didn't look complete either. . .

A number of styles are the trendy look often influenced by a current movie or television show. "Anna Karenina" comes to mind because there is a Russian influence in some of the clothing. The most influencial in bringing back the 50's trend was, of course. the TV show, "Mad Men," which I've never seen. But I do remember nylon stockings with seams which is not one of the fads I like to see resurrected.

Enough of being side-tracked and back to my original mission which was to find a nice outfit for a New Year's Eve dinner. I finally succumbed and did what I hadn't planned doing--to search through my closet. Eventually, I found a deep purple, glitzy top (with an intact front and back) and a black skirt with the stretchy waistband. Perfect outfit and best of all, it fit!

Now, excuse me while I dash out to find the perfect shoes. . .