Beware of the Buzzards





They hover everyday near my end of town where this
is lots of foliage and brush. 

Hormonal-Dysfunctional. That is what my 18 year old son labeled me in the car yesterday! “Mom is hormonal-dysfunctional.” He doesn’t understand what hormones have to do with anything, but he understands that I am very punchy!


My trip to meet a new woman doctor last week revealed that I have been on the wrong hormone replacement for a long time….which I suspected and that is one thing that led me to change doctors. The good news is that changing to the right one has a wealth of benefits…the bad news is, while in the midst of a change, as the doctor put it, “YOU MIGHT WANT TO HURT SOMEONE!”


Maybe, that is why I am so angry about buzzards! The buzzards are retailers who prey on the low self esteem of seasoned women in order to make a buck. On the day of my doctor visit, I opened the mail box to find a catalog which trumpted , “Comfort, fit, and value for the plus size woman….love what your wear!” It is a collection of oversized……cheap…..bad fabrics….frumpy….unflattering….poorly designed clothing.

Look how these two beautiful ladies are
made to appear in these unflattering
dresses!!

Elastic waist pants are one of the
worst fits and most unflattering
pieces a woman can put on
her body!!


It angers me. This type of clothing holds women in a trap of despondency….defeatism. I see so many who dress this way because they believe it is the only option. They have bought into the lie that because they are older and because they are heavier, they are sentenced to elastic waistbands, and dresses designed like fancy garbage bags. Or they are convinced that these are the only clothes they can afford.


Please join me in shooing off these buzzards! I hope to find a way to reach the ladies who purchase from catalogs like this one and show them other options. All they have to do is click a mouse and go the the blogs. …..they will find inspiration and ideas there for every age and every size. There is no reason to hide in the pages of catalogs like this and allow life to shut them down.

Even skinny models look big in these shirts!

Beware of the Buzzards!!


Meanwhile….you might find members of my family….students from my school…..and friends…hiding in the brush somewhere waiting for that all important hormone prescription to kick in!!

Now, for the FUN big announcement I have tweeted about…..Our local newspaper, The San Antonio Express News, has added a version of this blog to their City Brights Blog Page on their website. We officially kicked off this weekend. I am going to be learning Word Press and I am so excited to see how this is received! As they transition to Word Press, we cannot add pictures for now…but it is in the works!  http://blog.mysanantonio.com/over50feeling40/2011/01/the_wake_up_call/





Thank goodness there is a place for the hormonal
dysfunctional of the world!!

21 Comments

  1. Pam, those catalogs are AWFUL! It's hard to believe that women will actually WEAR that stuff. And most of the time, I think it's probably not because they really love it. If they do, hey, I'm behind them 100%. But it's because as women, we're taught "clothing as camoflauge". Clothing is something we're supposed to hide behind. It's supposed to cover our flaws. An aging body is NOT a flaw, it's a GIFT! I'm glad you posted those….and by the way, I love your hormonally charged posts! SIZZLE SIZZLE! LOL ~Serene

  2. The buzzards hover above me. My cousin has succumbed to them. In fact there is a store run by buzzards where she shops! Arghh! I will not be sucked in by them.

  3. Catalogues are not a big thing in Spain. People like going out to buy or just buy on line. I know they are epitome of bad taste.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  4. LOL, LOL, LOL!!!!
    You go girl! I completely agree about those kinds of catalogs! And in the meantime I am just happy we are not living in the same state (just kidding!!!)
    I am so happy for you about the newspaper. Congratulations!! I'll have to check it out.
    xx
    maya

  5. Congrats on the new venture.

    I get those catalogs too and they depress me. If we're limited to bad choices, shoot me now. I hope to remain young by acting young. I applaud your encouragement to us to reject these bad clothes.

