1. I consider myself fortunate that I've had no immediate family members pass away from the corona virus. I've had distant relations and friends die from it, though. It has not missed me. Globally, 3.9 million people have died from this "hoax" of a virus. Over 629,000 of those were in the United States. It is no hoax.
2. The thing I am writing about is first world inconvenience, to be sure. I realize things are worse in many other countries. I am writing from a place of privilege. I know that.
3. Of the many things I worried about having a shortage of, underwear was not one of them. Yet here I am having underwear issues.
4. I wear my underdrawers, as my husband calls them, until they need to be replaced. As in, there is no more cloth around the elastic, they barely stay up, and they wouldn't even make a good dust rag. I hadn't bought any new ones in several years. Of course I need some now.
5. I'm on my third attempt to purchase underwear that actually fits. Apparently, Hanes and Fruit of the Loom both have changed their manufacturers from those in China to industries in Guatemala. (Why they couldn't have brought those jobs to the USA is beyond me, but I don't own the corporations.)
6. The new underwear are smaller. Flimsier. They are cut differently in the legs.
7. They also cost double what they did pre-pandemic. If the reason for the manufacturing change was to keep from paying the tariffs the former guy imposed on China to keep prices low, well that didn't work.
8. I do not have a small butt. I am a big girl. I'm fat. I know this. But in years past, buying underwear has not been a problem.
9. First I bought the size I had been wearing in the Fruit of the Loom Fit for Me brand. Too small now. Apparently butt sizes are different in other countries.
10. Then I bought the size the chart said to purchase in the JMS Hanes brand. Too big. One pair was smaller than the others - what was up with that? Why didn't they fit? Was the chart wrong? Did I misread it? Who knows?
11. Today I ordered a larger size of the Fit for Me because they seem to be better made than the JMS, although from the comments online they are certainly not the quality we the consumer had become used to and expected from these companies.
12. I know in the grand scheme of thing that having your underwear fit is a non-thing. It pales in comparison to most of the ills of the world.
13. But damn, it's been a burr up my butt for four months now!
It may be "only" an inconvenience, but underwear is something we've come to expect to have on a daily basis! Yeah, you could, or I could, write 13 world issues, but right now I'm pretty full up on world issues, and underwear woes is fine. I'd be peeved too if my go-to ones were cut differently. It's already harder than it used to be to find just regular cut ones, for us "larger" women!
ReplyDeleteIn fact, to add to the underwear problem, my adult son has been waiting and waiting for Walmart to get his preferred style in stock. It's been months.
My pet clothing peeve is my favorite mail-order summer tops. Were nice cool cotton for summer. Now rayon. Rayon is not summer heat friendly like cotton.
As you say, first world... at least I have clothes to wear.
Underwear, clothes, shoes, to me all of it's a hassle to shop for.
ReplyDeleteI've had this problem too. I only like cotton and they are hard to find now. I finally found some on Amazon, cotton mixed with spandex so the stay in place. But every time I find something I like, I buy more than one because I know I might not be able to get them again.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post. The realities of life for sure! I have no but and my tummy has expanded so I have will have a problem too! Luckily that last group I bought is well made and fits well! I got them at Wal-Mart. You might find some older brands at stores like Ross, Marshalls and TJ Max. Maybe Sears or Penny's?
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