I am 5'4, 166 & wear a 10. Maybe 5'7 with hair!! lol

I'm 5' even like sarayu but I wear a 18 in pants and a 14-16 in tops (or an XL if it is sized that way). I am pretty pear shaped and have large hips, butt and thighs. When I was down to 130 lbs I was in a size 8 to 10 in jeans and in small shirts. No mater what I do I think I will remain big bottomed

Big bottom girls make the rocking world go 'round!!!!!!

I think there are probably several reason....

1. The whole body structure...taking into account height, muscle vs. fat, etc.
2. different brands have different cuts.
3. some women like to pour themselves into clothing that others would never wear because they can't breathe.
4. and lastly...lets face it, some women fib. There is no way, no matter how much muscle a woman has or a difference in the cut of clothing, that one the same height as me can wear 4+ sizes smaller than me...I just personally don't believe it.

Amen to what Tina said. And I'm as guilty as the next vanity fibber. Last winter I wore some 3's and some 4's .... however the shirt I told all my friends about was a size two.

Ditto to Tina and Susan......some people don't tell the truth.......
Last year at 160 I wore some 8 pants, by the end of the day my stomach hurt so bad. When I got home and took them off, funny thing happened, my stomach ache went away....hum?

Let's not forget control top hose! You should see what I can wear if I stand up all day with a good sturdy pair of those on!

lol...ya'll are killing me!!

Saying your real size is like saying your real weight. Some girls can go off plan for weeks but when they come back 'low and behold - somehow they have lost weight'
That always make me wonder - hum - how'd they do that?

I'm pretty sure laughing burns calories.

I love this thread!!! I always think its funny when someone is my height (5'6") and appears to be my shape or build and tell me they wear a size 8!! I am about 156-158 pounds and wear a COMFORTABLE size 12!! To me comfortable means, not to snug or too loose but just right, a size 10 I cant even zip up!! I would love to say I can wear a size 8 but I would be lying to everyone, and most importantly...I would be lying to myself!!

Tina, you're on the right track here with all but number 4 (though I'm sure there are plenty of women who fib...). You easily can wear something 4 or even 8 sizes smaller than someone at the same height and weight if you are all muscle (or mostly) and they are mostly fat. The fat takes up SO much more room! I've heard lots of stories of women who lose weight and then keep exercising (especially those who lift) who are maintaining their weight but still losing sizes because of their muscle. It's amazing stuff and yet ANOTHER reason to exercise and lift weights!

But yes, the size thing is baffling because so many different manufacturers use different sizes and sometimes even the same manufacturer has different sizes listed as the same size! This could drive anyone mad, but especially someone who's losing weight and trying to find their size! I find that jeans are often the final arbitrer of loss...if I fit into a size 14 in jeans, I know I'm definitely that size. For instance, right now, I fit into several size 12 skirts and dresses, size 14 pants, and size 16 jeans. My size 16 jeans are so baggy on me that I think I might be able to get into a size 14 in jeans, but I haven't tried yet. I have a couple of size 14 dresses that are slightly tight on me, and I have a pair of size 22W jeans that I was just able to fit into! (I think I might have shrunk them way back when...they are the only ones that have taken this long to get into!). I don't fit into size 12 pants or jeans yet.

Another frustrating thing is that it can take anywhere from 20-40/50 pounds to lose a size when you are really overweight. Once you get down into the 16/14/12 size range, the sizes drop very quickly, maybe every 10-15 pounds. Unfair, but true. Maybe it's that way to help mitigate the slowness of the weight loss at that point?

Builds, fat content, height, body shape (a woman with a large butt who is exactly the same as another woman in every other way is going to wear a larger size...same with those of us who have large 'girls'), and the silly, confusing sizing of manufacturers all go in to making sizing very hard to understand. Just try to keep an open mind and not stress too much about those numbers, okay?

Laurie, I see what you're saying girl, I really do....but I still don't fully buy it, . 1-2...maybe rarely stretching it 3 sizes taking all factors into consideration...but more? nah. Not your average woman out there. I'm sure there are the rarer examples of body builders, etc...but, they are far and few between here, at least where I live, ...mostly I come across women who for their own psychological reasons...fib. I can be looking right at 'em, SEE they are not more defined and muscular, are about the same build, weight and height...and for some odd reason they are compelled to claim they are a size 4. NO WAY, . I've been both...before my first pregnancy I was a workout nut (even went through a bout of 'anorexia')...flat stomach, toned...had gained some weight up to 114 and it wasn't flab, I was a comfortable size 5/6...MAYBE a 4 in some manufacturers clothing...this time around, since I can't do that type of regimen...I'll be about an 8 at that weight. So I do understand...just like I said, typically you'll come across more flabby fibbers than you will extreme muscle clad workout nuts .

Laurie ... I had to laugh about your 'large girls' they get smaller, honest. One of my favourite memories of losing weight will always be going for the smaller bra the first time.

Again, I have to agree more with Tina.....
Another thing why are women so hung up on a size anyhow? I never understood that, I have friends that want to be a size 8, who are 40 pounds overweight - when I look it as - I need to lose 10 pounds four times....lol And let the size be whatever...