I've heard about vanity sizes, but this is ridiculous. For most brands, they have a chart for waist etc. measurements and the corresponding sizes. Let me tell you, for any jeans size I wear, I am ALWAYS bigger by at least 4 or more inches. Like, I just recently dropped a size in one brand, and according to their chart my waist measurement is too big for that size, and yet it's baggy on me!

For example.

Say the waist measurement of the pants was supposedly, I dunno, 30 inches. They'd be baggy on me even when my waist would be about 5 inches or more bigger!

So, the pants have a 30 inch waist, my waist would be 35, and the pants would be too big for me to wear.

Is that just vanity sizing? And does it continue into the smaller jeans sizes? (Like, if my waist measurement was 28, I'd be able to fit a "25" inch jeans waist? Or is vanity sizing less prevalent in 00-4 jeans?).

I'm very confused. If this is vanity sizing, it's out of control! IS that what it is? And if it is, that just makes it harder to find the right sizes...

Thanks for any input on this.

I'm so glad you posted this because I have the exact same problem!!!!

I just bought a measuring tape yesterday and I checked my measurements. Right now I'm

Bust: 46"
Under Bust: 36-37"
Waist: 40-41"
Hips: 46"

So I checked Lane Bryant's website and I should be in a size 20!!! Yet, I sit here in my size 16 pants (that supposedly have 36" waists on them) and they are baggy! I can even pull the waist out quite a bit and and the thighs/butt are really saggy on me. I also wear something like a 38F/38DDD bra from there but according to my measurements I should be something more like a 36I??? Yet my 38F bra's cup size is normally to big for me and the band is tight enough that it's hard to put on?

It's really annoying. It's one thing if they want to make the size 16 the new 20 but I wish they'd at least put the correct measurements on the website. I definitely DON'T have a 36" waist (I need to be closer to the 160's for that!) so why can't they just be honest about.

You are reading my mind, lol. I was reading the size chart for Calvin Kline coat. According to their measurements, I shouldn't even be able to wear their plus size coats (I should be too big). What size to do I wear? A 16w. Well in their plus size range and even inching toward their missy sizes.

vanity sizing at gap is so ridiculous. i am 151 lbs, in one style of their jeans i just bought a size 4. seriously a size 4. and i bought a size small sweater and it is huge. the xs is a bit big too. what the heck. i know i am smaller thought because last year i wore the same style jeans in a size 12 and that was after i had lost 25lbs, so atleast i know i can measure it that way.

They keep going, even in the small sizes. This is why I have to try them on (or order after knowing that brand) and not online shop for pants/jeans.

Munchy: thanks for answering my question about smaller sizes. I was kind of hoping once I got small enough it would be a non-issue. Oh well.

So, basically one should just assume that whatever size their waist corresponds with will be too big... That's confusing alright.

Hahaha. I don't even pay attention to sizes anymore these days since they're so darn inconsistent. I shop at "teenager" and European chain stores most of the time which translates to smaller clothes. Maybe I should start shopping at Gap or Old Navy so I can go swimming.

I have 35" hips and a 27" waist, I am wearing Calvin Kline jeans that are a size 25 or a size 2, I actually asked a friend about this the other day. What gives? what does the 25 correspond to? and since when am I a size 2? crazy. I have jeans in all sizes, apparently I can range from a 0 to a 6 and they all fit the same.
Gap are the same along with American Eagle.

Yup, the vanity sizing is outrageous!!!

They don't vanity size much here -- your size is your size, and you can deal with it or not. Italy is worse, because I swear their clothing makes you go up a size, but maybe it's that I'm endowed in some areas that the typical Italian woman isn't.

American clothing is different, though. To feel like I'm getting something that's real and not vanity-sized, I wear something in juniors -- I feel like it's less vanity-sized than something from Gap or Old Navy.