Vanity Sizing
 

Hey Gals,
I'm just wondering what you think about vanity sizing. You know how Old Navy and other large retailers will label a large size with a small tag so that we think we are smaller than we actually are? Do you think it's wrong or do you think it's ok? I think I'd rather have a standardized sizing system in women's clothing and know my actual size than think I am smaller than I am.

The truth of the matter is vanity sizing sells. Manufacturers know that if a woman has a choice between a size 6 pair of pants and a size 4, she will be more likely to choose the size 4 pair of pants because of the smaller size.

Vanity sizing sucks but I can say I was thrilled when I was able to wear sizes below 20. I have some size 14s that I can wear but then I have other size 14s and 16s that I can't. It'd be nice if it was consistent.

I know it is exciting to fit into a smaller size but it also makes it easier to be in denial about gaining weight. My other problem with clothes is the stretch factor. I just bought new pants that fit perfect but now that i've been wearing them a couple hours they're kinda too big. Does anyone else have this problem?

Testify! It's such a :headache: to have to keep re-measuring yourself and checking every different catalog's size chart, if a Woman Within XL = a Lane Bryant XL (I got a catalog yesterday from Lane Bryant, which I presume is the store) = a Junonia XL = a whoever XL it would save so much hassle

Ha! Vanity sizing doesn't even make me feel thin. To my knowledge, the following stores are all, to an extent, vanity sized: Old Navy, A&F, The Gap (sometimes), and oh! I heard that Torrid has a new sizing system. Instead of starting at 12, they're now starting at 2, according to a friend of mine.

HOWEVER, some retailers just have TINY sizes, and those make me really sad, because I think, "What if this is the way the sizing system is really supposed to be? What if I'm really not as small as I think I am?" Dang, I really AM still fat!

I think vanity sizing is dumb and agree that a universal sizing system would work much better.

I wear size 10 Old Navy jeans, and I also have some juniors jeans that are size 9 and can wear those. My dress size is an 8/10.

I have a vintage Fred Perry tennis dress that I tried on last night and it fit. The size? A 14! My point? It is not just some stores that do this. Vanity sizing has happened everywhere over time as well.

That's very true kitten. you know how they say well Marilyn Monroe was a size 12? well that's equivalent to a size 6 now but people always leave that part out. Which is fine. It doesn't matter what size you are but it sure would be easier to shop if I didn't have to get a shirt in every size and try it on to see if it will fit.

It is frustrating. Sometimes I don't have time to try on the clothes. I get them home and they are tents on me! Then I have to return them.

Another thought on this. When I was in my teens, I wore a size 6. Then I noticed that 6s were getting smaller. My measurements and weight were the same. Those were the days of Twiggy. (Remember her?) I'm wondering if they are using some of those original sizes from back then.

It pisses me off to no end. I have no idea what size I am anywhere, and I cant catalog shop.

I still must be shaped weird though because I am a 2-4 in almost every store EXCEPT Old Navy where I am a 6. How does that figure when they are supposed to run big? Although their jeans dont really fit me well, so it might just be the cut.

The worst part about vanity sizing is they are doing away with the actual small sizes. VERY few stores have below a 4 or a 2 unless you shop juniors. I am too old to shop juniors and I am nowhere near "skinny" so what to wear? I wear pants that I have to wash every wear to shrink them back

Yeah, Phyllis, I've heard that "back in the day" sizes were 4-6 sizes smaller than today's! My mom always says, "I was a 10-12 back then! Every now and then, I could squeeze into an 8!" An 8 back then is a like a 4/vanity sized 2 now, so I'm happy when I can "squeeze" into that, as well! Judging from pictures, my mom and I were the same size (roughly), so I'm actually sort of glad that the sizing system isn't quite the way it was back then. ;)

In vanity sized clothes, I am a 6. At Chico's (they have their own sizing scheme), I am a .5 (yes, POINT 5!). At sporting goods stores, where they don't do vanity sizing, I am a 10.

Years ago when I lost and weighed about 15 pounds less than I am now, I was a size 8, so I am certain that the sporting goods stores do not do vanity sizing.

