Last week I got the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine and I am so thrilled. My state (Maryland) and especially my county (Prince George's) has struggled with the vaccine rollout; I was only qualified because of my BMI (which if you follow me on Instagram, you know I find BMI to be bullsh*t) but I took it and got the first shot with my second one later this month.
What does one wear to get the vaccine? Well, a sleeveless or short-sleeved top is a start. This merino shell from Everlane doesn't look to still be available, but it has been a staple in my wardrobe for several seasons and was perfect for getting the injection. This one from J.Crew looks similar and is available in six colors up to size 3X.
Since it was cold out, I needed a layering piece. A blazer won't cling like a hoodie or cardigan, so I could slip it off and back on my arm without having my base layers get all caught up. I had no idea I'd get a button on the way out from my appointment to commemorate the experience; I was glad to have my lapel ready to rock it!
This blazer you have seen before; I wore it in this blog post with a graphic tee and skinny jeans. It's from J.Crew and also came in goldenrod; you may be able to find it on a resale site; I'm wearing a 14.
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I love this blazer from J. Crew which looks to be the same silhouette and same buttons, but in a spring-friendly stretch linen fabric available up to size 16. This plus-size blazer from ELOQUII is also double-breasted with gold buttons; this sweater blazer from J. Crew also has gold buttons and is available up to 3X and is on sale; this ponte knit blazer from Lane Bryant is double-breasted and comes in plus petite.
I ordered many pairs of jeans from Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy for an upcoming denim haul similar to my Madewell denim haul. The large box has been sitting on the floor of my bedroom for a while; I hope to get to it this week. But the pair on top was calling my name. I went to try them on, assuming they'd be a fail and was pleasantly surprised and ended up wearing them with this outfit.
As I mentioned in last week's The Friday Shop, these are the Gap Distressed Cheeky Straight in size 14/32 color Light Indigo Destroy. And I've been wearing them almost daily since I got them. They're just what I was looking for through that painful Madewell Denim Haul: not skinny but not too big, faded, vintage-inspired, distressed but not torn the eff up, and a length that can work with sneakers or sandals.
Speaking of sneakers, I am wearing my Adidas Superstars, which are a chunky white trendy sneaker, but not a bulbous as a pair of Air Force Ones, and roomy for my wide feet. They're famous for the black stripes but I went with an all-white pair which feels more versatile and classic for me. I love the look of an all-white sneaker, but many just look weird on me with my wide feet and solid ankles and shins; these I like with shorter dresses and shorts or else with leggings and jeans.
As for my accessories, I am wearing these earrings from Baublebar, this ring from REALM, this bangle from Metal Marvels and this bangle from REALM, and this belt bag worn as a crossbody. My sunglasses are the 62mm size aviator from Ray-Ban.
And finally, since it was a day to celebrate I decided to have some fun with my eye makeup and wore this liquid liner from Urban Decay with an otherwise no-makeup makeup face. I have this liner in a few different colors; it's not rough like glitter, washes off relatively well, and you do need to layer in some places but it's in general not hard to apply and always gets compliments. You can go as strong or mild as you desire (apply over black liner for a real pop!).
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Yay for your shot! And this is a great post too because when I got mine, there was a man who had to do some finagling to expose the right part of his arm (really shoulder). Long sleeved shirts have to be super loose to work (he ended up pulling down the collar to let the nurse go in from the top.
My sister joked that cold shoulder tops are medically necessary now.
This was timely for me as my vax appointment was Monday! I needed to be comfy since I walked the 30 min to the mass vaccination site at our convention center. It was a beautiful day and I smiled all the way home. I took your advice and went sleeveless under a stretchy blazer, jeans and sneakers, a bit of makeup and my happy spring tie dye mask. I got teary afterwards seeing so many thousands of people doing their duty to get vaccinated, and all the workers and volunteers.
I also think BMI is bunk. As a grown ass woman who has been overweight my whole life, I do think there needs to be something that indicates potential for other risk factors. However I have always felt BMI wasn’t accurate. I wear a 12 on the bottom and a 14 on top and have a BMI of 32. I happen to be very densely built but I carry this shame of being labeled obese. It’s hard. But I relished using it to qualify for the vaccine, just like my friend used being a past smoker to qualify for hers.
I just got my first shot on Sat, and I think I wore some similar colors! I wore washed black jeans (old and repaired Madewell skinnies), forest green J.Crew cotton tee (with the longer short sleeves), and my new but never worn (lack of occasions since I got it last fall) dark green Anthropologie sweater blazer.
Agree on BMI being a fallacy. It’s like the 10,000 steps thing — it was stated by someone and then picked up and never put down. With 10,000 steps, it was a marketing ploy.
As with anything, fuller context is key.
Congrats on your first jab! Love that sparkly eyeliner. I got my first shot yesterday & dressed up because it’s a special occasion. Sleeveless dress from Torrid, my favorite boots (which I haven’t worn in a year), dramatic eye makeup to show over my mask, & big earrings. I may wear a cocktail dress for the second shot because that’s an even bigger deal 🙂
Glad to hear you got the jab.
The news about rising cases concerns me, so getting that shot in your arm is the right thing to do.
I don’t want to sound unconcerned for others in need, but taking a shot you are qualified to get is a good decision.
It’s not an excuse to jettison the social distancing, obviously your household will continue to be careful, but it’s one less thing to fret about. Probably by the time you get the second one you can ditch the warm jacket!
Can you summarize your thoughts on BMI? I’ve always found it BS, yet my doctor pooh poohed my concerns. IMO, any system that doesn’t first distinguish between genders seems flawed, and it goes downhill from there.
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Totally! Here are some great articles on the topic which discuss how it’s not accurate (for example, muscular athletes can be seen as morbidly obese because it can’t distinguish muscle from fat) and how it is racist:
Top 10 reasons why the BMI is bogus: NPR https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439
The problem with BMI: Why this simple system for measuring obesity is so controversial: CBS https://www.cbsnews.com/news/body-mass-index-bmi-measuring-weight-health-risks/
The BMI Is Racist And Useless. Here’s How To Measure Health Instead: Huffington Post https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bmi-scale-racist-health_l_5f15a8a8c5b6d14c336a43b0
The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI: Elemental https://elemental.medium.com/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi-7d8dc2aa33bb
The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity: Scientific American (requires a membership) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-racist-roots-of-fighting-obesity2/
The Racist and Problematic History of the Body Mass Index: Good Housekeeping https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a35047103/bmi-racist-history/
Why BMI is a flawed measure of body fat, explained by an eloquent 14-year-old: VOX https://www.vox.com/2016/4/6/11377158/bmi-flaws-tessa-embry
Wow! Thank you so much. I read every article and will do so again tomorrow to cement this info in my brain. I had no idea how deeply affected I was by my doctor’s (and our culture’s) fat-phobia until I read these articles and remembered some of my experiences in her office.
BMI is such stupidity…and I used it to qualify for my vaccine in combination with my age. My state had some weird evolving criteria that ended up opening the doors to people 60 or older and 40 or younger in lots of different scenarios. Those of us in our 50s were kind of in limbo. Not old enough to qualify outright and shut out of the different scenarios afforded younger people….until they included BMI as a co-morbidity. My fat ass finally did me some good! 🙂