Thanks for that post, Aphil. You may post the info a lot (and I vote for a sticky too), but reading it really helps put it into perspective. I have been a little down because after losing 70 pounds I'm STILL a size 20 (at just over 220 pounds) and I've been feeling like a real whale for my weight.

But you are absolutely right that the focus should be to MY starting weight and size. After all, I can't control much about the size I am now. I am exercising and doing weights and maybe I'll lose inches, but I think I really have to stop agonizing over why I'm not a size 16 already and just keep doing what I'm doing (and maybe I'll just get there already).

Thanks. That post helped a lot...

And, congratulations on the pregnancy!!!!!

I agree! I sure would want to read it again later on to remind myself...

that was a really excellent post. It confused me though. trying to pick out my frame and my body type. I fall under the small frame with rings and bracelt sizes. I wore a size 4.5 ring in highschool when i weighed in at 100 pounds. even haven gained 96 pounds, at 196 i wore a size 5 ring. and now at 175 i still wear a size 5 ring. i tend to think of myself as an apple shape, because i carry alot of weight in my middle. but looking at pictures, i feel like i carry alot of my weight in my upper body. face, neck, shoulders, boobs, back, and waist. but i also think i have large thighs. a 25.5 inch thigh at the largest part of me. anyways, i do resemble alot of the characteristics of the apple. so i'm a small framed apple, i guess.

thanks so much. either way, i'll know when it is the right time to fit into my 14's. hopefully by the end of april. i need to lose about 3 inches in the belly so that my upper belly doesn't poof out over my pants like a mushroom!!!

Aphil, that was very informative, thanks! I am definitely a large framed hourglass, I wear a size 9 ring and have a 7 ½ inch wrist. As my high school swim coach used to say, I’m built like a tank (didn’t he understand that that’s not much of a compliment for a teenage girl?) Although I’m not so sure about manufacturers modeling to my body type, it’s so hard for me to find pants that will fit my butt and hips but not be too big in the waist. But I think clothes shopping can be a pain for any body type.

When I started, I was a size 20 at 234 lbs. At 195 I wore a size 14, and at 161 I am now wearing a size 6 or 7. I am 5'7. The clothes brand makes a little difference. It seems odd when I pick up a pair of my smaller jeans now, I think they couldn't possibly fit, but when I put them on , they fit perfect.

I've never been able to buy jeans that are too short. Even the petite jeans need to be hemmed.

In February I was so happy to be able to fit into a size 18 misses in Levi's that I bought them, came home and chopped off the bottoms. Evidentally it's the "hip" thing to do. (according to my co-workers who are in their 20's) Now those size 18's are getting loose ( I can pull them down without unbuttoning them)

I'm 5'6".

I have trouble also with those mid rise jeans that are supposed to fit tighter in the thighs and butt.. I have a big waist and no butt and thighs... think their about 19.5 inches each. As you can tell all my weight came off of there and not off my mid section which is still 30 inches. Just hate shopping for jeans, I can try on about 50 pairs and not one pair fits right.

I just bought my first pairs of size 12's today. ...I started with size 24 when I was 264 lbs (I'm 5 4). I tried a couple of different brands - one brand the 12's didn't even come up over my (!)...the other brand fits perfect. I carry all my extra weight in my butt and thighs. My pet peeve is when the waist is too big and sticks out in the back.

I was in sizes 18 and 20 for so long that I always overestimate my size when trying on jeans now. I thought the only choice was jr.miss or women's. I bought 2 new pair of capris today and they are size 4 in misses. Is this bigger than a jr. Miss or the same as Women's . I'm confused. I have never worn a size 4 in my life. My other jeans that I am wearing now are size 6 in misses or size 7 in Jr. Miss. Can anyone explain. I weigh 159 and am 5'7 even though hips are only 30 inches, my waist is where my weight is at.

Also, I am thankful for the lower waisted jeans now. If I had to buy ones that button on the waist I'd probably need a 10 at least. I have always had trouble with my waist being too big and hips and thighs small, dieting hasn't changed this. At least now with low-rise jeans they fit perfect on my small hips and thighs. My problem now is finding shirts to cover my fat belly. Oh well, at least I am seeing progress somewhere.lol

That is SOOO funny-because I LOATHE the low rise jean trend. Sure, they look great on those with small hips and thinner thighs-because low rise tend to be cut pretty straight throught that area-more like men's jeans.
But-I am an hourglass figure, and when I am not pregnant I simply cannot hardly wear them. They are always really tight in the thighs and butt for me-even when they fit they are a "tight cut" in the exact places where I am curviest-and because I have a big butt/hips and a small waist-I am at high risk for plumber's crack. I don't have a straight or bigger waist to "keep them up".
If I wear them, I have to wear a BIG sweatshirt to cover the crack area. My husband, if I don't, will joke around by yanking his pants down a little low, kneeling in front of the sink, and saying "M'am, I think I see the problem" and then laughing.
While they may not be trendy now, I actually miss the "fit" of jeans that actually had a waist. The 80's and early 90's jeans with the waist and relaxed hips and thighs were meant for my figure type....

here's an interesting tidbit i picked up just this morning. I have two pairs of dress pants by George that I buy at Walmart. One pair is black and one is greyish-black. the greyish-black ones have been getting looser in the waist, butt, and thighs while the black ones have been hugging my every curve. When i took my tape measure to them, the greyish-black ones had a waist of 38 and the black ones had a waist of 37 inches. Weird huh??? when i checked the waist of a skirt i can't wear yet which is a size 16 but not by George, it had a waist of 33 inches.....the same as the waist of my size 14 jeans by Gitano!!!! how crazy is that???!@!!! no wonder i can't fit into that skirt. it's really a 14!!!! you can't tell me that a size 16 can be off by 5 inches like that!!!!

From a seasmtress point of view...it sounds like the George clothing company needs to hire different workers.

I can totally understand the 1" difference in the waist between the gray and black pants-when you sew clothing pieces together, you use what is called a "seam allowance". Default setting is to sew the pieces together 5/8" away from the edge of the fabric. If you have a sewer who doesn't sew exactly at 5/8", say they are talking to someone, or don't have a super steady hand-and they sew it at 1/2" or 3/4"-by the time the entire piece is sewn together, there can be 1/2" to 1" difference in the garment.