This morning, I caught myself doing something I wish I didn’t.
I stood in my closet…
longer than I wanted to.
If you’ve ever searched things like:
how to feel confident in your clothes again
why getting dressed feels harder as your body changes
what to wear when nothing fits right anymore
you’re not alone.
When Getting Dressed Doesn’t Feel Easy Anymore
I’m doing everything I can.
I lift with a trainer.
I run or walk 3–5 miles, 3–4 times a week—on top of lifting.
I pay attention to what I’m eating in a healthy way.
Not perfectly… but intentionally.
I feel stronger than I have in a long time.
And still…
I’m doing everything I can…
and some days I still don’t like what I see.
That middle area.
The way things fit… or don’t.
How one day it works—and the next day it doesn’t.
I’ve found myself between sizes more times than I can count.
Right now, somewhere between a 10 and a 12… depending on the day.
And I remember when it felt different than this too.
I’ve been a 6.
I’ve been an 8.
I’ve been a 14.
Every size comes with its own challenges.
But we don’t always talk about that.
It’s Not Just You
We just look for something to blame.
Our bodies.
The clothes.
The sizing.
And I know…
I’m not the only one standing in a closet feeling this way.
I see more than outfits in the fitting room.
I see emotion.
I’ve seen hesitation.
I’ve seen frustration.
I’ve seen tears.
I’ve also seen growing confidence.
And moments of complete joy.
I’ve watched women look in the mirror
and immediately start picking themselves apart.
Not the outfit.
Themselves.
The way something pulls.
The way it sits.
The way it doesn’t match what they hoped it would be.
And the thoughts come quickly…
“This used to fit.”
“What happened?”
“Maybe it’s just me…”
It’s not just you.
And I need you to hear that.
Why Clothes Feel Different Now
Because I’ve also had the opportunity
to learn from so many of you.
The women who have figured out their bodies—
their balance, their proportions, what works for them.
They’ve learned little adjustments.
Little shifts.
Ways to make things feel right again.
And the women who feel the most frustrated?
They just haven’t been shown that yet.
We were never really taught how to dress
for the body we have now.
So we walk into the fitting room
trying to be who we used to be…
or who we think we’re supposed to be.
And when it doesn’t work—
we assume it’s us.
What Actually Helps
Shopping should feel good.
And it can be.
But it requires a shift.
Not toward being someone else.
Toward understanding yourself better.
There’s something I’ve learned…
being on both sides of this.
Standing in my own closet…
and also choosing what comes into the store.
What you see on a rack…
isn’t the full story.
What Most Women Don’t Know About Sizing
Most of the brands in boutiques like mine
are small businesses.
And when they create a style, they’re asking:
How much can we afford to produce?
How many sizes can we realistically offer?
How many colors can we carry without risking everything?
Because every added size…
every added color…
means more cost.
More inventory.
More risk if it doesn’t sell.
If a brand offers 7 sizes and 5 colors…
they’re committing to producing all of those versions—
usually in bulk quantities of each.
They’re investing in dozens of combinations
before a single piece ever sells.
And each one has to move…
or they’re sitting on inventory they’ve already paid for.
That’s a big risk for a small brand.
What That Means for You in the Fitting Room
And then on my side…
every piece you see in the store
has already been paid for.
I’m making the most informed decisions I can—
using everything I’ve learned.
And sometimes… I still get it wrong.
That’s part of this process.
There are bigger brands
that can offer more sizes more easily.
But those come with trade-offs too.
Higher price points.
More mass-produced styles.
Less of that “I found something special” feeling.
So I’ve had to decide—very intentionally—
what kind of store I want to build.
Affordable.
High quality.
Different than what you see everywhere else.
Sizing Isn’t Just Bigger—It’s Different
This is the part that changed everything for me.
Sizing isn’t just made bigger.
It’s redesigned.
When a brand adds extended sizes…
they’re not just “scaling up.”
They have to rethink the entire piece.
Where the waist hits changes.
Where the fabric pulls changes.
How it lays through the middle changes.
It becomes a completely different pattern.
Which means new samples.
New fittings.
New adjustments.
And often… new problems to solve.
And even then—
the same style doesn’t always translate
the way we hope it will.
A Different Way to Look at It
So when something feels off in the fitting room…
it’s often not your body.
It’s how that piece was designed to fit.
That realization changed everything for me.
Because I stopped asking,
“Why doesn’t this work on me?”
And started asking,
“What was this designed to do?”
What I Focus on in the Store
So when I’m choosing pieces for the store…
I’m not just thinking about sizes.
I’m thinking about solutions.
How something will sit on a body.
How it will move.
What it helps balance.
Because I know now—
not every piece is meant for every shape.
And that’s not a limitation.
It’s information.
So instead of trying to carry everything…
I focus on finding what works.
For different bodies.
In different ways.
Finding brands that are doing extended sizing well.
Finding pieces that bring balance.
Mixing styles that solve different challenges.
Because to me…
Inclusive doesn’t mean
everything works for everyone.
It means there is a solution for everyone.
Even if the solutions look different.
Where This Leaves You
I’ve made a quiet shift in how I see all of this.
Not overnight.
But slowly…
through my own closet
and thousands of moments in the fitting room.
This isn’t about getting smaller.
It’s not about fitting into every rack.
And it’s not about forcing something to work
just because you want it to.
It’s about understanding your body as it is today.
Finding pieces that support it.
That feel right when you move.
That don’t make you question yourself the second you look in the mirror.
And giving yourself a little more grace in the process.
Because every size has something.
Every body has something.
And none of it means you’re doing it wrong.
You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone
You’re just navigating something
that was never designed to be simple.
And if you’re near St. Peter, Minnesota and this feels familiar, this is exactly what we help women with every day inside the store.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
– Lisa 💖
