Stop Taking Things So Seriously: A Hilarious Story About Wardrobe Failures, Art Museums, & Having More Fun

Jesse (00:15):

Don't be.

 

Mel Robbins (00:19):

What do you think I did next?

 

Jesse (00:21):

Did you wash your hands?

 

Mel Robbins (00:22):

No, I smelled it.

 

Amy (00:24):

I knew you were going to say that.

 

Jesse (00:26):

No.

 

Mel Robbins (00:30):

Hey, it's your friend, Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast. Let's do this. I am so excited for today. I came running up the stairs above the garage here in our studio in Vermont, and boy, oh boy, do I have a story to tell? Not only you, but I'm sitting here with my friends and colleagues, Amy and Jesse, say hello, guys. Hello. Hello. Okay, so I think we're going to call this a jump on a mic kind of episode because this is going to be super random, but I promise you there's a point to it. I have a fricking hilarious story to tell you guys.

 

Amy (01:08):

I can't wait

 

Mel Robbins (01:09):

It involves a wardrobe failure. Yes. That is super embarrassing and really, really funny. You ready for it? Yes. Okay. So first of all, I have a question for everybody. 

Jesse (01:30):

No. Period.

 

Mel Robbins (01:33):

That's a let loose feeling. Yes. How would you describe that? You literally reach back unhook.

 

Jesse (01:41):

Do you ever get the itchy, like, Ooh, you just want to rub underneath? You just want to just a little shake. Shake 'em loose.

 

Mel Robbins (01:48):

Yeah. Well, mine sort of fall like pancakes flat against gravity doesn't help, but yes, yes. It's a good feeling. It just is like a giant, and you know what I wonder, do dudes have a, do they have a let loose moment? They might always be loose. Seriously, it's a serious question. Is there a moment for a guy that feels as freeing as unhooking your bra?

 

Amy (02:23):

I think you think about a guy in a traditional sense back in the fifties, coming home from work, walk through the door. First thing he does, loosen up his tie.

 

Mel Robbins (02:33):

That is not, I don't think is good. What about a belt? No, a belt? I would say if the belt is quite tight and it's holding a lot in, that would probably be like,

 

Jesse (02:43):

Oh God.

 

Mel Robbins (02:44):

Maybe a cup after a sports game. But that's not like an everyday thing. No. I was thinking about Chris, I have to ask Chris about this. In fact, I'll text him. We'll see if he can come up here. Did you wear shapewear at your wedding, Jesse?

 

Jesse (02:56):

I did not wear shapewear.

 

Mel Robbins (02:57):

Why? Isn't that? When everybody does,

 

Jesse (03:00):

It's your wedding night. You got to have some quick, easy access after that night wrap. We can't be scrambling to get that off. It's one thing to get the dress out, but then that's going to be super glued after a night. No way.

 

Mel Robbins (03:13):

That's true. It's like this beige sausage casing that you're going to roll off.

 

Jesse (03:16):

There was boob tape, but that's fine. Hi.

 

Mel Robbins (03:19):

Hey baby. Hi. Alright, so we got a question for you. Mic please.

 

Chris Robbins (03:25):

Okay, mic, please. Okay, what's up?

 

Mel Robbins (03:29):

Okay, so we got a question for you. There is almost no better feeling for a woman then to take her bra off at the end of the day or to take off one of those Spanx skims shapewear things. What is the equivalent for a dude

 

Chris Robbins (03:57):

Of removing a piece of apparel?

 

Mel Robbins (04:00):

Just freedom. You just are like, oh,

 

Chris Robbins (04:04):

Well I didn't play a lot of football, but I would imagine removing a jockstrap would be a little bit like that. If you wear a pair of tight skin, tight exercise shorts for many hours, I think that would be pulling off Spanx for a guy as far as releasing the tension from your skin, if that's what you're talking about. Or some discomfort or is that right?

 

Mel Robbins (04:29):

I guess it doesn't sound that compelling. What about your bike shorts? So you've been out for a 70 mile ride, you're wearing a pair of padded bike shorts. You're

 

Chris Robbins (04:38):

My crotch is on fire.

