QUESTION about womens' jeans sizing

billsica

There are two things in life I will never understand. One is scoring a tennis match, two is women's clothing sizes.

This is why all scores in tennis should be 1 point, and all cloths should include a belt that doubles as a tape measure.

Robin_Bin

Skirts can be even worse, since waists can vary so much. I once bought both a size 6 and a size 12 on the same day -- and they both fit!

NCchar130

Jeans are ridiculous. I have two pairs of Gap jeans, both are size 14 (US), same style. However, one pair is practically falling off of me and the other is too tight to sit down in. I can't figure it out for the life of me except I did buy them at Goodwill and so maybe they changed the measurements of a 14 when each pair was originally in stores.

Robin_Bin

Yep, even the same brand can size differently for various styles or over time. As I've lost weight and pulled out some older, smaller sized clothing, I've noticed it's not the same size as things marked with the same number in the stores now. It's really pretty crazy and annoying.

But it is kind of funny in a few cases, like when I tried on a skirt in the store that was the same size as what I thought I wore based on my closet. It felt a bit loose, but I wanted to see what it looked like with a matching top. While I was changing my shirt, the skirt slid right off me! (Luckily I was still in the dressing room.) NSV?

debdelilah

I believe the diffrence between Jr.s and Ms.s is that the jr.s are cut a little bit narrower with a slightly shorter rise. Basically jrs. are usually cut to allow for the less developed curves.

i was just going to ask that, as i didn't really now what the difference was as i seem to be a 0-2 in misses/ womens but a 3 in juniors...

Juniors sizes I think are considerably smaller than women's now due to sizing changes affecting women's sizing more than juniors's sizing. For instance, not only is the average American overweight, but even the average 20-something American woman now has a BMI above 25 - and younger people are on average smaller/less overweight. than older people - the average goes up with each decade of life. 66% of Americans are clinically overweight, with a BMI 25 or above. I think the women's sizing is not just about vanity selling, it's about real averages and ranges - the stores don't want to make clothes they can't sell. Many/most stores in my area don't sell anything below size 4, while size 4 is larger than it used to be. But junior sizes will include styles for a range that statistically is not as likely to be overweight - the average under 18 American is not overweight, though those numbers are growing too(about 30% right now, I think). The result is that while a juniors 3 used to equal a women's 4, a women's 4 is now much larger than a juniors' 5 at the stores I shop.

LorinaLynn

I usually take the size I *think* I am, plus the next size up and down, into the dressing room. Sometimes none of them fit right. Sometimes a smaller size fits looser than a larger size. There's very little consistency.

Lyssa62

I hate jean brands and sizing

arizona -- I take a 13 to feel like I'm not hanging out of them

nobo's -- I take a size 11

ruff hewn (younkers) size 8

CoderGal

all I know is I'm everywhere from size 3-9/25-29. Stupid womens sizing. I wish it would make up it's mind.

lin7604

yes i agree. I was shopping at rickis and i was trying on a size 0-2, which that store is aimed for woman. when i shop at gordmans, garage clothing, etc i am a size 3 as they are for a younger generation... When i am at walmart i can't even buy pants there anymore as they don't seem to sell under size 4 and they are too big. i still think it's wrong for womans sizes to be bigger b/c they tend to be bigger then younger people... i think a size should be a size no matter what. either you are a size 4 or not? it should always go by measurements so it's equal for any store.....

Crosbinium

I found a pair of jeans that fit really well and were on sale so I decided to grab a second pair on the way to the register. Same style, size and color. I go to wear a pair three days later and I can't button the pair. I knew I didn't gain weight like that in three days. At first I thought maybe they shrank but I don't put my jeans in the dryer. I pulled out the second pair and tried them on - fit perfectly. The other pair is 2 inches smaller in the waist. So those are away for later.

RobynLB

I believe the diffrence between Jr.s and Ms.s is that the jr.s are cut a little bit narrower with a slightly shorter rise. Basically jrs. are usually cut to allow for the less developed curves.

i was just going to ask that, as i didn't really now what the difference was as i seem to be a 0-2 in misses/ womens but a 3 in juniors...

