Womens pant sizes are confusing!!

missabeez

Hey all.

Ladies, I have always been mystified by our pant sizing. My pant size just does not match up to my waist and hip measurement. At all. According to size charts my pant size should be 14..(43.5/35; standard size 14 is 42.5/33. Which means even size 14 should be tight on me. However I wear size 10! How can I be wearing size 10 when at size 10 I should measure at 41/31.5...I don't get it. Am I deluding myself in thinking that 10 fits? I mean its tighter than I'd like it to be but that's why I'm losing in the first place so I dont need a new wardrobe. Am I supposed to be measuring myself loosely with the tape or should it be more snug?

Does anyone else find that they can't trust the standard measuring chart? What is the point of it if it isn't accurate for us anyway?

This turned into a rant. I'm interested to find out if anyone else doesn't match their pant size to their measurements.

axialmeow

Vanity sizing! Makes things so confusing.

TurtleTape

It's called vanity sizing. Today's ten(for example) is much larger than the ten of fifty years ago. On top of that, you have to deal with all the different cuts and brands, each of which have a different standard for a size ten. I can fit into a size X of one brand, but have to go up to a size Y in another.

nxd10

It is vanity sizing. I've been wearing a size 14 since I was 23 (30 years ago). But I gained 30 pounds over that time. Now I've lost 25 pounds and am a LOOSE size 10. My old size 14s are hanging off me (I had to hold them up today while I was teaching so they wouldn't fall off).

I shop at Goodwill and my size varies with how old the clothes are.

maricash

I recently found out that I was measuring my waist in the wrong place. Maybe you are doing this too? I assumed you were supposed to measure around your belly button, but it's actually supposed to be several inches above. This meant that I was always wearing a size that was two sizes down from what my waist measurement said. I did find that the hip measurement matched up O.K. though so I just started going with that.

But I have also found that clothing manufacturers all have a different idea of sizing. There are the vanity sizers that mark all the sizes down and the anti-vanity sizers (American Apparel) that mark everything up. I went to Goodwill and tried on 14s from about 10 different mainstream manufacturers; they ranged from falling down loose to super tight.

mamasmaltz3

I agree! The pants sizes drive me crazy. I know when I was in high school back twenty years ago nobody wore a size 0. At one point I weighed 95 lbs at 5'6" and the smallest I wore was a size three. I wore a 9/10 at 135 lbs. After I graduated high school I was 125 lbs and 17% body fat and wore a size 5. Then I see people on here saying they weigh 140 lbs and wear a size 5. If somebody doesn't own a scale they could very easily delude themselves over how much weight they have gained over the years.

mellie_mellie

I hate vanity sizing! It makes online shopping really hard hehe

JennW130

It's called vanity sizing. Today's ten(for example) is much larger than the ten of fifty years ago. On top of that, you have to deal with all the different cuts and brands, each of which have a different standard for a size ten. I can fit into a size X of one brand, but have to go up to a size Y in another.

yup this for sure! that's why i can never shop for jeans online. have to try them on!

tehzephyrsong

The thing about women's clothing sizes is that none of those numbers have anything to do with reality. We might just as well be labeling our clothes with ice cream flavors, for as meaningful as the numbered sizing system is. There really is no such thing as a "standard" size anything anymore - vanity sizing, in both directions, means that (as others have noted) if you just grab a "size 14" pair of pants off the rack at 10 different stores and compare them, you'll have 10 different sized pairs of pants. At higher-end shops, your 14s will probably be smaller, to enhance the exclusivity of the product in a culture that values extreme thinness. A mid-range or slightly lower-end shop's house brand 14's will be larger, to make the average woman feel better about herself. It gets more complicated when you wait a long time between buying new clothes, because manufacturers are gradually adjusting the physical dimensions of their clothing sizes up or down (as appropriate) every year. Being aware of how ludicrous some companies' vanity sizing is (looking at you, Old Navy) does kind of suck the joy out of trying on a "smaller" pair of pants the first time out shopping in a year, two years, five years. And it's starting to happen to men, now, too...even though their clothing sizes are supposed to refer to something that actually exists in real life (i.e., measurements in inches of the waist/chest, inseam/sleeve, etc). Take a tape measure with you to the store next time and see how big around the waist on a pair of men's pants is. I'd bet money it's not the same as the number on the tag.

crimsoncat

According to many sizing charts I'm a size 6-8. I often find myself more a 2-4.

