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.

Totally agree OP, it’s so annoying. I’ve recently lost 2st. I’m a size 8, but have to buy size 6 in shops that sell size 6. Can’t shop in Sainsbury’s or Matalan for example as 8 is usually the smallest size they do and it’s more of a size 10. I honestly don’t know where very slim women shop. I’ve even had to buy some children’s trousers before, utterly ridiculous.

I think it's strange it's been annoying you for a few days.

You don’t honestly expect us to believe this? We all shop in shops. Vanishingly few women are smaller than a Matalan 8. ‘All the slim women?’?

Are you new here?

On the other side of this- I recently bought a dress makes as XL - the bust measure is 35”

Please tell me you dropped the mic after writing that 👌

Nah, she’s right. I have to get an XS or an XXS in Primark in tops and I definitely am NOT a size 6!

There are loads of shops that don’t stock a size small enough and I’m not skinny, I am 5’6” and weigh about 9.5stone. Matalan being one, Next being another

Believe it baby, it’s true. I can’t get anything from the Sainsbury’s Tu range as even the size 6 is too big. I’m 8st so not that teeny. In the 80s I was around 7 and a half stone and size 8-10. I’m now half a stone heavier and size 6-8. Some shops don’t do a 6 and the 8 is too big. Small women are not always well catered for - but at least it stops me buying too many clothes.

See, you can say it all you like but I know very slim women. Tiny ones. None are so small that shops don’t cater to them.
I think there’s some vanity going on here, but it’s not in terms of dress sizes for women if normal/larger sizes.
Many people have said, as I have in the past, that old clothes they’ve kept are the same size they buy now. It’s nonsense. Sizes are u predictable at times. They haven’t wholesale gone so big that normal size women can’t find clothes to fit. Why would shops do that? Normal size women are the bulk of their market.

What aren’t you expected to believe? That there are women who are smaller than a Matalan size 8? It’s not that hard to believe or particularly mind blowing really. You sound quite resentful with all your snarky comments littered through this thread. ‘We all shop in shops’ what does that even mean?

Most online retailers have the measurements against each size so you can work it out. People are bigger now, getting taller and fatter so makes sense to review the traditional measurements as they once were and make them fit the distribution seen in the current population.

Might just be me, but I'm finding M&S sizes now going the other way.

I haven’t commented much, so hardly ‘littered’ and not snarky either. ‘We all shop in shops’ is a simple comment. Yes, I know there are some tiny women. The idea that loads of women are so small that size 8in cheap shops does t fit is nonsense though. Shops want to sell clothes. They sell sizes so the majority can buy.

I can pinpoint when they implement the changes. I went from a 12 to a 10 overnight. I’ve actually gained weight, not lost it!

It’s irritating. I’m quite petite - 8 stone at 5’6, however, in most shops aimed at adults even a 6 is too big. I’m having to resort to shops aimed at teens or shops that stock a size 4. I’m slim but no way am I a size 4. I try to use the size guides but everything comes up wrong

Topshop was always a tiny fit. Different shops have always fitted differently. And different people have different body shapes.

even at 8 stone, I was never able to wear less than a size 10 jeans because of my hip shape.

See, I find these sorts of comments really strange because I have a 16 year old who weighs 7.5 stone and she’s a size 6 in all shops - a 4 would be too small for her.

Why the eff are jeans in a size 10 anyway?!

Waist and leg length is what they should be.

Pointless having a conversation with someone who refuses to believe something quite banal. I just now shop in places that stock smaller sizes. What a weird thing to get so het up about.

I guess all body shapes are different and carry weight differently. My frame is very petite and unfortunately I cannot wear a size 6-8 in several high street shops aimed at adult women. The supermarket clothes are a definite no their size 8 is very big

Yes, but that’s all it is - that different bodies carry weight differently.

Weird to say I’m het up to be honest.

Another thing to bear in mind is that women carry their weight differently at different ages.

I have a friend who buys 90% of her wardrobe from HUSH - she's a 12 but an 8 in their sizes. She says it makes her feel good to buy an 8 - fair enough, I'm sure she's not on her own and I'm sure HUSH know this...

Its annoying because you cant just buy something, you can be a 12 in one shop and 18 in another.

It is annoying but personally I feel more towards "s,m,l,xl,xxl" etc