I keep seeing references to the vanity sizing on websites that I frequent, but, like ellendi commented above, it hasn't proven true with my own shopping. My old size 6 suits and pants (some are 10 years old) fit me well, and some are even a bit loose. My new suits are all size 8s, and many 8s don't fit me. The cuts seem to have changed a few years ago in a way that doesn't suit me. Jackets and tops are cut narrower in the shoulder (I have broad shoulders), and pants are cut smaller in the seat and thighs. Clothing is closer to being straight up and down. If I had a different body type, perhaps a smaller size would work, but with my body type I seem to need larger sizes, which then need tailoring to truly fit well because they're too big in the torso and waist (my goal for this year is to work towards better fits and find a good tailor). I wear suits 4 days a week, and dressy business casual on Fridays, and I've been unimpressed with the fabric quality of most suits. So I usually try to buy my suits at places like nordstrom rack, because the lower cost matches what the suits seem 'worth' to me (I can't see paying $300 for a low quality fabric). Casual clothes are even more hit or miss for me. Macys is mostly junk. Ann taylor loft and their outlets were once reliable, but not any more (I bought a top from ann taylor outlet a few weeks ago and it literally fell apart when i ran it through the delicate cycle before wearing it; unfortunately I'd thrown out the price tag). Banana republic seems too expensive for the quality. I love boden but sadly nothing that I have ordered from them fits me; their fit model must have a very different body type. Sigh...

jt...that is a worrisome description you give of your friend. The combination of eating the french fries and then describing how thin she is and the condition of her teeth leads me to think that she is purging by vomiting, known as bulimia.The stomach acids eat away the enamel on the teeth. It is very very common. I ran with a friend that did it. I finally confronted him after hearing him in the bathroom. We would eat lunch and he would have all of this stuff that one wouldn't think a runner would eat. Then he would always have a reason for going to the bathroom. i followed him and listened. So sad. He also would stop by the trail to supposedly urinate but he was actually vomiting the snacks/lunch we had eaten. He was able to finally get it under control. As an aside he is a clinical psychologist Phd. My DD had a friend in high school who also purged. Her Mom found glass jars of vomit in the girl's closet. Really really sad. The Mom is an MD and did seek help but it was very hard for this gal to accept help. She had to go away to a facility in order to get well. The disorder is extremely addicting and consequently very hard to get over. Here is a link. c Here is a link that might be useful: bulimia and famous people

Hmmm, so I fuss over "girl" AND "guy" stuff. When it came time to have our electrical box upgraded from the old 100 amp service to the 200 amp service...I was the one asking the questions to the electrician. When our electrician was here this weekend to replace an old light switch that sizzled and fried (littlerally...black smoke coming out and everything!), I was right there, asking him about it. And I LOVE that he explained it to me as a human and not as "okay, little lady, here's what's up with it." When we were getting ready to build a house a few years ago...it was me that fussed over the dual zone heating. And me that fussed over the geothermal heat pump. And me that was asking about the relative advantages and disadvantages of Superior Walls vs. standard foundations. My husband came along for the ride on most of that. In our house, in many cases, I do the research (be it "male" or "female" based. Narrow down the choices to what I find acceptable. Present findings to DH and then we work on finding a decision. But, me, heck yeah, I'm going to be SO excited (seriously!) when it comes time for us to have the HVAC people in to replace our old furnace. But, I'm a little odd like that.

Was blown away by Selma Hayek's article. To have a meaningful discussion we need to differentiate between rape, sexual assault, and harassment. Hayek DID say no, repeatedly, and did fight against Weinstein. But he continued to bully her in a sexual way, which is harassment. And he got away with it because of the power he wielded in her industry and a lack of an accountability force in his work. Weinstein seems to fit standard psychopath behaviors--charming and charismatic on the surface, good at manipulating people, gets a kick out of pushing boundaries, and has the inability to ever respect them because to respect social boundaries you have to be able to empathize with your fellow humans. The golden rule of how to treat people which is totally logical, makes no sense if you cannot imagine an "other" as being anything outside of an object. And that goes for the way psychopaths treat both men and women. Psychopaths are not all Hannibal Lecter's, many are highly functioning and respected members of our society, due to their charm and for some, intelligence. And many do not "mean" to harm people and can be taught to treat people well, but in a mechanistic way. But by the time someone is in the position of Weinstein, too many people are invested so it will take a "village" so to speak, to hold them accountable. It takes quite a while for enough people to understand how twisted the person is, because if you have never seen it or experienced it in person, based on the person's outside face, you find it unbelievable. They can hold it together for a while and say just the right things to gain sympathy and positive attention. Ask me how I know . . . Years ago I had a very weird boss, who everyone thought was a saint but could be casually cruel just as easily as casually eloquent and charming. He would mouth the words about how we were all one big family and folks would believe him . . . until they experienced his dark side. One of the people who worked with him told me once, "I used to think he was a great guy and my friend, and then I realized he was NOT a great guy, and NOT my friend, and the only person he cared about was himself." But hard to pin anything on him since so many folks practically worshiped him.