Juniors sizes I think are considerably smaller than women's now due to sizing changes affecting women's sizing more than juniors's sizing. For instance, not only is the average American overweight, but even the average 20-something American woman now has a BMI above 25 - and younger people are on average smaller/less overweight. than older people - the average goes up with each decade of life. 66% of Americans are clinically overweight, with a BMI 25 or above. I think the women's sizing is not just about vanity selling, it's about real averages and ranges - the stores don't want to make clothes they can' sell. Many/most stores in my area don't sell anything below size 4, while size 4 is larger than it used to be. But junior sizes will include styles for a range that statistically is not as likely to be overweight - the average under 18 American is not overweight, though those numbers are growing too(about 30% right now, I think). The result is that while a juniors 3 used to equal a women's 4, a women's 4 is now much larger than a juniors' 5 at the stores I shop.

Even Jr's and kids sizes are changing. I buy stuff from the kids section at Target sometimes -- I may have the fashion sense of a six year old, but at 5'7" and 128, I am NOT the size any kid should be. What's going on with American kids?

zentha1384

It also doesn't help that the sizes change. The average woman's size is suppose like 12 or 14, so as the average woman's waist gets bigger the sizes change. Marilyn Monroe was a size 12-14 during her prime. A person with her exact measurements now would be wearing a size 8.

Men's pants varies a little bit brand to brand but in general are based on waist size. I really wish women's pants were more like that.

Troll

I wear 3, 5, 6, 7 size jeans. I wish there was a reason. some 7s cut into my hips and some 3s are baggy. who knows!

BondBomb

Annoying right?
I have jeans from a 4 - 10. However I will say in most brands I am consistently a 6. For me its all about whether it covers my Sir Mix-a-lot Booty. I almost always have a huge gap in the waist.

MaraDiaz

My old skinny jeans:

2 size 10s
1 size 9

All were worn last when I was in my 120s and 130s (my other clothes were size 5s and 6s) and right now I'm using them as inspiration to get thin again. The muffintop they create is hilarious and sad at the same time. The size 9 actually fits looser than the 10s, by the way.

My current pair bought a few months ago that I can pull off and on without unbuttoning now:

Size 10

But the day I bought those, there were size 12s that fit looser than they did!


If you want jeans that will tell you the truth, maybe man jeans still do. They're sized by inches. Hm, makes me want to run and buy a pair!

lin7604

It also doesn't help that the sizes change. The average woman's size is suppose like 12 or 14, so as the average woman's waist gets bigger the sizes change. Marilyn Monroe was a size 12-14 during her prime. A person with her exact measurements now would be wearing a size 8.

Men's pants varies a little bit brand to brand but in general are based on waist size. I really wish women's pants were more like that.

so why do they need to mess around with things and constantly change thing... i a size should be a size no matter what. it should be like mens with a waist size and leave it at that! i don't agree just b/c waist sizes are expanding, that our clothes should too and still hold the same size value to it. you grow, you move up to the next size. simple as that!!!!!!

MaraDiaz

It also doesn't help that the sizes change. The average woman's size is suppose like 12 or 14, so as the average woman's waist gets bigger the sizes change. Marilyn Monroe was a size 12-14 during her prime. A person with her exact measurements now would be wearing a size 8.

Men's pants varies a little bit brand to brand but in general are based on waist size. I really wish women's pants were more like that.

so why do they need to mess around with things and constantly change thing... i a size should be a size no matter what. it should be like mens with a waist size and leave it at that! i don't agree just b/c waist sizes are expanding, that our clothes should too and still hold the same size value to it. you grow, you move up to the next size. simple as that!!!!!!

It's called vanity sizing, all else being equal, a woman is more likely to buy a piece of clothing that shows a smaller size tag. I admit it, I will!

lin7604

well that is crazy and it's so wrong. I will buy what fits, not buy something b/c of a size.... really, if you know you are not a size 4 and you buy a size 4, how does that make anyone feel better?

Rockmyskinnyjeans

I usually just shop from the same store all the time and, even then, I can vary off a size or 2, depending on the cut of the jeans. It doesn't matter though, as long as I am happy with how I look in them. I am usually a 26-28 at Buckle, depending on which jeans I try on. I don't let the variations get to me. When I shop at Maurices or Vanity, I am the equivalent of a size 3/5. Nordstrom, I bought a pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans that were a 4. That's about the variation I can report

MaraDiaz

well that is crazy and it's so wrong. I will buy what fits, not buy something b/c of a size.... really, if you know you are not a size 4 and you buy a size 4, how does that make anyone feel better?

That's the point. All else being equal. So there are two black skirts that fit and look the same, you like them both equally, one says size 8, one says size 5. I don't know about you, but I'm buying the 5s.