Vanity Sizing - Women's Clothes

[farm108]

Originally Posted by chiluvr1228

No matter how time I spend working out at the gym, I also have them. In my case, part of the problem is I lost 30 pounds and your skin doesn't bounce back as well when you're "mature".

Good for you for losing the pounds!

I have a relative, she's 61 and lost 45 pounds recently. She has loose skin but started taking Collagen pills. I'm in the process of losing weight so I'll also take Collagen even though I exercise. And I'm younger than her. Maybe the muscle mass is also important, if you have it or not.

Hopefully it's going to be helpful.

[IndyDancer]

Originally Posted by Lodestar

Just got the shorts in the mail. They should have fit according to the chart but they don't. The cute part is they're free return but to reorder the price went up. Can't win.

I don't care what size they're labeled. Just want a good fit and some predictability.

This. I don't care if the label says 2 or 22, I'd just like to know what size is mine and be able to count on ordering that size and have it fit. Sometimes I'm like, it's the 21st century, why is buying clothing such an unpredictable chore.

I get frustrated when there is no size chart online, or it turns out not to be accurate, which unfortunately has happened more than once.

I was annoyed recently when an online shop that I normally purchased XXL t-shirts from (they run small), apparently changed their supplier, because I was swimming in the XXL. I ended up giving away the XXL (their items are made to order so not returnable) and re-ordered a(n) L. My mistake, I should have checked the size chart, but I didn't anticipate that it would have changed that much, if at all. Sigh.

[lluvia]

Originally Posted by lottamoxie

I don't think men's clothes have changed in terms of sizing, so I titled this for women's clothes only.

No secret that over the last couple of decades women's clothing has been morphing when it comes to sizing. What started exclusively in couture and high-end fashion has trickled down to all consumer segments -- that is vanity sizing.

In college, I was a size 10 petite, medium in a T-shirt. Average BMI category for my height. Neither thin nor heavy.

Size 8 / 10 equivalent today is like a size 4 or 6, depending on brand. I tried on a pair of jeans yesterday and they were size 4. Not tight anywhere, plenty of room. Wut?

I started laughing when I tried those jeans on because vanity sizing is kind of ridiculous when one has the perspective of traditional measurements and sizing. It certainly increases sales of clothing when women can feel thin based on these morphed sizes. In my head I immediately translated that "4" to the size it would have been before vanity sizing... probably more like a size "8."

BTW, I didn't purchase those jeans since I know they'll go on sale at some point and be 50% or more off the full retail price. I'm still chuckling over the sizing though.

I find it's best to go by actual measurements. As someone who sews (or used to often), measurements are everything.

As a man, the only problem I have is off the rack dress shirts that always need the width narrowed. I guess I should just buy them tailored. I have to buy XL because of my neck and reach but I'm narrow elsewhere.Probably the same price in the end