vanity sizing

DarthCeltic

So on my drive into work this morning... I was listening to NPR news and they had a segment on "vanity sizing" This interested me.. but then made me feel completely horrible.. you will see why... (as i will post the link to the news story, and their findings by science. ) It made me wonder are we really a society that wants to be lied to..

Thoughts? Please troll.. have serious conversation.. or fun.. or you can even flame me... im good with it.. just wanted to get this out there..

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/26/161770336/how-food-and-clothing-size-labels-affect-what-we-eat-and-what-we-wear

DarthCeltic

no response = people reading?

DarthCeltic

Didn't read the article, will do so shortly, but have been aware of vanity sizing for years. For some fun, if you have any really old clothes that have been stored or saved for some reason, or if you shop vintage-- you will see that your current size would not even come close to fitting you. Some makers are much worse than others... GQ I think ran down some stats-- some are as large as 3.5-4 inches larger in the waist than the posted size....Why I use a tape measure not my clothes

i hope you dont use an industrial tape.. those edges hurt... dont ask me how i know this..

chelledawg14

It's kind of ironic that I just encountered this in my clothes. I have a bin with my favorite jeans from 1985 and an old NY Mets (Lee Mazzilli) top I had from even earlier. The jeans were a size 4 and I weighed 104; the shirt was a large. I'm now wearing a size 8 jeans & they're getting too big (I can fit in a 6 but not sit in them - lol) and a large top and I'm at 153. I didn't measure them, but I guess I should. I found it so odd that I'm not that far from a size 4 and yet weigh so much more!

I did get the food thing because I read EVERY LABEL and weight of items & I'm pretty hard to fool when it comes to that stuff. The thing is about the fountain drinks, at least from my experience - the larger the glass, the more it's filled with ice so I wonder how much more pop you're actually getting in those giant cups.

rossi02

I heard the start of this same segment.. before I quickly turned it off and tried to unhear the first 3 minutes of it.

DarthCeltic

I heard the start of this same segment.. before I quickly turned it off and tried to unhear the first 3 minutes of it.

um.. sorry?

rossi02

I heard the start of this same segment.. before I quickly turned it off and tried to unhear the first 3 minutes of it.

um.. sorry?

HA, I'm not really that tied into what size I wear. However, sometimes when I hear / read these things I start to wonder.. "am I really making progress, or did the clothing industry decided to play fairy god mother again". However, I didn't realize this had spilled over as much as it has to men's sizing.

DarthCeltic

I heard the start of this same segment.. before I quickly turned it off and tried to unhear the first 3 minutes of it.

um.. sorry?

HA, I'm not really that tied into what size I wear. However, sometimes when I hear / read these things I start to wonder.. "am I really making progress, or did the clothing industry decided to play fairy god mother again". However, I didn't realize this had spilled over as much as it has to men's sizing.

yeah it means that im wearing a humungo size then... sad..

KittieLea

It's too early...I shall return...

HMD7703

Vanity Sizing has been going on for a long time in women's clothing. In fact, there have been a few threads on it already. One thing that really irks me about the whole thing is that I do not want false motivation (which only leads to let downs). On the other hand, there really is no governing rule about sizing, as each brand seems to have their own take on "sizes".

Best thing to do, use a soft tape measure to track progress (and a full length mirror) vs clothing or scales.

/rant

tendumom

I imagine most women have been aware of vanity sizing for several years.

My best example is from a few years ago. I had a pair of black pants that I adored. Size 8, petite. Didn't need to hem them which is a huge plus for me. I wore them so often that they no longer looked good a year or so later. When I found the exact same brand and style again in the same size, I did not bother to try them on. I bought them.

Took them home, took off the tags and hung the pants in my closet. You guessed it. When I finally went to wear them, they were a good 2 sizes too big!!!! I was so ticked. No way on this planet was I any smaller than a size 8. Went back to the store and tried the pants on. They were not mislabeled. I needed the 6 and probably could have gotten away with the 4. Absolutely ridiculous!

Lesson learned. You can not make judgements based on womens clothing sizes! Which is too bad as my original weight loss goal was to get back down to a size 8. I am still a good 30 lbs overweight and if I try on new pants, it's usually a size 8 or a 10 at the most.

saxmaniac

Ain't just women. My waist is 32" by tape measure. I have pants that all fit labeled 31 to 34, from different manufacturers. But, not all pants go around my waist, so who the heck knows.

The psychological ramifications are very well knowing in the advertising industry. I noticed this a good 20 years ago myself. When I was a kid the "small" fries at McDonalds were the white paper bag. The large was the red carboard. Then they introduced super-size, a tall red box. Suddenly, that tall box was renamed "large". The red box was renamed medium. Then they introduced a new super-size, which was super-tall red-and-yellow box.

