40lbs Lost, but same clothing size?!?

I doubt all three pieces of clothing are the same size. I imagine they have the same numbers on them, but different measurements. Plus, people lose weight from different places on their bodies. While my pants changed 4-6 sizes with my 45-50 pound weight loss, my tops only changed 2 sizes.

I agree that I doubt all clothing is the same size. My old boss used to buy upper end clothing because she could buy sizes 6-8 and in the lower end clothing she had to buy sizes 10-12. A label is just a label and are not necessarily equal between manufacturers.

Sounds like most of your clothes are getting loose.... Don't let one skirt put a damper on all your hard work!
Clearly the sizing of that skirt is 'wrong' or different from the others. Some stores are smaller fits than other stores...

Also, if you're anything like the girls around here your clothes are waaaaaay to tight to begin with. So when you lose weight, your clothing size doesn't go down because you were in the wrong size to begin with.

I saw a documentary one day that was all about how the name brand companies were exaggerating sizes. What should be a size 10 they would label an 8 and so on. Depending upon what brand. They also said that bottom bargain brands usually size correctly. Also IMHO I think the sagging pants nightmare has changed up sizing too.

Girl, I hear you. The largest size I ever had to wear was a 12, and now the smallest I fit into is a 4 (30% of the time :P) BUT the majority of the clothes I own- 8's & 6's still fit the same. So if any one can tell me how to determine your "true size" it would be greatly appreciated. The best I can come up with is find a brand (like Merona from Target) and see what you can zip up. I was doing this with pencil skirts for a while but as I got thinner I realized I fit into the same skirt fine, it just rested on my hips lower. grrr

Pant sizes are so messed up. I'm 5'5" , I've lost 58lbs. I started at 187lbs wearing a size 14/15. I now weight 129lbs. I still fit into a few pairs of 11 but I also fit into a 2, 3, 5, 7, 9. I wish there was some uniformity between stores.

Not all manufacturers make their size <whatever> the same. I have clothes that are size 6, size 8 and size 10 that all fit me just perfectly. But all of the size 10's that fit before I lost weight are now too big. It's just a clothing label. If you want proof that you're getting smaller, use a tape measure.

I can't find the right article now, but I read a while ago how over the past 15-20 years the clothing sizes have changed: The measurements that 20 years ago were size 8 are now size 6. What used to be M is now S. Though the effect is different in different regions, of course. I was amazed when I first moved from Eastern Europe to Western Europe and suddenly could buy clothes a whole size smaller while gaining a good 10 pounds!

EditedToAdd: strength training is very much advised for losing the inches. Just don't be alarmed if your weight goes up a bit in the beginning, that's a combination of water retention and the fact that muscle simply weighs more than fat.

I have personal example for you. I bought some jeans from the buckle BKE i think size 10 then got some off ebay size 10 all fit great. Bought some shorts at walmart size 11 I can get them on but are to tight for my liking. Different brands are different sizes with the same number It will all work out!

I'm so close to -40

Also, if you're anything like the girls around here your clothes are waaaaaay to tight to begin with. So when you lose weight, your clothing size doesn't go down because you were in the wrong size to begin with.

Actually, mine are the same way, and I never wore clothes too tight, actually the opposite, everything was too big because I didn't want the clothes touching me in anyway, let alone someone to see how big I was, so I wore bigger clothes.. errr.. Not sure where I got that logic..

Anywho, 38 down here, and can still wear everything that I could before, and cant wear some things I thought I should be able to.. Very frustrating, but I also measure and if I look at my measurements, I have lost 8 inches around hips, and 7 inches around my waist, though only 3 inches around my thighs. so, my thighs are what is holding everything up.. and I found that all of my clothes have some sort of stretch material in them, because the plus size clothing usually do, so my jeans etc, have the stretch stuff, and that works both ways, if your smaller, it will fit too. it is throughout the day that they get more loose.

My friend told me to go into a store and find an jeans that have zero stretch and see if they fit me one size smaller.
lo and behold, they did. Just those ones tho, the same size ones I have at home.. nope, don't fit..
frustrating indeed, but you are doing awesome!!

Plus you have to look at who made them; have they shrunk; when were they made??? Designers "alter" sizes all the time based on the population size. I didnt realize it until my dad went to get pants and the size he ALWAYS wore since high school was now to big! He had to go to the Juniors dept to find pants. When he was telling the clerk about it the clerk told him the designers, in an attempt to make people not feel bad, made the sizes larger - so your currents smalls were mediums last season.

Look at the thickness of the denim and if there is spandex mixed in too... My stretch jeans are one size my non stretch a different.

I doubt all three pieces of clothing are the same size.

I have to wear "Casual Dress" clothing to work, and when my slacks were becoming so big I couldn't hang in them anymore, my husband carried me shopping at his favorite store...Lane Bryant. They brought me the smallest size they carried, a 14, and they were still big on me. So he carried me to JC Penney and he picked out clothing for me in a size 12, some fit beautifully, and others...well we'll just say they didn't fit. :-) When we left that night, I had 4 pieces of clothing.. a dress and a pair of slacks size 12, and 2 other pairs of slacks, size 14 and 16. It's all in the way they are cut. Don't get discouraged.. You have made a great accomplishment with your weight loss, and remember ALL clothes do not fit alike and they all can be the same size on the tag. Have a great day, and keep up the good work!

First off - woohooo for losing 40lbs. All the clothing in the world can't take that away from you. :-)

Second - each clothing brand / manufacturer has their own specific specs for tops and bottoms. Specs are the measurements that they brand / manufacturer determines for the factory for each clothing size. Like how many inches the waist band should be for each size, how many inches the length of the top should be, neck size etc etc.


A big box store like Target and Walmart have the same specs across the board for all brands that they own. Target - Merona, Xhilaration, Walmart - George, Faded Glory .......
A store like Kohls the specs vary amongst the designer brand name - Vera Wang, Dana Buchman, Jenifer Lopez......

It is true that most higher end American brands Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Donna Karan tend to run a little smaller than mid-tier brands/stores like New York & Co, Charlotte Russe.

Also stores like H&M / Zara that are European based have smaller specs because the difference between European and American sizes. The garments in those stores were made with European specs, they then slap an American size on it.

So the moral of my post is screw it. The proof is in the number. You lost 40lbs. Give yourself a pat on the back because you deserve it. You can make yourself a new wadrobe account. Stash money in that account and when you are ready, go shopping and you'll see all your hard work paid off.

my advice they are just numbers...... in Britain wow the difference in sizes is amazing it a cost cutting thing for the stores on material , when I was at my lowest weight two years ago I was still in the same size clothes but looked great ??!! i just wear nice stuff regardless of the label .