Ok, I measure myself all the time but when I look up or google women's sizes I get this chart from wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_standard_clothing_size


Honestly it makes no SENSE to me? When I shop I fit into a size 12 but my measurements are:

Chest: 41
Waist: 36
Hips: 39

When I first started my weightloss journey I was wearing a TIGHT 16 at:

Chest: 46
Waist:45
Hips: 46

But according to the measurements chart to fit into a 16 I would have to have a waist of 33' ???? How does that work????? When I was buying size 16 from various palces they ALL FIT But I know I didn't have a 33 inch waist? I still don't have a 33 waist? Am I measuring wrong?

Now I wear a 12 but I don't have 30" waist. What's up with that?

I do wear my jeans on my hips cause I have a high waist, like really really high! It's just below my rib cage. That measurement is 34. But I never use that measurement cause I'd look like Erkal or an old man with my pants pulled up way high! So I measure just above my belly button.

What gives? Can someone explain please?

Nothing can drive you bonkers quicker than trying to figure out size charts. They vary wildly from manufacturer to manufacturer.
When I shop I take at least two sizes into the dressing room, Whatever fits is what I buy. don't stress about what the tag says as to size.

No sizing makes sense to me. I gave up a long time ago. Don't let the numbers matter. Don't let the fact that in the same brand you need a medium or a large or an extra large get to you, either.

And don't let the fact that our measurements are about the same and I also wear size 12 jeans but I'm apparently looser and less fit because I weigh less confuse the issue, either. That's the part that gets me! I focused on the darn number on the scale and it really doesn't mean anything if 2 people can be so different. That's what we have to accept.

As different as we are, sizes are even more different. You'll never figure it out so just use those brain cells for something easier to learn. Like rocket science or brain surgery or how men think.

Lin

I suspect you are magical, InsideMe.

Edit: I had a longer comment but I'm going all wishy-washy on the verity of it (ie. I can't remember my measurements!). I knew my first comment was going to be all kinds of not awesome, lol. *goes back to lurking*

Thanks! Magical haha! I WISH! Then I'd just WISH this weight off, click my heels, blink my eyes 3 times and it would be done! LOL don't go back to lurking! Join us Thistleberry!

Lin it's just body composition and shape I guess? I'm flabby flabby flabby maybe my fat is so squishy it's easier to squeeze?? LOL I have no idea! I'm just trying to find the truth about my body, what my size is and my inches....but according to what's "standard" I obviously don't fit it I have never fit into standards! It's starting to bother me! How do I know when I'm done then with weight loss? Cause I can't go by what I look like....I could be done then right? Isn't size 12 and a large pretty standard these days???

How do you girls order clothing online then? This measurement thing is driving me crazy?!!! I don't know what I should be going by weight (cause obviously that doesn't tell the whole truth, cause come on I weigh almost 200lbs!) and sizes are skewed, clothing according to inches don't work It's such a fog. I guess fat% might be my only way

This is totally putting me back to when I was super fit and how much I weighed...it pushed me into eating disorders. I know lots of people think, wow look how much she weighs but she wears a 12, to me it's the opposite. I wanna weigh less

I guess this goes back to the whole self acceptance bit.......arggggg it's so HARD to wrap my head around it! Lin your right I should stop trying and learn something else! Can I bang my head now?

It's frustrating. Sizing varies by designer and even WITHIN designer. There really is no other way to get a good fit without actually going in and trying things on, unfortunately . You'll drive yourself nuts if you try to figure it out by the numbers.

Sizes on sizing charts are based on the average measurements (of thousands of women), so unless you happen to coincidentally have measurements that are exactly the average, you're not going to fit into any one size perfectly.

They're also based on how the manufacturer thinks the clothes should fit. If you like your clothes looser or tighter (and looser or tighter in which areas), you may not want the size the manufacturer suggests.


As it is, most women don't fit into any one size perfectlly. If you're lucky, your measurements will be spread across only two sizes. If you're not, you may have measurements that spread across three, four or even more sizes.

