Vanity sizing needs to be stopped

[SemperIdem]

I appreciate this isn’t shiny new subject matter but it’s been really niggling at me the last few days.

I’ve relatively recently had a baby, back in my pre-maternity clothes if not quite at pre-maternity shape (granted I felt I was out of shape at the point of falling pregnant).

I bought a pair of jeans from Pull and Bear, size 10. They are absolutely enormous. There is not a chance I’m a size 8 at the weight I am. I then reflected how as a 5’6, barely 8 stone teenager, I was a size 10 in Topshop jeans. How am I, at a significantly heavier weight, still a size 10 anywhere let alone smaller than a size 10?

Am I being unreasonable to think that there must be a way to get shops to end vanity sizing, the variance between shop sizes is also ridiculous.

Have never come across vanity sizing. I think it’s more often the style of fit.

Honestly, this is why ordering online puts me off. I’m a size 12 in some shops, size 14 in others. In primark I’m a size 16-18 in bottoms.

It is really annoying

I’ve stayed the same size in clothes for almost 40 years. I’ve also put on three stone in that time. Over the same period, a friend has gone from a size 10 to a size 4/6 without losing a lb or an inch.

Having said that, there’s also far more variation between shops & brands than there used to be, so your jeans may be more an example of that than of a sudden vanity sizing change.

Does it really matter what the label says though- as long as it fits? I’ve got stuff in my wardrobe from size 6 to 14 but my body is the size it is 🤷🏻‍♀️

Working out which size to order online is the problem here. Consistency would be handy!

Yeah I can't get worked up about this to be honest. Everyone moans, and yes, it's slightly annoying but just get the size that fits and fuck the meaningless number. Either go into shops, or buy online and return. I know I'm a M in &other stories and a 12 in Whistles, so I mainly just stick to brands I know on vinted and get bargains. Plus you can ask the sellers for measurements and measure yourself which is helpful.

Yes. I don’t have the time or inclination to try on multiple items to work out what size fits. The whole point of the labels is there is supposed to be an indication of that.

Styles play into it in a huge way.
When you were a teenager the fit of jeans was likely very skinny with no give and most of the jeans at pull&bear are loose fitting, baggy low rise meaning you can get away with a lower size.

When I look at some of the size 8 / 10 I used to wear they were tiny (90s / Noughties). The size 12 I considered fat, absolutely tiny as well. And far more tailored, too. Better made.

Plus, elastane happened. No give in clothes back then!

Agreed. Who cares ?

What does it matter if you are wearing a size 6, 8, 10, 12 , 14 etc ?

Most brands are so different from one another in fit and sizing that you really need to try clothes on or order multiple sizes and return others. I often buy clothes that if the fit inst perfect it won't matter as well when shopping online. I don't care if a jumper is a couple of inches looser than it needs to be. Obviously I wouldn't do the same with a dress which was meant to be fitted. It's just common sense.

Oh yes, this is totally up there with the pressing matters of the day. How terrible that the number on your clothes doesn't match your idea of what it should be.

This is BIG. HUGE. MASSIVE IMPLICATIONS.

Probably more important than the situation in Gaza, climate change or Ukraine.
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I've gained about half a stone in the last 40-odd years. I've also gone from wearing a 12 to an 8 (sometimes a 6 in M&S) in that time.

I've a old pair of size 12 jeans that I've kept for decorating and they are still a good, but fairly snug, fit.

Seriously, who cares? There is often a size guide when you’re buying online. Measure yourself and check against the size guide if it’s that much of an issue. If you can’t find something to fit online, you’re going to have to go and try on a couple of different sizes in store. My heart breaks for your hardship.

I think before the high st completely dies they need to sort out the sizing of clothes because the fast fashion shops are trying to ban customers for ordering and sending back too much but how on earth can you tell these days what’s going to fit when they can’t even get 2 pairs of the exact same jeans from the same batch to be the same size So what chance has anyone got ordering everything online ?

God, not this again. Vanity sizing is the new massive salad.

Mind you, a massive salad from the early 2000s is probably an allotment in today’s sizes…

You’ve missed the point

This was one of the things I miss about living in Germany... the clothes sizes were a measurement not a randomly allocated number.

Yes, my mum's M &S jeans from the very early 90s are an 18 and fit me. They give the waist size on the label: 30-31". I wear anything from a size 12-14. And also like a PP, remember my skinny 20 year old self about wearing a size 12 in Topshop 20 odd years ago.

It’s almost like people can be mildly irritated by something, whilst also aware of larger issues.

Apparently not you though.

I’m a size 13 (I know!!!), so 14 gaping, 12 tight. Have gotten size 12 pants recently which were huge on me, an a pair of pjs size 12 which were very oversized (but elastic aged and comfy so I’ll happily take them!!) I need a new swimsuit but not sure what size to go for

That’s a really good point actually. Styles are very different now

It does actually have an impact on climate change. Every parcel unnecessarily delivered and returned, and the process of preparing the return for resale, has a carbon footprint. It may be small, but when shoppers around the world are regularly having to return/reorder because sizing is so inconsistent, that will add up. The fact it’s not as big an issue as the climate cost of fashion in the first place (which is huge) doesn’t make it irrelevant.

I've speculated before on these threads that it must be high end brands who do this - it comes up regularly on Mumsnet but I don't see it in real life in the lower end shops I buy from - h and m, Uniqlo, Primark. I was a size 10 as a teen and and at 2 stone heavier I'm a size 14. Seems right to me.