  6. Yeah for you! Your blog is great and congrats on the success
    I turned 50 in august and needless to say it takes somewhat of a mental toll. But I love life. My mom used to tell me when I graduated from high school if you gain a pound a year in 20 years you will have gained 20 lbs. This has been the rule of thumb I have lived by. She is right. My mom is 76 and looks great. I know genetics plays a lot into it but so does discipline and self control. Have a great week. Fixing to watch the football game. And good luck on the hormone thing!!!!!

  7. Congratulations on the tie-in with the newspaper. That's really great and should be a good resource for your local readers!
    Those pictures from the catalog you highlighted are just hideous. Simply the worst. Those jeans? Terrible. Those mumus? Awful!

  8. Hormonal Dysfunctional…as frustrating as I'm sure this time is for you, that really is an amusing phrase.

    I completely agree about the clothing and catalogs and everything. It seems like my mom is stuck in that rut and I wish that I could show her differently but she doesn't seem to be very interested. Maybe it's just comfortable to her but I see how much more beautiful she could be. She just feels like since she stays at home with my daughter two days out of the week and only works in her office two days, her wardrobe doesn't matter. It makes me a little sad…

  9. Pam what a sweet notes you lifted up my day. My family went out and I was not able to with them. I think I just have to find more "reality" bloggers, not beautiful young girls that look like magazine models.

    Tomorrow I go to the Dr. So I am going to try to meet a friend for lunch (they are so patient with me) So I will wear one of my Maurices purchases. xoxxo

  10. Pam–how exciting for you and think of the readership! My mother often shops from catalogues like this, but it is more because of challenges with mobility.

  11. Pam, congratulations on your new venue!!! that is just tremendously exciting for you (of course) but also for the 40+ type blogger! dang, bust those barriers down! i just read your first piece & look forward to more!

    and 'amen' on those ratty catalogs. grrrrr…… go get 'em! (& let us know if you target someplace for an e-mail campaign or something!) steph

  12. Thank you to all for the support on the new blog!

    Steph…I had not thought of targeting someone with email…but maybe we should…let me ponder that one…I would like to see people like this stop and actually care about what they offer women!!

  13. I agree, they put skinny girls in ugly clothing. I follow a couple of fashion blogs and prefer larger size women (as I am not thin). These gals work with and show off their curves. I am trying to do that too. After so many years of wearing loose, boxy, baggy things to hide myself I am realizing that the look is not attractive. I also am addicted to WHAT NOT TO WEAR on TLC and they stress dressing for your body the way it is now. Embrace it, Love it.
    thanks for your interesting posts.

  14. Hey Pam,

    I agree with your article and the concept that older women do have a choice as to what they can wear. However, many women choose these types of clothes for other reasons. For example some women may choose sweaters that are more comfortable to wear and are warm rather then choosing the stylish and chic sweaters that appear to be classy but do not serve the purpose. It is important for women to know that they have options too no mater what age and body type. But it is also important to support the women who choose a particular piece of clothing for its purpose over its looks.

  15. You go girl !!!!
    I hate those mags. and my Mom has bought from them before which makes me want to spit!
    Congrats on being put into your paper!!!!!!!!!!
    I knew you were terrific , and now so many other women will benefit from your coolness 🙂
    Rock on!!!
    xXx
    Reva

  16. Super Kudos to you and the newspaper deal!
    How exciting
    Those magazines you showed should be piled up and burned.
    Seriously!!! You can look cute without breaking the bank no matter your age or size!
    Now I'm mad!!!

  17. You have no idea how much of this crap I pull out of the closets of my clients. It's super depressing. No wonder they feel crappy about themselves. Can you imagine getting dressed in the morning and opening your closet only to be kicked in the teeth with depressing clothes? Ugh. I do my part by helping my clients get rid of this garbage and try to educate them about how to find more flattering clothes. They actually exist. If only we could get rid of all the boxy elastic waisted ugly garments out there.

    Also, congrats on all your success recently! Super excited for you.

    xo,
    Tracy

Comments are closed.