Recently I was shopping in Walmart in the exercise area of the clothing section. My goal was to find comfortable clothes, preferably stretchy in nature, for exercising in comfort. Upon observation of my fellow shoppers, I realized that most of the women shopping in the "exercise" clothing section were overweight (including myself). It occurred to me at that moment that the search for stretchy clothing with forgiving seams was not just for exercise, but to sort of disappear to perceived, judgmental eyes. I quietly laughed to myself and immediately thought of Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. So, here are a couple of the reasons why spandex and stretchy, exercise clothing are like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak:
Reason 1: According to Wikia, Harry Potter's invisibility cloak is, "A magical garment which renders whatever it covers unseeable" (Wikia.com, 2012). Spandex, Lycra, cotton blend fabrics provide flexibility, comfort, and safety while exercising. It also provides comfort to people looking to hide belly rolls, saddlebags, and "fluffy" body areas that are not overly attractive in unforgiving fabrics such as denim.
Reason 2: Over sized work-out clothing gives the wearer coverage that is both comfortable and safe, creating a forgettable image to the general public. Harry's cloak made him feel comfortable and safe, giving him the opportunity to see and hear things he otherwise would not have been able to do if he was visible.
Reason 3: Stretchy fabrics help the wearer forget their weight problem because they are comfortable so it is easy to be in denial about a weight issue. An invisibility cloak helps Harry become invisible to the problems that are plaguing him at that moment.
Yes, this is a bit of a reach but is something that I found entertaining at the time and more importantly, realized I had been shopping this way for years. What did I do to remedy this? I bought a pair of denim capris.
Ha!
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