Size 14 is the new size 10?

[TangaroaTiki]

Universal sizing by measurement would be SO much easier

I order mostly online due to the fact that I live in the boonies of NW NJ and I not a fan of driving at least 45 minutes to a mall that has the types of stores I purchase clothing from. I have to constantly return items for exchange because the sizes range all over the place

 

[preschoolmom]

Slightly OT, but does this bother anyone else? The commercials for weight loss where they have a woman who looks "normal" after she lost a lot of weight, and she say's "I used to be a size 16, now I'm a size 4"- and there is NO WAY she is a size 4, she is more of a normal size 10 or 12..Drives me insane, and I don't know why.

You are not the only one! This drives me crazy! The ad will say, "I'm a size four or six!" and I'm looking at the model thinking, I weigh less than you, and I can't stuff myself into a size 8!

I can fit into much smaller sizes in more expensive clothes, but in Old Navy and Target, I need bigger sizes. What's that all about?

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I've wondered about that! In my early 20s, I would fluctuate between 125-150 pounds -- at my lowest weight, I'd wear an 11 (yes, at 125!) and highest a 14. Yet I have a friend who weighs close to 200 and wears a 14 or 16 and I couldn't figure out how she could fit into something I was wearing at such a lower weight.

I don't know, on one hand, who cares what the size says as long as you look good in the clothes? But on the other hand I would like, first of all, some standard sizing so I could walk into any store and expect each size to be the same. Secondly, if I ever get my weight down to where I'm in a size 10, I want to EARN that 10, not be in what used to be a 14.

Ethansmom, AMEN!

I weighed the same I fluctuated between 120 and 139 when I was in HS and my friends were like 110. What size did I wear? At 139 I struggled into a 16! NOw years later and 30 lbs heavier I wear a 12 to 14??? I remember when I got myself down to 108...I wore an 8 in the old sizes I bet now I would wear a 2! And what the heck is a size 0 or 00? Does that mean the person does not exist???

 

[AshleyW]

I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal about some new designers making jeans with with curvy fits. They interviewed one of the guys in charge of one of the high-end jean ***. (I think it was 7 for All Mankind) and he said they don't make larger sized jeans because most of the jeans they sold are size 4-8. Have you ever thought that most of the people buying your jeans are size 4-8 because that is the fit (slender) that you are selling?

Completely agreed! Although - Joe's Jeans and Paige Premium Denim both are starting to make sizes 14-16 more readily available. Paige even has a plus line of jeans that are actually CUTE and look good on bigger girls.

I absolutely HATE Target clothes.

I have to go from my size 12/14 to a 17
I was like 'Erhm ...im no health expert but...'

It scared me SO MUCH.

But some places I am 14 and others I am 13. It bugs me because not everywhere has a size 13.

I'm the same way with Target clothes.. I usually have to go up at least one size, usually two. So weird. Also, to help with the confusion on even/odd sizes: Odd sizes are junior's, and even sizes are women's. That's why not everywhere carries the odd sizes, because their jeans or pants are women's sizes. If you're a 12 in women's, that's an 11 in juniors, and a 14 in women's is a 13 in juniors. Hopefully that wasn't too terribly confusing.. I used to work at Nordstrom and it always threw everyone off.

 

[clgwli]

I've noticed it and the sad reality of doing this sizing is that they are losing petite people by not creating clothing that fits them. I can currently walk into a few stores that I used to be able to buy in and pick up their smallest size and not have them fit me at all without having to be taken in. It's actually highly annoying. The brands I do like are the ones where I am the size I was in during high school. It is bad when I try on an XS and am swimming. I know it made me feel happier to be a smaller size when I was overweight but now I have the opposite problem. Finding clothes that fit can be tough when you are short and average weight even.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I am 5'5"ish (maybe a bit taller) and weigh 139. I wear a size 8 in shorts (and I tried on some 8's last weekend that were too big), yet EVERY pair of jeans I own is a size 10 and they are all too tight.

I was shopping on Thursday. Bought 4 shirts, all size Large. 2 from Macy's, 1 from Banana Republic, and one Ralph Lauren. The only one that fits is the Lauren. The other 3 are WAY too tight. They are all from the "Misses", not from the "Juniors" section.

I don't consider myself to be a really big girl, yet I have to wear size XL shirts? What is THAT? My top half isn't twice the size of my bottom half and I don't have a big chest, so needing an XL is rather vexing. I did buy a couple of Large shirts for our WDW trip and I am being SUPER careful with them - cold water, no dryer, etc.

