The Dress: A Fitting Room Saga

Something pretty spectacular happened today. If you follow my Instagram Story, please forgive me because this is going to be a little repetitive.

Today I went to Kohls because I had a $5 Kohls reward that expires tomorrow. The plan was to run in and grab a new pair of flip flops really quick but when I walked in the door, this cute little sundress caught my eye.

I dread trying on clothes. DREAD. For the past 13 years of my life, I’ve hated clothes shopping. I always looked huge and nothing ever fit; it was always an embarrassing experience that left me hot, sweaty, and humiliated.

So today when I saw this dress in the juniors section at Kolhs, I stepped out of my comfort zone and I decided to try it on.

I grabbed a large (that’s one to two sizes smaller than I’d normally wear) and headed to the dressing room.

It was too BIG! I couldn’t believe my eyes! A large! A large is never too big! If anything it’s too small!

Thinking it was a fluke, I went back to the rack and grabbed a medium along with two other dresses in medium.

Back to the dressing room.

Too big! Again! Way too big!

At this point I started to breathe a little faster, a small? Could I actually be a small?

I raced back to the racks, in my hurry I left my purse and half of my clothes in the dressing room. I grabbed all the dresses in smalls and ran back to my changing room.

Cue the hallelujah chorus! They fit! Every. Single. Last. One. of those teeny little suckers fit ME! Me!

Me! Who used to be the big boned girl, the plus sized girl, the girl who couldn’t share clothes with any of her friends because they were all 3’s and I was an 18.

I’ve experienced a lot of emotions in dressing rooms. Many have brought me to tears; frustration, outrage, humiliation, and hopelessness but this time the knot in my throat and the shine in my eyes… well, I don’t know that I can really articulate the emotion.

I’ve spent most of my life hating my body and for the first time that I can remember I feel proud, confident, and beautiful. Everyone deserves to feel what I felt today in that fitting room.

Don’t give up. I’ve been where you are. It’s possible.