Catalog information usually suggest that you order the largest size your measurements fit, but that's not always good advice. For example, on my favorite catalog website, my bust is a size 28, my waist is a size 30 and my hips are a size 32. If I want to order a straight skirt, I need to order the 32 (and probably will have to have it altered). If I want to order a flared skirt or dress, I may only need a 30, or even a 28. Also, certain items in the catalog tend to run larger and others run smaller.

As a result, I have all sorts of guidelinesi n my head, based on what I know about the manufacturer and my body. Very full skirts I can order by my waist size. Empire or A-line styling and I can order by my bust size. Straight or form-fitting styles I have to order by my hip size. Some styles or brands run large, some run small.

It's not entirely random, but sometimes it feels that way.

Take it as a ballpark thing. Then put it on and see how it fits YOU.

I know for a fact, slim or not, I always had a range of at least 3 sizes depending on the brand, cut, etc.

Between vanity sizing, the different charts manufacturers use, the cut of the garment, your preferences for loose vs snug... don't sweat it. Consider it ballpark, and then grab a size up and down and then go try it on.

A.

When I had to buy mail-order (or drive two hours to find a store that carried my size), I loved when I found an online store that actually listed the dimensions of the garment itself. I wish all print and online catalogs did so.

You'd still have to know a bit about how fabrics fit and drape (because for some knit garments you actually want a negative ease, so you'd have to know that it would be ok for the garment to be a little smaller than your measurements). I even found some catalogs that would list knit garment measurements both stretched and unstretched.

When the regulations for the garment industry were first being regulated, it was really meant primarily for mail order (because with mail order, you don't have the luxury of being able to try the garment on first), and it was assumed that most customers would need to have tohe garments altered for them to fit properly.

Yeah it never makes sense to me either. I too am far above the measurements places list for their size. One time I did order the size it said based on my measurements and the shorts were crazy huge on me! Now I mostly just order based on the size I tend to be fitting in most clothes. Before i got pregnant I was wearing a size 14 so that is the size I would order. I actually just ordered a Lands End winter coat and I really hope it fits, I actually ordered it a size up due to the pregnancy.

I've heard the argument before that the measurements are based on averages, but honestly? It just doesn't make any sense.

At Old Navy I'm pretty solidly a small, if not bordering on XS, at the moment I have three pairs of Calvin Klein slacks that fit in a size 6 and my Levi's size 8's are too big so at least in those brands I'm a size 6 pants with a XS-S shirt. However, if you look at my measurements I'm

Bust: ~40 (depends on the bra I'm wearing so if anything it could be slightly larger)
Waist: 31.5"
Hips: 40"

So at Old Navy, for instance, according to their size chart I should wear an L or something between a 12-14 on top (according to their size chart a Small should fit someone with a bust between: 34-35" and a waist between 26-27"). I'm sorry but that would have to be some AMAZING stretching for that to make sense if the clothes were really cut for a woman that small. I have some medium shirts/dress from them and while I don't have a picture of me in them, I could take one and you could see that they are absolutely massive on me, no way could I ever fit into a large!!!!

According to Calvin Klein's size chart a size 6 should have: Waist 27" and hips 37.5" Um... far from what I have!

I don't feel I wear my clothes super tight AT ALL, actually those size 8's from Levi's are very baggy on me at the moment and are seriously saggy in the butt!

So I figure it could be a few things:
1. manufacturers are lazy and haven't updated their size charts to recent changes they've made in their fit models.
2. they'd rather have women err on ordering too big sizes so that they feel good about themselves. Also if they return the clothes they might even buy MORE clothes in the process because they are so happy
3. they don't think anybody actually checks the size charts so they don't care
4. they'd rather draw people into the stores than have them ordering online

Whatever it is, it makes me really mad. I don't have the luxury of going in store to buy clothes being that I live abroad so I've had it happen to me more than once that clothes were too big after ordering off of their size chart.