dear faded glory ...

I love you, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I work at a Christian school, so I don't get paid a lot. Honestly, I don't need a lot—I live in Nebraska, where the cost of living is well below the national average, and I don't have any kids to support (although my cats are surprisingly expensive). But since I bought my house, most of my spare money is going to paying down my mortgage ... so I don't have much money to spend on things like clothes.

I also hate trying on clothes. You other plus size girls can probably identify. It can be insanely difficult to find clothes that fit me just right. Add to that the fact that my chest is, well, larger than it should be for the rest of me, and you see my dilemma. A shirt that fits well across the chest hangs off of my shoulders and trunk, creating a tent-like look. And a shirt that fits the rest of me is way too tight across the chest.

Enter Faded Glory. Faded Glory is a clothing brand sold at Walmart. Yes, Walmart. Back when I was in junior high and high school and my parents could only afford to shop at Walmart, I was embarrassed to admit that my clothes all came from there. But now I'll say it proudly: I shop at Walmart!

I kind of stumbled into my Faded Glory love. Last spring, I sang in the worship choir at my church, and each week had a different color theme. For Palm Sunday, the color was green. I discovered I didn't have a stitch of green in my closet, so I went shopping at Cato (a great store for plus sized girls!). I found two shirts that I really liked, and while they were a bit pricier than what I'd normally buy, I got them both. Then I went to choir practice and learned that our shirts were to be a solid green, and both of mine were green and white. So on my way home, I stopped at Walmart. I was too tired to try anything on, so I took the first solid green shirt I could find and prayed it would fit me. It did! Since then, I've purchased four or five Faded Glory shirts without trying them on first, and all have fit. I think their 1X model must be shaped like me :-)

Faded Glory isn't paying me for this post (though I'd certainly be open to promoting the brand for compensation, hint hint!); I just wanted to share the love. If you're a curvy girl, at least check out Faded Glory. Their clothing is cheap (and is frequently on clearance), it doesn't all look like old lady clothes, and, at least for me, it fits perfectly. For an example, here's one of my most recent purchases. I'm kind of tempted to buy online, as there's a much wider selection than at my local Walmart! (But I also know that items are discounted in store that aren't online, so there's that ...)

Side note: This is what my sister had to say when I told her I'd written this Faded Glory post:

ahahaha! as in, the shirts you wore exclusively in high school?? please tell me there will be pictures.

Here you go, sister!

You wanted to see them on me? Sorry, you should have specified.