Clothes' sizes?

BackwoodsMom

Just wondering if any of you ladies have noticed how the clothing sizes have changed over the years? 30 yrs ago I wore cotton dress pants to work (PE, Science, and Math teacher) and they were/are size 14. I still have them because they were great pants and I hoped to fit into them again someday - actually I can get into them but the waist is a bit too snug for comfort. I'm 7 lbs away from my adult weight low so it will happen. :happy: Anyway, the jeans I'm now wearing, and bought not too long ago, are getting a bit loose so I checked the size. They are a 10. Is this all to make people feel okay about being overweight because they ONLY wear a size 10 or 12?

I just thought I'd put that out there to you ladies who are around my age (almost 52) to see if you've noticed the shift at the same time that so many people, especially Americans, are overweight.

Have a happy, successful day! :flowerforyou:

kimiel51

I think sizing is weird in this country anyway. It all depends on the brand and style, as to what size I wear. Mens sizing on the other hand seems to be so easy. Just get the waist and length and you're good to go!

CnocNaCu

You are so right with the sizes. I'm originally from the continent and used to be a size 42 which in the UK is a 14 and in The US a 10.
What this 42 relates to ....no clue, really not.
But why is a UK 14 a US 10? The only explanation is that it makes the US women feel slimmer. Also: it depends on the brand. What I find weird is that after so many years they haven't changed the proportions. Women's shapes have changed dramatically: ie bigger boobs, bigger waist , bigger butt..... Usually clothes in my size are too long

ryansgram

I read that somewhere, that what used to be a size 14 is now a size 10.

Annec0911

I agree that sizing is all over the place! Australia has yet another scale - AUS Size 8 = US size 4 = UK size 10?
I've heard it referred to as 'Vanity Sizing'...an attempt to make us feel good about fitting into a 'smaller' size.

I generally try to ignore the size label and go for what fits....

Though, I haven't bought any clothes in the last 18 mos (ok, one coat) cos I discovered I love sewing and creating items that fit me to a T...and don't have size labels ;-P

annarouni

Perhaps home sewing will make a comeback. ( I used to make all my clothes and then for about 10 years I could hardly find shops that sold fabric. That seems to be turning around. Or is it just I'm better at noticing? ) It doesn't do the general population any favors by lulling them into a satisfied stupor that they "fit" a size 10, when that 10 is four inches larger than it used to be. Of course, retailers are primarily concerned with persuading to spend more money, not to save it.

I too have a collection of "vintage" clothes that I've been saving until I can fit into them again. The extra pounds I'll need to lose to do that is substantial- and the difference between really being healthy and kidding myself that I am.

Hooray for no labels. They usually irritate my skin anyway . . . :noway:

shakybabe

I've found the opposite, not sure if you're in US or UK.

When I was in 20's I was still fitting in my old suit pants that were a 16 long before I reached a new size 16! Some of my old blouses are a 12 and baggy on me and have fitted me for a while but I haven't yet fit in any current size 12 tops .. I've just got into size 14's.

I don't know if your height makes a difference or where the fat is but I'm short 5ft 3 and half and all my weight was around my abdomen.

When I first got into 14's I was so excited my 18's and 16's were miles too big then looking for clothes on ebay I was amazed to find 14's are now classed as XL so I'm still XL.

I'm sure when I was younger sizes 10-12 were small, 14-16 were medium and 18-20 large.. anything over 20 was XL. I reached an XL 22 a few years back at 16st and was horrified!, but now just as depressed to find I'm now still XL at size 14, even though I'm now 9st12!! :sad:

debs6

Sizings are all over the place - I certainly agree. I am in Australia and there is some - but not much consistency in sizes.We are aligned to British sizes - which are two sizes bigger than US sizes. Between stores and brands there is considerable difference in sizes- within one size. I recently reached a size 14 here in Aus - which is equivalent to a 10 in the states - and am buying 14s for about 90% of all my clothes - but I do have one or two size 12s and a couple of 16 which all fit perfectly. I heard a shop assistant speaking to an elderly woman in a store - she asked what size she was and the woman replied that she ranged in sizes from 12 through to an 18 depending on the item.

I do think that the sizes are definitely vanity sized because when I look at the weight I am now - I am heavier than when I was in a size 14 back in the 1970s by about 14lb. This might be skewed by the weight of additional skin that is a left over after my weight loss- which tends to be very malleable and will fit into most shapes etc. As someone said - the weight distribution has changed as well- with the hardest part remaining being around my middle.

I was listening to a documentary recently that said that the average size here in Australia has increased over the last 20/30 years from a 14 to a 16. They are even upsizing the mannequins in the stores to reflect this.
I try everything on now before I buy - it is the only way that I get items to fit.

shakybabe

I read that somewhere, that what used to be a size 14 is now a size 10.

This is depressing if a 14 is really a 10 does that mean I haven't really gone down from a size 20, cos the current 14's are the new 20? .. that way 14 is still an XL? .. I used to 10-12 in my 20's at uni so would I have been in 6-8's if I was still that size now?

joanlwolf

I realized something was wrong at least in the US when I lost my luggage for 24 hours traveling in Brazil. The airlines gave me an "emergency" kit, toiletries, women's paper underwear and men's cotton boxers and undershirt (go figure). Anyway, at 165 lbs I slept in the boxers and undershirt and both were a little snug - they were size XL. A men's XL in the US would have been huge on me.

chicpeach

Manufactured clothes sizes have been slowly inflating over the years. The clothes manufacturers have it in their heads that women look for certain sizes and won't buy clothes if they don't find that number.

If you want to know what your real clothes size is, the one that is unadjusted for inflation, go to your nearest sewing store or look up pattern sizing on the web. Pattern manufacturers have kept their sizes consistent for over 100 years. I currently wear a size 12, but if I were to sew myself a pair of pants, it would be size 22.

On the bright side, you can always tell when clothes are truly vintage as the size they're labeled with is dead giveaway.

kobiemom

Some of it has to do with the cut of the garment, fabric and style. For example, older jeans have a tighter waist. Newer jeans don't plus they're made of a stretch denim. It's confusing. I wore a size ten at my smallest and with twenty pounds left to go, I'm wearing a size ten already.