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So yesterday, I decided to go suit shopping. The goal was to find something nice to wear at my graduation, and perhaps something to wear to job interviews. We went to Chermside and made a beeline for Myer. I've never really shopped in the women's section before, because I've just been too "solid" for women's clothes. So I didn't really know what I was looking for, or what size. We found some nice pants that I wanted to try on. Last time I went shopping in the women's section, I was a size 18-going-on-20. So I decided to try on a size 16. Imagine my surprise when they wouldn't even stay up!!!! A huge grin on my face, I turned to MaxBabe and declared I wasn't even a 16! Turns out size 14 is the go now. The last time I was a size 14 was when I was a starving undergraduate student, age 18. SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO!!!!!!!!!!! So we bought the pants and tried to find a jacket.

Went to Sportscraft and found one that was very nice (size 16 up top, stupid shoulders). The sales woman told me that if I joined their super duper special VIP club I could get ten percent off the jacket, saving me $40. Ehhh, what? This jacket is FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS?!?!?!!!! MaxBabe told me I'd find something nice much cheaper than that, so I politely begged off, and we kept searching.

We stumbled upon a place called Elio Moda, which at first glance appeared to me to be a formal suit hire place or maybe some upper-class clothes place. I figured we might find something in there. The sales woman was very helpful. I told her I needed a jacket and she immediately asked what the occasion was. I told her it was for a graduation ceremony and she congratulated me etc. I explained I have no idea what my size is anymore due to the weight loss, so she immediately measured me and found something that fit. And OH. MY. GOD. Damn, I looked good. She explained how certain jackets are worn in certain ways etc.. all was news to me, since I, of course, know nothing about style or fashion. Then she took one look at the pants I'd bought at Myer and told me she could find me something much nicer. And she did. Then she set about measuring me for the pants, and adjusting them for length etc, pinned it all up for the tailor and plonked me in front of the mirror. OH. MY. GOD.

Now, my measure for determining if something is hot, is to compare it to the character Olivia Benson, as played in Law & Order: SVU by Mariska Hargitay. If something looks as good on me as it does on her, then I know I've found myself in white hot sexiness territory. All I can say is - Olivia Benson, eat your heart out.

Ultimately, my new suit set me back $850. It's off to the tailor for adjustment and will be ready later this week. I knew full well going into the hunt for a suit that I wouldn't have much change from $1000. But damned if I'm going to spend $1000 at Myer, where the girl was sooooooo interested in helping me that I got no attention from her until I gave her my bank card. And even then, that was in between her having a conversation with another employee about how she's hung over. And the woman at Sportscraft, her only participation in the process was to offer me the deal of the century by signing me up to their spam list and save me $40 in the process. Ladies and gentlemen, my money goes to the people who could be bothered helping me. And the people at Elio Moda were top notch. MaxBabe was so impressed with their service, she's decided to get herself a nice suit from them, too. Guess where I'll be going the next time I need fancy clothes?

It's not all good news though. I didn't find the sort of shirt I'm looking for, and I'm yet to embark upon the shoe-finding journey. It seems that my steel-cap factory issue boots are not appropriate for such an occasion!