 

Mel Robbins (04:41):

Yes. When you roll that off like a pair of pantyhose, what does that feel like?

 

Chris Robbins (04:45):

My balls hurt the whole

 

Mel Robbins (04:46):

Deal? Yes.

 

Chris Robbins (04:47):

Yeah, that feels pretty good.

 

Mel Robbins (04:49):

Really?

 

Chris Robbins (04:49):

Yeah. But the amount of abuse that my nuts are taking in the saddle on a bike ride is very different than your breasts over the course of a day. Right.

 

Amy (05:03):

Well, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. What do you think she does all day?

 

Chris Robbins (05:08):

I don't know,

 

Amy (05:09):

With her breasts.

 

Chris Robbins (05:11):

Well, there's some feeling associated with removing the brasier that

 

Mel Robbins (05:15):

Yeah. Well, I just figured your balls, your doodle dads that you call them sometimes that they just kind of drop a little and that feels very freeing.

 

Chris Robbins (05:27):

Yeah, like I said, no different than, well, I guess for you wearing Spanx, there's nothing dropping, but yeah, that's a good feeling.

 

Mel Robbins (05:37):

What did you think about those skims that I bought? The body suits,

 

Chris Robbins (05:42):

They look good. It looks kind of uncomfortable to me. It looks kind of a little tight. I'm not sure I would go with that, even though I could use that on my little rubber tummy.

 

Mel Robbins (05:57):

Your rubber tummy. You're very cute. Alright, that's all we needed. Thank you.

 

Chris Robbins (06:01):

You're welcome.

 

Mel Robbins (06:02):

We love you. Thanks. Ladies and gentlemen, Christopher Robbins, thanks for representing. Yes. Awesome. And I would love to know, for you listening, is there something that we're missing here that you feel is that moment of, it's just like at the end of the day, you guys are so creative and very sort of interesting in your insights about these things, and so I guarantee you're missing a couple. So I can't wait to hear what you write in about. But the reason why I'm telling you this story is because yesterday I experienced a moment of body freedom that was, I would say maybe 25 times more liberating than taking a bra off at the end of the day. 25. Whoa.

 

Amy (06:53):

Body freedom.

 

Mel Robbins (06:53):

Yes. It also involves a major wardrobe failure. 

Jesse (07:23):

Yeah.

 

Mel Robbins (07:24):

No, that's the famous actress. Blakely. Blake Lively. Blake Lively. Who am I thinking of? Sarah Blakely. Sarah Blakely. Sarah Blakely. Okay. I immediately had a panic that I was saying her name wrong. So Sarah Blakely, the founder of Spanx. We have spoken at a bunch of events together. She is a rockstar. I love her story. I love, but I've never been, sorry. Sarah. A huge fan of shapewear.

 

(07:49):

And one of the reasons why is because when Spanx first came out, and this is not a slam on Spanx, but when they first came out and I bought a high-waisted pair of bike shorts, they gave me gas. I don't know if that's me, but I felt like the compression was so compressed or maybe I bought the wrong size that I felt gassy and crampy all day wearing shapewear. And also I bought these bike shorts because I was wearing a pair of trousers and I did not want the bike shorts to show, I mean, I didn't want my underwear lines to show, but I could see the bike short line in my

 

Amy (08:31):

Pants above your knee.

 

Mel Robbins (08:32):

So I thought, okay, I'm getting gas, I have cramps. It's sort of like the same thing as when you wear really high waisted pants and you sit down and it's like a tourniquet on your stomach. Yes. Just cuts at the wrong spot. So I probably just bought the wrong style and wore it with the wrong thing. So I have not worn shapewear. Do you guys wear shapewear?

 

Amy (08:55):

I did.

 

Jesse (08:56):

I have. Yeah.

 

Amy (08:57):

And then we moved to Vermont. You don't need it up here

 

Mel Robbins (09:03):

That's true. Yeah. You really don't

 

Jesse (09:05):

Let everything go. Just let

 

Amy (09:07):

It all hang out. No, I still have it. I can almost guarantee you that if I were to bring it in and show it to you and you were to take the waistband and just kind of flex it a little bit, it would probably disintegrate because I just never wear it.

