Hello, my name is Lewis, I’m a 28 year old artist and blogger. I would like to tell you about my first purchase of a full grain, handmade leather belt from Hip & Waisted.
A tale of financial exchange, how riveting!
Yes, I’m aware that it might not sound that interesting, but just hear me out. To help you understand the personal importance of this consumer experience, I should probably start by saying that I used to be unhealthily obese! In the spring of 2019 I stood on the scales at a whopping 146 KG. It was because of my larger size that I had effectively been relegated to the corner of clothes stores which I jokingly refer to as “it ain’t pretty but you’re lucky it fits.”
This corner included, potentially most embarrassing of all the available clothing, elasticated string tightened jeans that made me feel terrible every time I put them on. I was certainly too fat to wear a belt!
Thankfully however, 2019 was the year I was also able to finally turn the tide on my weight struggles. I was able to start a new diet and exercise routine and stick to it. By the autumn I had already managed to shed over 25 KG! I was eating better, looking better, and feeling better than I had done for as long as I could remember. I was especially joyous over the fact that my belly no longer bounced about in the car as we rattled along uneven country roads. I suppose that’s one excuse that local councils have for not fixing potholes, turns out they are a great incentive to start a diet.
Most importantly, when clothes shopping, I could actually choose something I liked, rather than buying the first and only thing that fitted me.
Since starting my diet I had planned on travelling to Hertfordshire to visit my brother. I wanted to show him that I had actually succeeded and that my life was getting on track, because there’s nothing like travelling 230 miles on three separate trains to seek familial validation! Unfortunately, as the day of travel arrived I became worryingly aware that I had fallen prey to my own success. I had lost so much weight that my NEW jeans were now too loose… I needed a belt and fast!
This is what brought me to ‘Hip and Waisted’ in Mill Street. Early in the morning I made my way down to the store, the waist of my trousers firmly held aloft in one hand to prevent them from slipping. I was greeted by the friendly owners who gestured to their wares. I was amazed by the variety of colours and size range of belts, and the immaculate buckles that could be paired with them. As they showed me my choices, and allowed me to examine several belts, they asked me what exactly it was I was after. I said that, primarily, this was indeed a practical purchase for the sake of public modesty. It was at that moment that I finally buckled up the perfect fitting belt… it was incredible. Buying clothes before had been a great experience but somehow this belt was the ultimate piece of self validation that said “I have done it!”
I had achieved such success in my weight loss journey that I was able to literally tighten my belt. I was ecstatic, and it didn’t just end there. Truth was that my final weight goal was still some ways off. It would eventually take a year before I was at the end of my diet. There would be ups and downs, stagnation and cheats, but through all of this I had my belt wrapped around me like a gentle reminder that no matter how difficult the path was, I had already made it a success. And over time, I have had to return not once, but twice to ‘Hip and Waisted’ to actually have them shorten the belt and bore new holes right there and then in the shop. Talking of good post purchase customer service, this service was free! I still use that same belt everyday, and it shows no sign of wear and tear. I suspect it will be with me for many more years to come, constantly reminding me of what I can achieve when I put my mind to it.
“See! I told you it would be a good tale.”