<p>They are volleyball shorts, designed to be used as hybrid shorts/swim trunks. They are fantastic all-around summer shorts, with two front pockets and a zipper rear pocket for a wallet. Perfect swim trunks, too – and unlike “board shorts”, they aren’t capri length, which just looks stupid on an older gentleman, such as myself! Perfect for hiking or a day at the beach when you will mostly be doing other stuff, but may want to get wet.</p>
<p>I’d been looking for a pair all summer (Nike, Speedo, Columbia, North Face, and others all make something comparable). A few pair of these (in marine blue) popped up at Marshalls for $12.99 and I grabbed a pair. I had the same thing in olive green (a few sizes larger) last summer and wore them a lot.</p>
<p>LL Bean. Very high quality t-shirts, nice color selections, dependable sizing. I buy their “carefree unshrinkable t-shirts” which are nicer than anything I’ve ever seen in a store including the Nike and Chaps branded t-shirts. The NIKE swoosh T’s are garbage compared to these.</p>
<p>US Women’s sizes are a total mystery. I own clothes (all recently bought) ranging in sizes from 0 to 8. LOL. At least the Italians figured it out right, because 9 out of 10 times I can buy size 42, and it would fit (interesting fact: the uber chichi Italian designers never make clothes bigger than size 48).</p>
<p>I bought my Modbod tees at Costco. The company has regular road shows in Costco warehouses (there is a list of their upcoming road shows on their website), and the tees and tanks come in 2-packs, cost under $15 per tee, and can be returned to Costco. I bought S, and they fit fine. I like the fact that even after several drying cycles the tees are still long enough to stay tucked.</p>
<p>In HI, board shorts are very popular for men and women. I generally wear that & a rash guard over whatever swimsuit top I choose and it doesn’t really matter what the suit would have looked like anyway. My SIL is a dermatologist & has convinced us that the sun is VERY bad, so we all mostly avoid it. ;)</p>
<p>I have been mostly quite impressed with the quality of clothing I’ve purchased from Costco.</p>
<p>Speaking of which, I was at a neighborhood party the other night with a ‘dressing young’ crowd and was shocked at the number of women with great tans (definitely not fake bake tans). These are women who are very weight and health conscious. Am I the only one who got the memo that tanning causes skin cancer?</p>
<p>deb922, thank you for sharing those links to nice tops. Very helpful.</p>
<p>I like to buy socks at Costco but have not had much luck with other clothes although my favorite pair of linen drawstring pants I purchased there about five years ago. For when I’m in my birkenstock-drawstring pant persona!</p>
<p>Will look for the Costco modbod shirts.</p>
<p>I-dad, my DH loves LL Bean tee-shirts. They don’t work on me though. I do love the LL Bean women’s Kingfisher cardigan though. Have bought several over the years, a classic.</p>
<p>Sizes, whaaaaah. BB, I am right in between a 40 and a 42, and therefore, in higher-end US clothes, between a 4 and a 6. But in the retail chains like J. Crew, it can be as low as a 2, and in Macy’s a 0. Oh, and of course there’s the “curvy” problem. Pants that are made “curvy,” when you buy the in the smaller sizes, insist you have a 25 inch waist, something I haven’t seen since I was 20. </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. I understand that sizing can be even harder in plus sizes, given that there’s even more body variation in larger sizes. I’m not asking that manufacturers start making all clothes the same. Just that they provide accurate information online. A 6 is not a 6. I’m guessing a 12 is not a 12, and that a 2W is definitely not just a 2W. We need info!</p>
<p>It’s always very grounding to go thru the old stuff in the closet, pull out a size 8 from 1993 and try it on and find it . . . pretty snug. So many sizes seem to have size deflation. It takes less and less size to fit the same body.</p>
<p>Am I the only one who got the memo that tanning causes skin cancer?
I don’t see a lot of people in Seattle with anything but a farmer or artificial tan, but I still see tanning parlors- I wonder how they stay open?</p>
<p>I use 30 or higher sunscreen but I’m outside on the water or on sand most all summer weekends, in the snow in the winter and outside for at least alittle while when I get home from work or can sneak out during the day. I will ALWAYS develop a tan even with 30 or higher screen on and a hat on my head. Probably the only way I could prevent my skin from developing any tan would be to coat myself in zinc oxide or cover in UVA/UVB proof clothing which isn’t feasible. in fact my skin seems to retain color through the winter on parts of my body that aren’t exposed to sunlight (albeit ever so light)). I’m fair haired but not blonde and blue eyed and I think developing melatonin is a natural defense in my body. I’m not Snookie orange or scary brown but I do have a “tan.”</p>
<p>momof3boys, some people tan easily, with minimal exposure to sun. I don’t.</p>
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<p>Alumother, I agree. Would it be too hard for online retailers to post a few basic numbers taken by measuring the finished garments? The Outnet seems to be doing it - they measure the items that they sell and post those numbers in addition to the manufacturers’ size charts. This should minimize returns and add to the bottom line.</p>
<p>All I know is that I’m beyond baffled at some sizing. I have a suit from Ann Taylor that fits perfectly & is a size 4. I also have other things by that same store brand that is a size 10 & also fits perfectly. The dresses I purchased this weekend are a size 10 & fit perfectly. My friend was trying on MOB dresses–many 14s fit her perfectly while a few were too large & a few too small. I have some “small” tops that are too big & some “large” that are rather snug. In my experience women’s clothing is much more inconsistent in sizing than men’s, but on our most recent shopping outing, I was pleased that most things in a size 10 fit me pretty well. </p>
<p>D has clothing that ranges from girl’s 14 to 00 to 2 to 4. She may also have some outfits that are larger sizes. We’re all baffled.</p>
<p>I was at a Nordstrom today, and saw a lady returning a whole bunch of special occasion dresses. She bought them all online in what she thought was her size, and none fit! She was not a happy camper about that.</p>
<p>HIMom, here is my online shopping tip: I think you have a Neiman and a Nordstrom in your city, so if you buy something from those two online, it can be returned to the store, and this way you will not be charged for the return shipping. I’m very glad that you found a dress that you like! I also bought a Maggy London dress at NR for $35, and I love it.</p>
<p>Yea, my friend, the MOB, has been purchasing some dresses from Nordstrom & other locations on-line & returning them when she doesn’t like how they fit/look. She’s found some at NR that she is pretty pleased with. Will see what the bride thinks. The happy couple will be arriving very soon!</p>
<p>I think I really need to try on shoes & clothing, especially fitted dresses, to see how I look in them before I decide I want to spend $$$$ & wear them.</p>
<p>The other slightly dumb trick with Nordstrom is that is you order something for over $200, shipping is free. So it makes perfect sense to order clothes in more than one size, try them on, and then return what you don’t want to the store. No shipping or return shipping charges. This assumes of course that the store is conveniently located.</p>
<p>Yea, I thought about that strategy. Actually, for some dresses, one alone would be well over their minimum limit (Torrie Burch, for example). I get nervous having too much merchandise around here and have decided I can go there & try things on so I don’t get overloaded.</p>
<p>Fortunately for me, the store DOES happen to be conveniently located.</p>
<p>BB–good thing you kept the Kate Spade dress when you found it–it’s no longer available on-line according to the message I just received! In fact, there are quite a few cute dresses on the Nordstrom’s website that are not available. Must be a sign of some sort. ;)</p>
<p>Mom60 - try ebay or anywhere for a “Gottex” swimsuit. Got a new one from ebay this year for myself (tankini style). Without a doubt, the best swimsuit I’ve ever owned.</p>
The happy couple will be arriving very soon!</p>