Sizing Ourselves Up

Last night I bought some shoes. I usually wear a 10 or 10 ½ (I have one pair of size 11s), but I ended up getting 9 1/2s. I know that when it comes to women’s clothing there is a wild variety in sizing. In one brand you can be a 6, and in another you would be a 14. There’s certainly a belief that women’s self-esteem can be influenced by their perceived size, which could lead them to desire to buy certain brands of clothing because they can fit into a smaller size. (Was the phrasing there PC enough?)

It’s a little strange, though, that this could extend to men’s shoes. I don’t know any men who are embarrassed by the size of their feet. I mean, men are more likely to buy bigger sizes to feel more manly (I used to buy shirts that were way too big for my skeletal frame, which just made me look even more scrawny), with the possible exception of pants. In that case, men buy the smallest size they can fit into and just let their belly hang over their belt. So I guess we’re all a little bit delusional.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, you couldn't get white onions because of the war; all you could get...

Do you ever get stuck in a conversation that you can’t get out of? I’m not talking about those times when you have to be somewhere else or there’s a rational need to leave, but rather those times when, with every word the other person utters (it’s typically just a two-person conversation), your brain threatens to escape your body and make a break for it. All you can do is try to play some old TV theme songs in your head, or maybe design circuits if you’re the engineering type, all the while searching for an opportunity to escape. Now I’m boring myself just thinking about those situations.
Read more

Thirty Thoughts

1. Is that more hair in the shower drain every morning? 2. What's the big deal? It's just a number with a zero at the end. Why should we consider that significant? 3. Am I still allowed to wear shorts? 4. I need to buy a house within the next five years or we won't have it paid off by retirement age. Then again, my generation won't be able to retire until age 80, so I shouldn't worry. 5. I really should be eating more green, leafy vegetables. If I leave potatoes in the fridge long enough, will that count? 6. Going back to school is getting less and less likely. Then again, sending kids to school will be enough trauma. 7. At least I no longer look like I'm 12, which I did until I was about 23. 8. I will never wear my cell phone on my belt. 9. For some reason, there's a big difference between having a kid and having kid s . 10. You kids get off the lawn! 11. I wonder when my memory will start to go. 12. Inside of me beats the heart of an 18-year-old. At leas...
Read more

Moral Compass

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being “afraid to step on a blade of grass” and 10 being “I’m gonna kill everyone!”), how bad is it if I were to warm up my car in the morning for 10 minutes before coming to work?
Read more