Working with the body I have
In the last few years I've struggled with having big calves. It isn't something I'm really used to having an issue with, especially since I was a dancer in high school. (My calves were on pointe. Get it?) However, once I got married and wasn't leading such an active life I really started to notice a difference in how how my boots fit me.
Right before Jason and I started dating, I bought the most amazing pair of black high-heeled boots. (You can see them in this super old post from when I first started blogging. Please be kind ;) ) I had just come off a semester of playing intramural soccer, riding my bike to practice (which required riding up a huge hill) and walking everywhere, since I was car-less in college. Needless to say my calves were looking super fine. When I bought the boots, they were snug, but they fit.
Fast forward a couple months later. I'd been married for about 6 months and had gained a lot of weight. I went to put on my super hot boots and I couldn't pull them up over my calves. It was devastating. It was the first time I really faced an issue like this with shoes!
Ever since then my fitness goals have included getting my calves to the point where I could fit into those boots again. They're still in my closet 5 years later, just dying to be worn. Because I know that they have pretty much been wasted I have tried to avoid the same mistake. Now, I make sure that all my boots have wider shafts so that they fit my calves.
Jason spoiled me for Christmas this year and bought me a pair of Hunter Boots. (insert a million heart eye emojis) The only problem was that they were really tight around my calves. Like, so snug that I could probably only wear tights with them.
I had been wanting a pair of Hunters for two years did not want to give them up, but I knew that if I wanted to get the most use out of them I had to return them and get a pair that would fit my calves. Luckily, I'd read a post (a week or two after Jason ordered my boots) on Franish, one of my favorite blogs, that said Hunter made an adjustable boot to fit thicker calves.
I reluctantly packed up and returned my boots and ordered the adjustable back ones. I am so glad that I held out for a pair that would fit better. Now I can wear just about anything with these boots--including jeans!
I've worn my Hunter boots everywhere now and I absolutely love them. I thought they might make my feet cold in the snow, but my feet actually stay really warm! It was absolutely worth waiting a little bit longer to make sure I got a pair of boots that fit.
As much as I want to keep working to get my calves back into my "skinny" boots I'm really glad that I'm making choices to work with my body as it is now instead of my dream body.
What is your opinion on getting clothes and accessories that fit you now? Do you keep old things that used to fit with the hope that you'll be able to wear them again?
