What Dress Size or Waist Size Am I Really ?

December 16, 2007 at 9:15 am · Filed under Style & Fashion

Ladies: What is Your Real Dress Size ?
Men: What is Your Actual Waist Size ?
This is a serious article that has taken some time and research, it is, I believe important, please do take the time to read it as there are implications beyond the obvious - thank you

How do most of us know how big we are ? We know by our clothes size !
Well, read this and see what is actually going on …
It is a matter of record that manufacturers and retailers have been ‘playing’ with sizes for some time now, commonly known as Vanity Sizing. Initially, those in the UK denied it but eventually admitted that clothes were now a ‘bit bigger’ than the label suggested. Their explanation was that people were getting bigger, well if that’s the case simply stock more bigger sizes !

In reality it’s a cynical marketing ploy to get people to buy their products. It is primarily aimed at women, as are the slightly concave mirrors in changing rooms that make you look very slightly thinner, in an attempt to flatter their vanity and make a sale more likely.
This is not an article poking fun at women, vanity or gullibility !

That’s OK I guess, if a woman is pushing a UK size 12 she’s not going to be too keen on buying a 14, therefore there’s more chance of selling a ‘more generous’ 12 !
No harm done really - everyone knows the game.

But what if it’s being pushed so far that it has health implications for people ?

Regulars will be aware of things I have written in the past concerning myself, such as Size 10 Trousers or 30 inch waist or indeed 29 inch, these are all a bit light-hearted and meant for general amusement, though absolutely true I hasten to add.
They did get me thinking though:
I decided to actually measure my waist … what was the outcome … have a guess … here’s a clue.
I wear jeans by various quality manufacturers and designers ranging 28″ - 29″ - 30″ and womens size UK 10 ( US size 8 )
It measured 32 inches !

OK, So What, Big Deal You May Say - But Consider This …

A man with a 34 to 36 inch waist doubles his risk of diabetes !

How do 99.9% of men know their waist size ? - by the trousers they wear !
Men can reasonably think when reading about the diabetic risk, No Problemo I’m a 32 !
In fact you’ll almost certainly be 34 to 36 !
All of a sudden it’s not just a bit of kiddum but a serious health risk !

I repeated the exercise on every pair of trousers I could - the results were the same everytime 3 to 4 inches bigger than stated but each time the leg length was exactly as stated.

Women’s Dress Sizes - The Truth

Given this information I enlisted the help of some ladies in order to extend the research (many thanks by the way) and set about measuring jeans and comparing them to the labels.
I’ve been saying for a while that I believe sizes are in fact one up from the label but it was worse, in all cases 2 whole dress sizes !

Here is a table of the results of my research, numerous measurments and garments used.

A Note on Sizes !
There does appear to be a slight difference of opinion in how UK/US sizes are converted, I have tried to use what appears to be the most common and authoritive.

The Results of Our Survey

Label Size	Should Measure	Does Measure	Real Size
UK 4	24"	28 inches	10
UK 8	26"	30 inches	12
UK 10	28"	32 inches	14
UK 12	30"	32-36 inches	16
UK 14	32"	38 inches	18

The above pattern happened repeatedly, in fact I could find no instance when it did not happen !
It also highlighted another issue …

The Great Size Zero Debate

You’ll note that our survey includes jeans in UK size 4, you know what that means - shock - horror - almost a dreaded (or desired) US Size Zero !
Oh My God - poor girl, anorexia - eating disorder etc etc
Er no actually…
The young lady is slim, attractive and healthy and does not live on coffee and Marlboro Lights !
The measurements now shed a different light on this - she is in fact a healthy and perfect 10 not an anorexic stick insect at all !

The Health Issues

This is the crux of the matter I believe, manufacturers kidding people and flattering their vanity is one thing but risking their health is another !
When a woman reads that the average British woman is a size 16 and at serious health risk weight levels and she’s a ‘12′ she thinks, phew! that’s not too bad, I’m OK …
But, that information is based on actual measurements and not label sizes !
Now it means You !

Dress Size Comparison Chart

We have put this table together to compare measurements and sizes in order to to convert should you wish. We have not just copied one this is researched and taken from British Standard measurements and then cross-referenced with continental authority sites.
You’ll note a 2 inch range in waist measurements, we’ve done this to cover all bases as there are some variants and not a specific and definitive guide.

UK	USA	EU	Waist Inches
4	2	32	20-22
6	4	34	22-24
8	6	36	24-26
10	8	38	26-28
12	10	40	28-30
14	12	42	30-32
16	14	44	32-34
18	16	46	34-36
20	18	48	36-38

Here is another chart which is very widely used

UK	8	10	12	14	16
USA	6	8	10	12	14
Continental	36	38	40	42	44
Japanese	7	9	11	13	15

Bust	32"	34"	36"	38"	40"

Waist	24"	26"	28"	30"	32"
	61cm	66cm	71cm	76cm	81cm

Hip	35"	37"	39"	41"	43"
	89cm	94cm	99cm	104cm	109cm

How to Measure Yourself Properly

How to Measure Your Vital Statistics

Bust
* With your arms at your side, place the tape measure around the fullest part of your chest, under your arms.

Waist
* Whilst upright, wrap the tape measure around your natural waistline.
* Keep the tape comfortably loose, don’t pull tight.

Hips
* While standing with feet together, place the tape measure around the fullest part of your body between your waist and your knees.

In Summary

This has been a tour de force and I hope you got this far.
I don’t think people mind being flattered a little but I think, women especially, would object to being made a fools of and clearly deceived.
This has gone way past Vanity Sizing now and has serious implications for both sexes.

I hope you have found this both useful and illuminating. Please feel free to link to the page should you wish to share it with others.

Try getting the tape measure out and checking it for yourself, we’d be happy to hear your views.
We also welcome any serious comments or opinions - please do take part if you have an opinion, further infomation or just somethig to say about the matter.

Many Thanks to the ladies who helped with researching this article
Rod

See Also Related ArticleA Guide to Being More Elegant

To share this with a friend or somebody else you can copy and paste the address below into an email - thank you

http://www.rodcollins.com/wordpress/what-dress-size-or-waist-size-am-i-really

Permalink

229 Comments »

Rod said,

December 16, 2007 @ 6:15 pm

We’ve just been sent this information by one of our visitors who was intrigued to check after reading the article, many thanks for the input

Jeans: Stated size: 14 UK; 40 EU; 10 US - actual measured waist 36″
Trousers: Stated size: 12 UK; 38 EU; 8 US - actual measured waist 37″

As you can see the pattern continues !
A Retired Bookdealer said,

December 17, 2007 @ 5:44 pm

“I Have Been the Same Waist Size for Years, “Until Now”

The first thing that struck me about this article was the fact that I could very quickly see it being relevant to myself, the second was of course natural curiosity.
I am a 36 inch waist, have been for years.
But Sadly for me this may not be the case.

As I mentioned above the natural curiosity factor kicked in very quickly after reading this, so off I went in search of a tape measure.
I then found six pairs of jeans, all the same make.

The measurements of which can be seen below, note the New-recent purchases.

Label size = 36 inches - Actual size 37 inches.
Label size = 36 inches - Actual size 36 inches.
Label size = 36 inches - Actual size 38 inches, New - recent purchase.
Label size = 36 inches - Actual size 36 inches.
Label size = 36 inches - Actual size 38 inches. New - recent purchase.
Label size = 36 inches - Actual size 37 inches.

So there you go, it looks as though I may only be a 36 inch waist in my own mind, but comforted greatly by a label with the number 36 on it.
Rod said,

December 17, 2007 @ 6:31 pm

ARB
thanks for taking the time and trouble to post.
Interesting to see the new purchases though your results were closer than any I mangaed to achieve.
+ 3 inches was the closest I could get.

I will hopefully make people think about doing something as I suspect people may be happy to accept one size but not another and if they knew may take action and try to lose some weight
Thanks again
Regards
Rod
Jordan said,

December 18, 2007 @ 8:40 am

RC & RB

Look guys, if us women buy a size 10 (label) and its really a size 12, i am all for it! If its the other way round, i won’t buy from that shop, simple as!

Jordan - Ho Ho Ho - Deck the halls - Chestnuts roasting -

PS. Where is the Christmas posts?? Here is a topic for you …. The best ever Christmas Song …… (Put my royalty cheque in the post please)
Femme Fatale said,

December 18, 2007 @ 3:23 pm

Rod,
Truly interesting post, I never knew that the manufacturers could get away with it, but they obviously have!

I am with Jordan on this one.

FF
xx
34" Waist said,

December 28, 2007 @ 8:02 pm

I’ve found that 34″ waist jeans have gotten so much larger than my waist that I they fall off my hips. Lands End 34″ jeans are actually 35 1/2″ or larger! Even Levi’s are affected. Size 33″ or even 32″ are now the correct size for a 34″ waist. This is insanity in the service of vanity. No wonder we (as a nation) have gotten so fat. We think the scale must be off and that our pudgy children are actually normal size.
Apparently Anorexic. said,

December 28, 2007 @ 9:01 pm

Hey, I wear a UK size 6 or 8 so according to this site I am a size 12 although I have a 24 inch waist which would imply I’m in fact a size 4. So how exactly is this meant to work considering my clothes fit me?
Rod said,

December 29, 2007 @ 9:22 am

34″ waist
Welcome to the Site.
I have 32 levi’s that I can pull down without undoing the button ! Ridiculous.

We think the scale must be off and that our pudgy children are actually normal size
You’ve hit the nail on the head !
This is the real threat with vanity sizing now it’s gone too far
Many thanks for you input and taking the time to comment
All the best
Rod
Rod said,

December 29, 2007 @ 9:29 am

AA
Welcome to the site and thanks for the comment.
If your waist measures 24 with a tape measure then you’ll notice the chart for ‘proper sizes’ means that is a 6 to 8.

One of the problems here is a proper standard for sizing.
There is a BSI standard but that soes not include waist measurements only hips.

The real point with the size 4s that we measured was that although the label said 4 they were being worn by a girl who was an 8 !!

I suspect all anyone can do now is what you do - find clothes that actually fit the labels are becoming almost irrelevent.
Regards
Rod
pinkmook said,

January 12, 2008 @ 11:16 am

I measured my UK size 10 (28 waist) jeans that I bought and they are 2 inches bigger than the stated size (at 30 inches) they are too big for me and I thought I had outgrown a size 8. But I have to say not all shops are like this and I find variation even within the same shop on different pairs of jeans…sometimes a size 8 wil fit and sometimes a 10. The label most defnitely seems to be irrelevant now and I have to faff about trying different sizes on instead of being able to just pick a style I like and go.
Rod said,

January 12, 2008 @ 1:03 pm

Pinkmook
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
Firstly congratulations on being too big for a 10

On a serious point it has become a farce and certainly renders buying clothing as presents for others all but impossible.
What you say about differences in shops is absolutely correct so vary dramatically as do certain brands

Thanks again for commenting and you’re always welcome back
All the best
Rod
lil ms b said,

January 16, 2008 @ 11:46 am

thanks for the info!!!
i always found that trousers marked “size 12″ were way to big
even though that was the wast size i should have been
ill go for a size 8 in future
:)
Rod said,

January 16, 2008 @ 12:19 pm

lil ms b,
welcome to the site and thanks for the comment - pleased you found the article of some use/interest.
All the best
Rod
lazytoad said,

January 17, 2008 @ 10:04 pm

hi

Thanks for this useful artical, i find it almost impossible to buy jeans despite predominantly buying them from the same two shops all the time. Only last week i tried my usual size 10 in a very commn high street store to find that not only will the not fasten but they wouldnt come past my thighs!! If im a 10 im a 10 regardless of whichever sweatshop they buy there clothing from. Maybe part of the issue is the significant amount of clothing being made outside of europe clearly to different and various sizings.
Rod said,

January 18, 2008 @ 8:46 am

Hi Lazy Toad
Welcome to the site and thanks for the comment, please feel free to do so again.
They point you make about quality control is one I also considered.
Two things put me off this argument.

Firstly: The leg lengths were always absolutely spot on, only the waist was ever ‘wrong’

Secondly: The story was the same was expensive and very well made brands such as Diesel etc, made in Italy retailing at £160 a pair, leg length perfect waist always much bigger than stated.

In the case of Diesel it’s worse as they are specifically sized in inches on the label.
So there is not even the argument of actual dress size specifics

Thanks again for the comment
All the best
Rod
J said,

January 27, 2008 @ 10:07 pm

hi there

i think your missing the point that when you measure the ‘waist’ on a pair of jeans this isnt going to be the same waist measurement as the wearer - women have been wearing jeans for years now low on the hips.

So a label size eg 26 isn’t going to measure 26 on the waistband of the garment. Unless they are seriously high - so higher than the belly button!

When you measure it is naturally a few inches bigger than the waist label as theyr intended to be worn lower down.

It also totally depends on where you like your jeans to lie. Some people buy a bigger size because they want them to sit futher down the hips than intended.

:)
Rod said,

January 28, 2008 @ 8:55 am

Hi J
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
I understand what you mean but I did actually measure where the jeans sat naturally.
I specifically avoided really loose fit styles for the very reason you suggest.

Thanks again J
Regards
Rod
Dee said,

February 1, 2008 @ 4:09 am

Very interesting article, but just a few points.

I’m a female and my waist measures less than 28 inches, but I’m certainly no size 4. If you are measuring the waistbands of trousers, bear in mind they almost always sit several inches lower than the natural waist at the navel. So therefore they will be several inches bigger than the waist measurements stated on the size chart. I only have one pair of jeans that go right up to my waist and they do measure around 28 inches. All my other jeans measure more than this because they all sit several inch lower than my natural waist.

When experts say a woman’s waist should be no more than 34 inches or a size 16, they are referring to the smallest part of the waist above the belly button. Unlike men women do not measure their waists around the navel. In women, the navel is typically 3-5 inches bigger than the natural waist due to the expansion of a woman’s hip bones. You will rarely find a woman with a navel measurement of less than 27 inches unless she is seriously underweight.

So taking this into account a woman wearing a size 4 with a 28 inch waist band should have around a 23-25 inch waist size. This would make her a size 4 according to the size charts.

Dee
Rod said,

February 1, 2008 @ 9:10 am

Hi Dee
Welcome to the site and thanks for the very interesting contribution, very helpful and I appreciate you taking the time.
I take the point you mention which is why you’ll see some flexibility in the charts.

It’s clearly gone way passed this grey area though, especialy in America as they are going to start using minus sizes in clothing - going below double zero !!

Even without using a tape measure you know there is something wrong when a girl in the UK has jeans in her wardrobe which range from size 4 to 10, incidently the size 10 being the tightest !

Thanks again Dee, you’re always welcome back
All the best
Rod
Cherry said,

February 5, 2008 @ 6:02 pm

Hi,

Yesterday I measured my waist and it says 30″, which based on what you say is a size 12. I’m 5′8 and 125 pounds, so I dont’ see how as size 12 would exactly be accurate. I understand vanity sizing, but usually wear O-2, but 12??

please explain

thank you,
Rod said,

February 5, 2008 @ 6:54 pm

Hi Cherry
are you perhaps inAmerica ?
If so you may have confused the UK and US measuring system - you’ll see a comparison table above
Regards
Rod
Annie Flinn said,

February 7, 2008 @ 7:01 pm

Here is a chime in from an oldster in California. Back in the day, we were always told that Levis would shrink an inch to an inch and a half after washing and drying. Though I always use a cold/cool setting when washing my jeans–from any brnad–they always shrink. Could that be the difference in the actual measurement vs the stated measurement?

And here is another gripe: Lower slung jeans are the primary style being sold in many stores. There are MANY of us who grew up wearing jeans, and would like to continue to do so, but we now find that when we buy jeans/trousers we are suddenly Baby Butt-crack. This is not a good look for us, nor is it particularly comfortable. It would just be nice to have a proper range of choices, and to have it acknowledged that not everyone is a twenty/thirty-something young thing who still has her body parts up-tight-and-out-of- sight.
Witches of Eastwick said,

February 7, 2008 @ 8:42 pm

Rod,

We agree with Annie and are currently looking for some ‘under the arm pit’ jeans to cover every eventuality

WoE
Rod said,

February 8, 2008 @ 8:51 am

Annie
sorry to hear the good ole US of A is failing to to provide for your needs. I would have thought every style in every size would be available - given the size of the market.
It’s true here that fashion chains tend to go all one way for a season or so but they do aim their businesses at the sub 30 year olds.

