Community Chat

[Hippiified]

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@sensibleshoppingsoothes wrote:

In 1930's movies  they would refer to a sizze 12 as something to aspire to.  (I'm old enough to remember.) 

But I hope you're not discouraged.  You lost the weight, and it's a great achievement

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@sensibleshoppingsoothes

Very nice of you!  And Welcome!

[puttypiesmom]

Many Asian Americans have the same problem with obesity as other Americans do.  Our food portions are way too big.  

[grandma r]

I stopped even shopping at Macy's about 1 1/2 yrs ago.  I was looking for a gown and what they had were poorly made but cost hundreds.  I even ordered 2 online to see if that would help. It didn't.  I ordered 2 dresses in exactly the same size.  One was 4 1/4in longer than the other and the jacket was ripped!!!!  When I returned them, and showed the sales clerk the rip, she said "you could fix that".  A gown that cost hundreds of dollars and arrives ripped in unacceptable!!!  And, the sizes were not consistent.  No wonder so many stores are closing!

[shoekitty]

I worked in a museum for years.  You look at a 12 from 1966, and the whole structure is different.  Waist smaller, more fitted bodice, the shoulders are narrower, and the armholes are smaller!!!  We had clothing dating from days where all clothing was homemade or tailored.  Then early store bought clothing did not have sizing, but went by waist.  In the 1940's store clothing was smaller than late 1950's.  The clothing sizes dramatically changed when standard sizing was abandoned in the early 1990's.  There was a world standard by which all clothing was made to fit.  A size 12 in US, was the same size as other countries, but they called it their metrics, or whatever.  All clothing in US was a strict measurement for waist, bust, hips, arm length, etc.  when this standard was abandoned, it was to each their own.  Each designer basically has their own sizing, based on their own consumer base,  if a designer doesnt want anyone  over a size 10 wearing their clothes, they base the sizing even smaller.  So that 10, is really an 8.  Hard to explain, but they have a method to their madness.  I know women who will not look at clothing that is larger than the think they are, lol. My Mom is one.  Omg, we take labels out, lie to her do what we have to, but she will close the box on a gift if she sees the label a 1x....which she can wear sometimes if the xl runs small.  So some designers have gone to vanity sizing.

also, I think as humans progress, become healthier size has changed.  Womens feet are larger, the waist is a bit larger, and our height is taller by an inch, compared to 1910 woman.  Throwing those corsets, waist cinches out the window, and squeezing into shoes too small is not a fixation as it once was.

[Bird mama]

For me, the cut of clothing, pants in particular have changed and not for the better.  I have a waist and I've noticed over the years that pants are cut wider around the waist and it's hard for me to find the goldilocks pant.

[happycat]

Yes, I feel like "what are they doing" all the time. There was a time when if I was ordering something online, or buying in a store, I could order a Large and most of the time that Large was going to fit. Not now. Now, if I order online and look at the sizing chart, some say I need a medium, some are large and some are extra large..... I have yet to order a medium though.

[september]

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@DiAnne wrote:

I think the sizes have gotten much larger.  I wear the same numerical size I did in high school but I am 30 pounds heavier.   I had not even heard of size 0 at that time.  

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I agree.  I'm about 15 pounds heavier than I was in high school, and wear a smaller size now.  

It used to be hard to find anything smaller than size 6 in many stores.  I think a 6 in the past is a 4 today.   4 is 2.   Don't know about 0....can't wear that, but maybe my daughter can!

[DiAnne]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

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@grandma r wrote:

I think the main issue is where the garments are made.  The people in many Asian countries are smaller than Americans.  Some brands use fit models for each size, but, some don't.  I've noticed that dept store clothing seems to run smaller than QVC sizing, especially tops.  With the exception of high end stores, quality is lacking, regardless of price point.  

And, perhaps some brands on QVC use different fit guidelines.  I've recently heard a few vendors say "size down" on certain items.  

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QVC clothing in general has always been known to run large; in some lines it might even be 2 sizes.

I have found it to be true that inexpensive clothing is always too small because it is modeled on Asian bodies. But not in a store like Macy’s or any store with well-known major labels. The cheaper it is, the smaller it is.

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@Moonchilde

I have to really be careful when I shop online elsewhere because QVC is really into vanity sizing.  Every once in a while I will forget and end up with jeans I cannot zip or a shirt I cannot button!

[Moonchilde]

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@september wrote:

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@DiAnne wrote:

I think the sizes have gotten much larger.  I wear the same numerical size I did in high school but I am 30 pounds heavier.   I had not even heard of size 0 at that time.  

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I agree.  I'm about 15 pounds heavier than I was in high school, and wear a smaller size now.  

It used to be hard to find anything smaller than size 6 in many stores.  I think a 6 in the past is a 4 today.   4 is 2.   Don't know about 0....can't wear that, but maybe my daughter can!

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I think there’s been a split somewhere in the middle.  Sizes do go very small now - xxs and 0 - but the decision as to what is considered small, average and plus is artificially manipulated for the ends of the mfg and retailers. It’s the industry re-labeling 10-12 as Large and a 16 as a Plus size, when not that many years ago size 16 and even 18 were found in the Misses area and weren’t considered Plus.

They’ve (relatively) newly created tiny petite, then there is average and plus. But since they had to create xxs/0 out of thin air, everything else needed to be shifted. So if a 4 or a 6 is really desirable, an 8 or a 10 will be just okay, and anything over a 10 today is considered Large in many lines with many designers who do not want their customers to be over a size 10.  Google “Abercrombie & Fitch hates fat women” and read the many articles.

Since this has begun to happen with other designers as well, it’s sending out a message that size 10 is at the very upper limits of normal, size 20+ is beyond the pale, and 12-18 ladies are fat - just less fat than those who must buy their clothes in a specialty store or dept. it’s made small women smaller and large women larger, and it’s arbitrary and artificial. And weird.

[CelticCrafter]

If they continue, those of us that do wear smaller sizes will be reduced to rags because we can't find anything that fits unless we want to shop in the childrens department.