Surely I’m allowed to decide what body type I have ??!

[JustLeaveMeAlonePlease]

I was reading something about midsize fashion yesterday at lunch, mentioned it to a friend and said about how I struggle to find things that fit well and suit me (I’m a pear shape 5’10 and 9.5-10 stone my weight fluctuates within the size I wear depending on time of month etc- size 10) and she had a go at me ! Said that I’m too thin and calling myself midsize is not ok ?

But I’m very disproportionate and feel heavy ? Midsize clothing ideas suit me. She was then saying maybe I even have an eating disorder if I see myself that way.
Surely this is fine for me to see myself as midsize due to my shape/proportions and what suits me ? She was actually fuming though

I don't think its useful to anyone to try to drag all women into a consensus of opinion on what something as vague, subjective and relative as 'midsize' might mean. Why people persist in having these emotive and controversial conversations with people who are supposed to be their friends, then stubbornly defending their position and getting upset, I'll never know.
If my friend said "you're not midsize you're thin" I'd think, oh dear that was tactless of me, as she now thinks I'm saying she's big as she's bigger than me, or whatever, and let it go.
Size and weight is sensitive. Those who wish to avoid upset stay off the subject.

You sound very skinny to me. Im the same weight and a lot shorter

Er what now? I'm 5'11 and 56kg, ok, bit taller and slimmer than you, but if anyone dared calling me 'midsize', I'd be fucking insulted! I'm size 6-8, very slim. You're bigger, but still slim enough and not midsize.

Midsize is 12-14. Above that- just fat.

Who gives this shit headspace.

Just crack on with your life.

You can't self-identify as 'not skinny' when you are clearly skinny.

Well, you can. But other people will find you annoying!

Ah!! now that's illuminating @Doggymummar thank you

@JustLeaveMeAlonePlease is possibly American?

The use of midsize was, unusual to me, doh!

Not that my advice would be any different, irrespective of nationality, to what I've posted

In that case you can modify how you describe yourself to 'i am pear shaped and mid size clothing suits me best'.

I think you have a right to decide what style suits you and how you want to look and that is all midsize styling is - tailoring/embracing curves/layers

given the sizing is petite (and I think the OP height precludes that) and plus size isn’t she kind of dressing what she actually is?

I’ve never heard the term “midsized” but you are the same height and weight as my sister and I would call her slim.

I’d say a 12 is mid-size. So it sounds like sometimes you are and sometimes you are not.

I get that you might be a 10 above the waist and a 12 below the waist.

If you can get into size 10 trousers YABU but I think people are giving you a an unnecessarily hard time if your size fluctuates and you differ top and bottom.

You can't pick your own body type any more than you can pick your own height. It is what it is. About your weight you have choices but people dont always make good ones.

Sound like you have an issue with your body type and, as a fellow pear I empathise, but the truth is you can't change your proportions, only your size.

Oh, so you're massive.

Go away with your stealth boasting.

I think everyone tends to think they're "average size". I've been at both ends of this - when I was younger I weighed six stone (5ft 1" height, but still very underweight). I swore I looked normal size. Postpartum I weighed 11.5 stone and also think I look normal sized - photos from that time shock me, as do photos from when I was too thin. I think of myself always as looking about 8.5-9 stone, which is my average/healthy weight

Are we all just feeling OP’s need for disordered validation here? Tons of people telling her how thin she is while she protests?

A 40 hip is mid size, is it not? In that it’s around size 12 -14 UK?

Your weight matters less than your body shape. YANBU.

I think you are conflating being/feeling disproportional and your body shape with being midsized, they are completely different things. You can “decide” you are this or that, it doesn’t make it true.

Midsize is a term that started popping up when there was a gap between your typical fashion influencers and plus sized. It just means that you’re not thin enough for a size 8 but you also can’t shop in the plus size category either, with carries 16/18 and above.

My sister-in-law is like you she has wide shoulders of us to buy a size 12 but she's slim everywhere else

She's three inches taller than you.
I don't have a bloated belly but am a 10 in many places. Different brands size and cut clothes differently.

No but she isn’t petite sized her height stops that and although small on top her hip size moves her into a medium

and I suspect a jeans and jacket look therefore does suit her figure

Midsize is kind of normal sized isn’t it

I agree this is really annoying if it’s a recurrent pattern.

@JustLeaveMeAlonePlease I’m the same height as you, different shape (athletic hourglass), a lot heavier and a size 10-12. My issue is opposite to you as my top half is bigger than my bottom, however I still look ‘slim’. At your weight, you must look quite a lot slimmer than me. I think we make these things more of an issue in our minds than they appear to others. Others will probably not really register your pear shape and just see that you look very slim!

No, skinny is one thing. Tall and slender is another. I'm definitely not skinny and I'm the same measurements as the OP.

You aren’t really midsize but I am
not sure why your friend was fuming about this. Unless you talk about your weight a lot and she lost patience with you, then she could have just graciously made her point and chosen to leave you to your way of thinking. The fact she got so worked up suggests she might have her own body issues and possibly felt judged (im not saying you were doing this, but possible explanation for her reaction).

You're at the slim end of healthy. Definitely not midsize unless you are including worryingly thin people.
If you're friend is noticeably larger than you, she may have thought your categorisation put her in 'heavy'.

The OP gives her measurements because if she didn't people would be howling that she hadn't given us enough info.
Why is it 'boasting' to give your measurements on a thread about size and shape?

Maybe it would be worth while having a look at Lipodema if you are very slim on your top half and the weight is on your legs?

https://nhsuk-cms-fde-prod-uks-dybwftgwcqgsdmfh.a03.azurefd.net/conditions/lipoedema/

Just an idea and maybe someone will find this useful.