women's pants sizes, so frustrating

Alta2000

I buy the same pants. i've been wearingI them pretty much exclusively for the last five years or so. I think sometimes they mislabel things. I have a pair of 14's that are new that are exactly the same size as a pair of new 12's I have. Compared with the exact same 14 it's clearly a size smaller. the belt that came with the new small 14's says size 12....

Now that I started shopping in my closet for clothes that are 12 years old, I noticed that they are labeled large or 12-14, but when I go to the store, same labels/designers but I wear medium and size 10-12.

alexisjfrank

It's also who makes the pants and how many countries are doing it....weird but true example. I found a great pair of khaki color pants years ago at TJMaxx...good brand, fit nice. They were 10 at the time. I decided a week later to go back and get the black color too...was happy they still had them. They were a bit snug...thought I put on weight. Tried on the khaki and they fit. Hubby said look at the "made in" not the size. He was right...two different countries, same pants, same style. One cut more generously. lol
You just can't win.

I didn't realize it was the country. I just recently bought some capris from jc penny, same size but different colors. They all fit just a little bit different. Maybe I should go back at look at the country . . .

alexisjfrank

I think this has already been stated, but I find that Old Navy is the best place for jeans. They have different styles for different body shapes, which is huge for me!

YES! Love Old Navy/Gap jeans. I find the quality lacking because I wear mine to death -- I mean literal death, they get rips and holes in the thigh/butt area after about 6-8 months. But what more can I expect? They fit me well and look good. My 18s I just bought from Gap fit that day and are now getting quite loose just a month later

Some of that depends on if the jeans have Lycra. I have some Gap jeans that I bought almost 10 years ago (no stretch, pure denim) that still have no holes (belt loops did rip though). But I find that jeans made more recently wear out quicker.

PinkNinjaLaura

I didn't realize for a long time that the women's sizes are a full size bigger, so a 16W and an 18 are really the same size. I was trying to go from an 18W to a 16 and it just wasn't happening - well of course because that was 2 sizes not 1. Fortunately the jeans that fit me best are Lee Riders which are under $20, so I just keep rolling down through the sizes. Started at a 22W (which is really a 24) and just got into a 14 (although I can also still wear my 16 and even 18). As soon as I fit into one size I pick up a pair one pair smaller (mini goal) and the 12s are really small, so I'm glad I read someone's comment that they found the drop from 14 to 12 to be a bigger one.

ostrichagain

If you have a sewing machine, you can take jeans in yourself. It looks a little intimidating, but it is completely doable. Find an pair of jeans to practice on before you take apart your favorite pair. Tons of tutorials online.

Donald_Dozier_50

My fiancee and I went shopping for a new pair of pants for me last night. I think it frustrates him more than it frustrates me that I have to try on both size 12 and 14 (and it blows his mind that odd numbers are juniors sizes). I nearly cried when I found a fabulous pair of Lucky Brand jeans for $40, but they only had size 12. My fiancee said "But, that size twelve you're holding fit you fine!" He just can't quite grasp that Lucky runs small.

He has also given up on helping me find Bras. They're *supposed* to have standards, but when he holds up a bra in the size I tell him I wear, and I take one glance at it and say "It won't fit. Too small in the cups"

YOUR FIANCEE WENT SHOPPING WITH YOU ? ? ? He must either be crazy or have not yet learned the rule..............
Never go shopping, especially for cloths, with a woman. I would NEVER go shopping for cloths nor purchase any clothing item for my wife and that has worked for me for 34 years.

debraran1

My husband even had a pair of sneakers and pants change when the country that made them did. He always would order the same thing but then looked at where it was made and it changed.

I wrote Kohl's (not that I will even get a form letter back) just stating that I was disppointed that I couldn't order what might have been a favorite pair of jeans because of the various "made in" labels.

I will try going back to Old Navy and Lands End. I don't mind that 10 brands have a different size 12, that always existed, but make the same pair of pants the same from the same maker.

QueenMother14

I feel your pain. Right now the bigger clothes I bought to wear when I gained weight are too big but my smaller size clothes are still too small. I need a half size!