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Am I thinner than I think I am?

46 replies

TustedFormula · 17/04/2021 11:44

I'm 5'7" and a pound or two under 10st.

Give or take 3lbs this is what I've weighed since I was a teenager (35 years).

Lately I can't find clothes that aren't too big. I've just sent back size 10 jeans from M&S that were huge. Swapped them for the 8, which actually fit beautifully, I'm very pleased with them - my first wideleg pair in years following the skinny jeans threads Grin I've never been a size 8 in my life. In my teens I was buying a 14 from market stalls!

Tops are even worse, my thighs are "sturdy", my bust is non existent. Size 8 tops from all the main "grown up" retailers are far too big.

Is it just that I've graduated to shops aiming at older women and they come up bigger, is sizing generally still getting bigger or has something happened to my shape as I approach menopause that means I'm thinner despite not losing weight?

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initialismsarekey · 17/04/2021 11:46

I'm the same height and weight as you and I feel fat!

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initialismsarekey · 17/04/2021 11:46

I want to lose a stone

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wellerhugs5 · 17/04/2021 11:49

I have found this with Next. Granted, I've lost some weight over the last year, but even ordering a size 6 from Next, the clothes are coming up baggy. I'm 5'4 and average about 128lbs now.
Hubby very kindly bought me some clothes from Crew. He ordered tops in a size 10, and they were a perfect fit. And felt much more the size I think I am on top.
As I rarely purchase anywhere aside from next for my clothes, I just assumed the sizing was accurate.

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Vetyveriohohoh · 17/04/2021 11:50

Threads like this really wind me up, when you are clearly a healthy weight, bmi in very low 20s. It’s so unhealthy to see women describing this as fat

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lubeybooby · 17/04/2021 11:51

You seem really slim to me (a shortass size 16)

Anyway. Sizing is getting bigger.

I have always had a good memory for my stats and sizes and in 1997 I measured 38 - 28 - 38 and was a definite 16. size 16 next trousers were a little tight. I had zero chance of getting into any 14's or lower.

Nowadays those measurements are widely a 14 and even a 12 or 10 in some shops.

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WorraLiberty · 17/04/2021 11:54

I'm a big fan of online shopping but it seems to be potluck lately whether the clothes fit me when they arrive.

Partly odd sizing/vanity sizing and partly my changing body shape as I go through menopause I think.

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Meowchickameowmeow · 17/04/2021 11:55

Clothes are being made bigger in most stores now, there is no consistent sizing and Next is the worst.

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WorraLiberty · 17/04/2021 11:56

@Vetyveriohohoh

Threads like this really wind me up, when you are clearly a healthy weight, bmi in very low 20s. It’s so unhealthy to see women describing this as fat

The OP hasn't once described herself as fat.
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TustedFormula · 17/04/2021 11:56

I'm not claiming to be fat? I think I'm a "normal" size and BMI about half way through the normal range would support that. Which is why it puzzles me to have to buy the very smallest clothes most manufacturers make and even some of those are too big. What do actual small people buy?

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Vetyveriohohoh · 17/04/2021 11:58

The poster below the OP did at the same height and weight

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TustedFormula · 17/04/2021 11:59

@Vetyveriohohoh

The poster below the OP did at the same height and weight

I think there may have been some sarcasm there.
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HopeClearwater · 17/04/2021 12:04

@Vetyveriohohoh Don’t read what you expect to read.

Anyway. This thread won’t go well. Sizes are getting bigger because the population is getting bigger. I’m a size 12. I’d be a size 16 in 1980s clothes.

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TustedFormula · 17/04/2021 12:05

So where do middle aged people with a "healthy" BMI buy clothes that fit?

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vannyy · 17/04/2021 12:05

Depends on your shape, do you have a small waist?

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WorraLiberty · 17/04/2021 12:06

@Vetyveriohohoh

The poster below the OP did at the same height and weight

8st 6lb - 11st 5lb is a healthy weight for that height

No sure why you got really wound up about that posting wanting to lose a stone because she thinks she's fat.

We all carry our fat differently, it's no big deal.
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TustedFormula · 17/04/2021 12:06

Yes, relatively slim waist, flat stomach, chunky thighs.

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vannyy · 17/04/2021 12:07

well a size 10 should be a 28" waist so if it's smaller than that then you need a smaller size.

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vannyy · 17/04/2021 12:09

women are taller, broader & bigger busted than 50 yrs ago not just "bigger".

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Ninkanink · 17/04/2021 12:11

You need to find the brands whose cut fits your body type/height.

M&S comes up very big.

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sunnydaleslayer · 17/04/2021 12:11

Sizes are generally bigger now than they were a few years ago. I'm currently two stone heavier than I was 10 years ago and still wearing size 12.

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BonesJones · 17/04/2021 12:14

Sizes are all over the place. Pay no attention at all to them, only to what fits. Whether you're 'thin' or not is totally irrelevant to your stats, for some it is, for some it isn't. Depends on a whole host of factors from build, muscle density, personal opinion etcetc. As long as you're wearing comfortable clothes that fit, and you're happy with your weight, that's all you need to be concerned about. I'm sure you look amazing!

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Ninkanink · 17/04/2021 12:16

Yes, and if you’re concerned about your health you’re better off measuring your waist and checking that it’s within the recommended range for women.

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vannyy · 17/04/2021 12:21

Yes I ignore sizes, I'm 5ft 10 & a "12", have size 8-16 in my wardrobe depending on fit & style.

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bambootle · 17/04/2021 12:31

Sizes are all over the place. You need to work out what brands cut things that work for your figure. Depends on bust size, waist and hips etc...

Also depends what style of clothes you're wearing. I like baggy/loose clothing and so could probably wear a variety of sizes. It's meaningless. Same with leggings. Fitted clothing is more of a guide.

If you're a healthy weight and your waist size isn't out of control (supposed to be a good health indicator) that's the main thing. Ignore the random shop sizing.

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TustedFormula · 17/04/2021 12:36

@BonesJones

Sizes are all over the place. Pay no attention at all to them, only to what fits. Whether you're 'thin' or not is totally irrelevant to your stats, for some it is, for some it isn't. Depends on a whole host of factors from build, muscle density, personal opinion etcetc. As long as you're wearing comfortable clothes that fit, and you're happy with your weight, that's all you need to be concerned about. I'm sure you look amazing!

It's not about how I look or even my health in this context, but where on earth I can buy clothes that aren't too big.
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