Comments on: The vanity sizing myth http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html and that's the best news any of us has ever heard Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:35:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eric http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-175491 Eric Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:25:23 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-175491 It's a problem in mens clothing as well. At 33 BMI I cooed walk into any store and buy clothes, at 22 BMI there iare few stores that even carry what i need. I am also finding that my weight loss is compounded by size inflation in menswear as well. The rare 29" pants are often really a size 31-33" in reality. I have already been relegated to the teen clothing section and I still have about 10 pounds to loose. When I'm done i will have to alter many of my items just so they won't fall off me. It’s a problem in mens clothing as well. At 33 BMI I cooed walk into any store and buy clothes, at 22 BMI there iare few stores that even carry what i need. I am also finding that my weight loss is compounded by size inflation in menswear as well. The rare 29″ pants are often really a size 31-33″ in reality.

I have already been relegated to the teen clothing section and I still have about 10 pounds to loose. When I’m done i will have to alter many of my items just so they won’t fall off me.

]]> By: Jessica http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-169471 Jessica Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:31:38 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-169471 It really is an issue when you are a healthy weight and you can't find clothes anymore because the smallest size is too small. I haven't quite hit that point, but I am usually the smallest size or next to the smallest size. I wonder if in ten years I will be shopping in kids' clothes like some of these other readers. I've noticed how in many brands the smallest sizes are selling out the quickest because we've become a little desperate to get something in our size. I can guarantee that anything I like as a twenty-something is usually sold out in 0s and 2s and Ss and XSs before I get to it...and I shop pretty frequently. I used to be a size 5/6 when I was in middle school. And those middle school clothes still fit me...even a little too tightly. More than anything, I wish manufacturers were consistent to their OWN sizing charts! I go to Ann Taylor's, measure some clothes with a tape ruler, and each size is about 4 inches bigger than it says it is! It really is an issue when you are a healthy weight and you can’t find clothes anymore because the smallest size is too small. I haven’t quite hit that point, but I am usually the smallest size or next to the smallest size. I wonder if in ten years I will be shopping in kids’ clothes like some of these other readers.

I’ve noticed how in many brands the smallest sizes are selling out the quickest because we’ve become a little desperate to get something in our size. I can guarantee that anything I like as a twenty-something is usually sold out in 0s and 2s and Ss and XSs before I get to it…and I shop pretty frequently.

I used to be a size 5/6 when I was in middle school. And those middle school clothes still fit me…even a little too tightly.

More than anything, I wish manufacturers were consistent to their OWN sizing charts! I go to Ann Taylor’s, measure some clothes with a tape ruler, and each size is about 4 inches bigger than it says it is!

]]> By: Ivy http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-168457 Ivy Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:37:03 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-168457 Joanne, that actually happened to me! I went to GAP to look for jeans. The smallest size was enormous on me, so I asked a sales clerk what to do. She told me to go to GAP kids! Out of desperation I went, and after taking one look at the jeans with flower patches embroidered on them and the pink and purple stitching, I hightailed it out of there and never returned. Joanne, that actually happened to me! I went to GAP to look for jeans. The smallest size was enormous on me, so I asked a sales clerk what to do. She told me to go to GAP kids! Out of desperation I went, and after taking one look at the jeans with flower patches embroidered on them and the pink and purple stitching, I hightailed it out of there and never returned.

]]> By: Joanne http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-147421 Joanne Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:15 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-147421 Tell me about it. I am 61 years old and have decades of first hand experience of sizes getting bigger and bigger. Not good so someone who is "tiny". In my 20s I was barely 5'2" and 100 lbs. I was a size 5 back then. Over the decades, I put on just 5 lbs over 40 years, yet I have gone from size 5, to a 3, to a 1, to now a size 0. I used to joke about 10 years ago that if they kept making these clothes any bigger, I would be shopping for clothes with my Social Security check in the KID'S section. It's not funny anymore because it's coming true. You know what? Amercian women are just plain FAT. Maybe I should move to Europe. Tell me about it. I am 61 years old and have decades of first hand experience of sizes getting bigger and bigger. Not good so someone who is “tiny”. In my 20s I was barely 5’2″ and 100 lbs. I was a size 5 back then. Over the decades, I put on just 5 lbs over 40 years, yet I have gone from size 5, to a 3, to a 1, to now a size 0. I used to joke about 10 years ago that if they kept making these clothes any bigger, I would be shopping for clothes with my Social Security check in the KID’S section. It’s not funny anymore because it’s coming true.

You know what? Amercian women are just plain FAT. Maybe I should move to Europe.