Completely serious... when I go into a movie theater, I order a "value" or "kiddie" (!!!) drink because it's the only way to get something reasonably-sized. So, in order to reduce calories and not have to pee 30 minutes into the movie, I have to be willing to publicly call myself cheap or a child. Luckily, I don't really freaking care. But I imagine in the future (taking a hint from Idiocracy) that these small drinks will be called "wimpy", "*****", or maybe even "********er" size so that people will be to embarrassed to order them.

BAMFMeredith

Vanity Sizing has been going on for a long time in women's clothing. In fact, there have been a few threads on it already. One thing that really irks me about the whole thing is that I do not want false motivation (which only leads to let downs). On the other hand, there really is no governing rule about sizing, as each brand seems to have their own take on "sizes".

Best thing to do, use a soft tape measure to track progress (and a full length mirror) vs clothing or scales.

/rant

Yeah, I can't rely on clothing sizes to track my progress AT. ALL. Generally speaking I wear an 8 in jeans, but I just got a pair in a size 6 this weekend. Puh-lease. I KNOW I am not a size 6. I'm not delusional. And I got a dress from Express that I thought was a small, which was already ridiculous, but I got it home and realized the tag said XS! I know that I've lost weight and all, but no way in hell am I am extra small in anything! It's just ridiculous.

sillygoose1977

Women's sizing doesn't seem to be a science. All brands are different. I'm not sure I would call it "vanity" sizing but more of a lack of consistency across different manufacturers, which is perfectly understandable. I don't really care what my size my clothes say because my tape measure always tells the truth.

AnninStPaul

And yet...there remains a market for size XXXL.

bokodasu

Yeah, there is a vintage clothing store in my neighborhood; I know not to go in, because there's nothing in there that will fit me.

Old Navy is the worst - their sizes make no sense. I was taking a Medium shirt there when I could barely squeeze into a Target XL. My daughter takes a 14+ in their kids' size, but the length is the same size as my ON pants - who thinks a kid should be as tall as an adult? A tall one, too, because their "regular" pants are sized for 5'8" women and their "petite" is for women <5' tall, so none of them are the right length for an actual average-height woman. And a Wal-Mart 16 is a Target 14 is an Old Navy 12. (Which is probably a Nordstroms 8, but I'm shopping cheap right now so I haven't checked lately.)

This is why I'm wearing pants 2 sizes too big right now, because buying new ones is too much work.

katamus

Well, welcome to marketing.

All I have to say is that clothing sizes p*ss me off big time. What I fit in one designer is a 4, while another designer can be a 6 or an 8. Then there's juniors sizes. And none of it is uniform. >.<

Xstitcher74

My Boyfriend did this with his pants just recently and found that his waist was actually 4 inches larger than what his pants size said. So, he just keeps eating right and exercising and not really caring about what the tag says.

mandorla

Heard the story on the way to work myself and had considered posting about it. Unfortunately YES we do want to be lied to, but we try to ignore it is happening.

That's why I don't trust buying jeans that are two sizes smaller to measure if I've lost weight.

Crochetluvr

I never realized it had a term...I have known about this for quite awhile. If this were the 70's, I would have been wearing a 22w/24w when I started my weight loss instead of an 18/20. Long ago when I was a 140 pounds, I was a size 16. Well, I am 181 pounds now and a size 16. And people who are now a size 6 would have been a size 10. That's why size is JUST a number. It doesn't matter. Its what YOU feel comfortable as, that is important. You only need that number as a guide as to what you pull off the rack at the department store.

mitch16

It's so frustrating, and I wish they would come to a uniform sizing.

At least in men's clothes, pants and suit sizes are based on nominal measurements. One of the biggest frustrations we've had in our household is with Nike golf shirts--my husband likes the Dry Fit fabric--but the size Medium is not the size of a small tarp, and size Small is exceedingly hard to come by.

With women's... it's been going on for a while. I was in high school in the 80's and vintage was a trend. I thought it would be great to wear my mom's prom dress from the 60's--it was labeled as a size 8 and I was a size 8--but I couldn't even get it zipped! And my mom would be the first to admit that she wasn't THAT small when she was in high school (but I guess during the era of Twiggy size is relative).

SeaChele77

I should've stopped reading!! As if I didn't already feel like crap this morning, then put on my sz 4's to now read that I'm in a 1950's sz 12??!!!

