Clothing sizes

I don't know, ladies. I'm reading that vanity sizing is primarily practiced by high-end manufacturers. I recently bought some Dana Buchman outfits and found, to my amazement, that I was a perfect size 4 petite. (So of course I bought more. Spent a FRIGGIN FORTUNE.) They say that Ellen Tracy is particuarly known for vanity sizing, and no doubt Dana Buchman is doing it too. But the Gap? I haven't read anything about that, but if it's true, it's a more recent thing. They say that catalog brands stay away from the vanity sizing because they get too many returns.
 
I don't believe the clothing sizes have altered to the extreme of 14 to 8. I think they are consistently 1 size down sometimes two. In 1982 I wore a size 12 wedding dress that had to be altered down to 10 at the last minute due to me losing weight. Also around that time I was wearing size 10 and 12 suits for work. Now I am wearing size 8 and can fit into those size 10 and 12 suits from the early 80's and the wedding dress.
 
I have another comment.

I am also reading that the vanity sizing is in part due to the expansion of the American woman. That is, woman are much bigger today than they used to be. We are taller and wider. So, if you wear a size 8, it may not have the same measurements that it used to have, but there are still just as many women who are larger than you as there were in the old days. There are still plenty of 12s and 14s on the racks at the store. In other words, in comparison to other women, you are in the same place, because we're ALL bigger. Does this make sense or do i need more coffee?
 
You don't waste words, do you Max? :) You'd make a good lawyer.

Maybe the pants you got were mislabeled. It happens to me a lot.
 
"And here I thought all my working out was finally paying off as I was able to buy smaller sizes. Now I find out that in reality, only the clothing tags are changing! LOL. Bummer."

LOL - I was thinking the same thing when I started reading this post. You know what is frustrating to me is the inconsistency. At Ann Taylor, I'm a 4 or a 2, at Banana Republic, I'm a 4, at the Gap I'm a 4 or 6 depending upon the cut, and at Eddie Bauer and Lands End I'm a 6. Ann Taylor and Banana fit the best (and loose) at 4s, but my new size 6 pants from Eddie Bauer are snug. What gives? I'm 5'5" and 117 pounds. Hopefully I'll drop to 115 and all my 4s from the Gap will fit better. Aiyiyi - what's a girl to do?

It's a conspiracy, drummed up by men no doubt to try and get us to go skinner. ;-)

Shopgirl
 
It is true, Maximus. I USED to be able to shop in Gap, but cannot anymore. I'm 5'2.75" and just shy of 100 lbs. I wear a GIRLS 14 Slim! I hate it. Girl’s pants are cut differently than Women’s or Juniors (there isn't a difference between the waist and hip). Stretch pants are VERY unflattering on me too. My butt and quads are so round it just looks awful with my short legs.
Susan C.M.:D
 
That drives me nuts too! Everytime I shop, I find myself grousing about manufacturers standardizing sizes. It's no fun being a 2/4/5/6/S/M/L. Bra and brifs are a horror too. Where does the breastless/hipless go to find unders? The little girls department. http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de//bawling.gif
Hanes has a boycut brief for girls which doesn't have giant leg holes or that opening that boys briefs have. :D Somebody needs to tell them that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, even pretty weird ones like mine!

I have a tip for the boobless. Target was clearancing a 40B gel bra for 4 bucks so I bought it and cut the gel insert out. I pop those babies in, no bra cave ins.

I fell pretty, I fell pretty...La la la la la la!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/chicken.gif "Chick's rule!"

Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

- Mary Oliver
 
I can attest to the fact that Eddie Bauer clothes have gotten smaller. I ordered a whole bunch of things from them and had to return just about everything. The one thing I noticed is that the sleeves have gotten much tighter. I know my arms have not gotten bigger and all my old clothes still fit.

I would much prefer that something be a little big that too tight.

I am getting to where I don't order out of catalogs anymore.




Madonna
 
This thread is cracking me up. I was thinking that whenever Cathe has her next road trip that you'll all be able to recognize me because I'll look so big compared to so many of you (LOL). I'm nearly 5'11" and weigh considerably more than 110 pounds (I was probably able to wear a women's size 4, only it was back when I was in the fourth grade!). Anyhoo, what really made me laugh was that my husband mentioned to me just this morning that he started using 100 lb dumbbells for benchpress, and after reading this post, I told him that he was practically benchpressing two complete women from the Cathe forums! (I hope that doesn't sound to rude!).

