We can also call this "Proof that the clothing industry is trying to mess with our minds".
I was looking through a size chart, comparing my "thin clothes" to my "goal". I *want* to be a size 6 (the same size I was at the height of my eating disorder). I recall being a size 6 to 8 as being this wonderful time, where my waist was "normal". After some digging...I found that I was very very wrong.
(Please note: this post might not resonate with petite women. My thought pattern definitely didn't make sense to my 5' tall mother)
I began my thoughts with what I shall call Exhibit A. The U.S. Misses Size Chart (found here). My goal of a Size 6 has the following requirements.
Bust of 34.5"-35"
Waist of 26.5"-27"
Hips of 36.5"-37"
After a bit of meditating on the implications of this while Spring Cleaning, I found Exhibit B - an image of myself at [around] my actually happiest time in high school. I say "around", because as you'll see in the photo, I was about 4 months pregnant. A happy time when I was 20...but not particularly when I was 16.
Exhibit B
After seeing that photo, I began to think "Oh, those were the days. If I could only get back into those pants again..."
At 16 (non-pregnant), I could wear my now-husband's blue jeans. My husband is thin as a rail. Which leads me to Exhibit C. My ultra-thin husband.
Exhibit C
Exhibit D, my husband's pants, goes along with Exhibit C. My husband wears a 32x32...he has a 32 inch waist. 32x32 are the smallest size jeans you can find in most men's stores. In fact, we went to Macy's to buy him a suit, and we couldn't find one (the smallest size the Men's Department carries in a 36). Women at his school constantly sigh and say they wish they're waist was as small as his.
This train of thoughts led to more contemplation. My husband isn't fat, by any stretch of the imagination. When I wore the same wait size he does, I looked amazing. I would like to get back to the "amazing" look again.
If we revisit Exhibit A, we'll learn how fat my husband really is. Size 14
Yes, that's right. My husband is officially classified as "Plus Size". My husband, smaller than the smallest size in many men's departments, is a fatty by women's "fashion" standards.
Recognizing the differences between men's bodies and women's bodies, my husband agreed to a test, to ensure the accuracy of my pondering. He pulled out the "Size 8 Goal Jeans" I have hiding in my closet. He couldn't get them past his thighs. He then pulled on a pair of my "Size 14 Interim Jeans"...they fit perfectly around his waist.