Never Too Thin

I was at the seamstress/tailor the other day.

Aside: Curious about the difference between the two terms - was "seamstress" a woman and "tailor" a man? - I googled the two terms and found the following: A "seamstress" is one who sews, makes crafty items and garments. A "tailor" is one who makes a garment fit or tailors the garment to fit the individual.

Waiting for my turn, I watched as the tailor discussed the fit of a dress with a young girl. The girl was tall, thin and appeared to be around 14 years of age. She stood hunched over, as if to cower into herself, hiding her pubescent body.

The tailor commented that the dress - a hand-me-down from her sister - did not fit properly; "too tight" in one place and "too loose" in another. The girl, possibly hearing only the former, immediately asked, "Should I lose weight?"

This girl was so thin that I could see her rib bones and small nipples through the fabric. Rather than modify or discard the dress, which she obviously liked, she wanted to do the same to her body. Maybe she wanted to look like her sister (or friend or classmate).

Her mother sat nearby and didn't comment. Her mother, by the way, was pleasantly plump so the issue of thinness did not seem to stem from the home.

When the girl stepped into the dressing room I quietly asked her the age of her child. She was 18 1/2 years old.

Rather than a diet, I thought to myself, she needed self-confidence and a new bra.