Back to the original topic...I've been a solid size 10 for a while but noticed that recently the 8s have been fitting fine. I recently ordered a bunch of clothes out of a travel clothing catalogue and was told that for a size 10, get everything in medium. Well, every last one of those mediums now has to be returned because they are HUGE. It makes no sense to me that a 5'11" sized 8 or 10 person could wear a size small. The words "Shelbygirl" and "small" just do not go together. I believe it's mathematically impossible.
 
Well, I find it a bit depressing - I am 5'2", medium frame, athletic build weigh 120 and wear a size 4/5/6 - I have been very excited about that - I have lost over 80b lbs and was fat for about 10 years -I was feeling kind of small but you guys make me seem really big for my height!
 
>Seriously, what do the
>petite and slender women wear????

Excellent question! It has gotten to be so tough for me to clothes shop, I rarely do it anymore.

I am 5'7" tall and weigh about 112 lbs. I can wear a petite 2 in skirts and shirts, but when it comes to pants I am seriously out of luck. The petite 2 pants will fit me in the waist/hips/butt area, but will of course be too short.

It is the strangest thing. It's like not only are they sizing things smaller than they used to, they are doing away with the smaller sizes!! :-(
 
Daisy,

You have everything to keep being excited about. Amazing accomplishment! Congratulations!! You sound like you made it all the way to the perfect weight for your height. Girl, you should be celebrating. Don't compare yourself to the Catheites!! Compare yourself to the rest of the populaton. Think of the Catheites as being the top 1% in the nation in terms of fitness. Are ya gonna compare yourself to the top 1% or everybody else? You can ALWAYS find someone to compare yourself unfavorably to, but why bother? There are so many more you can compare favorably to. }(

You remind me of my stepson. He lost 110 lbs. and looks great, but keeps thinking that he doesn't look good enough yet. Trust me, he looks good enough. And I'm sure you do too.
 
Nancy - Thank you, you are so sweet and can surely put things in perspective. I guess I will be happy with my body someday although I am extremely happy about having the "new" "Old" me back - I just wasn't myself while I was big - thank you so much for your uplifting talk about comparing - you are right!
 
Hi,
I totally agree that sizes are shrinking and that sizes are very different amongst different clothing manufacturers. I am 5'7 and 133lbs. I fit into a 4,6,8 or 10 size jeans depending on the manufacturer. Size 4 for Old Navy, 6 at GAP and most clothing manufacturers, and 8 or 10 at Express or Limited. In high school and college, I weighed between 105-110 lbs and wore a size 6 or 8. Using the old standards, I should be a size 10 or 12 at least. Clothing manufacturers want us to think we are slimmer than we are and perhaps as slim as we used to be.
 
I have to reply to this thread also. I totally believe that sizes have changed. I'm only 5' and I weigh 126 pounds. I can wear size 4,5,6,7 depending on the brand. Some years earlier when I weighed only 106, I wore a size 5 then also and I'm definitely not the same size as all those clothes no longer fit. I can get them on, but the wiast/hips are too tight. I also have to add that being at only 5', I cannot wear petite jeans. They fit just too weird. They're too big in the waist and they hit me at almost my ankles. I like my jeans to almost touch the floor when I have shoes on. In dress clothes, I just recently bought a size 7 juniors pantsuit that fit perfect. In Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren Saturday Jeans I wear a 4, in Rocky Mountain and Cruel Girl relaxed jeans I wear a 5, and I wear a 6 in just about everything else.

Also, someone mentioned needing to buy jeans by length. The Ralph Lauren Saturday Jeans comes in number sizes. They go as high as a size 14 with leg lengths from 30 to 34 or 36, not sure which.
 
I'm 5'3", 118 lbs. and have everything in my closet from a 0 to an 8. I don't care what the tag says. If it fits and is flattering, I wouldn't care that it was a size 14! And as for the Gap: I just tried on a size "6A" (for ankle length). Not sure whose ankles they are talking about, but they were about 4 inches past my ankles! Maybe they'd be ankle length on someone 6'! Oh, and the waist was about 4 inches too big. I sighed and realize that I go through this every fall when capri season is over... I guess I don't notice it so much in spring and summer because pant length can be much shorter. I guess I'll be wearing skirts, tights and boots again this winter...

Oh, and one more thing... I took a sewing class this summer and found out that patterns have no correlation at ALL to your store size! I'm a size 14 in a pattern and a 6 (most of the time) in the stores! They should size the clothes like men's clothing: waist X length. Then there wouldn't be this fixationon a number. Ladies: Buy whatever looks good on you and tags be damned!}(
 
Ha .. good point if any of you feel the sizes are small go by a fabric.. you 2s will suddenly be 8... personally i dont like that feeling either... ha ha ..
 
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