Why have clothes sizes changed so much over the years?

[FrannyandZooey]

I found an old pair of skinny trousers (from when they were last fashionable ) the other day. They were a size bigger than my current size but when I tried them on I couldn't do them up.

I remember being the same size, in clothes shop number terms, when I was 20 as I am now, but I weigh about a stone more now.

What is the point of changing the sizes? I know women are getting bigger, but why keep moving the goalposts? Is it just because people don't want to say "I am a size XX"?

If so I think I will open a shop selling huge clothes and call them S, XS, and XXS.

I know: I swear I couldn't have gone near a 10 when I was a slightly chunky slip of a gal, whereas I'm almost always a 10 in jeans now at 42, FFS.

It is daft isn't it? How do they do it, just gradually cut the clothes a bit bigger each year, or does one shop just change their numbering, so everyone else has to follow suit?

Hey, at least things are consistent here! In Canada, what size you are depends on how youthful the shop is. I am anything from an XXL to a Medium! I think the number sizes vary too!

Or just move all the labels along one, IYSWIM?

I do quite like being 'smaller' now, though, smirk.

I think there have been a few quite loudly announced rejigs of the UK sizing system.

Have there? Where do they announce it? What justification do they give for it?

I think there is some discrepancy amongst shops, isn't there? I remember coming out of Top Shop quite dazed when I was a month pregnant with ds, after finding that I couldn't do up the buttons on a size 16 shirt. The assistant recommended Dorothy Perkins instead, in a sort of hushed voice :)

I remember a big thing about M+S reworking its sizes to allow for changes to the average female body.

I recently bought a Size 8 dress-I have NEVER been a size 8 in my life!!!!!
My weight has stayed the same for years though

La, la, la, fingers in ears, I am a 12, despite being a 14 all my adult life, it's me that's changed not the clothes!!!

I'm glad someone else has noticed this. I am the same but in reverse. I now have to look out for size 6 clothes, whereas previously I was an 8 - and have been for 20+ years. I recently did a size comparison between various clothing companies. The size difference can be be a good couple of inches plus - and Boden is the worst ime.

The Boden sizes are bizarre.

I recently gave in and ordered a pair of trousers in the sale. I measured myself honestly, looked on the website, and found I was exactly an 18. Ok, I used to be an 18, but am generally a 16 now. But I figured, no way am I going to be an 18 in Boden, so I bought them in 16.

The trousers fit reasonably well when freshly washed, but are quite loose by the end of the first day, and it gets worse from there.

Why do they put measurements on the web site if they aren't even vaguely accurate?!?

Bonkers. It even varies from item to item. I was trying jeans on in Next and asked for help as one size was too small, another way too large. The assistant said just take 3 or 4 pairs of the same size in with you as they are all different

It also is worse, the further you are from sample size, either up or down.

From what I know, when making a design, they make it in sample size, and get someone who is perfect sample size to try it on. Then they make all the other sizes by just adding (I think) an inch on everywhere. So as you get further from sample size, the measurements get more and more flaky.

cos you are all big fat heifers

arf and runs t bed

BMI 18 actually!