I bought a new sweater this past weekend – love me a January sale. It’s a long raspberry and gray sweater with a split hem that reaches well past my butt, so I wear it belted. I wore it to work yesterday with some black slim-fit pants.
“Love this! You look so skinny!” a coworker blurted out in the hallway when she saw me.
Does it matter that this coworker is a size 2 30-year-old?
Does it mean, “You usually look fat, but not today!”
Does it mean, “I normally hate your clothes but this is pretty good, for you!”
Who knows what it means. It was meant as a complement, to be taken with good grace. There’s no point in parsing out the meaning, exploring a coworker’s lack of social graces, or plotting revenge.
So what to say in reply? “Thanks.”
That’s all.