 

Mel Robbins (09:21):

And I have so many friends that swear by the Spanx jeans that swear by and the product's fantastic. So Sarah, we love you.

 

(09:31):

You're incredible. So here's what happened. My daughter Kendall was up and I asked her if she would help me go through my closet because I am trying to get rid of clothes that don't fit because I'm now in the middle of menopause. So I feel like a twine on legs. And I realized I look very lean, but when your middle expands, your pants don't fit. Plain and simple. And so I was trying on clothes and my daughter came to this conclusion that the reason why I hate my clothes is because I have no shapewear and I have saggy bras. So

 

Amy (10:02):

She's saying Shapewear is essential. Yes. To enjoying the way you look

 

Mel Robbins (10:07):

In clothes. And so she pulled up the internet and she went to

 

Amy (10:12):

Pulled up the internet

 

Mel Robbins (10:13):

She went to Skims, which is Kim Kardashian's line. And if anybody other than Sarah Blakely is going to make shapewear, Kim Kardashian seems like the perfect person to do that.

 

(10:25):

And we ordered a bunch of stuff. So it arrives, it comes in this box. I pull this stuff out. I kid you not, the tank top bodysuit looks so small, it looks like Barbie clothing. That's how small it's, I pull it out, I'm like, this is not going to fit me. Did you order the children's size? She's like, mom, this is perfect. This is exactly how it looks. I'm like, are you kidding me? I can't fit my body in this. And so she coaches me through getting it on. And basically you stretch it to kind of loosen it up a little least like the balloon before you're going to blow it up, or at least I had to. And then I stepped into it and you sort of yank it up on your body and it's a lot like pulling sausage casing up over your body, very thin stretches out. I put it on. She ordered me the thong, which I probably would not have done, but I got to give props to Kim Kardashian because the thong was not a string. It actually was like a landing strip. There was enough there, so it was not going to go right up my rear end. And so I put it on and I looked in the mirror and I'm like, dang, this looks pretty damn good. Oh my God. Not going to lie. So here's the mistake I made. I tried it on, I'm like, this is great.

 

(11:41):

And then I took it off and I went on with my life. I didn't walk around in it. I didn't sit down in it. I didn't test it for real life. You have to test drive your underwear. That true? Actually, you do. Well, I did not know this. I mean, I didn't either fast forward to my wardrobe failed. Here's the story. Oh my God. So I was in Boston because I was, I was invited by a friend to go to this fundraiser at the Institute of Contemporary Art that was celebrating women artists. And I was so excited to go. And the Institute of Contemporary Art, if you're going to a luncheon there, which I have never done, I thought, okay, this is going to be a cool group of people and really cool group of women. So I got to put on a really cool, I'm into art outfit.

 

Jesse (12:36):

Oh, I'm into art.

 

Mel Robbins (12:37):

Yes. So I pull out a pair of black pants that I have not worn in probably eight years

 

Jesse (12:44):

Now. Now's the day.

(12:54):

So really nicely tailored. You can see everything in the rear end. So I'm like, this would be a great moment to wear my body suit.

 

(13:04):

And I've also pulled out a sweater that is a ribbed sweater. So it's tight. And the sweater is the boldest colors. So I'm going for the pop art look. I've got 'em black pants, I've got 'em black healed boots. And I've got on this tight ribbed sweater that is bold stripes. I'm talking Wears Waldo. I look like human caution tape. It is white and then it is yellow, and then it is brown, and then it is black. I'm like a bumblebee kind of. I love it. Yes. That's a good art outfit. You're making a statement. Yes. I looked great and the shapewear pulled it all in. I'm like, this is great. I look like I support art. I look really cool, but not pretentious. I got the pop thing going. The color is all springy. And so I get in the car, things are really good. I'm listening to great music. Things are really good. I get downtown to Boston. Things are really good. I find a parking space in a parking garage a couple blocks away from the ICA. Things are really good. I get out of the car and going from sitting to standing up, sort of made the body suit go from really good to not so great

 

(14:27):

Because that thong started to turn into a wedge.

 

Jesse (14:32):

Oh no.

