Vanity sizing wrecked my NSV!

[cb1]

Okay so... I've been wearing a size 14P jeans for awhile. They were falling off of me, literally, so I was gonna buy a new pair. But there was a pair of jeans hanging in the back closet that I haven't been able to even pull over my legs in forever... and my hubby suggested I try them on, instead of spending money on something I'll only be wearing a short time..... I THOUGHT they were a size 12. So I was completely ecstatic when I pulled them on and though they are a teensy bit tight, they FIT perfectly otherwise! Like I can wear them around town and everything, even though they're slightly tighter than what I would normally wear. I haven't been able to fit into those pants in ages.

So, here I am rejoicing that i've finally ditched 14's and am a 12, and I check the tag... and the dumb tag says 14P! they are different brands but it seriously crushed my bubble. the baggy 14P's were from a plus size store so I am thinking they were more like a 16.... Anyhow. Here I am... still not a size 12.... I feel so defeated!! lol

[jenn33082]

Dont focus on the numbers! Focus on the fact that you can wear a pair of jeans that you haven't been in in a long time! That is still a total NSV! I know its easy to get caught up in the numbers, but you are obviously making positive changes and that is what should be celebrated!

Congrats on your progress!

[freedomreins]

They didn't fit you before - now they do! That's still totally an NSV, don't worry about the tag! I'm all over the place in sizes, sometimes I'm still a 12 (where I started, usually in dress pants or skirts for that one) and other times I'm a 6 (I have a pair of shorts that are a 6), though mostly I'm somewhere in the middle. Sizing is ridiculous and different stores vary in size by so much sometimes, so definitely try to focus on the fact that something that didn't fit now does because that's fantastic!

Also, I used to sell jeans and apparently when they cut them, they line up all the material and do it in one swipe so that often the ones on the top are a different size than the ones on the bottom because of the thickness of the pile (imagine cutting a thick pile of paper - the top ones aren't always exactly the same as the bottom ones). So there could be two jeans that are marked 14 by the same brand, same colour, same store, same style, and there could still be up to a half size difference!

Congrats!

[KayNicole]

cb1- I have done exactly the same thing. :/ you will be a 12 before too long!

[guamvixen]

When I was where you are at, I would go to Gap or a non plus clothing store and try on their stuff just to see how I measured up to today's sizes. I remember back then a size 2 was much different than a size 2 today. I just noticed that sizes run differently. I have a pair of designer jeans that are a 29 which translates to a size 8 US size, however other brands I'm a 4 or a 2 it just depends. I don't focus on the number that the tag says, just the price.

[SeaWave]

The others are right - they didn't fit before, they fit now. TOTALLY an NSV!

You can't go by sizes at all. I used to be a size 12 when I was 115 lbs; I think now it would be about a size 4???

[Shannon in ATL]

How old were the pants in your closet that now fit? I have a pair of size 6 pants from the winter before last (2009 I think I bought them) and when I lay them on top of a pair of 4s I just bought they have exactly the same waist size. You can't trust pants anymore.

Totally an NSV - they didn't fit, now they do. Take it and run with it!

[BlueFlower]

I did the exact same thing a few months ago. I thought they were 12's, they ended up being 14's

They still fit much better than they ever have, so you gotta take that

What is NSV? Thanks!

[cb1]

thanks for all the encouragement!! I know it's just a number... and that it is huge that i can fit into these smaller jeans... i just got so deflated when i saw THE number hadn't changed, lol.

Shannon - i am not sure how old these jeans are, probably a few years!

Freedom - that's interesting about cutting the jeans. I had no idea... now i know why it's so important to try on every pair... lol!

blue flower - NSV means "non scale victory"

[BlueFlower]

Wow, when you Wiki "NSV" you get a lot of strange things, none of them being Non Scale Victory

Sorry you had the let down. Nice you got into the jeans, though

[L144S]

I have sizes running from 6-14 and they all fit, If you had cut the tag out of the pants would you be feeling this bad? probobly not becaus when you started you couldn't wear them anyway so the size did not matter...

Anyway chin up, sizing is all over the map where what fits and looks good no matter what your size.

[freedomreins]

cb1 - It certainly explains why one pair you try on might be snug but the exact same pair might be a perfect fit. I know when I used to buy jeans to wear to work (at the job where I was selling them), I would try on as many pairs as we had in the style I wanted that were my size and pick the one that fit the best because there were always differences! We all did that and I think it helped to ensure we were getting the best fitting pair for our bodies - we were selling them, after all!

[LiannaKole]

Yeah, I've experienced the same thing before. It really kinda sucks.

There are 2 main issues. One, there are more vanity sizes now because of the larger (literally) population. Two, there's no standard sizing, so anyone can call anything a 14 and there're no repercussions.

I think we need standard size just so we can get some help with knowing where the heck we are with our sizes. Just my opinion.

Apparently around the 1920s, a modern size 2 would be a size 10 for back then. I'd be sunk, that's for sure.

[lissa9501]

i just went opposite on the vanity sizing, i bought a 14 at lane bryant that fit the same as a 16 there. i was shocked but hey it fit just fine

[ducktape54]

don't give up...I have cloths sizing it seems to vary from store to store and even styles with in brands....