]]> By: Allison http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-131817 Allison Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:12:46 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-131817 Diane, the 1950s sizes have nothing to do with modern sizes. Read more on that topic at Fashion Incubator (the article "The Myth of Vanity Sizing," linked to above, has details). Diane, the 1950s sizes have nothing to do with modern sizes. Read more on that topic at Fashion Incubator (the article “The Myth of Vanity Sizing,” linked to above, has details).

]]> By: Diane http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-119059 Diane Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:58:55 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-119059 It's not false sizing. There's no platonic ideal of a size 4 or a size 8 or what have you—it's all based on relative population sizes, and the average size for an American woman has ballooned outward in the past 10 years, and even more so over the past 20-30. A friend of mine who wears sizes 4-6 in upscale mass market brands like Banana Republic has recently gotten into "vintage" pattern making (with patterns from the 50s, heh). She's discovered she was a size 14 in 1950s sizes. We've grown a LOT. It’s not false sizing. There’s no platonic ideal of a size 4 or a size 8 or what have you—it’s all based on relative population sizes, and the average size for an American woman has ballooned outward in the past 10 years, and even more so over the past 20-30.

A friend of mine who wears sizes 4-6 in upscale mass market brands like Banana Republic has recently gotten into “vintage” pattern making (with patterns from the 50s, heh). She’s discovered she was a size 14 in 1950s sizes.

We’ve grown a LOT.

]]> By: Kristen http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-119037 Kristen Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:36:04 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-119037 This has become a BIG issue with smaller women (even medium-size women!). When we walk into our favorite stores and can no longer find anything to fit...something is going on, and it's not good. I've been frustrated & angry when even a size 4 is too big. Most stores carry only down to a size 4, so I'm out of luck. I'm tired of carrying armloads of clothing into the dressing room - does this manufacturer vanity-size; do they not vanity-size? It's a guessing game nowdays. People are not fooled by the false sizing. It has only made most customers angry, especially women who used to wear a small size. Now they have NOTHING to choose from! This has become a BIG issue with smaller women (even medium-size women!). When we walk into our favorite stores and can no longer find anything to fit…something is going on, and it’s not good.
I’ve been frustrated & angry when even a size 4 is too big. Most stores carry only down to a size 4, so I’m out of luck.
I’m tired of carrying armloads of clothing into the dressing room – does this manufacturer vanity-size; do they not vanity-size? It’s a guessing game nowdays.
People are not fooled by the false sizing. It has only made most customers angry, especially women who used to wear a small size. Now they have NOTHING to choose from!

]]> By: Thomas Bailey http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-117057 Thomas Bailey Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:01:20 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-117057 The British Standards Institute has drafted a standard calling for a pictogram with actual measurements in centimeters. That's right, centimeters! This is to be understandable worldwide. Work began in 1996, and was ready for publication in 2003. A few countries have the new size labels right now. I could understand why the USA does not use the new labels. Most Americans do not routinely use metric, and don't want their measurements staring in their faces. Many would be terrified by the resulting big numbers. I have been fully ready for the new labels as early as 1983, somewhat ready in 1975. The British Standards Institute has drafted a standard calling for a pictogram with actual measurements in centimeters. That’s right, centimeters! This is to be understandable worldwide. Work began in 1996, and was ready for publication in 2003. A few countries have the new size labels right now. I could understand why the USA does not use the new labels. Most Americans do not routinely use metric, and don’t want their measurements staring in their faces. Many would be terrified by the resulting big numbers. I have been fully ready for the new labels as early as 1983, somewhat ready in 1975.

]]> By: Luxe http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/2009/02/the-vanity-sizing-myth.html/comment-page-1#comment-105874 Luxe Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:46:31 +0000 http://www.nobody-knows-anything.com/?p=1002#comment-105874 "(It does sound like women who are very tiny are really having a hard time of it?there aren?t enough of them to make it worth most manufacturers time to design clothes for them. Perhaps there is a marketing niche some designers need to aim for: ready-to-wear sizes beyond 0 and 00.)" Thank you for finally recognizing that this is, in fact an issue as well! While everyone else is bemoaning the addition of a size 00 to bebe's sizing range, I was exulting in the fact that the total number of mall clothing stores where I could buy off the rack had now doubled to 2. “(It does sound like women who are very tiny are really having a hard time of it?there aren?t enough of them to make it worth most manufacturers time to design clothes for them. Perhaps there is a marketing niche some designers need to aim for: ready-to-wear sizes beyond 0 and 00.)”

Thank you for finally recognizing that this is, in fact an issue as well! While everyone else is bemoaning the addition of a size 00 to bebe’s sizing range, I was exulting in the fact that the total number of mall clothing stores where I could buy off the rack had now doubled to 2.

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