Dress size limit?

[SuckingDownDarjeeling]

I've always wondered if I could physically have ever been a 'size zero'. Because I have fairly wide hips, even at my slimmest I'm not a wisp. I've dieted down to a size 8 in the past, and I wondered if size 6 or below was even technically achievable for me. I never tried to get there because I really didn't want to diet any more after that. (I have to do it all again now anyway though, I let myself go after pregnancy ).

Can a person's bone structure and build potentially limit how small their dress size could ever be? Or with enough starvation dieting, can anybody and everybody be a size zero. Whatever one of those is. I've never met one in real life 🦄

I understand some of the responses here might tell me to google it, but I tried and I'm not great at wording effective search terms. I'm interested to hear people's opinions and experiences, too.

I suspect not everyone can be a size zero due to the size of your pelvis and ribcage, surely?

That's what I was thinking, too! But I've never once heard that confirmed. I'm wondering if anybody has ever lost so much weight that they're critically underweight, but still can't fit into a size zero. Because that sounds like a really shitty deal!

I suspect many adult women (especially those who have had children) would not be a size 4 or 0 regardless of weight due to pelvis or ribcage size. The smallest I’ve been as an adult is a 6 and I don’t think my hip measurement would ever be smaller than that.

I don’t think it’s a ‘shitty deal’ though. I’m not sure being malnourished is something to aspire to! Or course there will be some women who are just naturally very slight and that’s totally fine too.

Yes it does depend on your bone structure?

Yeah, bone structure comes into play after a while. I’ve lost a lot of weight due to illness and fall in the underweight category but my shoulders and hips physically wouldn’t fit in a size 6.
American size 0 is our 4, which I believe is the lowest dress size.

Well a size 0 is a U.K. size 4 I think. That’s about the size of a 10 year old!!! There might be some people that are naturally that small boned but not many I wouldn’t think.

Why would not fitting a size zero be shitty? Is this still a Thing to aspire to? I know it was.

I have broad hips and shoulders and am quite tall. When I’m in the middle of my healthy weight range I’m a size 12. Borderline underweight would have me at a size 10 so I can’t envisage how I could get to a size 4???

Just to add - I’m perfectly happy at a size 12 and have no desire to be any smaller than that!

Apologies, I worded that badly. I meant that if somebody dieted really hard because they actually wanted to be that size, and dieted to within an inch of their lives, it would be pretty shitty to realise that it's unattainable.

I personally have no desire to be that tiny! I was very comfortable at a size 8-10 and I'm hoping very much that I can get back to my comfy weight. Right now I'm a size 14-16 but that's after dieting down from a size 18-20. I was blaming baby weight for a long time, but I realised that I was just kidding myself as I gained most of that after giving birth

I think certain people will never be a size zero. A lot of people who diet constantly and have never been overweight are still size 6-8

I probably could but I’m short so my frame is naturally small.

I've been a UK size 4 when I was very ill - I'm usually a size 8. I have small hips and a tiny rib cage (28E boobs). So my actually frame/skeleton is small. I don't think any adult woman could be a size 0/4.

Ohh I can already fit into size 4 uk. Again, it’s due to height more than anything.

I think Louise Rednap did a tv documentary about dieting down to a size zero. She literally had to starve herself. It was eye-opening. She felt awful.

I don't think any adult woman could be a size 0/4.

Bullshit ffs. How is slim shaming any different from fat shaming?

I’m in my early 20s and by the virtue of being short, can be a size 4 AND healthy, believe it or not. I think I’ll go with my GP’s opinion of what constitutes healthy rather than yours. Randoms online with no/sketchy qualifications - no thanks

My friend at school had anorexia and little to spare on her. Her shoulders, ribs and hips did not go under size 10.

I'm short and a healthy size 8-10. I would not attempt to make myself get to size 6. I'm naturally muscular and it would compromise my health to try.

@Frappuccinofan what the fuck are you on about??

I don't think any (in italics) adult woman could be a size zero - as in, some (again in italics) adult women simply don't have the frame/skeleton that would allow it due to their rib cage and pelvis measurements.

@tootiredtothinkofanewname yes I think that's what got me thinking in the first place. I haven't been back to a slim size since having DC. So I've been wondering if my hips would even allow me to be my comfy size 8-10 weight now. I'll probably know by next may . But that thought was what made me wonder if people are limited to a dress size based on bone structure, regardless of body fat.

I’m a slim size 6-8 clothes and size 4 feet and can’t see how I could be a size 4 in clothes and I certainly couldn’t whilst being healthy. My shoulders are already a sticking point in clothing ie I have to be careful with tops with fitted sleeves as in order to fit my shoulders in they are often too big for the rest of me.

I'm a toned 8 on top and 10 on bottom. I think I could get to an 8 on bottom but genuinely dont believe i could get smaller. I have very wide hips. The bones just out of them now so even if I lost some of the thickness in my butt and thighs which would get me in an 8 i think the bones would prevent me getting to a 6

I don't think the my skeleton would be a size 0.

That said, sizes have changed hugely in the past 20/25 years. I wa never smaller than a size 10 and that was pushing it. Those size 10s are the size of a current size 6 in many shops.

I lost a lot of weight a few years ago when I was unwell and still couldn’t get into a size 6 dress which was too small around my ribcage. I would have to have had ribs removed to fit it.

I have been emaciated. Not due to an eating disorder due to health issues but I didn't look dissimilar. I was a size 6 on the bottom but my rib cage is a small size 8. That's the size of my bones. 6 on bottom, 8 on top.