I cannot even buy my size around here at all - never mind choose the style !
Regards
Rod

WoE
very wise
RC
Annie Flinn said,

February 8, 2008 @ 6:50 pm

I have ventured out recently to see what the shops have to offer, and found, to my amazement, that several of them are steering away from the Plumber’s Delight in pants. Catalogs, too, are reflecting this trend. Sounds as though there has been a surge in the rear action front, and that saner minds have prevailed.
Witches of Eastwick said,

February 8, 2008 @ 7:10 pm

Annie,

a surge in the rear action front … we doubt Father Rod (Wybers Wood’s most infamous monk!) will agree with you on this matter although who knows what goes on at the Goldeneye Hermitage

We loved your term ‘plumbers delight’, looks like some of us won’t miss them now the high waist is back… builders everywhere will be distraught!

WoE
Floxyfaire said,

February 18, 2008 @ 5:01 am

at the risk of sounding like i feel off the turnip truck yesterday. whaaat is a “plumbers delight” ? i heard that when they measure you at the stores they take 10 inches off the tape measure and that is what they use in waist and bra etc size is this how this works.

bewildered wondering
Rod said,

February 18, 2008 @ 9:13 am

Hi Floxy
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
‘Plumbers delight’ is new to me as well but my guess is, it’s a man’s butt showing as his trousers hang down when he bends over etc, I believe in the UK and Australia the term is ‘builders crack’

I don’t know about the tape measures but I know some stores use slightly concave mirrors so that your reflection appears slimmer !
Regards
Rod
Haylee said,

February 19, 2008 @ 3:27 am

Hi,

I live in the US and I have a pair of jeans that are 26. In the UK what kind of dress size should i be looking at??

Thankkk.
Rod said,

February 19, 2008 @ 8:20 am

Hi Haylee
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
That waist size would be about an 8 to 10 over here.
That said, you’d have to try them on due to the variance, once again indicating part of the problem
All the best
Rod
gaz said,

February 22, 2008 @ 7:11 pm

Hi,

I am a very straightforward person when it comes to clothing. I like to know if things fit me well or not and don’t want to take hours upon hours to shop ending up with only one item that doesn’t entirely thrill me. I think it would be great to have more brands out there that only do their sizes according to actual dimensions. Additionally, clothing falls on various body shapes differently. A size 8 woman with a long torso & small chest will fill out a dress quite differently than a size 8 with a short torso & large chest. I say, bring back tailors to more stores or have their services more widely available. Perhaps measure taping “the world” would get people to be aware of their true shapes and make it easier to shop.

gaz
Rod said,

February 22, 2008 @ 7:23 pm

Hi Gaz
thanks for taking the time and welcome to the site.
I quite agree with what you say. It does waste a lot of time and mess people about.
Clearly we all need to try clothes and and sizes or styles willl have some effect on how they fit but if someone is size ‘x’ then size ‘x’ clothes should basically fit.

They may not suit us or our figure, may be a little tight or loose but they should be somewhere near.
I fail to see how this vanity sizing nonsense benefits the customer at all
Thanks again Gaz
Regards
Rod
Mix said,

February 26, 2008 @ 1:57 pm

If you think that is bad, you should check out a store called ‘Lane Bryant’. They “offer” a range of clothing starting at size 14 and up into larger sizes. Truth is, there isn’t a thing in the store that someone with a size 14 waist could put on and keep on. Often times their size 18 is a size 22-24. I don’t see how they can get away with it. They’re catering to grossly over weight women, and letting them indulge thinking that they ‘not that bad’ once they look at the lable on their jeans.
Anyway, great article.
Rod said,

February 26, 2008 @ 3:46 pm

Mix
thanks for taking the time to comment and for providing yet another example of this vanity sizing issue.
Greatly appreciated
All the best
Rod
Annie Flinn said,

February 26, 2008 @ 6:06 pm

To Floxyfaire and Mix,
The Plumber’s Delight pants to which I referred (my own inventive name for them) would be ones that don’t cover a plumber “butt crack” when he bends over or squats down. I generally refer to such men as Baby Butt Crack, but did not want to offend any of Mr. Rod’s readers. He was right on with the “builder’s crack” description.

My sister has renamed Lane Bryant to Lane Giant. That tells the whole story right there. Not only are the clothes sized for our full-figured sisters, they go to special lengths to ensure that the clothes are made of cheap materials that hang like potato sacks on one’s body. When one goes there, she feels not only humiliated by the sizes, but it is also re-enforced that she doesn’t deserve clothes that are well-made.
Annie
Naz said,

March 3, 2008 @ 7:48 pm

Thanks for the article, I found this after googling for women’s sizes vs their weight. I have a girlfriend but have no idea what her real size is since it’s always different. I know her weight and measurements though.
However, the manufacturers are not risking anyone’s health. You cannot confuse a slim stomach with a pudgy 36 inch gut. Even without clothing sizes, it’s easy to tell if you have some fat to lose or if you’ve been eating more than you should.
Rod said,

March 4, 2008 @ 8:22 am

Hi Naz
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.

However, the manufacturers are not risking anyone’s health

I would beg to differ. When medical research illustrates health issues based on size they use actual sizes. i.e. men diabetes risks etc.
When we then consider our size we don’t measure ourselves but think of trouser or dress size.
Although I take your point that it’s easy enough to see you’re over weight and it has to be said, that the manufacturers are giving the public what they seem to want !
Regards
Rod
Nef80 said,

March 6, 2008 @ 2:42 pm

Oh my god! I have recently lost 4st and thought I was doing well being able to get into a size 12 or 14 depending on the store. I have just see your survey on what sizes actually measure if thats right then I have been buying clothes labelled 12/14 but really they are 16/18 how depressing is that!!! ( I dread to think what i used to be. My measurements are roughly 38-29-39. Having read the entire article i feel more confused (and fed up) than i did before i read it!

Have i missinterpreted it?
Emma
Witches of Eastwick said,

March 6, 2008 @ 4:25 pm

Dear Emma

Feeling more confused and fed up after reading one of RCs articles is not unusual…. stick around you’ll soon adapt By the way we think your stats sound just right so don’t concern yourself there.

WoE
Rod said,

March 6, 2008 @ 4:40 pm

Hi Emma
thanks for the comment ad welcome to the site.
I wouldn’t worry about what the label says it sounds like you’re doing really well
Good luck and keep it up
Regards
Rod
Nef80 said,

March 6, 2008 @ 9:27 pm

Thanks that cheered me up a bit.

Something I thought might interest you…

Last week i tried on a pair of jeans in a 12 and 14 couldnt do up the 12 and 14 was TIGHT it was totm so i decided to go back this week this time i took the 14 in and it was huge round the waist what really made me laugh is the girl working on the changing room told me that their jeans can differ by up to 2″ ON THE SAME SIZE she said to always take more than one of each size in!!

There’s just no way to know your correct size. I’m not going to let it get me down now if things dont fit in a certain size.

Emma x
Jordan said,

March 7, 2008 @ 8:36 am

Hi Emma

Well done you! As WoE say confusion after one of RC’s articles is the norm (RC most certainly is not!)

Your measurements sound great to me also, keep up the good work.

Jordan
Rod said,

March 7, 2008 @ 8:48 am

Hi Emma
that is a great anecdote, perfectly illustrates the situation

the girl working on the changing room told me that their jeans can differ by up to 2″ ON THE SAME SIZE

That backs up everything I’ve been trying to say - hope it wasn’t a confusing message
Pleased you are a bit happier as well
Regards
Rod
Nef80 said,

March 8, 2008 @ 12:51 am

Hi Rod

I think when i first read the post i read it without reading it…if that makes sense.

Initially you see the figures and automaticly have the the age old female reaction of oh my god so basically i am fat! My female blinkers lead to confusion with the point!

Blinkers off I see it for what it is!

Thank you

Emma x
Nef80 said,

March 8, 2008 @ 12:54 am

Hi WoE & Jordan

Thanks for your messages

I’ve had a look around, opened my mind and can safely say i will be coming back to see more!

Emma
x
Rod said,

March 8, 2008 @ 8:44 am

Hi Emma
thaks for that, much appreciated, you’re always welcome here and don’t hesitate to comment - especially if you want to join the girls and have a go at me
Best
Rod
Witches of Eastwick said,

March 8, 2008 @ 6:03 pm

Emma,

If you have already opened your mind to this site then we may be too late…. any sign of giddiness yet? Our host certainly needs plenty of female advice and he gets it in spade fulls when the mood takes us…. please feel free to join in, we could do with a fresh new look at his foibles and anything else that grabs your attention.

WoE
Kitana said,

March 26, 2008 @ 9:51 am

Hi all……
Thanx for this article, i found it highly interesting…….for years i was a size 10 - 12, and i was happy enough with that, i am a single mum, and have little spare cash for clothes and just took care of what i had……however, i lost weight recently, i am now very slightly underweight, my clothes were hanging off me slightly so i got the old tape measure out and measured my waist at 27″ (at the navel, my personal smallest point), so i decided a size 8, or 8-10 would fit me!
i remembered buying clothes from market stalls, and how mostly they were foreign made, and on the small side, although not overly small, so i decided to go for a 10!

the jeans are a higher waisted design, however, they are round my hips every time i move, so off i go today, to do something which should have been done first time round……my weight always went up and down making me between 8 - 12 during my teens, and i have never needed to ‘try things on’, my measurements were always accurate, and the size i thought i was, fitted!!! My only problem ever with clothes was finding what i wanted in a longer length (33″ leg) now i have two tasks…….finding my real size (dependant on the store) and finding it long enough, without ending up with clothes i cant afford to buy!!

anyway, thanx for the insight, glad its not just me, and glad im not really a size 6-8!!
Rod said,

March 26, 2008 @ 10:11 am

Hi Kitana
Thanks for taking the time to comment and welcome to the site - please do return
Your experience simply highlights the situation which really helps nobody at all.

I hear you on leg length, same hear I can buy the waist size but not in a 33-34″ leg, so it’s not just the girls that are having problems
Regards
Rod
Lindi Lou said,

March 28, 2008 @ 4:30 pm

Always an interesting discussion this one but at least from the size charts for sizes as they should be, I am rather chuffed to think that I am actually a ‘real’ size 10 round the waist and not a ‘vanity’ one. Whoopee! Made my day.
Kitana said,

March 30, 2008 @ 10:33 am

lol……being a 10 is perfect eh (*;*)
iva riggs said,

April 2, 2008 @ 7:29 pm

I was totally fooled by this. I used to be a size 12 all through my college years, and always thought, “Well, size 12 is average, so I’m average.” And I thought I was plenty healthy and didn’t worry about my size/weight. Of course, I am shorter than the “average” woman and I didn’t take that into account. After college when I slowly crept up to size 14, I thought, “Well, I’m only one size more than average, that can’t be too unhealthy. I’m ok.”

Then I learned about BMI and found out that I had a BMI of just about 30, which is OBESE! I would have NEVER thought I was obese before. I started to lose weight and am now in a healthy BMI range.

But now this bothers me: every dress/clothing chart online or in a catalog says that according to my measurements, I should buy a dress size 12, or maybe a 10. But when I go into a store and try on dresses, sizes 6 and 8 fit me best. And pants, don’t get me started - in a store I can almost always fit into the size 4 (and no, it’s not extremely tight, it fits just right) but on size charts I am supposedly an 8 or 10. I don’t get it.
Rod said,

April 3, 2008 @ 8:01 am

Hi Iva
thanks for taking the time to comment and welcome to the site, please do return.
Great news on the healthy BMI range and a very interesting account.
Once again it proves both the dangers and problems this vanity sizing is causing.
Your points illustrate it perfectly and I’m sure the many numbers of people who visit this page will appreciate they are not on their own being confused
Thanks again Iva
All the best
Rod
sandi said,

April 18, 2008 @ 8:14 pm

can anyone help me..what size am i supposed to be.. bust varies from 34 to 36, waist 22 to 24 and hips 36. i wear size 8 clothes but they’re often snug round my bust and everythings too big for my waist
Rod said,

April 19, 2008 @ 8:44 am

Hi Sandi
thanks for the coment and welcome to the site.
As has been mentioned so often here the label size now means nothing. Your measurememnts suggest say size 6 to 8.
Personally it sounds to me like you’ve nothing to worry about and that quite a few women would want to have your dilemma
Regards
Rod
Dee said,

May 6, 2008 @ 11:59 pm

Sorry for the delayed response, but thanks for the warm welcome Rod.

I get what you are saying though. I have sizes ranging from an 8 to a 14 in my wardrobe. My actual measuremenets are 34-26-38 which should be a size 10/12 in standard modern day sizing, however in vintage sizing it is a size 12/14 and in some high street shops that use vanity sizing and often add a couple of inches to their garments it can be a size 8/10. Just proves clothes sizes mean very little these days!
Dee said,

May 7, 2008 @ 12:03 am

Sandi, in UK sizing sounds like you would be a size 10/12 bust, size 4/6 waist and 8/10 hips.

And to Hayley, a size 26 would equate to a US size 2/3 or UK size 8.

Hope this helps : )
Rod said,

May 7, 2008 @ 8:10 am

Hi Dee
welcome back and thanks for taking the time to comment - please feel free to do so and any of the other threads.

I love something you have put and with your permission will take it up as an ‘official term’ alongside what has now become known universally as vanity sizing we can add to that term
Vintage Sizing for traditional ‘proper sizing’
Perfect Dee - absolutely perfect
All the best
Rod
Dee said,

May 14, 2008 @ 6:49 pm

Hi Rod,

Yes of course you can use that term (no permission needed) as vintage sizing is already a term often used to drescribe traditional/standard sizing from the 1950’s.
Lynn said,

May 15, 2008 @ 10:27 pm

Hi, Rod!
Vanity sizing, I wish! What’s up with me? I am 5′3″, 127 lbs, I feel like a big fat cow because I wear a size 12! My measurements are 38-30-36. The only time vanity sizing works for me is if I wear a knit top. People never believe me when I tell them what size I am. Scissors have become my good friend. If I don’t like the size on the label, I cut it off and pretend I’m in a vanity size 6. I did once wear a size 6, 20 years ago, when I weighed 95 lbs!
Rod said,

May 16, 2008 @ 8:40 am

Hi Lynn
Thanks for the comment and welcome to the site, I hope you find time to return
I think it could depend which shops or stores you use.
I understand some chains are much worse than others.
Regards
Rod
apoets said,

May 30, 2008 @ 8:35 am

Hi,
Fascinating article- which I came across while search the web for statistics on %ages of different UK dress sizes! No great surprise I couldn’t find any stats info!

It makes me wonder why the shops feel the need to vanity size, and why women place so much value on a number in their jeans?
I hate charts cramming individuals into restricted sections; I don’t think anything is standard…I have 3 children- you should see kid’s size charts!! now THAT is a can of worms! Even babies growth charts aren’t standard ( I actually removed the bottle feeding data chart in my breastfed kids progress book as it made my kids look underweight…cue much tutting and whispering from child health professionals!)
mommamisty said,

June 3, 2008 @ 8:09 am

my name is misty and for the longest time now i have been unable to find a good pair of pants that will fit me. I am a size 16-18 but I am also short, 5′1″ to be exact. I can find a pair that fit around my waist but when it comes to length I am out of luck.
Should I buy men’s jeans instead?
Rod said,

June 3, 2008 @ 8:59 am

Misty
I would go with what works and wear whatever, after all I do !
It may pay to look out specilaist suppliers for you height as I’ll bet everything is available just perhaps not locally

Welcome to the site Misty and thanks for the comment
All the best
Rod
Lauren said,

June 16, 2008 @ 3:54 am

thanks so much for writing this- i always wondered how i fit into clothes that had a “24 inch” waist when if i measured myself it was 28!

i think we should go back to the sizes originally set… this whole 0 and 00 and even 000 (yes, i’ve started seeing them in stores now) business is getting ridiculous.
Lorna said,

June 16, 2008 @ 11:51 pm

Whilst I am well aware that vanity sizing can be found with somewhat increasing frequency, I’d like to point out that given contemporary fashion’s trend for a low waistline on most jeans and trousers, very very very few trousers actually sit on the true waist; most, infact sit closer to where the hip measurement is taken from - which is going to be substantially wider. Question answered. Case closed.
Anon said,

June 19, 2008 @ 1:04 am

Hey,

Great article. I wonder if this could have anything to do with my brother’s difficulties? He’s a skinny lad and finds that 28″ jeans (the smallest boy’s size) are way too big for him. Perhaps they are really bigger?
Stephanie Smith said,

June 20, 2008 @ 1:50 am

Great article just what I needed. I am an expat and sometimes ask friends or relations to get some bits for me and they never seem to be the right size. I am heavier than I have ever been including pregancy but still buy size twelve clothes when I am back in the uk. It seems to be different shops have different sizes. Monsoon always has a very generous fit. (Do I like buying a size 8 monsoon, I love it, false size or not!, Thats not to say I am not fully aware of the size modification that is going on)
I compared some of my mother in laws size 12 60s clothes to my size 12 clothes now and was shocked they were at least 3-4inches smaller.
My sister has been the same weight and waist size for 20 years and used to be a size 10 now she is having to buy size 6 from alot of stores! Thanks
Rod said,

June 20, 2008 @ 8:37 am

Hi Stephanie
thanks for the great comment and welcome to the site, hope you’ll return.
Your info perfectly illustrates the problem and shows beyond doubt that it exists and is nothing to do with how hipsters etc are cut.

