The beauty of being female-the good, the bad, and the mortifying

Getting undressed for the dreaded seventh-grade gym class. Feeling fascinated with, yet disgusted by, the fashion magazines full of perfect, unattainable bodies. Enduring the pain of a bikini wax or suffering the ramifications of overplucked brows. Like all women, the contributors to "The Bigger the Better, the Tighter the Sweater" have been there and lived to tell the tale. With laugh-out-loud essays on such topics as the hell of puberty; fashion errors and triumphs; rolls, jiggles, and dimples; the positives and pitfalls of cosmetic surgery; and beauty standards across different races and cultures, readers will feel that they are sitting down with their girlfriends for a funny, honest, and thought-provoking conversation about our complex relationships with our bodies. With smarts, wit, and style, this collection captures the double bind of beauty and body image that women contend with each day.