waltondammerung

Not a pregnant poodle

The last time I bought a tank top (that I still own) was at the Women Commissioner's rummage sale my freshman year of college. (I do have one my mother-in-law bought for me more recently, but, since I didn't buy it myself, it doesn't count.) While it is a fabulous, form-fitting, comfy, blue, terry-cloth tank top that I will take with me to the grave, I decided I should venture out to buy another. In fact, my wardrobe is pretty woefully bereft of Saturday-afternoon-type attire for summer. I do have a fabulous and fuzzy Bruce Lee t-shirt, but it is beginning to look a little worse (or better?) for the wear. I set out on a mission.

Hours of shopping later, I have not been able to find a single tank top that I like because stores are only offering the frilly, lacy, daytime pajamas that "the kids" are wearing these days. The look works for lots of people. I don't dislike it. It just doesn't work for me. Especially shirts with a high waist and low hemline. I have wide hips that just don't belong underneath some sort of billowy, poetic shirt. They go in pants and more tailored-looking skirts, and that is all. Narrow, fitted waste=Good. Anything else, especially with ruffles=bad. These shirts make me look like some sort of over-groomed pregnant poodle. Don't even get me started on the flowy skirts that have taken over the racks.

Unfortunately, they are the style of the day. I have found that the frilliness can be stealthy. A perfectly normal-looking ribbed tank top turned out to have tuxedo-like lace ruffles stitched to the front! I was on the verge of resorting to the camouflage print tops in the Juniors section or just wearing sports tops all the time, but I was in search of something at least sort of girly, so I stuck to my guns. I did find one today that I liked in spite of the lace around the arm and neck holes. It was relatively subtle. It was basically all one color, and it did not have any ruffles. It also did not have a price tag. When I got to the cashier, it turned out that the price tag was on the missing pajama bottoms that made up the set. So, the one tank top I found that did not look like froofy lingerie was, in fact, part of a pajama set. *Sigh*

My booty from the trip? Teva sandals ($20!) and a Popeye T-shirt. So girly. Okay, okay, and a skirt. But it's denim. With no ruffles.