Size Double Zero
 

I was shopping at the mall last week, and I was looking for jeans, and was shocked to discover that they are now selling clothing in size "00". :eek:

Have any of you seen this lately? I can't believe it. What is wrong with women's clothing? Is it the vanity sizing, or are they trying to get younger and younger girls to shop at women's stores??? What's next, Triple Zero? I think eventually, the stores are going to only sell Zeroes. It can range from Quintuple Zero to plain old Zero. That way, everybody is Zero!

It's so depressing, because who knows WHAT size we are anymore. I may be buying a size 6, but it's probably the equivalent of a size 10 a decade ago. You know what I also notice when shopping is that it's really hard to find sizes in the middle range. You go down the rack, and it's like "0, 2, 12, 14, 16..." I think the retailers are all in cahoots to make us all think we're "average" or something, when in reality most American women are overweight.

Yeah, it's that "vanity sizing." I don't know what to make of it. Who knows what size to buy anymore.

One of the 3FC members once commented that men would never put up with this nonsense.

Jay

My Weight Watcher leader told us on Monday that her daughter told her that size 8 is considered plus size now!

Like where? In Bizarro World?

Meg Cabot wrote a very funny book called "Size 12 is not Fat." It's about an ex-teen pop star who works in a college and people keep asking her if she quit because she got "fat." The next book in the series is called "Size 14 isn't Fat either."

A few weeks ago my husband and youngest son were clothes shopping, so I went over to the Misses section to try on clothes for myself. I was still busy, and they had already finished and came over to meet me. Neither of them try on their clothes. They just buy their pants in the measurement that they know they are, and my husband buys shirts in the neck and sleeve length that he is, and they are DONE.

My son who is eighteen had noticed the 10, 12, 14 etc. on the racks and asked me what those numbers meant. He thought they were INCHES and was trying to figure out how someone could be 10 INCHES anywhere! I explained to him that the numbers were sizes that girls' and women's clothes could be. He wanted to know why I had to try on everything. When I explained that a 14 in ONE BRAND might be the same size as a 16 or even an 18 in ANOTHER BRAND he was incredibly shocked. He said, "Mom! I'm really sorry that there are such dumb rules for girls!"

That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?!!!!

Cheryl

I've posted on this topic before. I think it's just plain silly how far off women's clothing can be from one store to the next and from one decade to the next. I have a few pieces of clothing left in my wardrobe from the 90s and they are much larger sizes than the clothing I buy today. My current wardrobe ranges from size 10s to size 4s.

I'm a 6 at Old Navy, 4 at Ann Taylor, and either a 4, 6 or 8 at Banana Republic (depending on the particular article of clothing). I have to take several sizes of one article of clothing into the dressing room because I never know what size I'm going to be. Oy.

I do wish we had men-like sizing. Inches are inches. If I'm a 27 waist, 32 inseam, let me try on 27/32 jeans. It's not that difficult!

I suppose some women are happy that it dosen't say your size in inches (heck even i would feel self concious letting everyone know exactly how big i am) plus i suppose it mystifies the men a little if you say your size 12 it confuses them as to your "real" size if you get what i mean?
But it sucks when clothes fit in one store but not another i get reli happy when im a size 10 in one store but then i go in another and im a 16 you think to yourself "how the **** did i gain THREE sizes walking from one store to the other? did i eat the food court on the way across the mall or something?"
oh yeah and on the size 00 debate i have a friend who is size 00 shes reli short and basically lives off sushi and rice nuff said

Musta been kinda hungry huh? ;) :D

I hate that too! - I recently found a great deal on some skorts, which I LOVE, because they wear like shorts & look like a skirt. But they were all different name brands, etc. I bought two in a size 12, four in a size 10, and three of them were SIZE 16! - Now, I weigh 160 & am 5ft3" ... what the heck am I supposed to believe my size is??? :?:
And THIS is why I try EVERYTHING on, and I'll buy anything from furniture to cars on the internet, but I will NEVER buy clothes on the internet! :^:

Vanity sizes drives me crazy because I small and what should fit me doesn't anymore. What happened to my size? It's become bigger.

I always wondered if that was the reason behind it all... initially that is, now, it's all about money. I mean, in the 1950's sizes started at 8 and went up to 20 something (an "8" being the equivalent of today's 0"). I just don't understand why we can't have measurements, like men do?

But I guess that wouldn't be as profitable as messing with women's biggest insecurity to get them to fork over their credit cards. I think about myself in Macy's, trying on something in "my size" (whatever that is) and thinking "Eh, it's ok, but I don't love it..." versus being in Macy's trying on something a size, or TWO sizes, under "my size" and thinking "Eh, it's ok, but wow, I fit into a size ___". Which scenario results in me buying the "eh" item? What motivation do retailers have to change?

Have you ever purchased vintage clothes? I purchased a vintage clothing item in size I thought would be way too large for me, then when it arrived, it was a perfect fit! I now shop online at vintage clothing stores for more better measurements and sizings.

