Vanity sizing: NYTimes article & awesome chart

[lackadaisy]

The point of the article (that sizes mean NOTHING because they are so inconsistent) we should all know, but the infographic is fantastic! http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/bu.../25sizing.html

[Dorian5]

I KNEW that Gap, Banana republic, and Old Navy had different sizes! I would try to use my one size at all 3 stores and just thought that maybe I was crazy and bloated.

I would love to find my measurements and get a print-out of what size I wear at which store! That machine sounds amazing.

Very cool article!

[nationalparker]

Thanks so much for posting this - interesting to see HOW much discrepancy there is and it's not just in my mind (why I can fit into SOME of my 12s and no chance for others...) ...

[supergir111]

Great post, very interesting.

[theCandEs]

Yeah, that's weird. I was just talking about this! I bought a "size 8" yesterday, and I was very excited about it. Then, I tried on some 12s that were in my closet from 10 years ago. Too small! What? I have to admit, it took the wind out of my sails a bit.

[seina]

Works for shoes too. I noticed that in designer shoes you usually have to get one size up from your shoe size. This is so frustrating. I wish companies would stop 'vanity sizing'. It's very misleading.

[Mickeypnd]

thanks for posting this! I don't go by the size of the closes I go by how i look. like I've lost almost twenty five pounds, and I somehow went up in pants size! when I started my journey I was wearing a 14-16, and last week i bought a size 17.
but i look amazing and feel skinny in them and that's all that matters to me! ((:

[fromthebox]

Thanks for the infographic, it's great! I am consistently in size 8s and almost in 6s yet I wore my homecoming dress from high school (9 years ago) for the royal wedding and It barely fit at the rib cage/waist and it was a 9/10! I bought some tight (for motivation) size four pedal pushers a week ago SIZE FOUR that is so not right.

[rachael]

With regard to going from a 14/16 to a 17, odd numbers are juniors and are smaller always. I wear a 4/6 generally but wear a 7 or occasionalky a 9 in juniors. So even not thinking about vanity sizing, i would not consider that going up a size.

[josey]

I went shopping last weekend and was surprised to see that in three stores the pants sizes were all over the place. I try pants (different styles too) in all three stores and size 11 to 15 (!!) fit. WTH?? I had a 16 before I started (37lbs ago) and now I am somewhere between 11 and 15? It was kind of discouraging especially since the one pair I liked (colour and style) and bought was a 15 :-(

And who the h*** came up with making most pants without zipper/buttons and belt loops and pocket??? grrrrrrr
I definitely need pockets and right now belt loops are very helpful!!

By the way, I am wearing the new pants (zipper, belt loops but no pockets *grrr*) today and noticed that they are getting lose already :-) YAY! One week and I need a belt.

[josey]

PS: The store I bought the size 15 has only odd sizes no 14, 16, etc. And it is definitely not junior sizing there.

[Mickeypnd]

agreed. I bought the pants at Target.
and oddly enough I needed new pants to see my mom for mothers day, and i went and bought a size 17 in the juniors dept at JCpenny, while on TOM and those pants were bigger then the ones from Target. and are too big on me.

go figure.

[LandonsBaby]

That is very confusing. I have pants from Macy's, Ann Taylor Loft and JC Penny. They are 14's. But, I can rarely find pants that fit no matter what size. It's ridiculous. Now shirts! Ugh. The sizes vary like crazy. I can put on an XS that's too big and a M that's too tight.

[josey]

I just came back from GAP and I bought pants size 10. Insane! My closet now features size 15 to 10.