Gap (among other stores) & Vanity Sizing

US Clothing sizes have definitely changed over the years. When I was in my 20's (40 years ago), I wore a size 10. At that time I weighed around 115 pounds. Now at age 60 I weigh 123 pounds and wear a size 4 or 6 easily. Believe me, in NO WAY do I think I should be that size, but it is what it is. As we have gotten larger as a society, clothing manufacturers have found a way to make us feel smaller. I always wonder what this means for the models and celebrities that we see. What size are they??? A triple negative 0? I guess the bottom line is, it doesn't matter what size we can wear, but how we FEEL that's important, right??

my mom saw on tv a story about sizing. what they do in America is they add extra inches to the sizing you wear. America has gotten so obese. she wore a size 14 for a long time and thought I am doing good I haven't gained weight. when she found out how they did the sizing she was not happy.

I've never noticed it at the Gap, but LOL @ Old Navy's sizing.

Ugh Old Navy is the worst. I only get tank tops there now because I know the 2xs are 2x. I bought a couple tshirts there that were 2x a while ago, and knew they wouldn't fit so I left the tags on. I tried wearing on yesterday and the first comment from my husband "it doesn't look like it fits."

US Clothing sizes have definitely changed over the years. When I was in my 20's (40 years ago), I wore a size 10. At that time I weighed around 115 pounds. Now at age 60 I weigh 123 pounds and wear a size 4 or 6 easily. Believe me, in NO WAY do I think I should be that size, but it is what it is. As we have gotten larger as a society, clothing manufacturers have found a way to make us feel smaller. I always wonder what this means for the models and celebrities that we see. What size are they??? A triple negative 0? I guess the bottom line is, it doesn't matter what size we can wear, but how we FEEL that's important, right??

YES! This is exactly the way it is! In the 70s and 80s, the smallest size that juniors came in was a size 5 or 7. Today that is size 0 and 00. A size 10 fit me at 130. The other day I bought a size 12. at 195 lbs!! That is just crazy.

Last week I was all excited that at Old Navy I bought a size 6 jeans, where a year ago I was wearing size 12 Lee Jeans. So being confident, I pulled out the one pair of jeans that I saved from the early 1990's and tried them on. I couldn't even get the button to within four inches together. So I took them off and looked at the size. They were a size 11. So before you go into that the old jeans were junior sized and the new jeans are misses sized, I also tried on my daughter's size 5 jeans. Those jeans also fit. I compared the old size 11 to my current size 6 and my size 6 is bigger at the hip than the size 11. I couldn't compare waist to waist since the old were high rise.

I've learnt to take no notice of what size I am in a shop as it can vary hugely. For women there is no set standard to say a Size 14 is X inches, yet for a guy a 38 inch shirt/trousers is usually a 38. I've bought two EXACT pairs of trousers from a store before (Dorothy Perkins) and had one fit me and one pair that didn't, these aren't trousers that are similiar they are the exact same in style, colour and size. I had to double check that a smaller pair hadn't been put on my size hanger but no both labels showed the same size. The reason I was given is that one pair could have been made in a different factory to the other and they weren't so precise with their measurements (no kidding!)

This weekend I brought a lovely soft jersey dress and thought at a size 14 it would be too tight but no it fitted perfectly and when I looked in the lable it said 12/14, there is no way on this earth I am a UK size 12. In Marks and Spencers I'm a 16/18 depending on the fit and material and in Next I'm a size 20. Take my advice and ingore what the hanger says, if it fits well then get it and ignore the numbers.

I really wish womens clothing was like mens, Just inches and that's it. A 34/32 is always that no matter what brand.

Womens clothes I can be anything from a 5 to a an 11.

Vanity sizing happens for men, too. In Old Navy/Gap clothes, I can be a 30 for some of their clothes. Other brands I'm comfortably a 32.

It doesn't matter when they use waist/leg measurements either sometimes. I have three pairs of Lucky Brand jeans -- all with a waist measurement of 25 -- that are sized 4, 2... and 0. Place them on top of each other, and they look *exactly* the same around the waist, but not the legs; one is "skinny", another is straight, and the third is boot cut. It may have something to do with the cut, but it's still frustrating because you never know what size to choose when you're shopping. :ohwell:

I couldn't care less about the size... I just want them to fit and look good!

ETA: Before the "size-bashing" commences, please note that I am 5'2" with a small frame.....

I think it has to do with body types too. The only predictable thing is that it is unpredictable. Regardless, as long as my sizes are getting bigger at home instead of smaller, it is all good. I let the size be my guide, not the scale. As soon as the clothes get too big, I donate them to charity so I never go backwards.

I can get Chico's pants where I take several pair into the dressing room and have 1 pair too big but another in the same size make me look like an overstuffed pillow.