Jesse (14:41):

Can't do it. Get grip. That's a two hand job.

 

Mel Robbins (14:43):

Yes. But I don't know that. Right. And plus the thing is starting in about five minutes, so I got to go. So I stick my down the back of my pants and try to just move it down a little.

 

(14:55):

And that works. That works. I literally, I'm embarrassed to tell you this. Don't be. What do you think I did next?

 

Jesse (15:07):

Did you wash your hands?

 

Mel Robbins (15:08):

No, I smelled it.

 

Amy (15:10):

You were going to say that?

 

Jesse (15:13):

No, no.

 

Mel Robbins (15:15):

It did not smell bad. And I'm like, okay. Okay. You've never smelled your hand?

 

Amy (15:21):

Yes. Lemme tell you something. What? Yes. But why are we doing this? Why are we smelling our hands?

 

Jesse (15:28):

Why would you smell your hand?

 

Mel Robbins (15:29):

I'm about to walk into an event where I'm going to see my friends and I don't want to give them a hug if I have poop hands. Not like actual poop. But I don't want my hand to smell like that.

 

Jesse (15:40):

Yeah. I can't say I've ever smelled someone's hand though.

 

Mel Robbins (15:44):

I know. But it just felt like it smelled bad. There's something not cool. I am outnumbered on this. What if somebody that I don't know is standing next to one of my friends and I hug my friend and I keep my hand off of my friend. But then somebody goes, it's nice to meet you. And they extend your hand.

 

Jesse (16:04):

Well, it's on you for not putting some hand sanitizer on those.

 

Mel Robbins (16:08):

I don't have hand sanitizer in my car. I wanted plan on clear. I wanted to have a clear conscience walking into this

 

Amy (16:15):

Place. Yeah. It's like checking your breath.

 

Mel Robbins (16:17):

Yes,

 

Amy (16:18):

Yes. Check your, just do that. Yeah, I

 

Mel Robbins (16:24):

Get it. It's relatable. It's relatable. I think it's actually a very conscientious thing to do for other

 

Amy (16:30):

People. Yes, it's true. It is true.

 

Mel Robbins (16:32):

Okay.

 

Amy (16:32):

It's conscientious.

 

Jesse (16:34):

I'll start doing

 

Amy (16:34):

It. But also a lot of people wouldn't admit that. So props to you for 

Mel Robbins (16:44):

That's what I'm here for. Yes. Okay. So I'm like, okay, I'm good. I have five minutes to get two city blocks to an event that's about to begin. And so I start to walk and as I'm, what's it called? Forward ambulation. That's what the neuroscientists call it. I'm forward ambulating as I walk and as I'm walking and I'm walking like I'm late. I'm about to be late. I'm realizing I have a very long torso because as I'm walking, this fricking bodysuit is starting to slowly inch up. And the bodysuit is starting to give me a simultaneous wedgie in the front and the back, which basically means I had both a camel toe and a piece of floss that was starting to go up and up and up like a hammock from the front to the back. And so now I can't stride it out. I'm going to split myself in half. And so now I'm shuffling as fast as I possibly can because I don't want a big stride and walk into or shuffle into the ICA. And there is my friend and I walk right up to her and I give her a big hug and I whisper in her ear, I've got a giant wedgie

 

(17:56):

In my body suit. I've got to find them. But where's the bathroom? She's like, oh my god. Oh my God. That's the worst feeling. She's like, it points to the thing. And she goes, I'll save you a seat. Okay. And so, oh my God, I love you. You love friends like that.

 

Amy (18:08):

Yes. Yes.

 

Mel Robbins (18:09):

So I shuffled to the bathroom. This thing is so far up me that I drop my pants to the floor. And to your point, Jesse, this is a two hand, maneuver.

 

Jesse (18:22):

We've all been there?

