The average shoe size for an American woman is an 8.5. So I appeal to the majority of my audience when I ask: an 8 is too small, and a 9 is too big, right? That’s exactly why you wear an 8.5, right? Why ever would you subject yourself to ill-fitting shoes, when you can buy shoes in your size?
Now, take a look at my feet. I wear a 9.5… that is, I would wear a 9.5, but many manufacturers do not make shoes in my size. I am forced to squeeze into a 9, or flop around in a 10. If you’ve never needed to buy shoes in a 9.5 (and why would you? You wear a size smaller!), then you may not have noticed… but take a look in whatever apparel catalog you have handy. Look at some shoes, and see how many descriptions say something along the lines of “whole and half sizes 6-9, 10, 11.” Us ladies with 9.5 and 10.5 feet are discriminated against!
On a completely unrelated note: In my last flurry of eBay activity, I had posted a vintage dress (surprise, surprise) that I call the Waitress Dress:
Black, with blue polka-dots, a roll collar, cuffed sleeves, and pockets big enough for a pad and pen… and maybe some Chinese take-out. I’ve had it for years, but I only wore it once. It’s too big on me, and looks kind of dumpy. Just like it looks on this dress form, in fact.
I don’t recall if I never before noticed the belt loops, or if I’d forgotten about them, but I saw them when I was looking over the dress to describe the auction listing, especially because the tiny tear that I put in the vintage fabric would have been covered by the belt, if one was included. The listing didn’t sell.
The local thrift store was have a half-price sale, and I bought a trio of vintage belts for a song.
Hey… (lightbulb)! How does this black patent belt look with that waitress dress? The answer: fabulous. The dress now appears to fit me, and is actually quite flattering. I wore it with my black, peep-toe Mary Janes with the oh-so-subtle black-and-blue houndstooth piping, and they look as though they were made for each other. Yay! All I need to do is stitch up the tear, and… new dress! Because, um, I was running short on dresses. Yeah.
shoes and pie 