Thanks again Stephanie
Regards
Rod
Vicci said,

July 5, 2008 @ 9:56 pm

ive just lost 2st and now need to buy new clothes, i measured my waist and it’s 25″, i measured my Firetrap jeans which say 29″ but are actually 32″ and my size 10 Only jeans are 38″. im so confused
Rod said,

July 6, 2008 @ 9:11 am

Hi Vicci
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return.
Congratulations on the weight loss !
You perfectly hightlight the vanity sizing problems once again.
All anybody can do now is ignore the label and try things on I suspect
All the best
Rod
Ezra Schroeder said,

July 10, 2008 @ 6:47 pm

Hey, I’m a guy, and I wear size 30″ jeans. I don’t even bother trying on 32″ jeans at wal-mart (they have quite a variety of styles and pretty nice jeans for real cheap) because I know from experience they’ll fall off or close to it. Well I measured my waist this morning and was horrified that it’s an even 32″. As a marathon runner, that’s a big deal–I’m going on a diet!
Rod said,

July 10, 2008 @ 6:54 pm

Hi Ezra
thanks for the comment, I’m in the same, though I’m not a marathon runner
The thing is people still fall for it, the flattery works in marketing terms which is why they continue to do it, and in fact get worse with it - I’ll be in 20 inch this time next year !
Cheers
Rod
Meg said,

July 25, 2008 @ 12:39 pm

Just something i thought I should point out about jeans sizing.
Something that i think you overlooked is that most jeans styles arn’t designed to sit directly on the natural waist. they are usualy low rise and sit on the hip bone which is usualy a good few inches wider than womans natural waist.
the jeans im in at the moment are a size 10(uk). I have a 28 inch waist my jeans sit on my hips and the waist measurement is about 34 they arnt made to sit on my waist or anywhere near my belly button hence the circumference difference.
I think you needed to take into account the style of jeans and where they are designed to sit on the waist/hips.
Also a lot of mens jeans are designed to be low rise as well hence the same problem. they may well have the exact waist measurement of the jeans they are wearing but they where them lower so the jeans are a little wider to allow for this.
just.nikki said,

August 20, 2008 @ 7:44 pm

Interesting article, but if the jeans fit, I will wear them. I have always been on the heavier side and recently lost a lot of weight, I do have trouble when shopping for jeans, I have been anywhere from a size 6 to a 12, but they are still just pants I wear. I don’t see what the problem is. If I am a 6 or a 12 I don’t feel I am being deceived, the fact that I have to try on a bunch of sizes to find a fit, is not a new thing, and really I don’t care, I will still look the same no matter what size jeans I am wearing. What is in a name anyway?
Maia said,

September 1, 2008 @ 12:51 am

I’ve always been a size 16, since I was 16. I have a mental problem with changing, up or down, so I was very happy. Until I tried on a pair of 1980’s Laura Ashley jeans I’d kept for sentimental reasons. Tried to try on - I couldn’t get them up my hips! When I was 16, I was a modern size 12 or less - I can get a 14 up my hips, I just can’t fasten it. Oops!
Becky said,

September 23, 2008 @ 9:55 am

Ok…it is posts like this that only make it harder for girls like myself who really HAVE struggled with anorexia! WE ALL KNOW that the vanity sizing occurs in the U.S. But it does not have to be written in such a way that makes women feel that they are suddenly “fatter” than they thought they were. Though I am now in recovery, I must say that reading such trash has made me realize that it was horrible things such as what you wrote that made me want to go even further and starve myself even more! I was one of the lucky girls who lived to tell about the horrors of anorexia…and now, I let that experience make me stronger and a determined advocate for all things related to eating disorder awareness. Just a thought…by making women feel as though they are “fat” and question their own looks…you might be encouragaing a few of them to develop an eating disorder….
Rod said,

September 23, 2008 @ 1:14 pm

Hi Becky
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
Sorry to hear about your condition and I’m pleased to hear you are in recovery.

I must say that reading such trash …
I must say though I am confused by your comments. The article is a serious one and has many real implications.

I believe one of the aspects of anorexia is an inability for sufferers to see themselves as they are. Sufferers think themselves overweight when clearly they are not. Given this do you think it is a good idea to delude people that are overweight into thinking they are not ?

I think you are right to champion an awareness for anorexia but I fail to see how this impacts negatively upon that. Indeed if you want to make a point about weight issues then when looking at it overall anorexia is a fraction of the problem of obesity when viewed in the number of people affected, health problems and premature deaths.

The idea that being healthy, eating well and taking exercise in order to avoid being overweight is a bad thing completely confounds me.

Though I feel you missed my point I think we have a commonality in that we both, by definition, see the dangers in people either feeling or being told they are something they are not.

I let that experience make me stronger and a determined advocate for all things related to eating disorder awareness
If you wanted to write an article on the subject I feel it would be both enlightening and useful to others - I would be happy to publish it here.
If so please feel free to email me it, my address can be found at the top of the page, right hand side - About Me
All the best
Rod
Becky L. said,

September 28, 2008 @ 2:29 pm

I’ve always had the hardest time with jean sizes…I am 25, 5′2″ and short waisted and petite. While my waist is not that big, I do have a big booty, and when I buy jeans for it the front of the jeans always have a huge gap that ends up with me ether having to keep my pants up by hand or with a belt…I bought a pair of jeans just a week ago that are size 10 and they just hang off of me…But when I was sixteen and almost the same weight I could only wear size 12 . Something weird is going on IMHO….
Rod said,

September 28, 2008 @ 6:10 pm

Hi Becky
thanks for taking the time to leave a comment - hope you’ll do so again and welcome to the site.
Your story seems to fit what’s going on, doesn’t really help anybody, except the retailers in some ways, things would be easier all round if the reverted to actual sizing again
Thanks again
All the best
Rod
Rose :) said,

October 14, 2008 @ 3:56 am

Thanks for posting this. I was just curious about a statement i read, a statement Eva Longoria said in an article, “the magazines are tearing me apart, i did not gain weight, i’m still size zero, i just got rounder,” please convert US size zero to inches for me, coz in your table size 2 is 21-22 inches, what does she mean by size zero? 18-19 inches waistline? wow! is that possible? please post a reply. thank you for a very informative post. keep it up!
Mariana said,

October 25, 2008 @ 11:22 pm

Hey,
I wanted to know what size is 31 (of Levis) in European sizes.
Thank You
Shana said,

November 9, 2008 @ 1:27 pm

though is it not more to do with where your trousers sit on you? i know that my trousers dont sit on my waist line fore sure.
gg said,

November 10, 2008 @ 10:46 am

Note that women nowadays wear “low rise” jeans, no longer the “mommy jeans” that used to sit up all the way to the belly button. The front rise of the jeans have gone from 12 inches to 8 inches to some as low as 4 inches. So technically the “waist” of the jeans now sits at the hips.
Taking that fact into consideration, is it so inconceivable that the measurements are reflected accordingly? Since clothing is cut from a standard pattern, it follows that a size 24 pair of jeans can have a waist measurement of 26 or 27 inches, simply because it sits lower than traditional jeans did, say, 10 years ago.

However, if you put that same pair on jeans on a size 24 waist model, it would sit correctly, therefore the measurement is accurate.

Men’s jeans still go by the tagged size, because their torso does not curve in at the waist unlike women’s. Also they tend to wear their jeans baggier, not fitted like women.

Lastly, clothing fits have changed over the years, out of fashion and sensibility. 10 - 15 years ago women were still wearing lycra and fitted clothes, today fashion is all about loose, flowing clothing. Comparing a size S bodysuit from the 90’s to a size S peasant blouson top today would not be relevant.
Charon said,

November 15, 2008 @ 2:16 pm

(my comment was better but the window crashed so I’m just writing it again quickly)

I’ll mention my main point straight out:

It’s nothing less than FRAUD.

If you buy a door, a carpet, what use is it if the door is 3inches too big or small ?? This would never be allowed. For someone to order a piece of furniture and it to arrive in a completely different size.
It is completely ridiculous. Compare it to, if you got a HOUSE BUILT to certain specifications and the people selling it to you decided to change the measurements, after you’ve paid, without even TELLING YOU…that is undeniably fraud! and you could and WOULD take them to court over it.
Why should it be any different just because it’s a smaller, less expensive item?
Why should we have to settle for simply “getting our money back” ??

Why should I order clothes online and pay postage about 3 times getting stuff sent back and forward by secure mail or courier (£10 to £30 each time!!) within the 14 DAY refund window, because they purposely mis-labelled their clothing??!! Or even had nothing at all!
(WTF does S, XS and L even mean according to their shop?)

Why is it that I have jeans and hoodies in 3 different sizes?? Is it even possible to fit 3 different sizes? A waist that manages to fit say, 20cm and/to 29cm? Not at all!

It’s true that jeans are almost always worn on the hips now (who pulls trousers up to their belly button? Most people don’t know their waist is that high up!! They think waist is where the hips are) so they should just put the size of hips in inches/CM that the fabric will accommodate. If they are a different design then put a waist measurement instead.

Why are we getting the p*** taken out of us at the very least, and defrauded at worst ?

If they insist on using 8,10 ,16 etc then a new universal -British or European..(or even worldwide..haha like that’ll ever happen!) table should be made to show what hip&waist number it correlates to, and companies should be required BY LAW to follow it.

I am outraged on this subject. You are right. People need to wake up and smell the pies.
Rod said,

November 15, 2008 @ 5:08 pm

Hi Charon
thanks for the great comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return.
I couldn’t agree more with you !
Several people have made the point about where, for example, jeans sit on the waist.
This is meaningless to me.
If somebody is a size 12 then they should be buying size 12 jeans, low slung ones, high waisted or tight ones will differ in the cut etc but should still be size 12 !

All that is happening, and the retailers have admitted it, is that they are simply messing about with the sizes in order to delude people.
They are putting size 10 labels in size 12 clothes etc.

I spoke to a girl who is an old style UK size 10, slim, fit and healthy, her clothes range from size 10 down to size 4 !
Size 4 never even used to exist in women’s clothing !
It makes the buying of clothes by mail order or by others for presents a nightmare but more importantly it also brings up health isssues as I mentioned in the article.

thanks again for the words of wisdom Charon
All the best
Rod
Ande said,

November 27, 2008 @ 9:26 pm

Hi Rob. I think that what your ‘research’ demonstrates is that you can’t squeeze people into boxes. I’m two ‘dress sizes’ larger up top than I am on the bottom. To me, this demostrates that the UK poulation is changing.

Research shows that the UK ‘native’ (White Anglo Saxon) poulation is generally getting taller as they evolve, due to dietry and environmental changes. Likewise, ‘native’ Anglo Saxons are getting ‘bigger’ (sometimes due to unhealthy extra fat distribution, but often because people of native Anglo Saxon ancestry are generally more muscular than their ancestors were).

In different parts of the world people’s shapes have evolved differently. For example, people of African ancestry generally have wider hips/bottoms than people of ‘pure’ Anglo Saxon ancestry. If you consider that the modern population of the UK is very often not ‘pure’ Anglo Saxon, then it is hardly surprising that there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all any more.

Added to this is the fact that people (generally in Western societies) sometimes alter their natural shapes via cosmetic sugery - e.g. breast implants, tummy tucks and liposuction.

In terms of a generalised ‘normal’ shape or measurment, what was ‘normal’ in Western societies 100, 50 or even 20 years ago is very often not the case now. I don’t think that clothes manufacturers should necessarily be vilified and accused of ‘tweaking’ sizes for the sake of pandering to vanity, as a devious and calculating marketing ploy, to the detriment of ‘normal’ people’s health.

I’m sure that sometimes that may happen. However I just think that it is just so much harder in modern society to standardise the population.

In my experience (as I’m sure is the case with the vast majority of regular clothes shoppers) I’ve found that one thing is clear: Size labels can be taken as a general guide but you have to try stuff on!!

I’m healthy and I look good in my clothes (even if i say so myself but that’s because I only wear clothes that actually fit me - having tried them on. I do not get hung up with “I’m a 24 inch waist, why can’t I get into a (UK) size 10?!”
Rod said,

November 28, 2008 @ 8:30 am

Hi Ande
thanks for taking the time to leave such a great comment - welcome to the site and I hope you’ll return.

You make some interesting points, although I would relate this to make my point.
An example of which was highlighted to me the other week in a converstaion with a lady.
A lady in her 50s said she’s been a size 10 since she got married !
Her vital statistics are within an inch of what they were when she was a teenager (she eats no rubbish, doesn’t eat between meals and walks every day for anybody reading this and wondering how).

When trying new clothes on now sizes that would once have been right now fall off her.
Some shops, BHS was mentioned by her, are a waste of time, she tried a size 8 pair of trousers on and could take them on and off with the zip and button done up !

Thanks again Ande
All the best
Rod
1, 2, 3! 0???? said,

December 9, 2008 @ 5:43 am

Only 15 and I’m already so confused!!!
From when I was 12 to now my jean size (US) went from a 1 to a 2 to a 3 to a now 0?!
I know I haven’t lost weight. As you probably guessed from my age I’ve actually been gaining in my hips and butt. There’s no way I’m a size 0! So every time I go shopping I have to try on 3+ pairs of every brand just to make sure they’re the right size. Why even number them anymore if the measurements are never consistent?
Thomas Bailey said,

December 9, 2008 @ 12:21 pm

I have read about a new size label, described under BS-EN13402 which has a pictogram with actual measurements in centimeters. This was drafted originally to deal with the myriad of sizing schemes. The goal was maximum intelligibility. The pictogram was chosen to deal with the 100+ languages, and metric is used by 95% of the world’s population, possibly the best that a single label could hope for. I was completely ready for the new labels as early as 1983, 20 years before the standard was drafted. I was somewhat ready in 1975, the year of the failed Metric Conversion Act. I was 8 years old then, and eager to learn the metric system.
Rod said,

December 9, 2008 @ 12:58 pm

1230,
thanks for sharing that - a perfect example of the issue we’re talking about
Welcome to the site and I hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod
Rod said,

December 9, 2008 @ 1:01 pm

Thomas
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
I too read about thta when I was originally researching this article.
It makes sense to try and unify a sizing system which could be international.
Given the global trade in the clothing market it makes even more sense.

The scheme struggled to get off the ground for fear of confusion I read.
Now could well be the right time given that clothes sizes are no longer set in stone as they once were.
All the best
Rod
Pat said,

December 22, 2008 @ 10:38 am

Hi, Very interesting.

When I married 42 years ago I wore a size 16 wedding dress, which had to be taken in before the nuptials.

My daughter on the other hand wore a size 12 wedding dress 2 years ago.

It seems that we were the same size when we married, which is what I have always suspected.
Laura said,

December 22, 2008 @ 3:29 pm

Hi, I am, I think, a size 6 UK, but yes it is very hard to buy clothes when some sell you a six that’s clearly huge and made for an 8 - 10. I would very much welcome a set guide for sizing so that I could buy clothes over the internet and know that a six IS a six! So I do agree that manufacturers are using vanity sizing, and I remember getting back in to my 6 jeans after having a baby… vanity sizing would have worked for me, I’d have jumped at the chance to buy skirts that made me my ‘pre baby’ size again already! BUT it doesn’t help in the long run does it? I am bigger on top than bottom, buying size 10 tops - but yesterday a 10 just draped off me, i had to buy an 8! I haven’t shrunk on top…!
I do how ever have a comment on how may be some of the fluctuations occur - The clothes are very often labeled ‘to fit’. I sell beauty tunics and our size guide says ‘to fit size…’ with both a uk dress size and inch measurement. these inch measurements are the size the woman needs to be to fit in the tunic.. not the size the tunic is - other wise we’d all be in skin tight clothes!
juli said,

December 30, 2008 @ 11:15 pm

This really interested me. I came across this article while searching online about waist size vs dress size for a reason, and from reading this I think I’ve accidentally found the only clothing industry in the UK that still follows proper waist vs dress size measurements! Let me explain…

I’ve recently taken up horseriding. Today I thought I’d take the money I was given for christmas to my local ridingwear shop and buy a pair of jodhpurs. I usually sit somewhere between a size 10-12 depending on shop variations (although I have a pair of M&S jeans that are size 12 and would literally fall off me if I didn’t wear them with a belt!) anyway, I picked up a size 12 pair of jods, and am looking at them thinking “hmm, they look very small waisted, do they stretch or something?) so moved on to a different manufacturer’s jods, thinking maybe it was a manufacturers thing, only to discover they also looked v small. Unfortunately the shop in question doesn’t have a changing room so I was unable to try them on. Baffled, I left without buying anything after looking at about 6 different manufacturers jods.