 

Mel Robbins (18:23):

Yes. I have to grab both sides front and back. Oh, I didn't start there. Oh, you started on your side. I started on the side. Interesting. I think that's a gentle approach. I needed some slack. I needed to create some slack, some extra. If

 

Amy (18:37):

This bodysuit showed itself to you as a Barbie outfit, you got it to expand. It was like the pumpkin turned into a carriage and then all of a sudden it snaps back to Barbie suit for you at the wrong time. And so right back to the pumpkin. And you haven't even gotten to the dance yet, and you're like, this is a difficult situation. Oh my God. So I get the sides thing. You need the slack. Yes. I think that was a good strategy. Yeah. Like it down. Oh, you did a hard pull down. Hard pull down.

 

Mel Robbins (19:12):

Yes. I wanted a couple inches.

 

Amy (19:13):

Yes. Okay.

 

Mel Robbins (19:14):

And plus this thing had basically rolled up almost like a string. Right? Because it was so stretch. I have to flatten the landing strip back out so it doesn't do it

 

Amy (19:23):

Again. I just want to tell you, my heart is racing for this story. I'm really feeling this. I'm a little bit starting to sweat and I'm feeling myself really. It's very relatable.

 

Mel Robbins (19:35):

But here's the thing, and I have to give myself props. The old me would've just been embarrassed. And why can't you do that? And I just was like, this is the craziest, I was laughing at myself. I think that's

 

Amy (19:53):

So

 

Mel Robbins (19:54):

Important in life to be able to whisper in your friend's ear that you got to wedgie, to be able to laugh at yourself as you're in a bathroom, in what you think is the best art forward outfit that you've ever put on in a brand new body suit that you've never tested in a real life situation. I am yanking it down on the sides to give me a couple extra inches so that I can straighten out the middle and get it repositioned in place. Uns snapping, it was not an option because what happens when you unsnap a bodysuit? Oh,

 

Amy (20:25):

The snaps hit your teeth. It goes up

 

Mel Robbins (20:26):

So far. Yeah. It basically rolls up like a window shade. And plus this thing, I was afraid if I unsnap it, it's going to hang out the front and the back. And God knows if now got stuff on it because I don't have underwear on. And I'm like, this is a disaster. It has been up there. Yes.

 

Jesse (20:39):

You dunno.

 

Mel Robbins (20:41):

And so I get it all positioned. And the problem is, is that now as I'm pulling it down, it's off my boobs. Oh no.

 

Amy (20:49):

It's not on your boobs anymore.

 

Mel Robbins (20:50):

No. And so I a look torso. Yes. I have a long torso.

 

Amy (20:54):

So

 

Mel Robbins (20:54):

I now look like, what is it, the Heineken or the St. Paul? Girl.

 

Amy (20:58):

Girl.

 

Mel Robbins (21:00):

And I've got a ripped sweater so you can see the nipples and everything else. I'm like yanking this thing. Oh, what a mess. To try to stretch it out. Finally. It didn't even occur to me. I could have just taken it off and been nude. It didn't even occur to me.

 

Amy (21:18):

It wouldn't have occurred to me either. You don't want to be that person at the art

 

Mel Robbins (21:21):

Studio studio. Yeah. They wouldn't

 

Amy (21:23):

Care. You don't want to be that

 

Mel Robbins (21:24):

Person. So I get it all positioned. I of course wash my hands, good hands.

 

Amy (21:32):

Everyone can exhale now.

 

Mel Robbins (21:34):

And I go back to the luncheon.

 

Amy (21:37):

What's your attitude? I've got this. Or you like

 

Mel Robbins (21:41):

A little? I

 

Amy (21:41):

Course told a bunch of people

 

Mel Robbins (21:42):

Because I think it's hilarious and I think everybody can relate

 

Amy (21:45):

To it. I think everybody can relate. And I think a lot of times people look at you and they're like, wow, she doesn't give her shit. She's got her act together. What a badass. I think that's true. And then I have to give it to you, Mel. You take it up a notch. Not only do you not give a shit, but you make fun yourself. You let everybody in on the joke.

 

Jesse (22:09):

You'll tell people,

 

Mel Robbins (22:09):

I am a joke

 

Amy (22:10):

Guess what?

