To say vanity sizes should be rolled back?

[amoreoamicizia]

I bought some vintage St. Michael shorts this weekend in a size 12 which fitted me perfectly. In current sizes I'm an 8 or sometimes- incredibly- a 6 (looking at you, Boden).

As flattering as it is to think of myself as a size 8, it's simply not the truth or a reflection of reality. A small size 12 does seem about right, as that was my size as a slim-ish teenager in the 90s.

Who is this vanity sizing really helping? Who does it serve? Isn't it about time clothing manufacturers were held to account and forced to roll back sizes to what they were in the early 00s, at least?

They should just size them in accurate inches/cm across all brands.

Agree. M&S sizes are awful. A 12 would fit someone very large. I'm not sure what can be done though.

I am a large 12/small 14 and when knitting from old patterns my size is not even on the pattern half the time. We are so much bigger than women in the past, for many different reasons.

It’s all made up though - the old, the new, store to store, style to style.

Make everything the actual measurement in centimeters.

I can't say this bothers me. I don't buy vintage clothing so I know I'm a size 14 by current standards. It would cause all sorts of confusion too, many people buy second hand now (including me) so sizing would be all over the place.

I bought some jeans from Reiss recently and the sizes were 26, 27, 28 etc., presumably referring to the waist size. This seems a much better system to me. It cannot lie to you.

Yanbu. M&S and Next are at least two sizes out. Add in modern stretchy fabric and its probably three sizes. An M&S modern 12 is easily an old 16.
It's not doing us any good at all.

Is anyone still fooled by it?

I don't care what they name them so long as sizes are the same across brands. A size 8 or 10 means nothing currently even in the same store they can be different sizes.

Really as long as there’s consistency with measurements it’s really a non issue that sizes have changed over a 60 year period.

A previous size 8 is no more valid than the current sizing for an 8. It’s all arbitrary.

I fit the size I fit, I don’t care what it used to be labelled as, nor does the number make be feel better or worse about myself

Meaningless numbers should all be in the bin

Men's clothes don't have this bullshit

If it fits then wear it. Really it doesn't matter.
Although oddly M&S have gone the other way with menswear. My OH can't get shirts big enough, yet he's got a wardrobe full of older M&S shirts which fit fine 🤷‍♀️

Edited because I posted twice due to poor connection

Off the point a bit but for me it's more about consistency. A size should be what it is and not a store's interpretation.

I've been a size 8 my whole adult life, including when measured for my wedding dress, which I presume was based on proper sizing measurements.

Even 20 years ago I couldn't shop in M&S as their size 8 stuff was far too big.

I don't care, but it is annoying to try and work out vintage sizes.

I recently bought a gorgeous dress, vintage, from the 80s, in a size 10. I thought it would be just right as I am probably more an 8 by modern standards. It would not zip up!! Devastated 😭😂

Why does it matter? Why is your identity so enmeshed in being a 12 or a 8 or whatever? Wear clothes which fit you - end of story. Everyone has takes about how they are different sizes in different stores, even within the same store. If asked I’d say I was 12-14 top and 14 bottom but I have a Zara winter coat size XS which is perfect.

I'd much prefer consistency in sizes across all shops and brands.

The problem comes when a size 6 or 8 is so much bigger than it was, and that means that actually those of us that were a size 6 or 8 can't actually buy regular clothes anymore. Clothes should just be sold by measurements then it would be factual and hopefully more consistent.

Sizes are very different. I'm apparently only one size bigger than I was in the 1980s, which is patently not correct.

Do threads like this do anything useful, or do they just serve as a way for people to make digs at bigger women (eg a modern size 12 would only fit someone "very large").
I'm not convinced that relabelling sizes would do anything to bring women's weight down, and as a PP said the whole numerical sizing thing is quite arbitrary anyway so why on earth would reverting to older sizes be any more "valid"? Surely what would be better would be to use actual measurements, as people have said, and then at least there would be some consistency.

I have a very old cardigan from C&A which has the size (22) and the bust size (44) - 44" bust is now a size 18. (ASOS)

YANBU

I hate competitive slimness threads. I'm 12-14 (yes, including M&S clothes) but a couple of winters ago I bought an old size 12 Next coat from the 90s and it's massive on me. Just wear what fits you now from whatever shop you go in, there's no need to try to make perfectly normal in any era current M&S size 12s feel like giant zeppelins.

Life is so rough when you’re a teeny tiny.

Men's shirts are measured by collar size - who the fork thought that was a good gauge?

A guy I knew had an enormous neck (18") and the shirts used to drown him!