I haven't tried on any new pants for a long time, maybe as much as 25 or 30 pounds of loss. My 18s are totally falling off even with the waistband folded over, most of my 16s are biggish and my smallest pair of 16s are now fitting perfectly. So, I thought I'd check... went to Ross and tried on 3 different brands of jeans each in size 12 and 14 and I swear they all fit me exactly the same between the two sizes. The different brands fit a little differently, but I was unable to even tell the difference in fit between 12 and 14 for any of the brands. Has anyone else had this experience??? I thought I would go in and try a few pairs and have a real sense of which size I am now, but I really don't know. Two of the styles were stretch denim, but one wasn't.

Another thing that's irritating me, on the subject of clothing size, is that I've been looking for sewing patterns (can hardly wait to sew myself a new skinny wardrobe! ) and Burda, which makes a ton of fairly cheap downloadable patterns, has me in plus sizes still! WTF??? I can wear a size medium top and 12/14 pants. Is that considered "plus"? I'm not even in the smallest plus size. So irritating!!!

Two words: Vanity Sizing.
Months ago when I was fitting into brand new "size 8" jeans, I couldn't even pull up my size 10 shorts from a few years ago. Same brand (Old Navy).

And yes, stretch in jeans affects things.

See this chart

I know this is a comic, but it rings true.


This story is old (from 2006), but it still makes some valid points.

Yeah, vanity sizing is definitely a big thing! And I remember reading somewhere that although there are guidelines on what certain clothes sizes should measure (in the UK at least) manufacturers are under no obligation to make their clothes that size.

With regards to that picture, it's interesting how much sizes have changed over the years! I have a denim skirt that used to be my mum's when she was my age. The label says it is a UK 14 for a 28 inch waist- these days, a 28 inch waist is more like a UK 10.

It makes sense to me that I can't compare one brand or style to another, but I was trying on two pairs of exactly the same brand/style but in two different sizes and they fit exactly the same.

QB, I wish I could find a chart that compared mid80's sizes to current. When I was 17 in 1987 I don't think anyone wore anything smaller than a size 6. So do you think that is the equivelent of today's zero? I sure wish I had a pair that fit me then to try on now (well, after I lose another 35 pounds or so, lol).

This blog
talks about shopping for vintage clothing.

The blogger says: If you add 6 to your current modern day dress size that's what you'll probably fit in a 1950s/1960s dress.

Not sure why the same brand item in two different sizes fits you the same.

As you get down in sizes, the sizes are closer together. For example, it might be a 3" waist difference from 22 to 20, but 2" at 16 to 14, and then just 1" for size 10-8.

I know this isn't necessarily the answer, but maybe has something to do with t.

I wonder if either pair has been mislabeled? I was able to fit in a size 13 pair of pants but in the same brand and style, I couldn't fit in any of other size 13 pairs of pants, I could only fit in 15s so I thought maybe that pair was mislabeled?

Thanks for the links! And the comic!!

Yeah, I don't know... I tried a pair if 12's first and thought, eh a smidge too tight and then the 14s thinking the might be even a bit big, but no, in fact just a smidge too tight. Hmmm... But it's possible they could've been an inch different and felt the same. There certainly wasn't the kind of difference there is bt the 18's and 16's. This is good to know though as hopefully I will be getting down to those smaller sizes!

I don't think it was mislabeling bc it was three different brands. I kept obsessively checking and trying them on over and over thinking... Wtf??? lol

Tonight I went to Forever 21 for the first time in my life thinking I'd try again. I'm 43 and I think I was already fat when that store came into being, so I had no idea. I found if totally overwhelming. lmao. I wonder if my great-grandma felt that way going into the Gap. I didn't end up trying anything on, but someday I'm gonna buy something there. A lot of it really is too young for me, but they had a few really cute tops.

Rubidoux, I had a very similar experience today; I'm 48. I went to the mall for the first time in forever, and I found all the stores totally overwhelming. I couldn't really tell who the target markets were at WHBM and NY&Co and felt out of place. But at J. Jill, the sales ladies were all gray-haired (like me!) but that didn't make me feel welcome, either. I felt like I was in the old ladies' store -- which is funny because back when I was 34 and shopping at J. Jill, I didn't think it was an old ladies' store. Maybe their target market has changed? Or maybe it's regional -- when I was 34 I was in Boston, now at 48 I'm in Pittsburgh.

Anyway, I tried on size 12 jeans at WHM and they fit, but I figured I'd try on the 10s I brought into the dressing room, too. And, they fit. Same experience at NY&Co; I could easily wear either size. My guess is because the fabrics all have so much stretch in them now... Weird.

It must be the stretch. I shoulda tried on a size 10 while I was at it. lol

And that cracks me up about J. Jill and the white haired ladies. The last time I shopped there I was 30 and I loved them. I was barely verging on plus sized then, on my way up, and they had some really nice larger sized clothes that didn't look like fat clothes. It must be that we've all gotten older.

Totally, you should have! I bet they would have fit!