 

Mel Robbins (22:11):

It's like. It's a joke. But it's a relatable joke. And

 

Amy (22:13):

I think

 

Mel Robbins (22:14):

It's an interesting point that you just made about the kind of distinction between not giving a shit versus being able to laugh at yourself because they are related, but it's a different thing. And I think both are really important. The not giving a shit part is the ability to whisper in your friend's ear that you have a wedgie right now. And to tell people the disaster just happened in the bathroom. And that is one layer that I think is really important. And the second thing though, which has been very freeing for me, is just loosening the grip and being able to laugh at these moments. And it's interesting because humor, we've done a lot of research on humor because of speeches that I've given or other projects that we've done for Audible. And there's so much research about having a sense of humor and how when you have a sense of humor, the research is kind of bananas. In fact, why don't we take a break, and this is a great time to allow our sponsors to entertain you for a second. And let's dig into the research real quick while you guys are listening to a commercial, because I think it's important to explain that humor's actually a really important skill and asset in life.

 

Amy (23:32):

Oh yeah.

 

Mel Robbins (23:33):

And if I recall correctly, it's like it makes other people think you're intelligent. They trust you more. It exudes confidence and in the workplace, and I realize this was not in the workplace. I mean it was like a professional,

 

Amy (23:45):

But it was professional though. It wasn't like you were sitting on the couch with your

 

Mel Robbins (23:50):

Girlfriends. But there's all this research about leadership and teams when it comes to having a sense of humor. Now, I would not tell your boss you had a thong wedge up your ass. I would not do that.

 

(24:02):

But I think there's a lot here to unpack. And by the way, I'm not done with the story. Oh my God. There's more. There's a lot more. Alright. And I'll tell you all of it when we come back. Okay. Welcome back. It's your friend Mel. And I'm here with my colleagues and friends, Amy and Jesse in our studios. And we're doing a jump on the mic episode, which basically means I rolled in here hot with a story to tell, and now we're making something of it. But I was just talking about this massive shapewear wardrobe malfunction, and where were we? So here we are. And then we got to get to the humor thing. I think that's the big takeaway here.

 

Amy (24:41):

Oh yes. Yeah.

 

Mel Robbins (24:43):

Laugh, laugh, laugh at yourself. You have to be able to laugh at yourself because honestly, the second you start laughing at a situation, this is the most ridiculous thing I've gotten myself into. Why do you always do this to yourself, Mel? You can go two different ways. I could either be shuffling toward this museum, beating myself up for buying the wrong size, always getting it wrong, screwing things up, running late, or I can be laughing at myself and how ridiculous this is. Of course, I've done this to myself. Of course, I would have a thong up my ass the first time I am going to this really nice thing. This is the first time since the last three years that I've gone to something this nice. And of course I'm having a massive wardrobe problem. So this is not all. So as I'm sitting at the luncheon and I'm trying to squeeze my butt together, it's like a butt exercise so that the thing doesn't adjust back to snapping back to the normal size. It is slowly starting to hitch up again.

 

Jesse (25:43):

Oh

 

Mel Robbins (25:44):

No.

 

Jesse (25:44):

While you're sitting this time?

 

Mel Robbins (25:46):

And so as we walk back to the parking garage, I'm with a friend, one of my closest friends, Lisa, and I am just like, she's just stop picking at that wedgie, stop picking at that wedge. Can't stop. Just unsnap damn thing. And I'm like, I can't unsnap the thing. First of all, smell. I can't unsnap it because I am in a public space and trying to unsnap a bodysuit in a discreet way is next to impossible. No. And so my only choice is to try to pick at it. And so we get down to the parking garage. Thank God no one was around

 

Amy (26:19):

In the parking lot, the parking lot level.

 

Mel Robbins (26:21):

Yeah. It's a busy parking garage. Lisa's right there. We go to her car first so I don't have to walk that far. And then she drives me to my car so that I don't have to keep dealing with this. I get out of the thing and I open up my car door and step behind it. I mean, I do have some decor. I'm not going to drop my pants and make Lisa watches. So I literally unsnap it. It rolls up like a window shade

 

Jesse (26:49):

Question. Are your pants still down? Are you able to do this with your pants

 

Mel Robbins (26:52):

Around? No. I have to take my pants down. They're down and I have to kind of squat. I do the yank down again. I You're unsnap it full breeze now. Oh my God.