Is anyone else surprised by how small their clothing size is, relative to their actual size? I guess it's vanity sizing but what do smaller people wear?? I was shopping for some work tops today and all of the ones I got were either small or extra small. How is this possible? If at 150 pounds I'm wearing XS, what in the world would I wear if I decided to get to 130? Also, why am I wearing a size 4? I'm right in the middle of the normal range for weight. Technically, it doesn't make sense. If it's all about vanity sizing, well there's only so far you can go with it. So if I'm a size 4, what is someone who is 5'9 and 125 pounds wearing? I mean, do I wear my clothes too tight? Am I just hallucinating the XS?

Anyone else feel like this?? Help me out lol

JK, you being 5'9 is why you can. and bone you might be a small frame or a medium frame.

It's so odd, I've never thought of myself as a small frame. I'm seriously starting to think that I buy clothes that are too tight. Maybe you guys are right about the bone structure thing.. I dunno lol! So confusing...

I'm 5'9 and curious as well. Until my gain, I held myself for years at 150, mostly size 9/10's, medium shirts, 34C. Bone structure plays into it (I'm a med-lg frame, more large than medium), because when I was 150, I never had an XS or a size 4 in my closet, even though people thought I was much smaller than what my tags said. With my frame, I have serious doubts I could ever get into a 4, although it sounds nice. If there's some trick out there, I'm all ears.

I'm 5'8.5" and at 112 lbs (not an intentional weight) I muffin top in size 6s. It drives me nuts... darn you small people! Then again I'm also a 30d bordering on dd so I guess I'm just a curvy kind of girl. My goal weight of 135 puts me in a size 8.

^^^Yeah! I'm with her! Darn you small people!

No, vanity sizing has gotten out of hand. I was wearing a size 2 in some stuff and I was still not that tiny. But my size 10's from college didnt fit. A lot has to do with cut.

I asked my skinny friends that same question and they knew stores that were more normal sized. But they were generally more upscale.

For me its that I am shaped like a carrot. I am a DD on top and usually wear a L or M shirt but have no butt or hips and a thick waist. When Old Navy had 5 rises of jeans my size decreased with each step down in rise. Ultra low need a brazilian to wear jeans were a size 2, "at the waist" were a size 10

Vanity sizing is starting to annoy me. I'm a size 4 at Old Navy & wearing XS tops. At the Gap, I wear S tops and 8 pants fit, but are bit loose. But when I walked in a more European type boutique, a medium top was too tight and had to go for a large. I didn't dare try on any pants.

My coworker is very petite and I asked her about vanity sizing. She said she is a 00 and mostly can only find children's clothing her size & now buys pants who use waist measurement as sizing.

I'm 133-134, 5' 5" and have a small frame. I think it's safe to say I'm a true 7/8. I wish I knew my real size so that I could buy clothes online.

Shortie, small person here (waves)

I'm five one,115 pounds. My goal weight is 110. With 6" wrists, a 3" elbow width and size 9 feet, I am definitely large-framed. But in adult sizes I wear xs tops and size 1 or 0 pants and they are hard to find. Many times I will see something I want but can't buy because the smallest size available in the style is three or four sizes too big for me. I do 97% of my clothes shopping in the kids department.

Before I lost weight I was 140 pounds and wore size medium tops and size 8 or 10 pants. I have a lot of muscle and have always worn smaller sizes than my weight or frame would seem to indicate.

I feel the same way! At 5'7" and 140 pounds my size 6 pants get pretty loose after wearing them a few hours. (I am NOT skinny, my waist at the belly button is 29 inches.) On my way up...then on my way down I ordered clothes from Blair because they were cheap and looked okay to get me by. But...the last time I got a sales catalogue I was shocked that I was in the smallest size they sold....WTH??

Another thing I find odd is when I was bigger and shopped at department stores it seemed like all the clothes were 6's and 8's. The bigger sizes were always gone. I'd talk myself into believing that I was "normal" because everyone must be big too because all my sizes were gone. Now, when I shop at Penney's or Kohl's I have to search for a size 6. When I was bigger I could NEVER find 16s, 18's or 20's. (and up) NOW I see tons of them, but no size 6's What is that all about? lol

Haha, Lori, I have the SAME problem! I work in a department store, and when I was in a 12/14, there were never ANY cute clothes left in my size on the clearance racks--they were always too small. Now I'm an 8/10 and all I find is 12s!!!

This is pretty much what I figured; it's a vanity size issue. I just can't believe that adults have to shop in the children's department. Just that, to me, says there is something wrong with the clothing size system!

jkinboston, we're body twins, and I think we even have the same pair of jeans (American Eagle? I remember from a photo on another thread...I recognized the pockets, haha).

I'm currently wearing size 4's in American Eagle, and I'm frustrated because all those 4's I bought when I couldn't possibly imagine going to a smaller size (lord, I couldn't imagine going past 8), are starting to be too loose. To the point where I'm walking around campus holding my jeans up. I think I'm going to have to safety pin a super cute size 4 summer dress that I bought on sale next time I wear it. I think I'm officially going to have to get a whole new wardrobe in a smaller size. Again. Sounds fun, but it's not on a college kid's budget.

And it IS surprising, because I'm NOT tiny. Yes, yes, I have come to accept that I must logically be a skinny person (even though I truly honest to god don't see it in the mirror), but I'm not a tiny girl. I simply can't imagine how those 5'2 105 lb girls find clothes unless they're buying kid clothes. Because I'm on the lower end of sizes in most stores, and they're MUCH smaller than I am.

Lori Bell & Stella, I know what you mean. When I was a 12 or 14, I couldn't find clothes and thought that it would be easier to find clothes when I lost weight. I am so disappointed that I still can't find my size.

The only reason I tried an Old Navy 4 in the first place was I couldn't find any size 6's at all. I found some cute pants & decided to give it a whirl and they fit.

Another reason, sizing is difficult is because of stretch fabrics. I've noticed that I can stretch out a pair of pants and make them too loose simply by moving around in them. In the morning, the pants fit & and at night they are baggy. I think it's time to buy an old fashioned pair of Levis in a larger size because they'll keep their shape during the day and shrink in the wash.