Back home I started searching online, only to discover jods generally list both a dress size and waist size - size 12 in the horsey world equates to waist size 26″. Out comes the tape measure, only for me to discover I have a 31″ waist! Eek, how can this be??

Needless to say it’s left me totally confused as to what size jods I need, think I’ll be going back to the shop and either trying them on in the corner, or checking that they’ll allow me to return them if they don’t fit!

Incidentally one ridingwear website didn’t help when it listed a 30″ pair of jods then in brackets said “to fit a 36″ waist!

How am I ever supposed to buy these things online? JOds are expensive, so I was hoping to get them cheaper this way!
Rod said,

December 31, 2008 @ 9:55 am

Hi Juli
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site, hope you’ll return.
That’s a great addition, many thanks - an area had not thought about at all.
Buying online is, as you mention, something many now want to do, especially in specialist fields. I wonder how much business is lost because people cannot order with confidence or just get sick of sending things back ?
Hope you get sorted and best of luck with the horse riding
Cheers
Rod
Anne said,

January 6, 2009 @ 6:41 pm

I just stumbled on this post and heartily agree! I’ve gained a considerable amount of weight over the past 20 years but at my slimmest back in the early/mid ’80’s I was 5′ 5.5″, 102-105 lbs and measured 32″-24″-32″and wore US size 4 pants. Size 4 jeans were tightly fitted (that was the style at the time) while size 4 dress pants fit nicely without being snug. By today’s “standard”, I would be a 0-00! For comparison - my close friend during that same time was 5′ tall and weighed 88lbs - she was a perfect size 0.

Back then (early ’80’s) I regularly ordered from various catalogs and the clothing almost always fit. The pieces that didn’t fit were due to the style/cut being wrong for my body shape rather than a problem with actual size/measurement. Can’t say the same for the few items I’ve tried ordering in recent years.

Years ago my 5′ 5.75″ tall sister weighed 107 lbs wore a size 6 as 4’s were too small around her hips - at 22.5-23″ her waist was smaller than mine but her hips were a couple of inches larger.

Fast forward to last month. My sister went shopping for pants and called me laughing that she’s finally a size 4! She said she could squeeze into a size 2 but decided to go with the 4 for comfort. What makes this so amazing is the fact that she’s now ~140lbs! I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised because my coworker who is 5′5″ tall, 138lbs but carries most of her weight in her hips and thighs (measures 40″ at the hips) says all her pants are size 4. Granted, they are very tight and most are made of stretchy material but still…!

People my age (44 years old) and older can remember when a misses size 4 really did mean you had to have a 23-24″ waist and hips in the 32″ range but the younger folks that grew up with the sizes already being skewered don’t have such a clear cut point of reference with which to compare.

Yes, clothing sizes have gone beyond ridiculous! And, as you’ve pointed out, leads people to think they are “healthy” because they wear “average” sized clothing - except sizes have changed dramatically over the past 25 years.

Another odd thing last month - my sister was also shopping for really, really cheap black flat dress shoes for a one so I told her to check her local Walmart. My sister and I have worn size 7-7.5 shoes (depending on the style) since high school yet the shoes she ended up buying were size 6W (there weren’t any 6M in stock) and she really should’ve bought a smaller size. She let me try them on and my heels literally came out of them when I tried to walk. Looking back, I can’t remember the last time I had to buy size 7.5 and I realize that several of my size 7 shoes are almost too loose fitting to wear after being worn just a few times. Can it be that shoe sizes are now pandering to our vanity?!?!
Rod said,

January 6, 2009 @ 7:02 pm

Hi Anne
thanks for the excellent comment - really appreciated and some more great information
Welcome to the site and I hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod
Peachy said,

January 24, 2009 @ 6:08 pm

not ALL stores vanity size - in fact some seem to do the complete opposite and make clothes too small compared to what they should be.
realisticaly i usually wear a uk size 10 (occasionaly needing a 12 in jeans), but i have occasionaly tried on jeans in a size 10 which wudnt even pass my thighs, which was ridiculous.
i have a 26 inch waist which makes me a ‘real’ size 8-10 waist according to the chart on here, and 38 inch hips which makes me a ‘real’ 10-12 on the hips. and this pretty much reflects the sizes i actually wear - so i cant be wearing ‘vanity sized’ clothes, coz if i was i would be wearing size 8’s or even 6’s.

to be honest i think this article is pretty insensitive in the way in which it is persuading women to ‘realise’ they are fatter than they think they are.
Frances said,

February 1, 2009 @ 3:31 am

I have a 23 waist and 33 hips. What would this be in “real size” exactly? I wear a 00-3 depending on the brand, and so figuring out which stores have the most ridiculous vanity sizing would be very helpful.
mischiefthecat said,

February 19, 2009 @ 1:30 pm

Hi Rod, I think this is an excellent article and true - I used to be a size 12 at uni, now I am magically a size 10 in most UK shops despite being, if anything, bigger!

However I wouldn’t be so quick as to dismiss the point made many times by your commenters about low-slung jeans. You use waist measurements of jeans in your own tests, and I own a pair of Diesel jeans which are size 27 waist, but clearly the ‘waist’ i.e. the top band, is made wider than that, as it sits on my hips. That does not mean they are being missold, they are for a woman with size 27 waist, but there is no measurement of 27 inches in the jeans as they do not go up that far; they are *guesses* around a 30″ at the top. Testing jeans measurements by their ‘waist’ size is misleading I’m afraid.

I don’t dispute that dress sizes have gone up, but I’d defend manufacturers like Diesel against the accusation that they are using the wrong measurement for waist sizes.

There would be no point in their giving the measurement for the top band of their jeans as people tend to know their ‘waist’ measurement and use that when buying jeans. (I have quite a booty, which makes it pretty difficult to buy jeans which fit both my waist and hips, but that’s a whole other game and not something a jeans designer can fix!)
Rod said,

February 19, 2009 @ 1:59 pm

Hi Mischief (great name btw)
thanks for the great comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return.

My real point about low slung, loose fit, or skinny jeans is really that the actual dress size should be the same. Clearly the actual measurements will be different but if you’re a size 10 then you should be buying size 10 jeans whatever the style.

One of the girls who helped with this has size 10 skinny jeans and size 4 loose fit jeans !
All the best
Rod
leymoo said,

February 19, 2009 @ 2:38 pm

Hello,
As a woman on the other end of the scale (real size 22-24, vanity size 18), this inaccurate sizing is difficult to deal with, especially since most size charts that shops supply have the real figures you have used in the table rather than the figures they use on the clothing patterns. So I’ll measure myself, buy the 22 size dress, then get it in the post and find it could almost fit two of me in there! The inflation does not seem to increase steadily as the sizes get bigger… the inflation increases, so you can easily get 4in or so between 2 dress sizes coming up to size 30. This all just adds to the confusion of “what the hell do I buy” and doesn’t help overweight women at all - it only adds to the difficulty of finding clothing in larger sizes.

I did read somewhere that there was pressure to move to a pan-European clothes sizing standard, but it was pressured out by UK retailers. I assume they didn’t like the idea that they’d either have to make their sizes accurate again and lose the business, or stock the larger sizes (and stock for the people who lost out when the size inflation moved them out of range too) and probably lose business anyway. I’ve also got a suspicion that they’d have to stock far more “petite” and “tall” ranges than they currently do, as they’d have to take torso height etc into account when sizing again, rather than just making everything bigger and slapping the same label on.

Oh, and if you’re measuring your health by your clothing size (and not something sensible, such as the ability to sprint for a train or a bus) you deserve to be confused really .
Rod said,

February 19, 2009 @ 5:26 pm

Hi Leymoo
I did read somewhere that there was pressure to move to a pan-European clothes sizing standard, but it was pressured out by UK retailers

I read the very same thing myself, the problem is vanity sizing works.
I’ve seen it with my own eyes and been told the same by many women.
They will not buy something they like and that fits them well because the label say 14 and not 12 !
The retailers do it because it works but it’s gone far too far now and it’s ridiculous.
Thanks for the comment and hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod
GG said,

February 20, 2009 @ 5:43 am

“Real” size? “Real” size?

Rod, dress sizes were invented by humans, like seconds and inches and months. They were never ‘real’ to start with. The bell curve has shifted to the right somewhat, but this does not make the new sizings not ‘proper’ (although you would hope that some consistency would allow for shopper’s benefits). They had to add an extra second on to the atomic clock this past new year because the Earth’s rotation is a little variable.

The current method of operationalising clothing sizes is just not that useful, and tied up all with all kinds of body facism politics. Not many women can menstruate at a ‘real’ size 10 (now size 4) as you put it, and unless their frame is built that way, and women striving for the small sizes put themselves at risk of osteoporosis and fertility problems and as Becky pointed out, enormous psychological distress. I think your health agenda is misdirected in doing this without including critique of the idealisation of low sizes, even if obesity is the bigger killer statistically.
Peachy said,

February 24, 2009 @ 7:20 pm

Hi again,
I dont mean to be rude but my comment was not answered/aknowledged?!
Even though I had a valid point about why this article is not nessecarily true.
Rod said,

February 25, 2009 @ 8:53 am

Hi Peachy
thnaks for returning, I wasn’t really sure what to reply to your comment, sorry about that.
At no point do I claim that every store or brand does this - the fact that most do is now universally acknowledged - testament to that fact is the huge number of people who still visit this page as well - clearly it’s an issue.

There is also no point in closing our eyes to weight issues. I think it’s more insulting to flannel both men and women into thinking they are a couple of sizes smaller in order to get a sale than it is to be honest.
Thanks again Peachy and hope you’ll return to the site
All the best
Rod
Peachy said,

February 27, 2009 @ 12:16 am

Hi,

Thanks for replying, I guess all I can say is that I think the vanity-sizing must not be used in the stores I shop in (I do tend to stick to a few favourite stores instead of buying clothes in several different ones).
I do agree that weight issues and obesity issues are important, and I am sure the points you made in the article are relevant to many people, just not everyone.

Best wishes
Peachy
Rod said,

February 27, 2009 @ 9:23 am

Hi Peachy
thanks for that, much appreciated.
Many of the big chains have ‘come clean’ and admitted it but I’m sure not all do it.
All the best
Rod
Thomas Bailey said,

February 27, 2009 @ 12:31 pm

I have read about BS-EN13401, which calls for a pictogram with actual measurements in centimeters. I was ready for the new labels in 1983, 20 years before the standard was drafted. I was somewhat ready as early as 1975, the year of the Metric Conversion Act. I was 8 years old then.
Phoebe said,

March 4, 2009 @ 1:07 pm

I’m not sure that this is as all encompassing as you claim. I have a waist size of 26-27″ (this I know for a fact as I have been measured multiple times). By your claim I should be wearing a UK size 4 with room to spare! In actual fact I am a size 8-10 everywhere I buy jeans - it seems that I shop in places that do exactly what it says on the tin. In my experience American stores are more guilty of vanity sizing. Where I’m an 8-10 here, I’ve bought a size 1 over there!
Rod said,

March 4, 2009 @ 1:54 pm

Hi Phoebe,
thanks fo rthe comment, much appreciated.
I’m not sure that this is as all encompassing as you claim
I don’t think I suggest verybody shop and manufacturer does it just that ever increasing numbers are.

By your claim I should be wearing a UK size 4
The results I posted are simply those tested, no a guide to all sizing just the examples I found. As a side note to that one of the girls who helped (a genuine size 10) recently went into town wearing size 10 jeans and bought a dress that was size 4 !

Thanks for taking the time to comment and hope you’ll revisit the site
All the best
Rod
lou said,

March 5, 2009 @ 8:27 pm

ok, so i just measured myself for a dress i want to purchase online for a special occassion, thought it would be simple ive worn a size 10 for years but needed to measure myself to ensure i get the correct size so here’s what i am Hips =37 waist =32 bust = 37 according to the site im a size 16. Im gutted, so do i order a size 16 even in my mind that is totally ridiculous.

thanks
Julie said,

March 18, 2009 @ 12:56 pm

You can’t tell me there’s no vanity sizing!

I have two particular skirts in my wardrobe - both black wool mini skirts. One was bought 10 years ago, one last year. They both give a waist measurement of 28″ on the label. They both fitted me until recently when I lost weight.

The one I bought last year is size 10.

The one I bought ten years ago - size 14!!!

FTR my current stats are 34.5 - 26 - 36 and I fit in between a size 8 and a 10 which isannoying - 10s are too big and 8s are tight. I do have some 8s but I need to lose a few more pounds before they fit comfortably.

However, vanity sizing does work. I remember the day I bought my first size 10 skirt. I was looking for a smart skirt for work and I was at that time, I thought, a size 12. I tried on a few but I couldn’t find one that I really liked until I went in one shop and saw one in particular. I tried it on in a 12 and it was way too big. Rather cautiously and disbelievingly I tried on a 10 - the firs size 10 skirt I had ever got into! It fitted!!

So guess which skirt I ended up buying!

Yup - the size 10 of course!

However, the comments about ‘real’ sizing are a touch misleading. What is real? You can say sizes aren’t what they were - and that is right. But who is to say which is the more real? Are the sizes 50 years ago more real than the ones 100 years ago? Or 1000 years ago? What makes sizes ‘real’ or not.
Julie said,

March 18, 2009 @ 12:56 pm

BTW - all the above sizes are UK sizes, not US.
Rod said,

March 18, 2009 @ 5:08 pm

Hi Julie
thanks for the great comment - that realy does sum the whole issue up perfectly, and in a nutshell !
Thanks for taking part and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod
Louise said,

March 20, 2009 @ 12:08 pm

How can any of you think that this is a good thing?!?! No wonder obesity in this country is growing.

Manufacturers seem to be catering to the egos of the shoppers, but what is it doing for the health of our country?? Since the 1950’s the average size of a woman is a lot larger. They say they are making the clothes bigger because of this rise, but this is a serious issue; where is it going to stop?

A size should be exactly the standard measurements. I am sorry people, but if you don’t like it lose weight- simple as.

Not only have I noticed overall sizes get bigger in shops, the shape seems to be changing also. For example, anybody with a true hourglass shape will find it very difficult to find a dress that fits. Dresses seem to be cut quite straight nowadays, therefore, if your hips and bust are much bigger than your waist it is going to be a complete nightmare. Apparently modern women don’t have waists anymore- maybe this is down to all the lagers they drink????

The government should really do something about this- if they really want to make the country healthier and bring down obesity, they should do something about the new sizing. I think that short shock treatment would work on the scores of deluded women if they knew the truth about what size and shape they really are!!! Especially if they could no longer find clothes to fit them other than in plus size shops! It might make them sit up and think about changing their lifestyles…
Felicity said,

March 20, 2009 @ 12:22 pm

I’m not sure if we are allowed to state brand names, but I am so angry I am going to do so anyway!

FRENCH CONNECTION is a brand very guilty of vanity sizing.

I am a standard size 10. I don’t even fit a size 6 properly in FC. It is huge around my waist, but too tight around my bust.

This is proof that not only are the sizes changing, but the shape of garments too.

Rod, can you please tell me what you do in this situation???? It is getting ridiculous.

I don’t meaning to be rude, but unless you are the shape of a big blob, you are no longer going to find things to fit you!!!
Rod said,

March 20, 2009 @ 12:29 pm

Louise
thanks for the fantastic ‘no nonsense’ comment - a pleasure to read and impossible to argue with.
If people are getting fatter,which they are, then the simply need to make more of the bigger sizes and fewer of the smaller sizes - they don’t need to maniuplate the sizes !

I share your opinions entirely about the health and size issue Lousie but there is also another one.
Buying clothes for others or by mail order is all but hopeless.

