clothes size and self esteem

[kaylalou08]

Hey lovelies!

I'm currently doing some research for my dissertation. I'm looking at how clothes sizes affect a woman's self esteem.
How do you feel about wearing larger / smaller size clothes? For example, would you feel better if you could slip into a size 10 rather than a 14, or does size really not matter?
Along with this, do you like/dislike'vanity sizing'? Some women I have spoken to have said that it is a good thing, others have said that it is a really bad thing, and that the clothing industry should have a standardized sizing system. What do YOU think? Do you get frustrated at being different sizes in different shops, and if so, who do you think the worst offenders are?

Thanks for your help (in advance!) K x

My self esteem is directly linked to my weight so my DH says. Thin = happy me, confident, and quick to dress. Pudgey = depressed, snappy, shitty and apparently I take freakin' ages to get dressed.

But he is a man. What would he know.

I love getting into a size smaller. Makes me shop more with that particular brand. I hate french connection as I am a size bigger.

Yes - what Madame said.

I realise it's daft but I am definitely happier when thinner. I also look back at pictures of myself when thinner and feel sad.

Vanity sizing - tricky one. Common sense says standardized sizes are the best idea but I do love shopping at Monsoon, for example and I KNOW that's because the sizes are generous. Ridiculous but true.

I haven't shopped at H&M for a while but their trousers were always laughably tiny, imo.

It's where you feel you sit in relation to everyone else. No one really wants to be the biggest. So if I shop in Evans I feel slim and smug, if I shop in Oasis I feel fat and frumpy.

I am irritated that I now seem to be an 8 rather than a 10. Partially because I am now unsure of what size to buy.

Vanity sizing is a bad thing in my opinion. I think the worst offenders are places like Next. Their clothes are HUGE for the size number.

I am happy at the mo because I am not fat. (when I say fat - I mean overweight - my bmi is just under 25 now - I'd love it to be much less but I'm ok with it at that ) I look fine in all my clothes and it refelects how I feel throughout the day.
When I am fat I dress like a frump and hate looking in the mirror. I want to cry every morning because all my clothes look terrible.

I'm not big on vanity sizing (or vanity mirrors for that matter - I bloddy HATE those) but theres no doubt I feel a certain sense of smugness when I'm wearing a 12 - I'm not kidding myself - I know I'm a 14 (a 2011 14 - I suspect in the 1950s I'd have probably been more like an 18!!) but I can fit into 12s in Tesco for instance, or in Next
I got REALLY peed off the other week - I bought a 'M' coat online at M&S which was described as 12/14 which I figured would be perferct, but it swamped me. In that instance I didnt think - waheey I'm really a small (in fact I replaced it with a small which was described as an 8/10 and slightly too small on the bum - I had to send that back too)

At the end of the day, I'd much prefer standardised sizing - these days we want to buy clothes online, and we shouldnt have to second guess which size to buy or buy it in two or more sizes.

I don't want to be thin at all but do feel happier when I am what is slimmer for me- a size 12.

I think vanity sizing only works when it's not too obvious. It you know it's really a 14, or even a 16, being sold as a 12 there's no point but a bit of subtle vanity sizing is fine by me! I am put off buying clothes if I have to have a big size. Having said that I bought an 'extra large' coat at the weekend and didn't mind too much as the sales assistant warned me before I started trying the coats on. Ande it was Helly Hansen made for tall slender Scandinavians!