Haha I wore a size 0 when I was 12 and weighed 99 pounds..I can only imagine the girl who wears a double 0.

Girl...I hear you on that one. When I was 18 I wore a size 0. I had a size 18 inch waist. I look at the tape measure now at 18 inches and can not believe how skinny i really was. How skinny is a double zero??? I remember when i had sex, my boyfriend always complained about my hips bones digging into his hip area. :o I don't want to be that skinny again.

One of my managers long ago was a size 0 and boy oh boy was she proud of that! She was a stick figure with hair basically! I can't beleive size 8 is now plus size? My mom is a size 6, does that mean that shes the next plus size? There is no fat on that woman! She's a toothpick!

My husband does not understand women's sizes either, he asks me why they don't just use the measurements like men sizes do........

A little off topic...but I was at GNC and noticed a new weight loss supplement they were touting next to the register. It was in a curved, sleek black box and it was called: 'SIZE 0" I kid you not!

I picked it up and waved it at the poor clerk and said: "Give me a flippin' break! Size ZERO!!! What cementhead named this product!"

Fortunately, he had a sense of humor and agreed with me.

Wow, did I read that right? Size 8 as plus size? Where? How frequently? I live in the UK and as I understand it, US size 8 = our size 12, ie very normal for a lot of women! Is 8 plus size in all US shops, or just some? Also, for my info, how available is size 0? Is it everywhere? Or only in some shops? (I ask cos I'm a writer and have an interview soon where I might discuss some of this from a feminist perspective). Thanks

Size 8 is the standard for your typical plus sized model as far as I understand it..I think a normal women's plus size is still 12-14.

No doubt vanity sizing is very real. One of the items that I dragged out from the back of my closet is a dress that I wore to my brother's wedding 12 years ago. It was a size 10, and let me tell you, it's way smaller than the size 10s I'm wearing these days. (Still, I'm excited at the fact that I almost fit into it - I looked darned good in that dress!)

Oh i bet our plus size models over here are size 12 too..and 5"9, lol. I think real women's plus size starts at a sixteen or eighteen.
Vanity sizing, tell me about it. When my mum was 25, there was no such thing as UK size eight, which is my size, but some her her college clothes that say 10 or even 12 are AT LEAST as small as today's 8...

My sister wears a size 0, and I bet she could fit into a 00 too. She isn't anorexic, she may be slightly underweight, but not to the point where it is unattractive or just plain gross.

She's just... thin. Her entire structure is very narrow, her frame is naturally small. She has a figure, too... not just straight and without definition.

Some girls are just very small. But I agree, for the majority of women - 00 is completely out there and definitely not a representation of a healthy figure.

I think if they're going to provide the lowest of the low sizes in regular stores, they should provide sizes at least up to 20.

Good point. There should be plus and minus stores ;)

The only reason we have size 00 now is because "normal" misses sizes, the sizes that are sold everywhere and not in special plus size shops and departments, have grown into what used to be plus size range. In other words, size 14 now is a lot bigger than it used to be. It's what's new in misses sizes. Clothes with size 00 measurements have been available in misses all along-- except even ten years ago they were labelled size 4.

I fit into size 0 - 4 depending on the make and material. Sizes have changed over the past 10 years. I'm 122 lbs and wear 0 - 4. When I was 19 I weighed 105 - 110 and could barely SQUEEZE into a 6. In my case it's a combination of clothing including "stretch" material and having muscle helps A LOT!!!

I'm a size 8-10 in Australian sizes which equates to around a US 4-6...I haven't seen any "normal" stores with sizes under about a 6 (US 2).

I don't really have to much difficulty in going from one brand in an 8 to another brand in an 8 and having them both fit the same.

There is definitely some vanity sizing because my mum was a size 10 (US6) when she was my age (23) and weighed 112 pounds at 5'7 where now I'D wear that size at 138 pounds and 5'6...although we do have very different body shapes lol. I'm mostly muscle where mum was just very slim (fine boned...so not like me!)

At my lowest weight I was 112 pounds and fit into a 6 (US 2) and I was so horribly painfully rake thin...bones poking out everywhere! I can hardly imagine just how tiny someone would have to be to fit into something a size smaller or two again. Craziness!

Let me tell you, the double 00 is there because sizes changed the past 10 years. I wear a 4 in H&M, a 0 in Hollister/ ABercrombie/ Jcrew/ Banana republic and a 00 in Old navy if they have it. WIDE rang of sizing, isn't it? Stupid dumb sizes.

I wear an Australian 6-8, but 6 is hardly ever available!

I just wish that all the clothing makers would get together and use the same dang measurements for clothing! I wear anywhere from a stretchy 4 to a 10...depending on the maker. I have a pair of jeans from Old Navy in an 8 that are too small...but then have a pair of shorts from Faded Glory at Walmart in a 4...then I have a pair of Levi capris in a 6. I hate having to try everything on to see if it will fit. I have a 10 month old and when shopping with her I'd love to just be able to go to a rack...grab my size and buy it. But I've done that in the past and then usually I have to exchange it because either it's too big or too small. And although I'm still overweight...I'd love to be smaller...right now I'm 5'3 and 147.