Thanks for getting straight to the point Louise, refreshing in today’s world
Hope you’ll return to the site and comment again
All the best
Rod
Rod said,

March 20, 2009 @ 12:40 pm

Hi Felicity
Welcome to the site and feel free to mention brand names. I myself have a pair of French Connection jeans, 28″ waist and loose around the waist - my waist actually measures with a tape 32″ !!

I don’t know what can be done Felicity, the whole thing is pointless. A friend told me about her daughters prom dress, she’s a perfect size 10 but the dress is size 4 !
The only reason it’s size 4 is so a size 16 can buy a size 10 or 12 dress - crazy !

The only way to buy now is simply to keep trying things on and ignore the label, a real pain for shoppers but it also means nobody can buy you clothes as a present nor can you risk mail ordering something Felicity.

Thanks for the Comment and Best Wishes
Rod
Samantha said,

March 21, 2009 @ 12:14 pm

Hi Rod,

I’m Sam, and I’m a 16 year old girl, so size is always debated for me being a teenage girl. I’m a size 6 US, but after reading this article, I did a little digging through my closet with a measuring tape, and was quite disturbed to find that I was really a size 10. I’ve never been one to think of myself as fat, but since reading this article, I’ve become a very paranoid shopper, taking a tape measure with me when I go shopping to make sure the clothes I buy are actually the right size for me. Thanks for the help, it’s nice knowing the truth.

Sam
Rod said,

March 21, 2009 @ 7:04 pm

Hi Sam
welcome to the site and pleased you found the article and subsequent comments of some interest and use.
Best wishes
Rod
Mary said,

March 28, 2009 @ 3:33 pm

Thanks for this article,it’s exactly what I was looking for and confirms my belief that sizes are not what they say on the label. As someone who has a waist measurement of 35 and often fits into 14 trousers I among others who need to watch(reduce) my waistline am being duped and it isn’t helpful.
Amanda said,

April 17, 2009 @ 2:35 pm

I’m a 34″ waist (I measured around my belly button)… but I fit comfortably into CAN size 6/8, or a 4 if they’re stretch denim , and 9/10 if they’re junior miss sizes which is frustrating because there is no way that I’m a size 14 according to all the charts… and I’m told that my waist should be less than half my height, which is even more frustrating because it only is if I really suck my gut in!! (I’m 5′6″) And the most frustrating thing, is that when I DID fit comfortably into a size 14, the pants were long enough, and now that I’m a 6 (according to what fits me), they are too short.

It’s as if manufacturers expect only short people to attain this size. Except dress pants, because manufacturers expect people to wear heels, so I can get away with flats!! Thanks for this article; it helped me understand a that I’m not alone in my confusion or frustration, but I still don’t understand the logic behind ‘vanity sizing’. After all, I look pretty skinny and get a lot of compliments, but if I was a size 6/8 according to these charts, I’d be anorexic-looking, and yet people have always been told that a 6/8 is the desired attainable size I think? why is height rarely taken into consideration?
I guess I'm anorexcic said,

April 22, 2009 @ 3:28 am

What about a girl who is a size “00″ (double 0)…am I really a size 2? I don’t think I’m fat, and I’d hope people don’t call me anorexic!! 0_o
Neko said,

April 23, 2009 @ 2:10 pm

So very true. Took my measurements recently (33-28-37 if you want to know), which should put me as an exact UK size ten, yet my jeans I can remove without unfastening them! I am rather large-ish on the backside, so I really shouldn’t be able to do this.

Saying that though, I once tried on a pair of UK size 20 trousers that I couldn’t even fasten. Admittedly, I was a 12 at the time, but still…it seems like most clothes shops go either one way or the other - far too large or far too small! I remember, when I was a lot younger (and a LOT skinnier!! Literally, skin and bones - not a good look), not being able to fit into any clothes from certain stores. It’s beyond me how they ever made any money.

The only place I’ve found where I can order clothes online and be pretty sure they’ll fit is Next.

Alternative styles are the worst! Their use of S,M,L,XL, etc sizes really confuse me…I wear a M/L on clothing labelled thus, so how thin must a S/M be? I’m assuming a UK 6-8. I feel for the more curvaceous women, who would have to go for XL (size 12/14?) or bigger…it’s destroying people’s self esteem needlessly. No wonder more and more people are developing eating disorders.

Still, I’ll keep wearing the clothes that fit, regardless of what the label says - as long as I’m fit and healthy, and happy, then that is all that matters!

On the topic of shoes - I wear a 7-7.5 UK fit, yet I’ve found quite a few brands where I need to buy anything up to a size 9! Making me think my feet are larger than they are is not going to make me want to buy their shoes…particularly when most shops only stock up to size 8.

Wow, that was rather longer and more waffly than intended, sorry :p
Kerri said,

May 28, 2009 @ 8:42 pm

I’m so glad to hear I am not the only one who has noticed this. A friend of mine was so excited when she could finally fit into a pair of size 4(US) jeans from Old Navy. I remember cutting off a pair of my husband’s size 28 Levi’s to wear as shorts and I had to wear a belt with them or they would have fallen off and I don’t think there was anything smaller than a 4 back then. Anyway, they looked really big to me compared to when I was a size 4 twenty years ago, so I held them up to a pair of size 10 Levi’s jeans I had that are probably 10 years old and they were the same size! I guess that would also explain why I have gained 80 pounds since having children and I’ve only gone from a 12 to an 18. Surely I would think there is not a 80 pound difference between 4 sizes, especially on my 5′2″ frame.

I totally agree… if you don’t like the size you are wearing- lose weight! Quit making clothing bigger, it makes it VERY difficult to shop!!!
Kim said,

June 11, 2009 @ 4:20 pm

This is a really interesting article. I agree that clothes sizes seem to be all over the place! I recently bought a pair of size 16 tousers (UK size), was very upset. Then went home and compaired them to my size 12 jeans…. guess what, the size 16 ones were smaller by half an inch! (For reference, my waist is 28 inches, and my hips 40 inches).

However, my Mum used to work in fashion, and there is this mystical ‘4 inches of clearance’. Every design should be cut to the measurements for the dress size (so 38 inch hips for a size 12 pair of jeans). Then there should be ‘anything up to 4 inches’ added for ‘fit’ or ‘clearance’. The idea being that if you had 38 inch hips, a pair of trousers that size wouldn’t fit, you would need some extra space to move and for them to be comfortable.

Traditionaly the ‘better quality’ shops (such as Marks and Spensor and the like) would have bigger sizes, as they would use extra fabric to give a good fit, often the full 4 inches clearance. While cheaper shops would cut costs by giving less clearance, sometimes as little as half an inch. Hence the problem with clothes not measuring the sizes they should!

And that doesn’t even take into consideration shops increasing their sizes to get more sales…..

Best thing to do seems to be to take a tape measure shopping at all times! Hehe.
Rod said,

June 11, 2009 @ 4:42 pm

Hi Kim,
thanks for the great comment - much appreciated.
Welcome to the site and I hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod
Kim said,

June 15, 2009 @ 12:12 am

My first thought was that this sounded like false advertisement, but I reckon they’re not really advertising anything, huh?
Melissa said,

June 24, 2009 @ 5:11 am

The spam protection sounds more like a 3rd grade math test…..but anyway…

This made me want to measure myself and my findings were…
Bust-34
Waist-26.5
Hips-36.5
(the 10inch waist to hip difference slightly annoys me…)

Now the question, is this good or bad?
Rod said,

June 24, 2009 @ 8:20 am

Hi Melissa
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return.

I should have thought that sounds pretty good
All the best
Rod
ZZDem said,

June 25, 2009 @ 6:54 pm

You should bear in mind that the waistband measurement given on jeans is the ‘waist measurement’. Most women’s jeans these days, except for high waisted, sit on the hips, so a 26″ pair of jeans is made for a woman with a 26 inch waist, the waistband of the jeans will be sized to fit her hips where it sits, so is likely to measure a fair bit more…
Karina said,

July 2, 2009 @ 4:11 am

Hi Rod,

Great piece here. I’ve just become interested in vanity sizing because I’m trying to estimate my true size. My measurements are 41-31-42 which I guess makes me a size UK14/US12, but I usually wear pants labeled a US10 or even US8! I don’t feel there is any way I am a true US10 or US8, but I rarely own anything (besides dresses) that are US12 or even US14 because they are too big for me. I measured the waist of a pair of pants sized US Medium (approximate US10-12) and they had a 35″ waist. They are also cut very low and have a bit of stretch to them so they fit me just above the hip, where they stretch another 3 inches!

I think vanity sizing enables people to become bigger without noticing it. I also think–and I’ve gotten much flak for saying so–that “plus” sizes aren’t healthy, especially since someone who thinks they are a US16 is probably one or two sizes bigger! Someone else mentioned Lane Bryant…that store is REALLY catering to women who appreciate vanity sizing. I went in there a few years ago to see if anything would fit my top (since I usually wear a large, extra large, US 14 or 16 on top) and found that EVERYTHING was way too big! I even got strange looks from other customers and even the employees while browsing! Apparently I am too small for “plus” sizes, but a bit too big for “regular” sizes. On top of all that, I am 5′2 3/4″ and 164 lbs, so petites don’t work for me either. Shopping for clothes is a *nightmare*!

Thanks so much for your insight and information. I am definitely forwarding this post to my friends and family.
Rod said,

July 2, 2009 @ 7:00 pm

Hi Karina,
thanks for taking the time to comment and welcome to the site.
Thanks also for adding to the debate with such a great comment.
All the best
Rod
Liz said,

July 6, 2009 @ 5:26 am

Sorry if this has already been addressed in the comments, but are you allowing for design ease?
http://www.fuzzygalore.biz/articles/ease.shtml is a great article on the topic.

Basically, people need to be able to do things like sit down. So a pair of jeans is going to need to be a few inches larger than the person’s body for movement–28″ to accommodate a 24″ waist. A pair of leggings, on the other hand, might measure less than body measurements because the fabric is stretchy. (Which leads to another aspect of vanity sizing, adding a bit of stretch to the mix without reducing the ease.)
Miss Alana said,

July 7, 2009 @ 4:44 pm

Hi, I just want to clarify something -
I see that everyone is measuring their jeans and trousers around the waist.
My concern is that jeans and trousers do no sit on your ‘true waist’. They sit lower (below the naval) or sometimes hip area which is always going to measure more than the waist line as women have curves. So because of this I pulled out some of my ‘high waisted’ skirts and trousers. They measure 28″ which is a UK 10.
A thought to consider?
Honor said,

July 10, 2009 @ 11:21 am

I remember walking into H&M during a sale about 3 years ago, and looking at some nice skirts. So I grabbed a 12 and a 14, thinking about the usual variance issues, as those are my normal sizes. The 14 literally fell off and puddled on the floor, and the twelve wasn’t far off it. So I went back and grabbed a 10. Attempting to wear it low on my hips, the majority of the skirt was tight enough to hamper walking, which to be fair I expected from a 10, but the waist…

I stuck a finger in the non-elasticated waistband and pulled it 4 inches away from my body!

Small wonder that when I tried loli-goth I fell in love with it - All my loli-goth outfits were purchased from an e-bay tailor that I send my measurements to, every time a perfect fit. Now if only I could find a tailor for more normal outfits at a good price.
Rozy said,

July 29, 2009 @ 2:12 pm

I knew there was something going on! My hips are 36 inches and in some shops I can fit nicely into a size 10 pair of jeans but others I will struggle to fit into a size 14!! The latter is very depressing so I would avoid buying jeans from that shop. I never knew that such a small difference in actual size can have such affects on your health though. I will deffenitely be using the gym more now!
Rozy said,

July 29, 2009 @ 2:15 pm

I agree with Miss Alana actually, I never wear trousers aroud my waist! Always around my hips, what are the size measurements for hips?
Lucy said,

July 29, 2009 @ 9:37 pm

I have just measured an old pair of trousers and the waist measurement says it should be 30″ and it was 31″ so I feel lucky to own such a truthful pair of trousers! Apart from that, I have been finding it very hard indeed to find trousers that fit but it’s primarily because, by today’s standards I seem to be an odd shape. My waist seems to be fairly trim at 28.5″ but my hips are a lot larger at 40.5″ and this means it’s nigh-on impossible to get trousers which fit nicely: when I get them to fit my bum they balloon out at the back of the waist leaving an unseemly gap which even a good belt can’t erradicate. Any tips on what to do about this (other than, yes I know, go to the gym and sort out my hips - but I’m happy the way I am and don’t want to loose weight just to buy new clothes!)?
Nick said,

August 4, 2009 @ 2:06 pm

Appearently Wrangler brand jeans have not followed this trend. My 33×36″ measure 32-3/4″x36″ (been washed a *few* times*). I have a couple pairs of Rustlers as well, that should be 33×36, and they are closer to 34″. Coat sizes seem to also be correct among the Carhart brand, my 42 long being accurate.

For the record, waist size and health risk are not a fixed number, but rather a proportion to height and build. At 5′11″ 182 pounds, I have a 33″ waist. According to charts, I am at the small end of large framed. My body fat is 12.3%, which is WAY below risk level, even though waist circumference is very near that 34″ mark. Take someone with my build or slightly bigger at 6′2″, and they’ll most likely have >34″ waist with a healthy body fat.
Louise Baker said,

August 25, 2009 @ 12:26 am

Thanks - what an interesting article! This issue has been my biggest bug bear for a couple of years now and you are the first person I’ve found to explain clearly what is going on!

I totally agree with you about the health implications. It can work in the opposite way too. I am one of those supposedly ‘lucky’ girls who is naturally thin but prone to horribly unhealthily skinny in times of stress. I used to feel secure about keeping my size in check (ie making sure I didn’t get too thin) by keeping an eye on my dress size. Now I have resorted to relying on the scales instead and focussing on my weight (something i always used to resist because I think it can easily become a hang-up) because I am unable to rely on consistent sizing.

Lately, depending on where I shop, I can be anything from a US size 00 (my Gap jeans) to a UK 10 (my New Look dress bought 8 yrs ago). And yet the latest outfit bought for me as a present from New Look was a skirt/top combo, label size 8, which hung off me like those “after’ shots from the weight loss ads on TV. That outfit must have been AT LEAST a size 12. The variance is just outrageous, considering my size doesn’t fluctuate that much.

I wish retailers would realise that most rational-thinking women are not fooled into believing they are smaller than they are. We all have some idea of our height/weight ratio and know deep down what we probably are, size-wise, despite what the label says. More to the point, many of us DON’T CARE whether we are this size or that, we just want it to be CONSISTENT!!!
Rod said,

August 25, 2009 @ 8:04 am

Louise,
thnaks for the great comment and welcome to the site.
I think you’ve summed the whole thing up.

I wish retailers would realise that most rational-thinking women are not fooled into believing they are smaller than they are
This point seems logical to me Louise but I think it does work in terms of sales. I doubt the woman is truly fooled, she may be kidding herself but deep down not fooled, however she can say to others “they’re a size 10″ or whatever.

I’m not being patronizing but I’ve seen it done and hear it said.
Thanks again for proving the point so well Louise
All the best
Rod
BeBeBrunettee said,

August 27, 2009 @ 9:03 pm

Hi i have a size 12 pair of New Look Jeans from 3 years ago taht i can pull down without undoing the button and i have recently bought a size 14 skirt from the same shop which the zip will not do up on……i hate being made to feel fat!
Charlton said,

August 30, 2009 @ 4:22 pm

what does oxl mean in clothing size..
Rod said,

August 30, 2009 @ 8:02 pm

I thin because once XL, or extra large, was big enough for most - nowadays they have had to increase the XL range - it goes smallest (if you’ll pardon the word) to largest - I believe

0XL
1XL
2XL
3XL
4XL
5XL
Charlton said,

August 31, 2009 @ 3:19 am

thnks for your relpy that so help me out.. alot…
now i know i can order what i need…
Nicola said,

September 10, 2009 @ 11:19 am

I’m in the UK, and am a size 14.

I just measured my waist - and it’s 32″, which is the correct measurement for that size according the UK chart. Therefore, I don’t really understand this article.
Katie said,

October 1, 2009 @ 4:29 pm

Yes sizes have got bigger over the years but the tables arnt usually wrong, ive got a 24.5 inch waist and 36inch hips and i fit in a size 8 normally a few size 6’s and ive got a few size 10 tops from before i lost weight which dont look too baggy but could be tighter the 12s ive got from before are too big but according to the charts they should be. When i was a 12 i had a 28inch waist and 40 inch hips which again fits in with the tables.
PDX mama said,

October 5, 2009 @ 6:09 pm

I am wearing a pair of size 6 jeans that are a little loose at the waist (I’ve recently lost some weight and haven’t gone to buy new pants) from one store yet the size 4s from another store are way way too big. And yet I have a size 6 skirt that barely fits. I don’t consider myself a super skinny person; I’ve had 3 kids, but I’m not large. I just think it’s funny that my husband can go in and buy 32’s without trying them on yet I have to pick up a 2, 4, 6 and sometimes an 8 just to see which one fits best. I also like how some of the ‘premium’ denim went to menswear style sizing by giving a waist measurement but the rise varies so much in womens jeans; how do they know what they’re measuring anyway?!?!

