clothes shopping, pre- and post-pregnancy

A few weeks ago, I bought a pair of jeans since there is NO way that I will yet be able to fit into any of my pre-pregnancy jeans. Then yesterday I also bought 2 pair of shorts and 2 pair of capris since it's getting to be summer and I don't want to be hot. I was amazed at how little time it took to select the properly fitting garments. Maybe it's b/c I'm 2 sizes larger than I was 2 summers ago and clothes don't fit skinny people very well? I don't know.

Anyway, here's what I went through in the past, trying to find pants.

1. Arrive at the store.
2. Select 2 sizes of pants each in 3 different brands, and optimistically take them to the dressing room.
3. Discover that on one of the brands, the smaller size is too small overall but the next size up is big overall.
4. Discover that the smaller size of the other brand fits in the waist but is too tight in the hips, and the next size up fits great in the hips but is gaping in the waist.
5. Pull on one of the third brand, and it fits great... but even though I am wearing low low bikini panties, the pants' rise is so low that my underwear shows in the back when I bend over. Plus I keep feeling like I need to pull them up.
6. Put all the pants back on the hangers and deposit them onto the did-not-fit rack.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 through several different stores.
8. Finally find 2 pairs of elastic-waist pants that are suitable, but definitely not "in fashion". Snatch them up quickly while they still fit.
Total time - 17 hours spread over 4 days.

Then, here is what I did yesterday:

1. Arrive at store.
2. Using the same size number as the jeans I bought a couple of weeks ago, grab 1 denim pair of shorts, one khaki pair of shorts, one denim capri, and one khaki capri.
3. Take them to the dressing room and notice that they all come with some sort of belt or tie around the waist, so if any of them have a slight waist gappage then the little beltlets will help cinch that in.
4. Try on each garment and look in the mirror, pleased with the fit. The rise is high enough, the gap in the waist isn't too big, the hips fit fine and I can sit and squat in them as well as stand.
5. Take them to the checkout and purchase.
Total time - 30 minutes.

Not sure exactly why clothes fit me better today, but I'm not going to complain. (Although eventually I would like to one day wear my too-small shorts again.)