I agree with nelie--it does sell. I was so excited to get into a 6! If I lose these last 10 pounds, I might even fit into a 4. I would probably buy a 4 if I could just because I'm VAIN! LOL

I always wished I had kept my skinny jeans from the 2.3 seconds in college that I wore a 4 just to compare. I did find an old weight loss journal and I had a smaller waist and smaller thighs than I do now and I could BARELY squeeze into those jeans. We are talking jumping up and down to pull them up, then laying on the bed and exhaling to zip (gotta love the 80's!) and then praying nothing would require me to sit down for a couple hours. Taper leg too, I needed help to get back out of them. So I was smaller then and now a 4 is baggy.

OF course then I wasnt a petite either, I wore regular length, now even petites are long on me.

I think it only serves to help keep people in denial...outwardly. Inwardly, they still know they need to lose weight. So...it's a wash. I don't think it matters one way or another what size the clothes are in the end. It may tend to make people feel better for a short-term though. But ultimately, they're still going to look in the mirror and know the truth.

2-4? *Wolf whistle* Ennay, you must be tiny! :)

Our sizes in Canada have gotten smaller (on the tag) or bigger (in the fabric) -- whichever way you want to look at it. It still drives me nuts though to try to relate to US sizes which are smaller again. And you are also right that sizes vary store by store as well.

I just go by my measurements as much as possible since most stores will tell you what measurement their size "x" will fit.

Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! I can't stand the vanity sizing:p
Shopping is a pain to begin with, but then you never know what size you are in at any given store until you try EVERYTHING on!:mad: Could be a good work out I guess, but I don't go shopping to work out! THEN I think I'm a solid 18 and I try on some old jeans given to me and I can't fit into them..........and they are a size 18! From like 10 years ago:dizzy:
Frustrating to no end:?:


Sorry needed to vent, I'm really disliking clothes at the moment!:)

I like it only for the reason that it has in effect extended the size range for misses sizes. Years ago most store didn't have a plus-size section, and misses sizes typically only went to 16, or very rarely 18 or 20. But some of the 20's I bought back then were much smaller than the size 16's I am wearing now. It is just much easier to find clothes that fit now than I remember it being years ago.

It would be absolutely LOVELY if there were some sort of universal size system, but I'm not holding my breath.

I believe in the meantime that I if I can stop attaching the size of my clothing to how I feel about myself then I can buy a pair of pants so matter what the tag says and be happy that they fit well, feel well, and flatter me. (It's the putting that into practice that will be difficult!)

I don't go by the tags much anymore, I'm pretty good at eyeballing the pants/dress whatever and just knowing if it's right.

My problem is with sleeve length and hem length, I guess I'm a pygmy or something because pants and sleeves are often ridiculously long. I shop in petites stores but they don't has as big of a selection.

I still have a pair of size fives I wore until the meds put all this weight on. I weighed 120 then. Will see how much I have to lose to get back into them and then see what size the stores say I wear. HA bet that size 5 turns into a size 0 with the way sizing is these days.

I had bought a pair of 4s from old navy and they turned out to be too big. I was frustrated so I looked that their online sizing chart. It claims to wear a size 4 you must have a 26" waist and 36" hips. Well Mine are not that small and the 4s were huge! I had to return them for 2s! I got the 2s and compared them to my junior 9s from another store and they were only slightly smaller. So now 2s equals size 7 or 8? What do you do if you're short??? Do you have to shop in the little girls department? it's out of control!

It's crazy! I was doing laundry today and I have a pair of old navy 14s from ... oh... 6 years ago? (I hate throwing clothes away!). They fit me VERY WELL. almost a little snug, i avoid them during my tom when i'm bloated. i have another pair of old navy 14s that I bought off the clearance rack about a year ago.. supposed to be the SAME pant, same style, cut, material, etc. They're HUGE on me. if they hadn't been $5 I would have returned them. I wear them anyway, on laundry day and such.
I took the older pair and lay them on top of the new pair...the newer pair is easily 2" bigger in the waist!! so THEN I took out a pair of size 16 dockers.. slightly different cut (at waist as opposed to just below waist) but they were ALSO smaller than the new old navy 14s.. just a little.. 1/2 inch or so.
when I was 18 I wore a size 9 pant, my waist was like 25" I THINK. I wore everything big so i'm not sure what my true size was back then.
I look at old navy size charts now and that's a size 2 - XS. I have never ever been smaller than a medium that I know of! oh, and according to their charts, i'm a 16/18 now.. if that's the case why are the 14s so darn big!!
this is why i HATE shopping!!