For the most part I don’t care what the number says. If it’s a 2 and it fits I’ll buy it, if it’s an 8 and it fits I’ll buy it. If we feel like going completely to vanity sizing I’m fine with it but let’s try and get EVERYONE on board with it and save me from trying on 6 different sizes!!!
Sarah said,

October 20, 2009 @ 10:58 am

I am 45 years of age, weigh 130lbs and waist and hips are 30 and 40 inches respectively. (actual waist, above navel). I generally wear size ten clothing - very occasionally size 12, but also have a few size 8 garments that fit fine - all bought in UK high street stores.

When I was 18 years of age I weighed 108lbs max and had a 22 inch waist (not sure of hips) and guess what size clothes I bought? Yep, a size 10. There was not much in the shops under this size in those days, but I remember having to lie on the floor in the shop to do up size 9 jeans with the aid of a coathanger and being gutted I couldn’t get into a size 8. I couldn’t sit down in the size 9 ones either - no way would I ever suffer like that these days!

So, tell me there’s no vanity sizing! lol I wouldn’t care what size clothes I buy as long as everyone else was forced to wear their true size, as well as me!!!!!
Mer said,

October 28, 2009 @ 8:28 am

This is so true.
As a teenager I was a size 10 (approx) and measured 36-24-36. Now I’m 40 I’m 39-27-39 and guess what? still a size 10.
Funnily enough if you want to buy vintage clothes on Ebay they often say “label says size 12 however would fit a size 8.”
The sad thing is if they said the right size people (esp women) would be more likely to say “WHAT!? I’m turning into a size 16???? I’d better get on a diet…….”
Thanks for making us size aware…..
Tom said,

November 8, 2009 @ 8:02 pm

OK, this dress size craziness has gone quite far enough. Now I want some tips on how to convert UK men’s MILITARY sizes to US equivalents. I’m talking about KD shorts. One pair is size 4 and has a 34″ waist - probably dating 1970’s. The other pair is size 8 and has the same waist - but is a higher waisted gurkha type - and dates early 50’s. Is there any method to this apparent madness?
MrsMelvyn said,

November 18, 2009 @ 3:24 pm

Hi Rod, I stumbled across your article whilst trying to decipher what UK clothes size I’m supposed to be. I’m 5ft 2in, 119lbs, 36 bust, 25 waist, 36 hip. I’ve got clothes in all UK sizes from a 6 to a 12. I usually grab a 10 & work from there. I have yet to get a tape measure to them but I suspect there won’t be much variation in the actual measurements of my clothes. The variation in clothes sizing between and even within shops is ridiculous.

I agree with you, it is down to vanity sizing - wearing a 6 or an 8 makes me feel sylph like and wearing a 12 makes me feel like a blimp. My female friends and relatives feel the same way. My body doesn’t change shape that much from day to day - it’s purely psychological and the clothing stores have blatantly tapped into that.

I think you have highlighted an important issue & people should not pay any attention to clothes labels. Eat right, exercise regularly and be healthy. Don’t rely on your clothes size to tell you anything.
Rod said,

November 18, 2009 @ 3:54 pm

Hi MM,
thanks for the comment and welcome - hope you’ll return.
You’ve hit the nail on the head of course - the superficial problem is that size 6 simply becomes the new size 10
So eventually it will all have been for nothing.

The health issue is important though - it’s worth pointing out that when when the medical people talk about sizes and the dangers therein they are using tape measure and not new style labelling !
Best
Rod
Clare said,

November 27, 2009 @ 3:03 pm

Not sure if this is commented on above, but the most surprising instance of this fake downsizing that I have found is in clothing patterns - last night I was measuring up to find out which size pattern I should use for a pair of trousers, and despite being a UK size 8 I need to use the size 14 on the pattern! Now this is an old pattern probably US printed, but it definitely shows the changes - I think the patterns you buy today are still true to the old dress sizes which can be a real surprise when you are used to buying clothes off the peg that are 2-4 sizes ’smaller’! Thanks for the interesting info on your site!
Tessa said,

December 1, 2009 @ 11:00 pm

I with you on this. But it’s not all health.
Being a thin person in the uk most shops only stock from size eight sometimes from size ten trousers. But with the size inflation there are no longer my size trousers. I went into peacocks to try on a size eight and there was about four inches space. My measurements being 24 waist and37 hips at biggest part

One problem with your female research though. Trousers don’t start at the waist usuallly. So a few inches is just not having a high waist. Hip measurements might be more accurate
Looking said,

December 9, 2009 @ 10:16 am

Wow..this was definitely an interesting read….
I was afraid something like this might’ve been going on in some shops here(Ireland)…as I haven’t lost much weight but dropped a jean size recently…….but it seems most of the shops are keeping the sizes correct.
I have 34 inch hip size and a 25inch waist and wearing a size 8 here (UK sizes) .

It seems ’size’ is getting harder to go by :/ …especially considering Ireland and the UK are meant to go by the same…and they aren’t….
So we gonna have our own sizing system..*laughs*…..seeing as UK sizes certainly have changed :S
VK said,

December 16, 2009 @ 8:21 am

If you haven’t tried a particular pants before, buying them online = UNWISE.
Just measured the physical belt area length of my 34″ labeled Levi’s. It’s 38″.

Now imagine you’ve measured your waist and bought yourself a 38″… Helo-elo-elo… Anybody there-ere-ere?..
Jamaican lady said,

December 17, 2009 @ 8:54 pm

wow. all i can say is wow. personally i discovered vanity sizing this past summer when i went into old navy in the US. Where i normally buy my clothes I’m a size 14/16(how it pains me to say this), depending on the fit of the clothes. In old navy I was a size 10, and that was falling off my hips too. I think this is unhealthy and allows persons who do not watch their weight gain, even if they are already overweight to think that they are safe when in reality they are not. Flattering but dangerous.

I think it comes back to personal responsibility-take care of your own weight and don’t be too insulted or shocked when you suddenly get sick from the weight or can’t walk a kilometer without wheezing or you can’t fit into an acceptable sized garment. Another thing to point out is that persons who have a higher fat and/or muscle mass than some may feel fat as BMI does not take into account the differences in many persons body types. I should know, personally I am way overweight for my height and body type. So as a 5′2 woman with 38B-35-43 measurements, i’m definitely a US size 16(again I feel awful, i need to get back to a US 8/10). I try to keep as active as my schedule allows; my otherhabits suck royally.

Interesting article though…
Hannah said,

December 18, 2009 @ 2:11 pm

Hey

I just wanted to say that I completely agree with you. I’m 16 and I have a pair of jeans that I bought nearly five years ago that are age 12-13 and they still fit, so I know I’ve not changed in size that much I’m only 5ft tall so I hope I’m an okay size for my height. It’s got to the point now where I’m buying clothes ranging fro kids sizes 12-13 to adult size 8. With the adult sizes being smaller in some cases. No wonder we’re a nation of obese kids!

Another problem you’ve not pointed out is that shops don’t seem to realise smaller people can have a figure. I recently recieved a size 6 pair of jeans from my boyfriend that should fit but I couldn’t get them over my hips! When you look at them they are literally straight up and down. Not all small women are shaped like a number one, (straight up and down). I have a bust and hips and I’m happy with that. But when you look at larger sizes they go over the top and are overly generous. Shops either cater to people with very athletic figures or overweight curvy people, what about the people that are normal?

By the way I am in the UK

Hannah x
kati said,

December 19, 2009 @ 7:55 am

This discussion’s been going a fair while

I think the main problem with ‘vanity sizing’ is that everyone does it differently …. being 38.5-29-38.5 (5′9″) I can find myself wearing anything between an 8 (Bravissimo, where they cater for bust) and a 14.

It would also save a lot of time and effort if the measurements on the label were what you actually got in the garment … online buyers beware! This has little to do with ‘vanity sizing’ …. I will now start buying things 1-2 sizes smaller than the size charts suggest after having measured myself faithfully only to find myself drowning in the clothes I receive.
I can’t say I’ve had the problems Rod has had with jeans … I usually wear a 29-30″ waist in jeans, though I do own (and fit) 1 pair of 26″ jeans …. and I DO have problems with the stated leg length, as 34″ would be fine, IF manufacturers actually made them that length (Long Tall Sally are the only company I know where a 34″ leg inseam really is 34″ long)

I cannot see how changing the sizes to ‘real’ sizes would make people more likely to realize they are an unhealthy size …. if the average size moved from the current 14 to 18 it would still be the average size and whether it is a healthy size or not, people would be comforted by the fact that they are ‘about average’

And Hannah … it’s not just the petites who struggle to find clothes that aren’t made for straight-up-and-down people. I would never be described as curvy and 10 years ago my approx. 10″ waist-hip difference was the norm, but clothing in England has recently started to be cut for women with less than 8″ difference between waist and hips.
Boo! Hiss!
Mellie said,

December 19, 2009 @ 6:15 pm

This certainly does answer a few questons for myself!
I like to sew as a hobby and have noticed for years that I am usually a much bigger size when making my own clothes than when I go to a store to find clothes for myself. It also seems that the smaller the boutique, the smaller my size.
Thank you so much Rod- quite an interesting article
Odie of Norway said,

December 30, 2009 @ 6:49 pm

Bought a pair of jeans in size 28, barely managed to squeese myself into it and thought ‘oops! I need to loose some weight’. Then I went home measured it - 26 inches. Not exactly vanity sizing, but hardly any better. Vanity sizing attacs the physical health, the opposite harms ones mental health…
T said,

January 1, 2010 @ 8:27 am

Thanks for the info! I have noticed sizes changing especially where I live in the US. I am around 12/14 US and am considered slightly obese by the body mass index, (I’ve been losing weight and getting ever so close to being “just overweight”). When I was an 11/12 around 15 years ago, I was fifty to sixty pounds lighter than I am now and well in the normal weight range. It is a bit looney.
Sarah said,

January 8, 2010 @ 7:10 pm

I don’t notice any vanity sizing. I have a waist size of 32″. UK size 14 is a good fit for me - which is as it should be looking at the charts. I shop at the regular highstreet outlets in the UK such as Next, Dorothy Perkins, Marks & Spencers, Monsoon etc. Size 14 fits fine from all of these stores. A few months back I had a waist of 34′’ and was wearing size 16 - again as it should be according to the charts.
Ruth said,

January 11, 2010 @ 1:00 pm

Hi. I agree with Sarah. My waist is 25.5″, which would put me at a UK size 8. Most of the time, a size 8 pair of jeans is just right for me. Occasionally a size 10 is ok and rarely a size 6. So this, surely, means that sizing in the UK is accurate? Have I misunderstood?! I actually WAS anorexic once upon a time, Weighed 77 lbs and was then a UK size 4. Food for thought, if you’ll excuse the ironic metaphor.
Rod said,

January 11, 2010 @ 3:24 pm

Ruth,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
It certainly seems clear from all the different comments that this issue does vary. My presumptionbeing it’s based on outlets, company policy and possibly areas of style or age demographics.
Clearly the effects are wider and more readily seen by some than others
All the best
Rod
DramaGeek said,

January 11, 2010 @ 4:22 pm

Hi Ok firstly I am severly depressed by this article.. But anyway..I was shopping the other day and tried on a pair on size 12(UK) jeans, they were tight, so i lifted what on the hanger had said was a 14(UK).. when trying them on they were ALOT looser so i checked the label..only to discover…they were a size 10(UK)? I’d really like to say that I think stores should be very careful in their sizing.. in another store I wanted to show my friend the absurdity of some sizes and picked up a 14 and and 6 (UK).. there was literally 2cm of a difference? Picture this a recovering anorexic goes into this store and picks up these jeans, tries on a six it’s a little tight so has to go 4 sizes up? The girl is not going to feel healthy or confident! Soory if I sound a bit cliche but I’m just being realsitic!!!
Elle said,

January 16, 2010 @ 2:34 am

This is very very interesting! I make it a point to avoid shopping in case it depresses me. I once went into a shop where a UK size 6 shirt fit me, but size 14 trousers wouldn’t even go over my knee… my measurements being 34B-26.5-35, I was very very confused. What size am I?! I know I am most definitely not a size 6, neither am I a 14.. and I am still confused by conversions to US sizes..
Ruth Adams said,

January 16, 2010 @ 9:05 pm

I find this an interesting article but do feel that generally that the majority of UK ladies highstreet clothes are sized relatively accurately. I am a 27 inch waist/37 inch hips and wear a size 10-12 so from the charts above it shows that I am wearing the correct size on my bottom half and I measured several of my jeans and trousers and they were all pretty much what they should be (certainly no huge differnces like others have mentioned) although having said that I have a 36dd bust size and measure 39 inches around the fullest part which techinally would make me a 14-16 though if I wore something of this size it would be far too big for me so it seems quite strange that while I am much larger on top than bottom I can still wear the same size on both halves.

I sell alot of clothes online (mainly dresses) and find very often that people with the exact same measurements have to wear different sizes as it depends alot on height/bodyshape/type of garment etc, ( whereas I usually wear a size 10-12 in most stores at 5ft8 and having quite large frame there are several size 10 items that would not fit me but would easily fit one of my more petite friends that wears the same size as they have smaller limbs) and I also think it is more than possible that many people don’t always measure themselves correctly, I’m sure the tape measure on occasion has been pulled a bit on the tight side to give a better outcome of actual waist/hip size etc.

Another point which I feel is worth mentioning is that I know one particular Uk clothes store (Jane Norman) is actually the opposite of this vanity sizing as their clothes are well known for being made 1/2 to a full size smaller than the standard so maybe infact they are not small sizes but pretty accurate as I always have to advise people to buy a size larger than usual.

Alot of people have commented that the waistbands of garments when measured are much larger than they should be for the size so would also like to mention that with jeans/trousers/skirts etc it hugely depends on whether the item is meant to sit on the hips or the waist, many jeans these days are low rise (I don’t think I’ve seen any these days which come all the way up to the waist even alot of high waisted items fall slightly below the actual waistline) so while a size 10 (28 inch) low rise band could easily measure 32-33 inches across this is not the actual waist measurement it is simply the width of the band that is designed to sit on or slightly above the hips which is obviously a wider area but is still designed to best fit a lady with a 28 inch waist.I reckon that it would cause far too much confusion for manufacturers to start labelling lower rise items by the actual band measurement instead of what waist they should fit as this measurement isn’t the full hip measurement either but somewhere in between.

Apologies for the ridiculously long post (I found I had more to say than I thought!) when I came across this article and personally feel that there are so many variables regarding body size/garment style that it would be virtually impossible for every item of clothing to fit the above/standard parameters but agree that some should be closer than they are.
Rod said,

January 17, 2010 @ 9:01 am

Hi Ruth,
that’s a fantastic comment - many thanks for taking the time to share it and welcome to the site.
Clearly there are variables from what people are saying but on balance there is a lot of evidence thta vanity sizing is rife - even the retailers admit they do it now.

Thanks again Ruth a really useful comment
All the best
Rod
Mary said,

January 18, 2010 @ 12:17 pm

In high school I wore a ten and weighed 122 pounds. At age 55, I weigh 148 pounds and still wear a size 10. When I had lost down to 142 earlier last year, I was actually wearing some size 6’s. It doesn’t take a mathmatical genius to figure this out but it’s nice to see that the research backs up my observations.
Tatty said,

January 19, 2010 @ 12:23 am

Vanity sizing is a very big issue that most of the people are not aware of. What this has done for me is making impossible to find any clothes since everything is too big. They kept making clothes bigger, but healthy thin people can not find anything to wear. Even the dreaded American size zero is too big, so I can sometime find double zero. The mirrors in the stores are making me look awfully thin which is not the case. I do admit that my waist size is 23.5″, but I also have my mothers dresses from 45 years ago labeled as UK size 8 which can fit me and now even size 4 is sometimes too big. I do not know what have happened in the last 50 years, but I do know that I do not want to feel anorexic and unable to find anything to wear just that big companies would be able to make profit and poor women would feel better instead of encourage them to loose some weight and get into desired dress size.
Rod said,

January 19, 2010 @ 7:46 am

Tatty,
that a great comment, amny thanks and welcome to the site.
You have raised a new point which is of great interest the fact that this craze can lead people into thinking they’re under weight !