Anyway...to comment on the plus size model thing...wow...and here...after all these years of dieting...and then finally opting for surgery to lose weight I'm still pretty much a plus size.... :( and here I was just beginning to think I was "normal".... that sucks...

Kristy

I was at the mall and went to Aeropostle with my daughter who is almost 12 and skinny I thought a 0 would fit her nope shes in a 3 at 100lbs. So the 0 from before is not the 0 now I bet my 7 year old could wear a 00 the pants would just be to long is all.

00 is SO tiny. Even when I was anorexic and very skinny, I still couldn't fit a regular 0 in some designers. Like veggielover said, though, Old Navy sizes are bigger - I could wear a 0 in Old Navy and a 0 in A&F, while wearing a 2 in everything else because my hip bones refused to let me wear any smaller.

Some people *ARE* naturally meant to be tiny and have small skeletons. And I envy the **** out of those people.

The most disheartening thing right now is that in Hollywood, there's no such thing as too thin. When girls want others to consider them beautiful, they often look to the stars for examples. I predict a "thin rebellion" to happen in the next ten years - you know, when lots of Hollywood actresses will just say SCREW THIS IDEAL! and live well with healthy bodies. (Or maybe the feminist in me is just dreaming away.)

Vanity sizing does nothing for me. I would spend SO much more money on clothes if they would use measurement based sizing.

I have 2 young kids, if I could shop online and not have to return 80% of what I buy I would be a shopaholic. But it takes me forever to buy one freaking pair of shorts. Try on 12 to buy 1. Forget it, I'll just do laundry every day.

This is precisely the reason I've decided to go back to buying jeans in the boys'/ mens' department. Less craziness.

Also I really hate clothes shopping and want to get the ordeal over as quickly as possible. So I rarely try clothes on. When it comes to department or clothing stores, in and out is my motto, and the faster the better.

Now bookstores are another matter.

My mom is small framed and 2 years ago when my dad & her got divorced, she lost a lot of weight and was in the 00 & 0 sizes, and she didnt have trouble finding clothes in that size. Then if you go to find clothes that carry over a size 10, you almost can't find any b/c they're already sold out or they don't carry that size! It's horrible. If they're gonna carry the small sizes, then they should carry the larger sizes as well. You can quickly recognize that the ppl in the mall are not all size 0...more are larger so you would think they would be smart to carry larger sizes. It's so frustrating.

My friend wears a 00 and she doesn't look anorexic or anything, she is just really tall. I wish I were taller sometimes because she is only 5 pounds less than me, I am 125 and is 120 and I don't think i fit in anything smaller than an 8. I am 5'4. And it's weird, my older sister is shorter than me and weighs 10 pounds more than me and can fit in a size 6 or 7, she looks so tiny compared to me. I think I must be big boned or something. My arms and legs look small, it's my waist area that I can't get rid of the fat. I don't know how to either, I swear I am losing every where else except my belly.

My niece is a size 0......and that is sometimes too big!!!:mad: She is NATURALLY THIN......and can eat whatever she wants.......etc!!!!:mad: NO LIES!!!! When she was little 2 women said loud enough for her to hear that she must be anorexic---she was 8 yrs old!!!!

Of course I didn't get those genes.......I got the fluffy genes!!!!:moo:

But I hear ya.......how much smaller can they go?!!! 0x1 0x2 0x9?!!!;)

Yes sizes are a PAIN!!! I do not typically buy clothes online, but I found a cute pair of capri's at Kohls online and checked the "size chart" and bought a 10(the size I typically am in EVERYTHING else..lol) and figured I better get a 12 just in case, I can always bring whichever pair is wrong back to the store to get the right size, well I ended up getting the 12's and giving the 10's to my daughter! I was not happy only because I actually checked their size guide before purchasing and had I not checked it I would have only bought a 10 and then been without them...grrrrr

You are totally 'normal'. Actually a bit smaller. I was reading in a magazine that the average size women wear now is a 14.

I was a size 0 at one point but only for a year and it was a pain. At that time there were not really size 0s readily available so I had to shop in the little girls section for my pants for that year and get size 14s and 16s until I finally went up to a size 2 and 4 in the 8th grade. I was really happy about that lol. At 130 pounds when I was 20 and I was pretty well muscled as well so I looked a lot skinnier than I was, I could fit from a size 4 to a size 10. It was ridiculous. It got to where I only shopped at specific stores so I could just run in and I would know exactly what my size was for the most part and make my shopping quick. I don't have time to browse the department stores with all the different brands and try on 12 pairs of pants that vary in their sizes and fit and maybe only get two that I like. I wish we had sizing by measurement too like men do.

Wow! How much did you weigh?? :devil:

Maybe they'll go into the Negatives!! Just sell a swatch of cloth and call it good.
Can you imagine saying " I went from a size 26w to a -2? "
Silly....