Sizeable rant/confusion.

[bikerfaerie]

I used to think i knew what clothing size i was. Then apparently womens' body shapes and sizes have changed, so the sizes had to follow. This does not help me, i am still the same shape, roughly, that i was. I tend to be rather a pear, increasingly so with weight gain (not a bad thing it's healthy, mkay). Trouble now is that i'm really not sure

Comments

[reddragdiva]

I believe all sizing is produced by individual manufacturers by a process of anal revelation. There are theoretically EU sizes for some things, but good bloody luck finding a manufacturer who pays a blind bit of attention.

[bikerfaerie]

And yes. Even if you could find an accepted standard, we all know a lot of them tend to just make it up as they go along and do whatever they damn well like anyway.

[melancholyrose_]

I don't think there is a standard updated rule as yet most measurements are based on ones taken in the 1950s which is of little or no use to us, not only are we taller, we are bigger all over now.

[bikerfaerie]

I heard some news item a while ago that said they had finally changed them after leaving them the same for many years. I've noticed the change as well, the shape has changed, it's not fashionable to have a big bum anymore. This does not work for me.

[melancholyrose_]

Don't forget the rule about the cheaper the shop the bigger the size you need.

I can't happily fit into size 14s, often with room to spare if I get things from say M&S or Debenhams but fit into a 14 in Top Shop or New Look, hell no , i'm lucky if I can fit into their 16s.
However Asda do seem to be fairly good at their sizing and are cheap.

Ignore what the labels say, hold things up in front of you, if it looks about the right size go and try it on.

[bikerfaerie]

There was always that thing about young womens and older womens shops. The young fashion shops definitely seem to have a smaller idea of sizes than the ones for more mature customers. Some daft idea about letting poor disillusioned bints thinking that they haven't gained weight over the years.

I find Asda terribly big, have to be careful of that. Although personally i don't care what size it says, so long as it will bloody fit. I usually carry a tape measure with me when i'm shopping, that works best.

[melancholyrose_]

Asda was the only place I could find classic wide leg trousers that had a waistband rather than a muffband ;-)

[bikerfaerie]

Snigger, like the terminology.
I like their knickers, just have to remember to buy a 12 and not a 16. They probably have different sizes in different lines, wouldn't be the only shop to do that.

[djhamsterboy]

my bra doesnt fit anymore either and I could have sworn i was 16....

dum de dum

[blondelass]

When I was a teen, I never had to try anything on in the shop, I just knew that a certain size would fit me. These days, I have to try everything on - although it does help to know what shapes & styles suit your particular figure (eg, in a future episode of Trinny & Susannah's new show, they get 100 size 10 women to try on a shift dress and it fits/suits about 3 of them).

Shops do vary with sizes. I'm usually a size 16 but in some shops I grow to an 18. And for online goth clothes shopping, I could be anything from a medium (14) to an extra large (18/20).

[bikerfaerie]

Everybody is a slightly different shape so i know that they can't make something to fit everyone. But like you say, i'm sure it used to be easier.

I think the size change is coming in in stages a bit some places have american sizes and others have old british sizes. I'll just continue to carry my tape measure.