I did read the some American designers were going to start labelling with minus sizes as the chic of size zero had gone with double zero so next stop minus sizes (all the same actual physical size though)

Don’t let them get you down Tatty, so long as you know you’re fit and healthy who cares what a stupid label says let alone $ hungry clothing corporations
All the best
Rod
Bea Smith said,

January 21, 2010 @ 4:54 pm

Try getting a correct trouser to fit 104cm waist 129 hip. Size 22 is suggested to me in a shop!
lorrwill said,

January 21, 2010 @ 9:10 pm

This goes a long way toward explaining why I can not find any pants SMALL enough to fit my 26″ waistline.

Yes the last pair of US6/UK8 pants I tried (that were listed for a 26″ waist) were 4″ too big (bearing out your chart perfectly) and that is the smallest size the store carries.

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jess said,

January 26, 2010 @ 11:43 pm

I understand that there is vanity sizing going on but up until now I was pretty sure I was a UK size 12/14, especially as everywhere I shop I’m always a 12/14, but according to this article I’m actually a 16/18. Aside from being totally gutted considering I’ve worked really hard and lost 3.5st (50lbs) this just doesn’t make any sense, because if this isn’t the size I am then there would be at least one shop I’d go in and have to pick up a size 16-and there just isnt. Surely if this is a pretty unanimous outcome from shops then maybe guidelines should just be changed? Because now I know that ‘officially’ I’m a size 16, theres no point in me buying it because it would be massive on me, I might as well just keep buying my usually 12/14!
GlamGran said,

February 1, 2010 @ 7:05 pm

I have a 27 inch waist - about the same as 40, 30 and 20 years ago, but then I was regularly wearing size 14 jeans, whereas now I usually take a 10! I compared a pair of my new M and S jeans with a pair bought from the same shop about 16 years ago, and the old ones (size 14) turned out to be at least an inch smaller than the 10s!
I blame clothing manufacturers for the obesity epidemic! When I was younger I knew that if I stuffed my face with all the food I fancied, I wouldn’t be able to get any clothes to fit - well, certainly not any fashionable ones. I might have sometimes put on an inch or two, but knew that any more would be a disaster. Other women must have felt the same because you rarely saw any really fat people, say 20 or 30 years ago. Nowadays people know that however fat they get, there will always be clothes in the shops for them, and in “small” sizes too.
Imagined said,

February 5, 2010 @ 7:42 am

As a petite, I actually have a hard time buying clothing here in the US. The sizes actually varies through different stores. When people ask me what size I am, I don’t know how to answer. In Express, size 0 is ok but is not fitted. 00 would probably be ok. American Eagle is the same, but a similar store that’s geared toward younger folk, Aeropostale, I fit a 2. That’s a huuuuge difference! It’s already hard enough to find stores with clothing I can fit in without the added confusion.
Cut can matter said,

February 10, 2010 @ 3:31 pm

Just a thought on measuring waistines on clothes (and please don’t take this as a dispute on the overall findings, just a consideration)… most modern pant styles do not sit at the natural waist, but rather somewhere closer to the hips, where a person’s circumference is going to be larger. The waist size should reflect the size of waist of a typical person who would fit into the pants. I believe this is why the standards measure hip size rather than waists - pretty well all pants are designed to fit slimly at the hips. Also, keep in mind that for comfort sake, pants cannot be made circumferentially the same size as the person (i.e. you need a bit of room at the waist just to be able to sit down), while they can be made the exact size in the leg without impacting wearability. Just a couple of thoughts …
Ice Queen said,

February 11, 2010 @ 8:59 pm

This works both ways, I was sold a pair of size 8 jeans ( I know I should have tried them on but I didnt have time) My waist is 26″ and my hips are 34″, however there is no way I am getting in to these jeans they are too small. I did measure them, they are meant to sit on your hips and actually are 30″ round the hips so I am 4″ too big I looked in the label and they say they are a US size 4 making them a UK 6 however by the measurements I make them out to be a UK 4. Its so irritating because by this logic I should have bought a size 12. Lesson learnt just try them on.
Poppy said,

February 18, 2010 @ 3:20 pm

This make such sense!

I wear a UK size 6/4 but there is no way I look anywhere near the US size 0. In fact I think my figure has barely changed over the last 8 years, but my dress size has, I use to buy a UK size 8/10. It also makes it difficult to find shops that stock my size as most shops only got down to UK size 8, although I should technically fit into a UK size 8, if they are bigger than the label states no wonder they don’t fit me. Also as children are getting bigger they are now shopping in adult stores and buying the smaller sizes, meaning they will be buying the bigger unhealthy sizes later in life.

Is it not only UK sizes that are effected by the extra inches but US as well? As I fit into a size 0 in the US stores that are in the UK. There is no way I am that thin lol! No bones sticking out here!
Lexa said,

March 7, 2010 @ 8:58 am

This is a great post!

This has been bothering me for a while. Since I was in 6th form (2003 - 2005) I have been the same size according to the tape measure. I know this for sure as it was around this time that I fell in love with corsets and dreamt of one day owning one, so obviously I needed to know my waist size (and bust and hips too) so I could fantasize about owning the right size of corset! I measured 34″, 24″, 34″ (bust, waist, hips). I wore clothes which were a size 10 or 8 depending on who sold them.
Fast forward to being bought clothes to go to university in (we had to wear suits in 6th form!) and everything I was bought had to now be an 8. Size 10 would no longer fit me.
The next year I found it increasingly difficult to find size 8 trousers to fit me. They’d always be too big. I mentioned this to my Aunty who had been a seamstress until the local factory closed down and she explained that the measurements given for clothes size were “actual body measurements the clothes should fit” BUT that every garment is made with “wearing ease” so in reality is always bigger than the size you are, usually 2 inches. So I take care to find shops which sell size 8 with the smallest waist size mentioned.

2008 to 2009, I’m getting fed up with clothes. Nothing I try on fits any more. I’d been to university, poor and not eating great, but my measurements remained the same, I was even in the same size bra. All of a sudden I’m noticing an increase in the number of shops which sell size 6. So I hop online and check out the size charts to find that now I am no longer a size 10 or an 8, but in fact a size 6. Or in some places smaller than a size 6.

Today, I find it incredibly hard to find clothes to fit. I tend to buy at cheaper places in the hope that they have skimped on fabric so that they fit me better. Trousers will always be my bane as the waist to hip ratio they make them with nowadays is often only a 6 to 8 inch difference and there is 10 - 11 inches difference between my waist and hips (sometimes my hips are now 35″ instead of 34″, but my waist remains 24″). So even if I find a pair which might not be too big on my waist, you are practically guaranteed that they will be too tight on my hips to go past them when undone. And they won’t fit my thighs. This is NOT a good thing for someone my size to have happen to them. Being a size 16 - 18 and finding your jeans are tight at the thigh perhaps means you need to loose a little weight and it might even do your health a bit of good. But being my size and weight and having been told by doctors for years that I am “underweight” despite staying the same no matter how much I eat (which is a lot, I’m one of those people everyone hates for being slim naturally) is BAD. It suggests that even in my small size I am too big. Those with less sturdy opinions of themselves could easily fall into a state of anorexia. When really all it is is that you are an hourglass, not the straight up and down figure they think we are.

I kid you not, the other day I saw a size chart which listed the waist as being only 4 (FOUR!) inches smaller than the bust. Now either they are measuring the waist in the wrong place or they think we’ve all become flat-chested and fat-waisted. Even my underbust measurement is 6 inches smaller than my full bust measurement, and my waist is still that lovely 10 inches smaller. Now add in the extra few inches the garment would really measure and even the smallest of sizes would swamp me.

And my measurements today? Right now as of writing I actually measure 35″, 24″, 35″. I’ve put on an inch to my bust and hips. And yet, size 6 is too big for me in most places! All my clothes I bought years ago in a 10/8 still fit fine though. And I own some tops my mother owned when she was my age and size which are labelled a 12 or 12/14 and they fit me too.

There is one place on the high street that makes me feel more normal and happy with my size and that is Jane Norman. They make their clothes to “figure-hug” which I love (I’ve never been able to stand “fitted” tops which are baggy) and I’m an 8 there. Or in some of the styles where the fabric used has low stretch, I’m a 10. Thank you Jane Norman for keeping my size at least a bit more realistic! Now I can stop worrying about trying to put on weight which doesn’t happen, I’m stuck at 7 stone 13lbs no matter how much (or little) I eat. The amount of stress it caused me to find that I was under a size zero on an American clothing website was just horrible. I’m slim,but I have curves dammit! I’m in no way anorexic, I’m one of the healthiest people I know - I rarely get ill and when I do I fight it off very quickly.

What makes me sad is that the UK is heading the way of the US. Soon we’ll have size 0 too. And I don’t want to be a nothing!
Rod said,

March 7, 2010 @ 9:13 am

Lexa,
what a fabulous comment - many thanks indeed and welcome to the site - I do hope you’ll return.
If any one single comment ever summed the whole issue up it’s yours Lexa.
Some people have commented just how exactly you should be measuring, are jeans low slung etc etc but that misses the point - you hit the nail on the head.
You’re the same size as you’ve always been but the label sizes are getting smaller

It sounds to me like you’re in great shape Lexa, if you’ll forgive me for saying so, I wouldn’t bother what the labels say - you’re slim and fit which is all that matters !

All the best
Rod
Elizabeth Watkins said,

March 12, 2010 @ 11:36 pm

I’m a professional dressmaker and all pattern sizes are in true sizes which are 2 sizes smaller than what you would buy in the shops! This is why I always take actual measurements rather than a dress size from my clients.

Your article was of great interest, especially from a health point of view. Thank you for sharing!
Rod said,

March 13, 2010 @ 8:44 am

Hi Elizabeth,
many thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
I’m especially pleased as you’re a professional working in this area - 2 whole sizes - very illuminating .
Best wishes
Rod
Kari Susanne said,

March 14, 2010 @ 3:55 pm

Thats interesting since its not the case in Norway.
I must buy size 36 but im 32,3 inches around my hips!
It seems that those who make these clothes wants to make us feel bad no matter what.
Are you Serious said,

April 7, 2010 @ 2:24 pm

Different cut of clothing fit differently and I range between a size 6 and size 12. You don’t buy by numbers, you buy by how it fits. If people are using their clothing to measure health, then they have a huge problem. Go see a doctor or step on a scale.
Inkedmom said,

April 15, 2010 @ 4:35 am

The clothing companies are not out to get us… People have just become lazy. People no longer cook fresh meals, use processed food or drivethru. I personally have no idea my waist size… But I wear jeans ranging from 6-10(in Canada), bust would be 38.. I have a 6 month and 4 yr old. My family has a saying..” if you look down and can’t see your feet, you need to exercise harder”. So according to that I’m good : ) … Why would you ever rely on some company’s sweatshop to tell YOU what size YOU are.
FormerSAS said,

April 20, 2010 @ 5:45 pm

Hi, a really interesting article but I’ve just got a couple of points to share;

“A man with a 34 to 36 inch waist doubles his risk of diabetes !”

Sorry but this is too much of a sweeping statement for me, it completely depends on height and build. At 6′ 4″ and a broad build, my husband is perfectly healthy at a 36″ waist, he would even be underweight at 32″. Statements like this could cause people to lose weight, thinking they are at risk whereas the could be putting themselves in more danger by unnecessarily losing weight.

Just because a woman is a bigger size than she thought, doesn’t necessarily mean she needs to lose weight. Some people have commented “If you don’t like your size, lose weight”, I can see where you’re coming from but such comments can be dangerous, especially to those vulnerable to eating disorders. The fact is we have a skewed idea of what healthy is due to misrepresentation in the media and an overgeneralization as to what is normal that fails to take into account varying body-shapes, height and muscle/fat ratio. Some women would be overweight at size 12(UK) and others would be underweight as size 14(UK). The same also applies to male equivalent sizes.

That said, I do agree that vanity sizing should be stopped, it is unfair that anyone should be lulled into a false sense of security or be made to worry unnecessarily by thinking they are under/overweight. Even taking into account the extra inches needed for comfort, or the cut of it, there is still way too much variation in clothes that are supposed to be the same size.

By the way, Bravissimo get a big thumbs up from me for catering to us curvy girls. I have an hourglass figure and I am always having to were those stretchy belts (which are awesome) with tops because stuff is way too loose around my waist and make me look bigger than I am. It’s time retailers took into account the different body-shapes of women (and men), we’re not all shaped like pencils!
FormerSouse ;) said,

April 20, 2010 @ 8:30 pm

FormerSAS,

“…….we’re not all shaped like pencils”

I’m shaped more like a pickled gherkin in my old age

Regards,
Neville
Rod said,

April 20, 2010 @ 9:12 pm

Former SAS,
thanks for the great comment and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return.
Just to respond to your comment.
The statement you mention being sweeping is a medical fact - it’s statistically accurate and unchallenged (medically speaking)

Also, height has no relation to waist size, there’s no reason why a 6′4″ man should have a bigger waist than a 5′4″ man.
Broadness is also not related as the stomach area can only be expanded with fat.
Take a look at the broadest men on the planet - professional body builders, they’ll have a 28 to 30″ waist.

Just wanted to respond - hope you don’t mind
All the best
Rod
History Hunter said,

April 20, 2010 @ 9:15 pm

Who needs a 6-pack when you can carry a barrel?
VFH said,

April 26, 2010 @ 9:21 am

I have not been able to find good fitting clothing for the past few years, because of this stupidity.
I found one company www.evanity.com that does true to size clothing and all jeans are done by a true length and true waist (YAY) however they are the only one, and I can now get skirts from Old Navy. I have a 24 waist and weigh about 100 pounds. I used to be a US 0… BUT they have even starting adding material to those!!! I have not lost any weight or inches at all in 3 years, but yet the clothes I buy are getting increasingly larger… AND to beat all any clothes that are true to size are skimpy beyond reason! This is getting rediculously out of hand! I would really like for a few more stores to go back to true sizing so I can buy some good modest clothing!!
VFH said,

April 26, 2010 @ 9:26 am

I want to add that its frustrating because I’m not at all unhealthy or underweight, but people treat me as if I am because all my clothing is too big. I’m fed up with the sizing, and I’m fed up with the problems it causes.
Teri said,

April 26, 2010 @ 5:13 pm

Very interesting…

I’ve always queried sizes, I have everything from the smallest UK Size 12 leggings, to biggest UK Size 20 Wedding Dress. The average size I wear is somewhere between a UK 16-18.. the following are my measurements, can you shed any light on this???

Height 5′6″
Age 32

Chest 45″
Waist (narrowest) 38″
Abdomen (biggest) 42″
Hips 46″

Thanks,

Teri x
Rod said,

April 26, 2010 @ 7:28 pm

VFH,
great comment many thanks and welcome to the site. I know a girl who is fit and healthy and her clothes sizes vary between 10 and 4 !
4 being the notorious US size 0 - it’s pointless even thinking or worrying about it nowadays.
All the best
Rod
Rod said,

April 26, 2010 @ 7:32 pm

Teri,
I can’t shed any light on it I’m afraid as it’s all getting beyond any formula - all you can do nowadays is try clothes on.
This weekend I saw a perfect example.
A pair of new denim shorts for a girl size 10, which she is, she could take them on and off without even undoing the button or zip !
Returned to the shop which didn’t have a smaller size in that style - so exchanged for denim shorts just a different look but size 8 - she couldn’t even pull them all the way up !
So the sizes are not even constant in the same shop !

Ridculous
Cheers
Rod
allie said,

April 29, 2010 @ 9:17 am

hi,
im totally confused… i wear europe size 29 or 28 in cm (germany), which makes the waist 28.3 in inches … with online measurement converter.
my boyfriend is traveling to us, and i would like him to get me some jeans (levis,..) however, he is little sceptical about the right size for me , so i thought i will ask for advice. i dont understand the vanity point mentioned here, i just want some fitting pair of jeans, 100 percent cotton, straight leg. can you please help me to suggest the us size for me ?
daved said,

April 30, 2010 @ 4:37 am

isn’t amazing how many woman with a size 28 waist responded- I don’t think I know a woman over the age of 19 that has a size 28 waist- where are the comments from al the woman I do know and see who have at least a size 34 waist
Teri said,

May 2, 2010 @ 7:18 pm

Well mine’s 38″ and I wear a 34″ in Levi’s (just..)

