vanity sizing?????

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jen10st
jen10st Posts: 325 Member
in Motivation and Support
Can someone please explain what on earth vanity sizing is and how it works? A friend of mine work in retail and her explanation made no sense at all, I just didn't get it.

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  • seamatt
    seamatt Posts: 199 Member
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    Apparently it's along the lined of oh I am size 12 in x shop. All the other shops cut their clothes wrong as when I got to them I need an 18.

    Makes people feel better about themselves with self delusion, or at least that's how I understood it.
  • Jewelforyou
    Jewelforyou Posts: 74
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    Basically what it means is that clothing manufacturers have taken to labeling clothes with lower sizes than they were in the past to cater to our vanity and make us feel like we're smaller than we actually are. They're hoping that if you think you're a smaller size you'll feel good about yourself in the piece of clothing and be more likely to buy the item.

    For example a size 6 now and size 6 twenty years ago are in most cases very different. A size 6 now is a lot bigger. Probably equivalent to what a size 10 was twenty years ago.

    It really varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. This happens a lot in women's clothing because there is no standardization in sizes in the first place. Unlike men's clothing where with many items they use things like waist size, inseam and neck size to determine sizes instead of an arbitrary number.

    Hope this makes sense :)
  • jen10st
    jen10st Posts: 325 Member
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    Lol now it all makes sense thanks. Women's clothes sizes are never helpful at the best of times now they're changing them again even more. Bugger it I'll make my own!
  • SarahCW1979
    SarahCW1979 Posts: 572 Member
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    Vanity sizing :explode: Its a sales tool to make you 'fit' smaller sizes and therefore feel better about yourself ultimately buying more clothes.
    Even going by the measuring charts for shops is a nightmare because none of them match up.
    WHY OH WHY cant we have mens sizes? An inch is an inch afterall!!
  • seamatt
    seamatt Posts: 199 Member
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    Vanity sizing :explode: Its a sales tool to make you 'fit' smaller sizes and therefore feel better about yourself ultimately buying more clothes.
    Even going by the measuring charts for shops is a nightmare because none of them match up.
    WHY OH WHY cant we have mens sizes? An inch is an inch afterall!!

    You'd think wouldn't you. Clothes are all made in the third world to a rough template. I bought a pack of 3 work shirts before, one was too big, one fitted and the other was way too small. Same pack, same colour and tagged the same size
  • poseyj88
    poseyj88 Posts: 140 Member
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    Basically it makes clothes that are physically larger as smaller size.

    For example, today's size 8 is somewhat similar to a size 12 a few decades ago.
  • Zangpakto
    Zangpakto Posts: 336 Member
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    Vanity sizing :explode: Its a sales tool to make you 'fit' smaller sizes and therefore feel better about yourself ultimately buying more clothes.
    Even going by the measuring charts for shops is a nightmare because none of them match up.
    WHY OH WHY cant we have mens sizes? An inch is an inch afterall!!

    Ohhh yea, you like the mens inches sizing don't ya :D

    Much better than the ladies anyway... Too confusing... lol
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    America has gotten fatter. But women don't like to buy clothes with a bigger number on the label. So many manufacturers have made clothing bigger. I can easily fit into a size 14 dress or jeans in the store and size 16 clothes are always enormous in the store. But, size 14 clothes I wore ten years ago are too small for me. In fact, I gave my mother in law a bunch of old dresses that I was too big for (before I joined MFP). I am going to a wedding in a few weeks and borrowed back one of the dresses I gave her to wear to the rehearsal. I bought a new dress for the actual wedding. The new dress fits great and is a size 14 like all my new clothes are. The old dress is a size 16 and I will definitely need a decent foundation garmet to avoid looking like a sausage in it.
  • 5pmsomewherenow
    5pmsomewherenow Posts: 163 Member
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    I purchase a lot of clothes on eBay, and vanity sizing is most apparent over the last ten years. You can really see it when you are purchasing clothes by their measurements: I shop for a 32 inch waist, which means I might be an 8, 10, 12 or 14 depending on the age of the garment. This all means that you can't shop by size anymore, you have to either try a selection of sizes on, or shop online by measurements -- which is almost impossilbe on store websites because they use charts and they are almost always wrong. I've found the most luck on eBay, as I've been purchasing a smaller wardrobe over the past year -- gotta go with the sellers who measure everything out for you!
  • MandaJean83
    MandaJean83 Posts: 677 Member
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    Vanity sizing :explode: Its a sales tool to make you 'fit' smaller sizes and therefore feel better about yourself ultimately buying more clothes.
    Even going by the measuring charts for shops is a nightmare because none of them match up.
    WHY OH WHY cant we have mens sizes? An inch is an inch afterall!!

    Could not agree more! I am a shortie (5'3") and I always have to shop in petites to avoid having to hem my pants. I wish I could buy a pair of pants that go by my waist size, thigh size, and length! LOL
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    LULULEMON!:noway: Soooo pathetic...
  • gimpygramma
    gimpygramma Posts: 383 Member
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    Ever notice that if you are prepared to spend a lot, you get to wear a smaller size? Most expensive brands size large....it strokes the egos of their prospective buyers.
  • surromom2010
    surromom2010 Posts: 457 Member
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    places like Maurices has vanity sizes, where you wear a size 9 in almost every store except one where you happen to wear a 3/5. It's lies to make you shop there more lol.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    it's just marketing to the middle class masses. Ignore the size and number, just look in the mirror and buy what looks good. :)
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
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    they do it to guys clothing, too. i wear a 29 in some brands of jeans, and a 32 in others. slacks range from 32 to 34 waist.

    my take : just measure it in inches so i don't have to try on 50 pairs just to see how honest you are in labeling the product.
  • Weebs628
    Weebs628 Posts: 574 Member
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    I have this problem too. I wear LEI jeans from Walmart and my 13's are falling off of me, but some of the 11's I can't even get buttoned! I have to try on multiple size 11's in that brand to find one that fits. It feels like there should be a size in between 11 and 13 in their brand, but there isn't. Makes me mad >:(

    I wish women's pants would be sized like mens pants.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    It makes it difficult for smaller people to find clothing that fits because when they make the smallest sizes bigger, we can no longer purchase clothing in those stores.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    Sizes are so inconsistent. I have 3 pairs of jeans right now, one size 14, two size 16. The 14s are almost too big; I need a belt with them. One of the 16s is just perfect, the other 16 is kind of tight, but wearable.
  • SarahCW1979
    SarahCW1979 Posts: 572 Member
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    Ohhh yea, you like the mens inches sizing don't ya :D


    Why yes... yes I do:laugh:
  • Robot1976
    Robot1976 Posts: 15 Member
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    We not only have to deal with Vanity Sizing that differs from store to store, but we also have to deal with different cuts (especially in pants). Diva, Bella, Slim, Urban, Petite, Boyfriend....Your size could vary within the same store from style to style!

    You know what they make in the same size? Trash bags. I might just pair it with a smart belt and wear one of those!

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