A friend who tells you the truth is better than a friend who flatters

Recently I traveled to Omaha with my friends Jonetta and Casey for a women’s conference. After the conference was over, we ventured to the mall, taking advantage of our kid-free time. Besides, we “needed” new jeans.

As we walked into the clothing store, we were approached by a spunky, tall, brunette, spiral-haired young woman who was on a mission. Her name tag read Tessa.

“What can I help you ladies with?” she asked.

“Jeans,” we said in unison.

“Ok, let’s see what we can find.” She looked at Casey without asking for her size and went to get her several pairs to try on. I was immediately confused.

“You can just look at us and guess what size we are?” I asked Tessa when she came back.

“Yep! I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I can tell you right now your jeans are too big for you,” she said.

“Wait, what?” I said. My jeans fit fine.

She proceeded to bring out a bunch of pairs that made me gasp when I looked at the tag.

“Trust me on this,” she said.

My eyes grew wide and I shut the dressing room door. Tessa wanted to see every pair I tried on. She told me which ones fit well and which ones didn’t. Eventually, I showed her a pair I thought might work according to her standards (not mine).

“Um, those look amazing on you!” she said.

“Really?” I said, “Well, they feel really tight.”

“Yeah, our jeans stretch as you move around in them. It’s important to remember that,” she said. “It’s best to go one size down.”

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