When I were a lass, a size 10 was a 24" waist...

[clary]

Admittedly that's a while ago but I was a size 10 or 12 in 1978/80. Size 12 was 26" waist, 36" hip. 2" off that for size 10.

I have lost more than a stone in weight and dropped clothes sizes too (obv). Measured my waist the other day after reading about the diabetes risk associated with a measurement of more than 35". It was 27.5 which I was v happy with but that would make me a size 14 in old money.

But my size 12 skirts from before I lost the weight are sitting on my hips or below; size 10 is even too big in some shops.

I know that shops have sized up to make us all feel happier that we are still a size 12 or whatever, but surely this latest research shows that's not a good thing? If my 27" waist is a size 8/10 (!!) then 30" would be a 12, maybe 32" a 14, maybe 35" a 16? A lot of us would say, oh well, size 16, that's not that fat really. But suddenly it's in this diabetes danger range...

Are we not in danger of normalising being fat and making it acceptable? When I say we, I guess I mean clothes shops. And on another point, what the heck size does someone who is genuinely slim buy?

[hellymelly]

I do think it has allowed me to fool myself somewhat that I haven't got as fat as I actually am! While I can still get into a 10, or a 12 on a fat day, I think I am still slim, whereas I am actually carrying far to many extra inches that I should try and shift.

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

Oh that's interesting about Boden. Confirms the hypothesis that all measurements have increased but waist has increased much more than hips, leading to a squarer shape. As a pear-shaped woman, my drycleaner alterations bloke is my best friend. I don't even try to find clothes that fit off the peg.

Also a clothes horder here. I wear mostly size 10, but I can't even begin to do up the zip of my 1980s size 12 Dorothy Perkins pseudo-Chanel suit skirt. I'm keeping it in case I get amoebic dysentery //grin.

[BestIsWest]

I like that... I am very healthy apparently despite being a size 18-20

[capsium]

www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/metric-waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator.php

Here is another link.

[Walnut8]

There have been a few of these threads recently. I DO find it frustrating when sizing within the one bloody brand is all over the place or doesn't match the sizing chart but you know, first world problems and all.

I'm sure you were all veh skinny when you were young ...

[capsium]

^ link does not work. Must be something which prevents posting it. But if you Google waist hip ratio there are web page calculators that come up.

[capsium]

www.virginactive.co.uk/active-matters/tools/waist-hip-ratio

don't know what happened with that link, but here it is again.

[capsium]

I found this healthy wist hip ratio calculator.

www.virginactive.co.uk/active-matters/tools/waist-hip-ratio

which shows you can have a bigger waist and be healthy, aslong as your arse is big enough to compensate....

[temporaryusername]

All I know is this thread has made me feel bloody fat.

[Djangor]

Boden size guidelines at back of autumn 14 catalogue has size 12 as 37/30/39. Boden spring 1999 catalogue has size 12 as 35/27/38. In 1999 they have a note to say that "Boden clothes are generously cut for a relaxed & comfortable fit".

[WitchWay]

I measured 37 24 37 till I had DS aged 32, then 36 27 38 till recently when I started cycling regularly. Currently 36 26 36

My weight has remained unchanged at 55kg 8st10lb

I struggle to find clothes that fit my waist and hips - my ancient size 10 Wranglers still fit well but my new NYDJ jeans are size 4

[BestIsWest]

I got my 1987 size 14 Wedding dress out the other day and the waist measured 26". I was a definite pear shape back then but not skinny at all, I weighed 11 stone 4lbs at 5'9".

Rivers Burda patterns from the 70s sound pretty much spot on from my recollections.

[rivierliedje]

babies do your jeans actually sit on your waist? that would be a very high waisted pair of trousers. If they sit lower than your waist then around the waist band is not the waist measurement really.

I do think standard shape for women has changed. I'm not sure why (different underwear, different food, different exercise?)
I have some Burda style magazines, modern ones and ones from the seventies. Clothing pattern sizes are different anyway, but looking at the sizing guides in the old magazines I remember thinking how incredibly hour-glass shaped women must have been, for example (number plucked out of thin air) a modern Burda size 12 would have 35 inch bust, 30 waist and 39 hips or something while a seventies burda size 12 would have a 35 inch bust, 25 inch waist and 36 inch hips. ( I dont't have the magazines to hand, but it really is that dramatic).
There also used to be (in patterns from the fifties at least) a much wider variety of sizes: the misses, junior miss, short, tall, women, girls, teens etc etc range, all with slightly different shapes so the proportions would be slightly different.

All very interesting really

[Missunreasonable]

That link posted by dino is quite good, I hope it is accurate as I am going to save it.

[DownstairsMixUp]

Next come up big don't they? 31 inch waist and getting into a 10, I'd have thought that was more a size 12-14? Think my waist is 29-30 inches at the moment (38 weeks pregnant) and wearing 12's on the top.

[PiratePanda]

At 5'7" despite having an hourglass figure I only just managed a 24" waist when I was aged 16 and 7 stone 12 and starving myself I can tell you though that I was definitely a size 10 and no smaller. This was 1989 or thereabouts.

I don't really care (can't afford to as I'm currently 14-16 in today's money :( ) But I would like some consistency and regulation.

As for Gap and the ridiculous idea that my jean size is 31" you can fuck off. 36 maybe.

[ouryve]

In 2014, size 10 is not a 24" waist.

It's just numbers and nothing to get worked up about. Other countries have entirely different sizing systems. 6, 8, 10, 12 etc is pretty artbitrary and meaningless, anyhow. If anything, the US system is more logical as that actually does start at zero. I've never seen anywhere stock anything less than a UK 6.

[goodasitgets]

I tend to ignore sizing now. I wear a size 16 but bought an asos curve dress the other week and needed a size 22
I aim to be healthy and strong, my body has a natural wide frame, the weights and exercise I do mean I have biceps and large shoulders. Other than that I'm hourglass shape with 11 inches difference between waist and hips

[Babiesbabieseverywhere]

his thread has inspired me to measure...

I've currently got a pair of size 10 next jeans on. They are a couple of years old and the only pair of jeans I own right now. I'm three months post baby and wearing a size 12 in most things

My waist is 31"
Round the waistband of the jeans whilst they're on is 36"
Widest point of my hips is 38"

These must be a particularly large size 10??

[higgle]

My mother was 5'4" 8st 10lb and a size 14 in the early 70's.

[melissa83]

Its definitely how your frame is as Im only an inch taller than downstairs but am 9 stone now and I am absolutely huge. I have a massive baby bump and size f boobs.

[DinoSnores]

Doesn't really contribute to the vanity sizing debate but this website is great for telling you what size to buy in which shop:

sizes.darkgreener.com/

[TheBuskersDog]

hellokittymania less than 5 1/2 stone? How tall are you? No wonder even the smallest women's clothes are too big for you, you must be tiny.

[DownstairsMixUp]

When I'm not pregnant I'm between 26/27 inches in the waist and a size 8-10 and 9 stone, if I actually stick to doing weights, I usually hover at 9 stone 4lbs but am a bit firmer. After I had ds1 i dropped to 8 stone randomly, my waist was 25 inches and I did look awful. My mum has a 25 inch waist but she's shorter than me but I just looked like a skeleton. Not a good look for me. People are definitely fatter but I do think a combination of a bigger population, women are taller and have different builds etc. At school I was always one of the taller girls at 5'4 but now I walk past them coming out of school and I'd say most of them are taller than me. :S

[unweavedrainbow]

when i was younger i was a 22" waist, 18" in a corset. I am only 5'2" though and small framed. It is perfectly possible though