 

[redlight]

I don't care what the number is on the tag inside the clothes. I would like more designers to design beautiful clothes for women who aren't just a size 6 or 8... more clothes that are cut for large hips (without looking like a circus tent) would be great. I wear a 12/14 but have a smallish waist and bigger (though not outrageously so) hips. I struggle to find jeans and slacks that are cut for a woman with real curves.

Have you tried Apple Bottom jeans? I have the same smaller waist/ larger hips thing going on. 8s are tight on me now, but I was a 12 earlier this year.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

I hate these vanity sizes. I seriously can't buy a thing without trying it on anymore. My closest is filled with clothes in 4 different sizes and they all fit!

 

[Becky2005]

I know my DH thinks I'm insane when I tell him I have to try on every single jean before making a purchase. It's just about an all day event to attempt to buy 1 pair of jeans.

He says he likes how guys do it the have L x W on the tag and be done with it. He doesn't get how it can't be that simple for women too.

Then shopping for my DD is a nightmare! I have no clue what size she is & she doesn't either. She is small for her age and I have to inform her there was no such thing as a 00 when I was growing up. I have no clue what a Junior 00 IS (when she was in that borderline girl's clothes/juniors). Although she can still wear girls 14/16 tops and XS in some things -- who knows -- it's always an all day adventure because some things we assume should fit based on size fall off of her, then we go somewhere else & the same size is too small.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

I don't care what the number is on the tag inside the clothes. I would like more designers to design beautiful clothes for women who aren't just a size 6 or 8... more clothes that are cut for large hips (without looking like a circus tent) would be great. I wear a 12/14 but have a smallish waist and bigger (though not outrageously so) hips. I struggle to find jeans and slacks that are cut for a woman with real curves.

I recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal about some new designers making jeans with with curvy fits. They interviewed one of the guys in charge of one of the high-end jean ***. (I think it was 7 for All Mankind) and he said they don't make larger sized jeans because most of the jeans they sold are size 4-8. Have you ever thought that most of the people buying your jeans are size 4-8 because that is the fit (slender) that you are selling?

Wake up folks! There are a lot of us women who aren't a slender size 4 and we have money to spend!

Thats funny that you mention "7 for all mankind" jeans...because I got a great deal at a dept. store on a pair (normally $169--I got them for $70) but the largest size they had was a 27 (which I think is like a 4/6?). Anyway, these were my goal jeans after baby #3 and I just fit in them...Wa hoo!!! working out and watching my carbs FINALLY paid off and I'm in LOVE with these jeans!!! I wish they made them in all sizes!!!

 

[Beavers5]

Then shopping for my DD is a nightmare! I have no clue what size she is & she doesn't either. She is small for her age and I have to inform her there was no such thing as a 00 when I was growing up. I have no clue what a Junior 00 IS (when she was in that borderline girl's clothes/juniors). Although she can still wear girls 14/16 tops and XS in some things -- who knows -- it's always an all day adventure because some things we assume should fit based on size fall off of her, then we go somewhere else & the same size is too small.

I am the same size as your DD (well when I'm not pregnant ) and you are right it is a nightmare size! When I was this same size 14 years ago, it was a size 2 and much easier to find clothes. But now that they are changing sizes around we get overlooked. Being this size is the reason that I took up sewing. Lots of Luck with back to school shopping.

 

[Becky2005]

Lots of Luck with back to school shopping.

Thanks!!! I'm DREADING it. It's so tough when she finds something she thinks is cute (and I approve it also -- NOT an easy task for us to agree! add in school appropriate) only to find out the fit is not right. It bums her out.

She had some surgery a few months back which she lost a bit of weight from, we are *hoping* she gains it back at some point!!!! Last weigh in she was 92.5 pounds (we have to get that 1/2 in there!! She always adds it in when asked about weight.) She's about 5' 1" or 5' 2" -- that's what the height check said but DH said she's now as tall, if not taller than me and I *was* 5' 4" so unless I shrunk which I suppose is possible....she gained 2-3" in the last month but I'm doubting that. We will find out in Sept. when we go back for her next follow-up.

It's going to be even worse if they change the size labels again! We didn't manage to figure it all out the first time around. I can sew but not real well so that doesn't help much (I don't do pants well even though I attempted it once when she was younger as I was desperate!)

 

[IDoDis]

20 years ago I wore a size 8/10. I'm the same weight now and I'm a size 4. Last winter I was going through some old boxes of clothes and found an old pair of jeans that were a size 8. I tried them on and they were a tiny bit big, but would have worked okay with a belt. They were high-waisted "mom jeans." If I try to wear a size 8/10 now they'd fall off of me.

So, yes, the sizes have changed so that people can feel they are thinner.

