vanity sizing

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.

trophywife24

Yeah vanity sizing has been othe upswing forever. Like a PP said, that's why people are alway oh, Marilyn was a 14 and look at her. That's why she's the idiol for the size 14+ set... without taking time to note the massive differences in sizes. I'm a solid size 8, but the last vintage dress (early 60s style) was a 14.

Retailers will also mark their sizes to accomidate larger butts to sell more clothing. If you wear a size 6 in one jean and an 8 in another, most but will buy the 6 just because.

My clothing size was a goal for me (I just really wanted to be an 8 in both dress and pants) but now that I'm here, I can see it's not that important. No one else but me sees the tags on my clothes.

dsjohndrow

How about people read the label? When it comes to cloths, us a tape measure. Hat's why I don't need NPR.

kristen6022

I tend to not keep clothes for more than 5 years. But what I don't get about "vanity sizing" is - just 6 months ago I was buying 12's. Now I'm buying 4/6's. Does that mean all sizes are getting bigger and I was really bigger than a 12 or are they making the smaller sizes a bit bigger.

Like when I look at my size 4 Old Navy jeans that I just purchased 2 weeks ago and my size 12 Old Navy Jeans I bought in March, there is a "HUGE" difference. So I know I'm way smaller now, but the 4's don't look like a "4" should or at least in my eyes. But I've always been either a 10-12-14, so buying 4's to me is just crazy...

wrbiii

At least in men's clothes, pants and suit sizes are based on nominal measurements.

They say men's pant sizes are the waist measurement rounded to the nearest even inch. It isn't. I have pants that 42's (bought less than 2 months ago that are loose) and my measurement as of last night was 49.5


So, I no longer go by pant sizes (haven't really for a while) I have 4x shirts that are too small and 2x shirts that are too big.

But damnit, if it makes you subconsciously happy to wear a tent labeled as a napkin (just so you can tell your friends) then whatever floats your boat.

As for me, I'm going to do the work on my boat to make it float without help from some corporate *kitten* trying to get his bonus for the trip to Vegas to see his hooker gf and cocaine baby.

ErinBeth7

I've noticed it very recently, just in the last couple years. I have shopped at the same store for years as they always have clothes that fit me (jeans especially) and my style and are affordable. I've noticed with the jeans, my size has gone down slightly as well as their shirts have gotten bigger. I used to always wear a L in their shirts and now I find myself mostly in the mediums and occasionally a small. Not sure to call it vanity sizing. As a whole, we are a bit bigger than we used to be. So why should sizes stay the same?

akgordoa

One more reason to read labels, and measure your body by body fat percentage. Helps me sleep at night at least.

BelindaDuvessa

I actually found this out when I was stocking apparel at Wal-Mart. It's depressing, really.

This is always why I have no choice but to try clothes on before actually purchasing them.

tcunbeliever

I do a fair bit of sewing, and have for close to 20 years, so I'm very familiar with the vanity sizing thing. Clothes used to be the same size as their pattern counterparts, and then manufacturers found they could boost sales by making them bigger. Pattern sizes have remained unchanged over time - a pattern for a size 12 from 1950 is a size 12 on a pattern from today. I can wear size 4 jeans, but anything I make myself has to be a size 8 (and really I tape out at a size 10, but I sew smaller seam allowances than the patterns call for)...until they finally fell apart my favorite pair of jeans was my mother's size 12 from when she was in high school...they did not in any way shape or form resemble a size 12 from a store today, they were about a 6 in today's sizes...it's really sad, particularly for people who tend to "go up" a size every year or two - they don't realize that they are going up about 2 sizes and this is not a healthy trend...maybe if the sizes were the same as on the patterns it would be alarming enough to motivate them in a more positive long-term direction...

PBsMommy

I have three different type of pants that I ALWAYS buy and I fit a different size in each one.

AE - I wear a 12. I probably could fit a 10, but I hate tight pants.

Old Navy - Size 8, sometimes 10. However, their sizing changes the most often. Give it a month and I can probably fit in their size 4.

Cotton Industrial (Belks) - 11 (yeah it's in the Jr's section, but I love the style of them.)

If I tried any of those in vintage sizing, I probably couldn't even get them over my knees.

Like a lot of people already said, I use the tape measure to see where my progress lands, not my dress size. However, when it comes to pants that I have had for quite some time, I do like to try the ones on that haven't fit for a year to see if they go over my *kitten*.

McLifterPants

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.

OMG the Marilyn Monroe thing cracks me up. Just look at a damn picture and you can see that she was not a modern day size 10. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/04/marilyn-monroe-was-not-even-close-to-a-size-12-16/ I found that article interesting.

Anyways, yeah, I hate how inconsistent it is even from the company's size charts, as well. For instance, at my heaviest, my waist was 31.5" and my hips were 41.5". According to the size charts from Express, I should have been a 12 in their pants. However, when I went in and bought a couple pairs of pants and a skirt, they were all size 8. So stupid! What if I had purchased online?

I hate how it varies from brand to brand, too. I legitimately own bottoms in everything from a 0 to an 8, and they all fit. Whaaaaatever.