You see the picture of the dress online. It’s fantastic; instant love, you can already see yourself wearing it and how you’d style it with the rest of your closet. So you jump right in and buy it. When the package arrives, it’s like being a kid at Christmas only better, because you know what it is and you know you already adore it.
Then you try it on and all of your hope and anticipation crumbles to dust.
It happens. You make the heart-wrenching decision to return, at which point you will be asked to explain why. There’s nothing specifically wrong with the garment, of course. It fits fine, it’s not too big or small so you can’t check that box. It’s a good color match for what you saw on the website; the packages arrived in good time – so you can’t pick that option either. In the end, you’re forced to plump for “Other” and write: “makes elbows look weird” in the box, hoping someone in the stockroom will take pity on your plight.
There’s nothing specifically wrong with the item and it should be a good fit. But it just doesn’t look right on you. I sometimes find stuff that is somehow too big and too small at the same time. Bodies are tricky and no two are the same.
Pink Dress Print
Before you return the item, there are a few things to try in an effort to save any outfit you buy – even when it disappoints on first try.
The problem with the photos on websites is that the models have a tendency to be tall. That’s fine if you’re 5’10” with legs that go on for days, but not so great if you’re the national average of 5’4”. ASOS is really great about this AND showing how the models move in the garments. Reducing or extending a hemline to get closer to what you see on the website can help bring a garment back in line with your expectations.
Rather brilliantly, some stores will now list the height of the model in the item description. It’s worth scrutinizing the small print for this, as it can help you make a more informed decision. Fingers crossed this is going to gradually become more widespread. I also find that reading the reviews is usually a huge help. You’re probably like “duh, Caroline.” But it took me years to catch on to that one.
If you buy a skirt and find it highlights your cellulite, then you have a few options. You can return the dress or find the the nearest ultrasonic cavitation device to try and solve the problem, if it really bothers you. If you keep finding that an area of your body that you’re less than happy with is being highlighted, then it might be worth investigating harmless fixes that could give you some confidence back.
Me? When I try on a pair of shorts that are just not feeling right, I grab cropped pants that make my booty look great, and I think, my short legs look longer. Instant confidence booster to GSD… including figuring out what to do with said shorts.
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