We hear all the time that Marilyn Monroe was a sz 14 as was Lucille Ball - curves were in and skinny was not. But if this "vanity sizing" is correct (which I know for the most part it is b/c of my own clothing) then Marilyn Monroe would be a sz 6 in today's clothing.

:sad:

Rockmyskinnyjeans

I'm still all over the board in sizes, thank you vanity sizing. It seemed that it was easier to buy clothes in the 90's when I was in HS because the sizes were more uniform than they are now. Just my 2 cents. A tape measure really is the only way to judge if you're truly losing (inches to fit in clothing, that is).

loserbaby84

Most people have a number stigmatism. This is like the scale fiends on this site who have to weigh themselves daily and have to justify any gain/loss.

I feel sorry for these people and I'm extremely happy not to be one of them.

Good story - a real eye opener for some. Cheers!

Nina1007

Yeah, there is a vintage clothing store in my neighborhood; I know not to go in, because there's nothing in there that will fit me.

Old Navy is the worst - their sizes make no sense. I was taking a Medium shirt there when I could barely squeeze into a Target XL. My daughter takes a 14+ in their kids' size, but the length is the same size as my ON pants - who thinks a kid should be as tall as an adult? A tall one, too, because their "regular" pants are sized for 5'8" women and their "petite" is for women <5' tall, so none of them are the right length for an actual average-height woman. And a Wal-Mart 16 is a Target 14 is an Old Navy 12. (Which is probably a Nordstroms 8, but I'm shopping cheap right now so I haven't checked lately.)

This is why I'm wearing pants 2 sizes too big right now, because buying new ones is too much work.

Yes! Old navy is the worst offender! And this is why I don't allow people to buy me clothes for Christmas!

SeaChele77

Most people have a number stigmatism. This is like the scale fiends on this site who have to weigh themselves daily and have to justify any gain/loss.

I feel sorry for these people and I'm extremely happy not to be one of them.

Good story - a real eye opener for some. Cheers!

Obviously not an eye opener for you b/c you're above all that.... Good for you!! :ohwell:

wrbiii

And yet...there remains a market for size XXXL.

And yet, buy a 3x anything made out of cotton and wash it just once.... That's all it takes.

You'll find out rather quickly that a 3x after washing is the same if not smaller than a 2x after washing. (In the same brand)

DarthCeltic

it just makes me think that my grandfather if he were my size was really a 5x (at that time) and is now a 2 x.. .. and that is discouraging.. hahaha

SeaChele77

Yeah, there is a vintage clothing store in my neighborhood; I know not to go in, because there's nothing in there that will fit me.

Old Navy is the worst - their sizes make no sense. I was taking a Medium shirt there when I could barely squeeze into a Target XL. My daughter takes a 14+ in their kids' size, but the length is the same size as my ON pants - who thinks a kid should be as tall as an adult? A tall one, too, because their "regular" pants are sized for 5'8" women and their "petite" is for women <5' tall, so none of them are the right length for an actual average-height woman. And a Wal-Mart 16 is a Target 14 is an Old Navy 12. (Which is probably a Nordstroms 8, but I'm shopping cheap right now so I haven't checked lately.)

This is why I'm wearing pants 2 sizes too big right now, because buying new ones is too much work.

Yes! Old navy is the worst offender! And this is why I don't allow people to buy me clothes for Christmas!

^^AGREE^^ Not only do they not match other stores, but they can't even stick to their own sizing chart. I've been a small & large in one day in that store!!

BeingAwesome247

I never realized it had a term...I have known about this for quite awhile. If this were the 70's, I would have been wearing a 22w/24w when I started my weight loss instead of an 18/20. Long ago when I was a 140 pounds, I was a size 16. Well, I am 181 pounds now and a size 16. And people who are now a size 6 would have been a size 10. That's why size is JUST a number. It doesn't matter. Its what YOU feel comfortable as, that is important. You only need that number as a guide as to what you pull off the rack at the department store.

Love this

We hear all the time that Marilyn Monroe was a sz 14 as was Lucille Ball - curves were in and skinny was not. But if this "vanity sizing" is correct (which I know for the most part it is b/c of my own clothing) then Marilyn Monroe would be a sz 6 in today's clothing

Yep!!

NearlyJen

Heard the NPR story this morning, too. What really makes me mad is that even within a brand that you've worn for a long time you just can't trust their sizing. Not even from their body measurement suggestions on a sizing chart. What do I care if my pants say size 2 if it took three purchases to get it right since I thought I was a 6? How flattering is that 2 when you had to add size 000 to your clothing line? Ridiculous. Where it gets silly is in historical references when people say things like "Marilyn Monroe was a size 10!". Not a 2012 size 10, morons. She had a 22 inch waist.