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Am I the only one who doesn't have issues with sizing? The numbers may have changed over the years, I don't know, I'm only 23. But almost everywhere I go my hips are a size 2. Sure, there's the odd place that I wear a size 4 or a 0 (once I even found a dress in a 00, though breathing was a bit difficult), but how difficult is it to try on two different sizes?
The big thing is when it comes to buying vintage clothing. You have to know about vanity sizing when it comes to that. But sizes are so screwy, and so much clothing is made so cheaply, that if you try on a six, and decide to buy two others of the same shirt in different colors, you'd best try them on, too... because often a six isn't a six in the same company.
I just discovered that in bras.... it's the same damn bra and I ended up in two sizes.
I'm a 5'8" 165 guy who recently needed to buy new clothes after losing some weight. I went to the GAP only to discover I'm now a size small, rather than the medium I'd expected would fit. I don't think I'm a small person but apparently the GAP thinks I am. Is this "downsizing" now commonplace? Is it supposed to make me want to shop there because I fit into a smaller size?
Have you checked your measurements and compared them to the sizing chart Gap maintains? Seems like common sense to me.
My ex is about your size (actually 5' 9" and 170) and he was typically a sm/md at his favorite store, Banana Republic. Since Gap, BR, and ON are all connected, I would guess the sizing is consistent between the stores.
Congrats on losing the weight, by the way - I wouldn't worry about what the label says too much - I'd focus on how the clothes look and fit on me.
Am I the only one who doesn't have issues with sizing? The numbers may have changed over the years, I don't know, I'm only 23. But almost everywhere I go my hips are a size 2. Sure, there's the odd place that I wear a size 4 or a 0 (once I even found a dress in a 00, though breathing was a bit difficult), but how difficult is it to try on two different sizes?
I don't have the opportunity to shop in stores and for the most part, stores don't even carry my length so I find myself shopping online. Even when I base my size on their measurement guide, their guide is usually wrong. Heck, sizing is often inconsistent within brands. Look at premium denim...you can be a 26 in one pair of jeans and a 28 in another.
I've got a few more years on you, but to give you an idea of how things have changed, I used to wear a 10-12/XL in high school. I still have a number of pieces from back then (late 80s, early 90s) and now I wear a size 2/SM from some stores. Go figure.
I don't have the opportunity to shop in stores and for the most part, stores don't even carry my length so I find myself shopping online. Even when I base my size on their measurement guide, their guide is usually wrong. Heck, sizing is often inconsistent within brands. Look at premium denim...you can be a 26 in one pair of jeans and a 28 in another.
I bet the sleeves of anything (jackets, blouses, etc.) are never long enough for you either - it's a rare find when I can buy a coat off-the-rack at Macy's that passes the raise-my-arms-up-to-shoulder-level-outstretched. Which online stores are you shopping from?
Am I the only one here who really pays no attention to what size is on the lable of his/her clothes? Its really all about how I look (and feel) in the clothes and not at all about what letter or number is on the tag. Dont care if it says S, M, L, XL, 28, 30, 32 or what. Just care about how it looks on me.
I buy a lot of clothes on-line and I have found some companies whose size charts are dead-on accurate and others that are completely off. I love the dead-on accurate ones because the clothes always fit perfectly.
I do not understand why a company bothers to publish their measurement/size chart but then make clothing that does not match it.
None of it makes any sense to me. Seems like they would want standard sizes to make it easier and sell more clothes. I know I would buy more if I knew size X would always fit.
My mom saved the suit she wore to her wedding in 1952. It was an 8. After she died and I was going through her things, I tried it on. No way would I ever, even at my thinnest, fit into that outfit. In today's sizing, I usually wear a 6 or an 8. Mom probably did wear some kind of a corset or girdle under that suit but I don't think there's any way a girdle would have helped me fit.
The opposite can be true too. Just this weekend I was looking at a local thrift store for some knock around, yardwork, painting jeans. I picked up a likely pair and they were a size 16!!!!! And they were too small. Yes, I know they probably were at the thrift store because they were mismarked. But it was depressing.
None of it makes any sense to me. Seems like they would want standard sizes to make it easier and sell more clothes. I know I would buy more if I knew size X would always fit.
What I find is that stores whose clientele tend to be smaller have clothes that "run small" and stores whose clientele are larger have clothes that "run large".
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Originally Posted by yellowsnow
The opposite can be true too. Just this weekend I was looking at a local thrift store for some knock around, yardwork, painting jeans. I picked up a likely pair and they were a size 16!!!!! And they were too small. Yes, I know they probably were at the thrift store because they were mismarked. But it was depressing.
Those 16's were possibly misplaced, as well. They could have been a children's size 16. I find that at thrift stores, sometimes kid's L-XL+ items end up in the adult section and sometimes adult XS-S items end up in the kid's section..
Just this past week, I bought a cheapy polo from Wal-Mart to make a pattern off of (couldn't find a woman's polo pattern at the fabric store) and bought a White Stag "Small" without paying too much attention. When I got home, I was looking at it carefully, noticed how large it seemed, and playfully tossed it to my husband saying "I swear this might fit you!" Sad part was? At 5'10" and 200lbs, it was a perfect fit for him.
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Originally Posted by LaoTzuMindFu
Am I the only one here who really pays no attention to what size is on the lable of his/her clothes? Its really all about how I look (and feel) in the clothes and not at all about what letter or number is on the tag. Dont care if it says S, M, L, XL, 28, 30, 32 or what. Just care about how it looks on me.
While I don't care what it says, it just makes things harder to purchase online. Then again, I frequently will buy something that fits right in the bust and then take in the waist. According to most clothing manufacturers, having a large bust must automatically mean having a large waist.
I don't care what the number is on the label...so long as it fits and looks good.
My issue is I buy most of my tops in size small...and I am NOT a small person. I'm about 5'3.5" and 150lbs and I have a 34/36DD chest. I don't wear the clothing fitted/skin tight either.
I'm working on trying to lose about 15lbs...and I'm kind of wondering if I'll have to shop the children's dept. if I do lose that weight
I bet the sleeves of anything (jackets, blouses, etc.) are never long enough for you either - it's a rare find when I can buy a coat off-the-rack at Macy's that passes the raise-my-arms-up-to-shoulder-level-outstretched. Which online stores are you shopping from?
It's a lot of trial and error. Even a lot of the brands that carry tall or long tend not to be long enough, whether it's in the sleeve, pant inseam or where the waist sits.
I buy a lot of casual/everyday tees, henleys & thermals from Victoria's Secret. Their sleeves seem to run longer. And lately I've been buying from Forever 21 and their stuff is surprisingly long! I have some outerwear from Eddie Bauer because they offer tall, but I'm not overly impressed with their quality lately, except for their First Ascent line.
Otherwise I shop at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Zappos, ShopBop and Revolve Clothing. I just order a crapload of stuff in multiple sizes and try it on at home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LaoTzuMindFu
Am I the only one here who really pays no attention to what size is on the lable of his/her clothes? Its really all about how I look (and feel) in the clothes and not at all about what letter or number is on the tag. Dont care if it says S, M, L, XL, 28, 30, 32 or what. Just care about how it looks on me.
How do you know what size to buy or try on if you don't pay attention to the size on the label? Clothing size is no different than wanting to know what size shoe you wear. It's incredibly frustrating when there's no consistency in the items. If I wear a size 12 shoe, wouldn't I naturally go to a store and look for or request that specific size shoe to try on?!
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