Exception: sewing patterns are ALWAYS smaller then they claim to be. More than once I've had to add an inch to the waist when it claimed to be my measurement.

beekuzz

OMG! Right? I've been asking people about this for awhile. I started at a 22 @ 243 and now 12's too big, comfy in 10's and 8's fit good enough to wear-not super tight. My young adult life, I was 120'ish and wore 6's. I'm now in 190's and size 8? I'll be a size zero with another 60 lbs to go. So, my 19 y.o. daughter's jeans (size 11 jr.) fit me now. and she's at least 30 lbs lighter than me.

I do not know how this may be interpreted, but someone recently reminded me that most of our clothes are made in China, so their sizing rates could be totally different. I think this is really a possibility because even vanity sizing wouldn't be THAT MANY size differences.

Curious what everyone else says.

Pixi_Rex

This is why I wear mens pants for work... I can't even begin to tell you what size jeans I wear because I haven't bought a pair of jeans since 2004 - I hate them. Sweats and Yoga pants I know my size lol and dresses? Oh god the last one I bought was a large... yup... not even a real size on them.

I am a total girl fail.

ilikepandasyay

Gets even harder when your waist/hip measurements are not "average" ratios. size 8 waist with a size 14+ hip means no pants ever fit and if they do, they don't look good.

TurtleTape

This is why I wear mens pants for work... I can't even begin to tell you what size jeans I wear because I haven't bought a pair of jeans since 2004 - I hate them. Sweats and Yoga pants I know my size lol and dresses? Oh god the last one I bought was a large... yup... not even a real size on them.

I am a total girl fail.

Haha! I know that feeling. I own two dresses, and they stay at my parents house. The last time I bought a dress was for prom four and a half years ago, that's the last time I even WORE a dress. I look forward to being able to wear men's pants comfortably again (darn these hips).

acogg

Then add in the new trick of "relaxed fit" and stretch. According to Lee Jeans sizing chart I should be wearing a size 8, yet I fit nicely in 6. Am I measuring wrong or are they? Although I did buy some no-name PJ's, Hanes sweats and Danskin 3/4 sweat pants in size chico (the new American for small) and they are size 4-6 and THEY FIT! It's a major conspiracy that should be investigated by the Justice Department, just after they report on Fast and Furious, Benghazi and the entire last four years. In other words, don't hold your breath for TRUTH in our new America. Yes, I do have TEA every now and then..

beekuzz

I agree! The pants sizes drive me crazy. I know when I was in high school back twenty years ago nobody wore a size 0. At one point I weighed 95 lbs at 5'6" and the smallest I wore was a size three. I wore a 9/10 at 135 lbs. After I graduated high school I was 125 lbs and 17% body fat and wore a size 5. Then I see people on here saying they weigh 140 lbs and wear a size 5. If somebody doesn't own a scale they could very easily delude themselves over how much weight they have gained over the years.

Totally agree with you. That's maybe why we all seemed to get bigger without noticing so much, until we're out of control. I know what I want to weigh, within 15 lbs for my age, but no clue where my pants size will be by then. I have to say that I'm really happy other people are having issues with this. I thought I was going nuts.

Mitzimum

womens clothing sizes in general are ridiculous! its impossible to know if something will fit without trying it on these days.. I did hear something about it being part of the fact that a lot of clothes are imported so the sizings are dodgy, that as well as the vanity sizing..

GCAsMom

I just posted a blog about this. Just today, I fit into the next size down in jeans, which actually is the smallest I've worn since my twenties.... which was FORTY pounds lighter than I am now. I'm looking forward to seeing what size I'm wearing when I lose another forty! o.o

Mitzimum

i think dress sizes are a little bit more stable though, i tend to more go by my dress size not pants or whatever

quirkytizzy

I once had a size 5, a size 9, and a size 13 trio of jeans. Each one fit, and the five was the *loosest*. It makes no sense.

AZKristi

It all comes down to mass production. They literally stack fabric from floor to ceiling in a factory and have a machine that comes down and cuts hundreds of layers of fabric at once. The piece on top can be several inches smaller than the piece on the bottom, but they will all be made into the same size garmets. I worked retail... you could try three pairs of jeans on - same brand, same style, same size, and they will all fit a bit differently.

rieann84

Tell me about it.. I still wear junior's sizes because I'm 28 and I can't let go.. so for that I will be anywhere from 7 to 11!

In women's sizes I could be a 4, a 6, an 8, a 10!

I have shirts that are both XS and L.

