Women's Clothing Size

K

kristi

Cathlete
I'm stumped. Maybe someone can shed some light on this subject.

How can someone who is 5'4" and 145 pounds be a size 8, but then someone, like myself, who is also 5'4" and 135 pounds be a size 10/12? I know that muscle weighs more than fat, but some women I have seen still have weight to lose and are not toned, but are still a smaller size. Is it the clothing companies or am I just being envious of someone who is wearing a size I would like to wear?
 
It's a combination of factors IMO. Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph, level of body fat ratio to muscle, and the small, medium, large boned issues. Also the different clothes companys do play a role in this as you already gussed.

I'm an example here of this issue. I'm 5'5" ectomorph, apple, small boned. So if I weigh 170 lbs I wear a size 18. I know people my same height and weight that can wear a 14 and even a couple that can fit into a 12.

All seems unfair in ways. But, I think it's best to just look for clothes that fit and look good on me and not worry about what size they are or what size someone else my same height/weight wears because it's not good to compare myself. After all many factors play into this ordeal. Genetics, level of fitness, and clothes companies.

Edith
 
Ditto on what Edith said.

Different body types and different ethnic backgrounds. Different body structure, different boob sizes, back sizes, waist sizes, thigh sizes. Boob size I'm an A cup, but my back is wide so I have to wear a 36" sports bra. For pants, as far as legs go, and depending on the manufacturer, I can fit into a size 2 - 4, but I am thick-waisted so have to go a size or two up.

Oh, to be re-born as Bo Derek and not Miss Piggy!

Patricia
 
Remember, there is little standardization in the garment industry now. In one brand, you may wear a 6, whereas in another you could wear a 12! The size in the garment means nothing, what matters is that you're in a healthy, fit body.
 
Oh ho ho, Patricia so so true, I have short legs long torso, to go with my small bones and apple shape and I'm Jewish which is typically small boned women and men often. I wear a C cup bra!

There really are a lotta factors that go into it aren't there?

Edith
 
And lots of manufacturers are sizing everything larger to accommodate an increasingly more overweight American public, so that makes it even harder to guess.

I recently ordered several outfits from a fabulous clothing catalog that shall remain unnamed. I had to send everything back because it was huge - even the petites. I talked to one of their customer service folks to find out why the sizes were so generous. She admitted pretty much everything they sell is "comfortably oversized." I've been afraid to try anything else.

Angela
 
I wish I could say that I don't care what the tag says. Unfortunately, I work in an office with a bunch of "beautiful women" where the largest size besides my 10/12 is a size 2 and the girls are always talking about how fat they are and how they need to go on a diet. They think that a size two is huge. Their idea of dieting is eating very little and doing cardio. They would never dream of lifting a weight. They think a man should do it instead.

However, I do feel pretty good because the other day I carried a 20 pound box of copy paper effortlessly. I am the only female in the office who will ever lift anything. Does anyone else work in an office like that?
 
Sizes do vary with stores. I guess the best way would be figuring out what your size is at a particular place and see if it goes down? Or just get an average between stores. Like I figure I'm at 6 in Gap, Old Navy, Blue Notes and American Eagle but can't squeeze into an 8 at Jacob. Incidentally, Jacob is an evul evul evul dark place!
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-26-02 AT 07:47PM (Est)[/font][p]Even sizes WITHIN the line from the same manufacturer varies. I can wear a 2 in some GAP pants, but wear a 6 in their classic cut jeans. I am 5'3" and weigh 130.

I'm the same as PatriciaP - I would generally be wearing a 2 or 4, except for my big stomach, so I have to go up a size (thank goodness for low-rise!)

It really is difficult not to be affected by clothing size since that's the way our bodies judged. Clothing size and the scale. (I read that American women generally wear a shoe size ONE SIZE SMALLER than what they SHOULD be wearing.) No one asks "How much can you lift?" or "What's your resting heart rate?"

But, women who exercise KNOW what's really important, don't we? (wink, wink)


"Pain is weakness leaving the body."
 
So can you imagine MY confusion coming out of "all elastic" waist clothing?

I thought there was some "secret" I wasn't privy to in regards figuring out what size you are! And we won't even discuss the entire world of underwear sizing!

Donna

Fitness~ it's a journey, not a race!
 
You and I must be in the same office. LOL All the women in my office are tiny, petite and revel in their littleness! I'm only 5'5 and while I'm heavier than they are, I'm certainly not the Jolly Green Giant by any means!

But I eat well while they starve themselves, My body is well defined and shapely, they have no muscle tone at all and are sick constantly. While they run to give their money to weight watchers and do endless areobic classes, I drink protein shakes and can bench press more weight than any man in our office and I never get colds.

I would NEVER want to be them just to wear a size 2 or whatever those sizes are! I prefer to just scare the living daylights of those who work in the petite shops just by walking in. LOLOL :)
 
I have a friend who refuses to wear anything unless the size on it says 4 or lower, so she ends up paying a lot more for her clothing at overpriced boutiques than does another friend who mostly shops at bargain retailers, and whose clothing says a larger size even though she's actually smaller than friend #1. Friend #1 has been known to refuse to buy clothing that she otherwise loves if the number on it isn't to her liking. :)
 
Don't worry about the size of your clothes. It is only a number. (Just like the scale is only a number) Wear what flatters you, and fits well and forget the size!!
Besides, many manufactures sizes vary. For example a victoria secret size 6 may not be the same as a liz size 6

Judy
Live by the golden rule: treat others as yourself :)
 
"Like I figure I'm at 6 in Gap, Old Navy, Blue Notes and American Eagle but can't squeeze into an 8 at Jacob."

Jacob is a Quebec based company, and here, sizes are made smaller than elsewhere in Canada, and the states. Also, having known personally one of the marketing specialists in the company, their clothing lines are geared towards young professional women below 30 (Jacob) and teens (Jacob annexe). I find that Gap WAY oversizes their clothing line. I'm not "small" and I can fit into a size 2 from The Gap, but I go for a size 6 to 8 at Jacob.

Janick http://www.clicksmilies.com/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif
 
I must admit I'm very size conscious and know that's bad. Yes I think the sizes are much bigger than they use to be. I actually keep around an OLD pair of jeans just so i know what a true fit is!

Has anyone tried express jeans - I love them. Never shopped their until my teenager started going there. I got a pair of low rise boot cut jeans and they fit GREAT! I'm small on top - (and actually happy about it) and they have xtra small tops that fit great.

Funny the other night I tried on a pair of pants that were my size but way too big - I know I am the size so it's just so odd!
 
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