 

[DrZoidberg]

Why not just have the sizes be measurements like men's clothes. Seems like it would be easier.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Sort of OT but related. I posted on another thread about the promo for the upcoming show Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime. I hate when they mention in the promo that the main character is a size 16. First of all she is waaay more than a 16 even with today's standards and second of all, the promo is IMHO so insulting to anyone who is not a single digit size which in current sizes can really mean double digits by the old standards. Remember when Kristie Alley was as size 6 or 8 and she was easily 185 lbs? She looked good but even SHE lied about her weight both before and after. Wouldn't it have been better if she said I was 250 and now I weigh 185? What would be wrong with that?

My DH asked me why I was so hot under the collar about this and I said....men walk around fat dumb and shirtless and women are the subject of ridicule because they happen to look like they ate more than a dry salad or weigh more than 100lbs soaking wet. I know it is the old double standard but when I see this promo I find it emotionally charged as so many on the LIfetime website do. MY whole life I have been watching my weight. I have two scales in my bedroom one a digital and one a regular. I cannot ever eat anything without thinking of the consequences. MY DH eats whatever when ever with no guilt and he has a chronic metabolic disease!! I know I might be extremne but I do not think I am unique in this society.

Stepping off my soap box now...to go have 1/4 c Egg Beaters and 1 slice of ff cheese for breakfast for 1.1 WW pts.

 

[RangerPooh]

As a plus sized gal I'm mixed on the vanity sizing. While I enjoy being flattered every now and then I'm just glad that women's clothing doesn't display the measurement son the tags like mens clothing. That would really be damaging to some individuals self esteem.

My grip with clothing designers is that they don't make attractive clothing for sizes over a 14. I spent this weekend combing 2 malls for nice suits (or pieces there of) for work and found very few items in the womens section that were not t-shirts and elastic waist pants. It's almost like designers think that if you are over weight then you don't want to look nice.

I agree with the comments about Traget and Old Navy. They've gone to the skinny legs and are not made for curvy figures.

 

[Shelton123]

What bothers me is the sheer amount of weight loss commercials that are on. There's more to life than the size of your waistline.

America has a big obesity problem, and more people being healthy is a bad thing? I know there's more to life than having a gorgeous body, but why not if you have the opportunity to? Not everyone needs to go on the Snejana diet, but can't people eat healthier, and exercise more? I went to the mall yesterday, and I was shocked at the percentage of overweight people. It kind of scared me, honestly.

For the record, by "overweight" I mean they looked mostly size 18+

 

[EthansMom]

My grip with clothing designers is that they don't make attractive clothing for sizes over a 14. I spent this weekend combing 2 malls for nice suits (or pieces there of) for work and found very few items in the womens section that were not t-shirts and elastic waist pants. It's almost like designers think that if you are over weight then you don't want to look nice.

That's my argument too. Sure, I'd reward myself with beautiful new clothes if/when I lost my extra weight. But why should I HAVE to lose weight to have the option of beautiful clothes. I easily look 20 pounds lighter in clothes that are cut to accentuate my curvers rather than just cover them up. I'm sick of wearing "tents" that do nothing to help me look good at my current weight.

The funny thing is that, traditionally, having a few extra pounds was attractive. Look at the women in classic paintings... they are beautiful and they aren't exactly tiny little things. Even just going back to the pin-up girls of WWII... those women had some nice curves!

Regarding women's pants, I'd like if they started sizing them "Waist, Hips, Inseam" (just a little different than men's sizing).

 

[MushyMushy]

America has a big obesity problem, and more people being healthy is a bad thing? I know there's more to life than having a gorgeous body, but why not if you have the opportunity to? Not everyone needs to go on the Snejana diet, but can't people eat healthier, and exercise more? I went to the mall yesterday, and I was shocked at the percentage of overweight people. It kind of scared me, honestly.

For the record, by "overweight" I mean they looked mostly size 18+

But the problem is, these diet programs are just diets -- they aren't touting healthy lifestyles (except maybe Weight Watchers). On one hand, you have these Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem commercials followed by an ad for Pringles or Lays (can't eat just one). We're getting mixed messages at every turn. Stars weighing next to nothing being glorified while we have shows mocking fat people like the fat bachelor show that's coming on soon.

BTW, what on earth is the Snejana diet? I thought I've heard of them all, but that's a new one to me.

 

[redlight]

The funny thing is that, traditionally, having a few extra pounds was attractive. Look at the women in classic paintings... they are beautiful and they aren't exactly tiny little things. Even just going back to the pin-up girls of WWII... those women had some nice curves!

Regarding women's pants, I'd like if they started sizing them "Waist, Hips, Inseam" (just a little different than men's sizing).

Yes, I'd love to see the fashion standard go back to something more voluptuous. I'd also love to see pants sized by Waist, Hips, and Inseam!