Even pieces from the same store for example H&M, I have 4 and 6 tops that fit fine, a 12 dress that I have to squeeze into and an 8 dress that is sort of loose. What?! The 12 is from a few years back and the 8 more recent. Goes to show that sizes are shifting faster than ever. Obviously, anyone would know that a size 8 from the 1950s does not equal today's size 8..but NOW, you have to second guess each year's new line?

Edit: And if sizes are shifting for the sake of the increasingly "larger" population..what about those of us who are taking our health seriously and slimming down? Sometimes I wonder if I make it to my goal weight..will I be wearing children's clothing? Could be cost efficient I guess.

sarah44254

I fit in a 4, a 10, and a 14.

I am more than a little confused when I need to buy new pants.

MMark2012

I used to work, for many years in retail. As a new/old trend since the 1990's clothing company after clothing company started making their sizes bigger. They did this for psychological reasons. The buyers(us, especially women) were growing bigger and bigger in different age groups that used to be smaller. The clothing companies felt it was in their best interest to make us the buyer happier, AND want to buy more if the sizing said 6, or 8: insteat of 10. or 12. I believe Abercrombie & Fitch may have been the first company to do this

rinnismom

Gets even harder when your waist/hip measurements are not "average" ratios. size 8 waist with a size 14+ hip means no pants ever fit and if they do, they don't look good.

you too, huh?

i got the badunka going on and when i find a pair of pants that fit my hips, i get the gap at my lower back. i'm about to give up on denim. i look like plumber tom every time i bend over. no thanks, lol.

RoadsterGirlie

Pants sizing don't make any sense at all. I wear anything between a zero and a six depending on the brand. That's a huge range.

That said, I seem to be consistant with a juniors size 7. When buying pants, I've learned that's the best place for me to go. Juniors sizes are far more consistent.

SabrinaJL

I agree! The pants sizes drive me crazy. I know when I was in high school back twenty years ago nobody wore a size 0. At one point I weighed 95 lbs at 5'6" and the smallest I wore was a size three. I wore a 9/10 at 135 lbs. After I graduated high school I was 125 lbs and 17% body fat and wore a size 5. Then I see people on here saying they weigh 140 lbs and wear a size 5. If somebody doesn't own a scale they could very easily delude themselves over how much weight they have gained over the years.

I actually still have a pair of shorts from about 20 years ago. They were what I wore at my smallest (150 lbs) and they were a size 13. I'm 173 lbs and can get them buttoned and zipped fairly easily but they're still too snug to wear comfortably and muffin-top is not cool. I recently tried on jeans at Target and fit into a 10. Vanity sizing pisses me off.

lovechicagobears

So true. According to Lane Bryant, I wear a size 24 in their Right Fit jeans, but my size 20s require a belt. If I go to dark rinse, 20 is too tight. If I change style, 24 is too tight. It drives me insane. Sometimes, two jeans of the exact same brand/fit/color from the same rack will fit differently, even if they're the same size. Grrrrr.

I refuse to order pants online for this very reason. I try everything on.

nxd10

womens clothing sizes in general are ridiculous! its impossible to know if something will fit without trying it on these days.. I did hear something about it being part of the fact that a lot of clothes are imported so the sizings are dodgy, that as well as the vanity sizing..

I doubt it's the foreigner makers - they are specked by US companies.

I buy most of my new clothes at Landsend or LL Bean because I need talls. Both have clothing that is exactly to the measurements that they put in their sizing charts. But those charts are generous!

missabeez

Wow....I had never heard of vanity sizing before until everyone started to talk about it. It totally makes sense but it really scares me!!!! Keeping the population in denial about the obvious truth that we are getting larger and larger by the year is not going to encourage us to become more healthy. I guess I will have to just go by my measurements, the scale, and my body fat % to determine my overall health and progress. Saying that I want to be able to fit into a certain size seems ridiculous and arbitrary after hearing all this

It reminds me of the yogurt commercial (I think) that shows a woman looking at her pant sizes and they say things like size "fabulous", "smoking hot", etc. I like that idea We are beautiful and we don't need clothing companies to define what size beauty should be.

It also makes me think to an old vintage poster I saw that was an advertizement for a weight gain pill. Yup, in the 20's?, women were concidered too skinny and were expected to be larger. Oh how we have changed. We need a healthy middle ground.

etynda6116

I ca fit from a 6 to a 12 comfortably without uncitely rolls and they are so confusing. but in shorts it ranges from an 8 to 12 sometimes 14.