Online shopping…

Can we talk about all these shops with the gorgeous dresses…

that only ever look good on a size 6/8 model?

Before anyone sharpens their pitchforks:

Girls who are size 6/8—you are stunning. Truly. This is not about you. You are not the problem. Please continue existing beautifully.

Now.

I’m a size 10/12. Very normal. Very common. Not exotic. Not rare. Just… here.

Since Covid, I’ve fully committed to online shopping. It’s efficient. No mirrors with bad lighting. No sales assistants hovering like emotional support pigeons. Perfect.

But here’s the issue:

I see the dress online. It looks chef’s kiss on the model. Effortless. Chic. Like she just threw it on and became a lifestyle.

Then shortie (me) orders the same dress.

Same size on paper.

Completely different dress in reality.

Suddenly:

The waist is in a different postcode The length is doing something personal The fabric clings where it shouldn’t and floats where it definitely shouldn’t And the overall vibe shifts from “casual elegance” to “why am I shaped wrong?”

And no—I’m not shaped wrong. The dress is.

This is where brands lose me. They design on a size 6/8, photograph it on a size 6/8, then scale it up like bodies are just bigger photocopies of the same template.

They are not.

A size 10/12 body has:

Curves Proportions A relationship with gravity And sometimes a shorter torso because… life

So how do we do better for sizes above?

Honestly? Not even asking for miracles.

Show the dress on more than one size. Revolutionary, I know. Stop treating size 10/12 like it’s a “special category.” It’s the majority. Design for bodies, not numbers. Scaling is not tailoring. Give us real photos, real reviews, real honesty.

I’m not asking to feel empowered.

I’m asking not to feel mildly lied to.

Because when a dress looks incredible online and confusing in real life, the issue isn’t confidence. It’s cut. It’s proportion. It’s design laziness.

So yes—fashion can do better. And it should.

Until then, I’ll keep returning parcels, questioning my life choices, and whispering “this looked nothing like the picture” while peeling myself out of another disappointment.

If you’re a size 10/12 and this made you nod—welcome.

If you’re not, now you know.

This isn’t insecurity.

It’s geometry.

Almost 40, Still Figuring It Out (And That’s Annoyingly Fine)

Hello… Jackie here..

I’m 39.

Which apparently means I should have everything figured out by now.

Career? ✔️

Life experience? ✔️

Opinions I didn’t ask for? Oh, absolutely ✔️✔️✔️

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about timing. About how I wish I had started certain things earlier. Writing. Taking risks. Trusting myself instead of waiting for permission that was never coming anyway. I always thought I’d “get to it.” Turns out, later has a funny habit of showing up faster than expected.

What’s frustrating is that even now—older, wiser, supposedly braver—I still get stopped by the same things that held me back before. Overthinking. Comfort zones. That little voice that says, “Maybe tomorrow.”

Spoiler: tomorrow is unreliable.

And then there’s the age thing. The big four-zero lurking around the corner like an unwanted pop-up ad. Suddenly, people feel very comfortable asking very personal questions.

“Do you have kids?”

“Are you planning to?”

“Don’t you want one before it’s too late?”

No.

I don’t.

Not because I can’t. Not because I tried or didn’t try. That’s none of anyone’s business anyway. I simply enjoy quiet. I enjoy my own company. I enjoy my husband. I enjoy not needing to fill every moment with noise, chaos, or tiny humans demanding snacks.

I’m also at that stage where retirement planning is a real conversation. So yes—let’s definitely add a child to the mix. Makes total sense.

Hard pass.

This blog isn’t about convincing anyone of anything. It’s not anti-kids, anti-life, or anti-anyone. It’s just honest. It’s for people who feel slightly behind, slightly ahead, or completely off the expected timeline. For people who are doing “fine” but still feel like there’s more they want to say, try, or become.

I’ll be sharing my daily struggles, thoughts, and observations. Sometimes serious. Sometimes sarcastic. Sometimes unnecessary—but aren’t we all, a little?

If something here entertains you, helps you, or makes you feel less alone, that’s enough for me.

Stop by. Leave a comment. Share a thought. Or suggest a topic you’re tired of pretending you don’t care about.

So yeah.

Let’s go.

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