Do you think today's standards are based on an overweight na

AelaTheHuntress

I really don't think they do that vanity thing you all are mentioning in the plus sizes. I am not sure about the history on that whole thing but maybe they only adjusted the sizes so that they could add more in as people kept getting bigger. I mean look at the women who wear 1s and 2s, can there really be sizes below that? If so then they were manufacturing clothes to fit starving people? I don't get it. Either way, there is no denying that this nation is becoming fatter and more unhealthy. Yet there is still extreme hate for fat people, go figure.

dapplehorse

I think sizes in the states are bigger than in Canada. Last time I was shopping down there, I was buying size 4, when here I wore 6/8

I found the same thing as well. The clothes are definitely bigger down there

Helloitsdan

Most men in Baltimore are 6-8 months pregnant!
I refuse to be one of them!

noexcuses84

No, if anything I actually think it's the opposite. These days models wearing a size 8 are "plus size" models - but a size 8 is below the national average! It's ridiculous. No wonder people are so insecure about weight and appearance.

totally agree! i think there was a stage, say 10 yrs ago, when ppl weren't aware of the growing obesity problem, but now is a different story!

supertracylynn

Maybe that's why I wore a size 12 in high school at 145# but now wear a size 6 and am 140#...

ETA: have you noticed this is pretty much a female problem? Most guys' lines still go by the standard waist inches = pants size.

LittleMissDoll

this is the most interesting post i think ive read since joining(2 days ago its so screwed up that the world has accepted more and bigger food and the clothes are sized to make people feel better about being bigger, yet bigger people are hated just as much as ever. and i think i read that models are getting smaller? this **** makes no sense!

JamieDD

When I was shopping a couple of summers ago, I left the house my capri jeans were a size 8 but the ones I bought in town were a size 4. WTH I'm pretty sure I didn't lose 4 sizes driving into town.

funkycamper

In high school,, I weighed 116# and wore a size 9-11 or 10-12. I am now 172# and wear a size 12. My waist is a full 12" bigger than it was then. Vanity sizing? You betcha!

I don't think there is a more negative attitude toward obese people today than there was in the past. I think obese people were always looked at in a negative manner. I do think that what we consider obese today is much bigger than what was considered obese in the past because far more of us, as a nation, are overweight. I think you actually see this the most with grade school aged children as as, when I was in school decades ago, there were very few overweight children. Now it's commonplace. I think that's rather sad, to be honest.

And people are getting bigger on average. No doubt about it. The Washington State Ferry system just changed the capacity limits (# of people) who can be on the ferry at maximum to a much lower number because of this. For example, the ferry Yakima's old passenger limit was 2,000 people. Now, it's 1,783. (more info at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017058922_apwaobesityferries.html)

AlabasterVerve

Three years ago at 145 lbs I would wear a size 6 or 8 and some people would even call me skinny. At my height that's not skinny; it's obese! And if you even try and tell someone no that's not a healthy weight for me they'll say that's how a women is "supposed" to look and the media has distorted what's normal. Perceptions have definitely changed as the nation gets bigger--which I can understand considering I'd be thrilled to be at 145 right now. lol

saragato

Clothes have definitely changed in sizing - it's called 'vanity sizing' - I think there's at least a 1-2 size difference from the 80's.

I think the media is less tolerant of weight issues and obesity, as the previous poster mentions, but clothing manufacturers are well aware of the trend toward increased weight and obesity, and they just care about selling clothes, so they've changed the sizes so people don't freak out about what size they really are, and keep buying clothes...

I'd have to disagree, at least with my personal experience. I used to be a 2XL in female tops, 24/26 in bottoms and I stayed within the same weight frame for all the years I was in high school. Then one day I was a 4XL and a size 30 in bottoms. The same company that made my 2XL tops that still fit were now telling me I was 2 sizes bigger. The strange thing is, even with the size I am, I can wear a man's XL or even Large yet in women's clothes I'm much bigger when there isn't a difference except maybe in cut which takes more material from the arms and middle with women.

In fact I don't even shop in the women's section anymore unless it's for things like intimates or when I need something for a wedding.

shakybabe

Forty years ago as a teenager, I wore a 13-14 at 148lbs. Today at 148lbs, I wear a size 8?????????????????????

Are these American sizes? I used to be a 10 at 9 and half stone 133lbs) at uni. 16yrs ago. I'm only aboutn140lb now and still in 16's. But my old 16 suit pants from about 10 yrs ago are as big as my curent 18 jeans on me! I think sizes are much smaller and designer jeans are ridiculous! Got some Levi's of eBay recently meant to be 30" waist, my ACTUAL waist is 31" so thought they would fit me soon.... They actually fasten just above the hip and so don't fit as my tummy is still 35", but they don't seem to include space for hips been bigger than waist these days?

I'm sure when I used to buy 501's 16 years ago they actually fastened around my waist too! ..surely that's the hips size if they only fasten just above the hips NOT the waist size!

natika33

Forty years ago as a teenager, I wore a 13-14 at 148lbs. Today at 148lbs, I wear a size 8?????????????????????

Are these American sizes? I used to be a 10 at 9 and half stone 133lbs) at uni. 16yrs ago. I'm only aboutn140lb now and still in 16's. But my old 16 suit pants from about 10 yrs ago are as big as my curent 18 jeans on me! I think sizes are much smaller and designer jeans are ridiculous! Got some Levi's of eBay recently meant to be 30" waist, my ACTUAL waist is 31" so thought they would fit me soon.... They actually fasten just above the hip and so don't fit as my tummy is still 35", but they don't seem to include space for hips been bigger than waist these days?

I'm sure when I used to buy 501's 16 years ago they actually fastened around my waist too! ..surely that's the hips size if they only fasten just above the hips NOT the waist size!

Clothing manufacturer's often change the way they size things to reflect new trends. With jeans, the top band will be measured in inches, so if they are meant to be hip huggers, then you'll have to measure your hips and if they are meant to fit on the waist, then you have to measure your waist. It depends on the type of jeans, but I don't know why they would change the design of the 501s which are famous!

Sizing depends a great deal on the store. Some stores size up, some down. It depends on who their target market is. As one person mentioned before, if all the stores made their old size 5s into size 0s, what would the actual size 0 people do?

Having said that, sizing down is more common than up. Several of my smaller friends have complained that they have to shop in the kid's sections to find clothes. They also changed the regular inseam a few years ago, so now it's longer than it used to be. That was to accommodate the heels with everything trend, however it sucks if you are more of sneaker-type girl. At 5'4'' I am not that short, but now I find all new pants are way too long on me and I have to get them hemmed every time.

echoica

Interesting thread ... BUMP