God knows what the ‘real size’ would be, I don’t think I fit any particular size chart
This news is a relief to me said,

May 10, 2010 @ 1:57 pm

After reading your very intresting article i measured my waist and I’m 24 1/2 inches! yeah this is freakishly thin but i have my reasons. I dont starve myself in any way… in fact i do the exact opposite… i eat so much i swear you will see a truckers breakfast vanish down the hole and never show any sign that I eat so much on my body. I TOTALLY GET WHAT YOU MEAN ABOUT THE SIZES! It always scares me when I look jeans in stores and find I’ll have to get a size 4 or 6 and to know that I am actually a healthier size is a huge relief! I understand the reason the stores do this, but I think it’s just scaring those in the public who actually are naturally thin (like me) into thinking they are impossibly thin!
Rod said,

May 10, 2010 @ 2:49 pm

This News . . ,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site. It is an issue which has two sides I suppose.
The primary idea is to flatter those overweight into thinking they’re thinner and sell more clothes whilst thos ewho are slim are now being given the idea they are anorexic or something !

A few years ago you didn’t even see clothes in women’s shops below a size 10 generally, that’s the size they started at - now there’s UK 6’s and 4’s etc.

It’s ridiculous and can cause great concern for some people - all in the name of selling clothes !
Regards
Rod
pacificmoon said,

May 17, 2010 @ 7:23 am

Howdy !
Thanks for flawless articals
I thinks thats artical is nice one and usefull for who one will try to goes or intresting to buy from online shops like jeans at calvin klevin or levis or other brand specially shopstyle and delias
Most cases is common does he or she face thats problem live in other country and you will wanna intresting to get from other country .: eg matter when you have currently stay on uk and work in us..or one to other.
Specially in jeans …
Wdk which size perpect for yourself. Read thats artical seriousely
Idk know i right or wrong i really want to buy ck or levis skinnie jean no matter if its goes arourd $100 i hope author try to help me i am currently indeed 29-30 waist and height 187 cm and i will instresting to buy from us i seriously read full artical i really happy what i get back . I think i should try SIZE 10 (Us) for mY JEANS ? but faze too when anyone tell company matter in reality for waist differance means you take 30 and u get 32 i know too branded companies already solve thats problem . dont forget to give sweet response

Regards
Peter
Rod said,

May 17, 2010 @ 8:52 am

Peter,
I wouldn’t buy via mail order myself because of this problem - you simply don’t know whether they’ll fit
You can take as many measurments as you like but it doesn’t mean much anymore
Rod
Ladyg said,

May 21, 2010 @ 5:34 pm

Hello —

I have shopped most places in Eur, Aus and the US/CAN but I do a great deal of sewing, so perhaps I get spoiled. The main gripe I have is not so much vanity sizing, but the charts say that a US 18 is a UK size 16, etc etc. That is true in some sense. However, the proportions of the clothing vary to the extent that often that is not the case. For me, the US waist-hip drop is totally inadequate — I have a 13-14inch difference. The usual drop in the US is 9 inches depending on the brand (often less in reality if you measure the clothes versus their size tables) compared to 10 or 11 inches for the UK. The back waist is longer in the US, and the rise is longer in the UK. The French clothing has 1.5 inches less in the thigh (6 inches above the knee), Italian - made has more room to the rear, and less on the side hip for the same measurement. Those are just a few of the differences that I have found.

I have found those differences mean that you can vary wildly for sizes by country based on your shape. It was even worse finding maternity wear, with the differences magnified.

Leaving aside the health issues, there are ways to be stylish and very healthy at any size, and the medical establishment does say that for instance waist-hip ratio along with a few other factors is a better indicator of health than straight waist size. BMI has some serious problems, not the least of which is that it was calibrated only on caucasians, and doesn’t take into account those with high muscle mass. (such as my size 4ish friend who is a full time 35 hour a week zuumba instructor, or for that matter me, a size 18ish power lifter) In addition, to say that I am a size 18 is a bit of a mistake — my bust is 46 because I am nursing =) - my waist after two kids is 30, and hips 44. So, really I am three different sizes — I just have to buy what works rather than looking at a number.

And of course, as a mum, its all subject to change without notice. =)
Fran said,

May 23, 2010 @ 6:38 pm

Hi,

This is a very interesting article with a lot of good comments. My first comment would don’t worry about the label just wear what fits. I normally go for a 12 or 14 in the shop and try it on, if it doesn’t fit I go up (or down) a size. Who cares what the number says. I’ve always tried clothes on, but some of my girlfriends that I used to go shopping with when I was younger looked at me in amazement for bothering - I couldn’t understand that. Something might look good on the hanger but terrible on you.

Waist hip ratios are a real issue and always have been. I have varied in size over the years but usually my waist is about 10 in smaller than my hips. No jeans I have ever worn take this into account and ALWAYS gape at the waistband. In the old days (70s/80s) this was kind of understandable because jeans started out as a man’s garment but nowadays they are supposed be cut for women - what’s going on?

The number of teens and 20s you see nowadays that are just huge with big bellies as though they’ve had 3 kids is very worrying. My neighbour is a nice slim size 10 and her daughter must be about a size 18! It does seem wrong to be providing nice fashionable clothes for people who could stand to lose some weight. I know it’s depressing when you’re too fat to find any nice clothes but that should be the spur to do something about it.

Joe Browns by the way is a very good website where they give you the actual measurements of the garment.
Denny said,

May 26, 2010 @ 10:30 am

Hi,

Has anyone noticed anything similar with shoe sizes? I used to be a size 6 (UK) with no problems at all, I never had to even try them on in the shop. But over the last couple of years I have managed a couple of size 5s, but mainly I need to stuff a 6 with a couple of pairs of Party Feet or cotton wool. “Did I lose a toe without realising?” I asked myself. However, trying on old pairs of size 6s (I am a horder) they still fit fine. Has vanity sizing hit footwear? It’s pretty annoying.

D
Rod said,

May 26, 2010 @ 6:04 pm

Denny,
funny you should say that, a woman recently told me she’s been wearing size 5 since being a teenager, she mail ordered a pair of size 5’s and couldn’t even get part of her foot in the shoe !
Best
Rod
Bryce said,

June 3, 2010 @ 3:01 am

Hey, I am a guy that wears a US 32 jean size and my waist is 32, but I always thought it was weird that around my navel it is 37 inches and my chest is 38 inches. I know a lot of guys that are just straight up and own and others that have big inflated balloons for stomachs. I just have a defined waist and I always struggled thinking that I was fat because it looks like I stick out in my lower stomach, but i am 5′11′’ and 155 pounds.
Nicole said,

June 13, 2010 @ 5:31 pm

I love this article! On size charts my true measurements tell me I am a US 4-6, however when I go to the store and actually try the clothes on I need a 0 or a 2. At some stores I can’t even fit their 0 anymore and I refuse to buy a 00 because I think that is just ridiculous. I wish they would stop with the vanitiy sizing!!
Lacey said,

June 18, 2010 @ 1:53 pm

Thanks for this article!

I’ve just cleared out my wardrobe and was fretting why my old ( 1990ish) size 10’s were tight when my newer 8’s were falling off me. I shall definately try all clothes on in the future and not trust the label!
Ann said,

June 30, 2010 @ 11:41 pm

Who CARES what the label says? If you look great, you look great–if you have fat rolls and get out of breath when you walk because of your weight, you need to lose some fat, no matter what the label says.
Natalie said,

July 2, 2010 @ 2:19 am

I noticed a similar trend coming out of sixth form (ten years ago) when my Aunt took me shopping for a treat around the High Street. I bought a size 8 top that hugged me pretty well, but my hips and thighs were deemed a size 12 (these were tight jeans, slung low on the hip so possibly would have been a 10 on the waist) and I took that to be my size. Not every woman is the same size on the bottom as she is on top, and this applies particularly to women with tiny waists and full hips-hourglasses have the hardest job finding fitted trousers!

A few years later, and I appear to be the same size-I try on clothes and find size 6 begins to fit. Its practically sprayed on, but it fits. And size 8 trousers are starting to fit, but are ridiculously short. However they do not fit my hips and thighs, which I like to think of as having reached their Status Quo and are the biggest part of me, making me a little pear-shaped, no matter how much I walk or how many pasta dinners I switch for salads. I measure 32-25-35 at the moment (27, and 5′7′)

Im alarmed that size 6 tops fit me as Im convinced my upper body is bigger than when I was in sixth form (boobs! finally, boobs!) and an eight was pretty tight back then.

The trouser measurements are an issue lately as I can no longer buy trousers by UK size, as they are either far too short (If I am desperate, I’l buy them in Tall and then take them up about three inches!) or they choke my thighs while leaving a great deal of breathing space at the waist, which makes that ugly gap whenever I sit down, and requires me to readjust my waistband constantly. Im not bragging, but my thighs arent HUGE. Other people dont fall into orbit around them, and Im deemed a little underweight by my GP.
Unfortunately skirts only come in UK sizes and I end up having to try every single one on-I can never buy off the rack. Again I end up buying them to sit on the hip, as when they sit on my waist they stretch across my hips and ride up. I once owned a skirt that rode up over my BRA when I sat down in it-never again!
When it comes to buying jeans I end up sifting through racks and racks of the things with a list of my measurements in one hand, trying to match them up. Ive found Topshop’s cheaper range (2 for £25?) range pretty good, and sometimes Dorothy Perkins can yeild some surprising fits.
And when I finally find one that fits I always buy two pairs! I still wear pairs Ive had nearly five years as jeans seem to be getting shorter and shorter, and wider in the waistband while the thigh stays the same.

Are we all becoming pot-bellied dwarves or something? Where are all these size zero’s everyone was berating less than a year ago? Is it assumed all us other girls have eaten them?
lola said,

July 14, 2010 @ 2:15 pm

Im having an awful time of late trying to find clothes, my measurements make me a size 6, local high street stores go down to an size 6 very occasionally a 4, but none of them fit, they are all way too big. my mother in law bought me a pair of gap jeans in a size 4 for my birthday, apparently long and thin range. no way!, a quick measure with tape and they are 4 and a half iches too big in the waist. i showed her and thankfully the comments of me needing to eat more have died down. i am a healthy person, who exercises and eats well, i understand that we are all different shapes and sizes, its great, makes us all unique, but lying to people about the sizes they buy is not going to help, its just making it impossible for EVERYONE, big and small to find clothes that will fit. I dont suppose anyone has any names of stores that sell what they advertise?? or perhaps a close match? even a good belt doesnt solve the problem anymore.
Yorkiegirl said,

July 22, 2010 @ 12:08 pm

Hi

Just stumbled on this website to check what a size 10 should be in inches and I fit with the measurements stated. I’ve recently lost some weight through having to change my diet because of food allergies and have had to change into a size 10 but I agree I’ve noticed some stores are way bigger than the size should be. I always make sure I try items on to make sure they fit. I remember when I was a size 12 having size 10 jeans from Matalan as the 12’s were too big. It’s very wrong of retailers and manufacturers to try and pull the wool over people’s eyes by making their clothes bigger. It could be creating a bigger problem in the long run.
Connie said,

July 23, 2010 @ 10:05 am

Hi, I am a 26″ waist and 32″ hip. What size would I be in the UK? I’m confused with what measurement actually counts when buying dresses or jeans.
Rod said,

July 23, 2010 @ 6:40 pm

Hi Connie,
welcome to the site - the real problem here, and the point of the article is, that because the label sizes are all over now you can no longer assign a dress size reliably - sorry about that
Best
Rod
hmmmm said,

July 24, 2010 @ 8:49 am

The main thing I picked up on in this article is the suggestion that on waist size alone you can calculate people’s increase in health risk. This without taking into account height, age or lifestyle. Also, women do come in different shapes. Two girls could be the same height and the one with a larger waist could easily be lighter just because the other happens to carry more weight in other places.

If it really is true that clothing measurements are so much bigger than the label suggests then of course it’s a problem, but if the variance is 1 to 2 inches then this only really takes account of different styles and body shapes.

Thank goodness not all women can look like Pamela Anderson, why is it so hard for some men to grasp that many of us wouldn’t want to in a million years.
Rod said,

July 24, 2010 @ 8:55 am

hmmm
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
I’m afraid it’s fairly clear in all respects especially if you check out some of the comments.
Vanity Sizing is a reality, even the manufacturers admit it now and in some cases it’s ridiculous.
It’s nothing to do with style etc.

I’m afraid it’s also a medical fact about the size of men and womens waists in terms of cancer, strokes diabetes etc - if you look into it you’ll see it’s so

All the best
Rod
joannaronaldo said,

July 26, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

o my god this is like so hard because i’m 38-28-36 and my chest are size 12 my waist 8 and my hips 6 . and i have no idea which size i really am.
saz said,

July 29, 2010 @ 1:06 am

Hi,

I had heard that this sort of thing was going on, but imagine my horror when I measured myself to find my waist is 42 inches!! I always fit into a size 16 and in some shops a 14, so although I knew I was a little overweight I had no idea I was a true size 22-24!!

Maybe it’s time for a gastric bypass!!
kerry-anne said,

August 5, 2010 @ 8:23 am

Hi, i am a size 10 usually, but the problem with me is i am unpreportioned, i have a size 8 waist, a size 10-12 hip, and a size 14-16 bust, so as you can see most clothes do not fit me, not because i am larger, but because i am unpreportioned. i find that most shops are terrible because they often do this, a size 8 will have a small bust. but a size 18 has to have a big bust if you want to fit in it properley. i think that this is all extremely wrong ! they should do clothes ‘for bigger bust’ or ‘for smaller waist’ and so on. it would probably make a lot more women find clothes that fit them properley easier. !,

regards
kerry-anne, xx
Lauren said,

August 9, 2010 @ 10:27 am

I do agree that the size of clothing in stores is distorted to encourage more positive body image and therefore encourage a purchase, however, i query some of the research, as the claim that people of clothing size four could be a size ten I disagree with, as personally, I know my own measurements from using a tape measure, not due to the clothing of which I wear. This means that many people who are a size four generally do have a 24″ waist. Also measuring the waist bands of various pairs of trousers is not completely accurate as unless all these trousers measured were high waisted then for example a size ten, (according to the size chart you posted) should be 36″ due to that supposedly being the correct hip size. Overall I don’t disagree that some sizing has been distorted but the research is not very strong in my opinion and there is an easy solution. To all these men who may double their chance of diabetes by having a 36″ waist, is instead of relying on cloth stores who are there to make profit, invest in a tape measure, as it is down to ourselves to keep healthy, not down to the local high-street store.
Snugglebum said,

August 11, 2010 @ 9:41 pm

Good golly, I don’t know if this has been a God send or a kick in the teeth!

Sparked off by the need to buy a dress for a Wedding I’ve had to evaluate the old body status to work out what size to buy. Over the years I’ve been anywhere from a (supposed) size 8 to a (supposed) size 14 (UK). I’ve conceded that I’m currently a size 13 (if only it existed) as 12s tend to muffin top and a 14 will sag a bit. I’m just shy of 10 and a half stone, 5′6, short body, long legs, large bust. Well, that’s okay I thought, I know I need to lose a little which I can deal with…

Until I ACTUALLY measure myself. Which, according to most guidelines tell me I should be wearing an 18 to 20? WTF? 18 to 20 when a size14 pair of jeans from NEXT will bunch because it’s too big?

Statistics; 39 - 34 - 40. Proportionate, it would seem. Everything’s staying where it should be, not many wobbles or sags.

I don’t have a point. Just thought I’d share as a woman who is utterly baffled and more than a little distressed with clothes shopping!
Toria said,

August 31, 2010 @ 1:03 pm

Just a couple of things. Being a vintage clothes freak I’ve become aware of the general need to add two dress sizes for everything made before about 1985, although sometimes I don’t need to because my waist is very small compared with my hips and bust. Modern sizes tend to be based more on these than on the waist, because the modern diet encourages fat to be put on around the middle (the most unhealthy place, hence the diabetes risk) rather than round the hips. Manufacturers are trying to hide the fact that consumer lifestyles are changing women’s shape as well as size in unhealthy ways.

Secondly, less seriously, i’ve been trying to buy clothes for a man today. And there seems to be a different kind of distortion. Everyone bigger than a whippet ends up being a Medium at least, and any genuinely large (as in tall, muscular) man would be a XXL or XXXL making the terminology pretty meaningless. All because it is ideologically unacceptable for a man to be ever labelled ’small’!??
Rod said,

August 31, 2010 @ 5:59 pm

Toria,
that’s a great comment - many thanks and welcome to the site - hope you’ll return

Being a vintage clothes freak I’ve become aware of the general need to add two dress sizes for everything made before about 1985

This is a point I’m hearing continually Toria.
Best
Rod

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