If you have a 32" waist, what size are you?

[NickNacks]

Currently losing weight and though my pounds and inches are falling, my dress size isn't! And it's a bit depressing.

Have you tried on any size 16 jeans? If you currently wear an 18 and they seem to fit fine, try on some 16s and see if you can do them up. I don't think wearing jeans a size bigger than usual would be very noticeably baggy - especially not if you usually wear baggy ones. 36lbs MUST mean more than 1 dress size, surely! That's a brilliant amount to lose!

Actually no I haven't Only because the 18s don't fall down! I waited until I was constantly hoiking the 20s up before moving down a size so thought that was kind of the signal of when to go shopping.

I've spent too many years just praying the size 20s do up tbh that I'm a bit embarrassed to even pick up a 16 in case I'm kidding myself.

And are you quite tall? As a shortarse I get more leeway in clothes because my bum/waist/boobs might be wider than the advertised size, but it fits because they are still shorter than the average. I'm not explaining this very well!

If my bum/hips were 38 inches
(all measurements are imaginary), but I measured 8 inches from the waist to the top of my thigh, then I could fit into a smaller clothes size than someone whose bum/hip measurement was also 38 but who measured 12 inches between waist and top of thigh.

Does that make any sense?

Jeans are a law unto themselves. I've had to buy different sizes to get the same fit in the same style, in the same shop, on the same day.

Your size in tops not changing much is logical, the bust is the greatest decider on fit for tops and that's not gone down much. Well, assuming there is some sort of structure to the top.

Cardies have about the most flexible fit of any item. Obviously.
Tshirts are damned flexible too, always going to work a few sizes up or down.

Pants, likewise, need to be grossly mis-sized to fit dreadfully.

I wonder if a lot of the stuff you were wearing was at the top end of the range of fit (IYSWIM) when you started losing weight, and if the stuff you've bought now is at the bottom end of it's range of fit. It' make sense with having got used to wearing loser stuff as your size dropped.

Shoes, tailored stuff, non-stretch skirts, belts, they tell the truth. There is very little flexibility in the fit at all. Fact is, a 38 inch waist wont fit into a (stiff) 32 in waistband but a 32 inch waist will. That's a difference of several sizes, which ever way you slice it.

X post. Try some! Order online if you're too shy!

x post. Yes, do order some!

FFS - in the nicest possible way - OP

Next say a 31 inch waist for a 14 in jeans and a 33 inch waist for a 16. here

You are doing so very well!

Ok I might have a look. I get overwhelmed by choice so it might just be the same Next ones in a 16

Oh thank you all btw. Sorry for being a bit crap!

I'm 5'6" so average height.

I currently measure 37 inches around the waist and have just bought 3 pairs of trousers in different sizes in M&S - in size 12! I have slim hips and thighs and no bum though.

Different styles not sizes!

What is your hip size OP? Next say 43.5 inch hips for a 16 and 41.5 finch hips for a 14.

33 / 43.5 = 16
31 / 41.5 = 14

My bet is that you'll need a 16 but be closer to a 14 in reality - you'd get in but they'd be too tight.

OP, you are far from crap. It's really, really hard to get used to being slimmer.

Hips are 43"

My aim is to be a size 12 but I fear it will be my hips that stop me getting that slim.

That's a 16 to the size chart. For sure.

But it's next, so I'd be spectacularly unsurprised if you could get into some of their 14's

You might want to look a different styles of jeans if you fancy a loser cut but that actually fits.

Your hips are perfectly in proportion to you waist so far! At 5'6" a 12 should be doble. Absolutely in dresses, if not always in jeans.

Thanks so much for all the advice. I will get there I'm sure. It's certainly a mind set that needs changing. I am even starting to buy colourful tops, DH is delighted!

I do believe you willa

"My neck is 14" so not quite! Maybe it means 28" waist is my natural size that I should be?! "

Nice idea, but no, it's supposed to be the same because the idea is that your neck would slim down as your waist does.

And remember when you try on the 16 jeans if they are a bit tight then.they will loosen up considerably with wear! I.e. don't decide they are too small if you have a bit of a muffin top in them!

You'll get to a 12, I think. And please do update us when you've tried on the size 16s. I'll eat my hat if they don't fit (and I like my hat. It's a grey felt trilby. Please don't make me eat it).

What style of jeans are you buying? I saw some lovely Next high-waisted skinnies linked on here the other day. I love high waists because they hold in all my wobbly bits.

I'm a 30" waist, three children and I'm nearly menopausal, and was looking at a designer dress for a posh do. The website stated that a 30" waist was their size 18

So I bought it and the waist fitted, the bust and hips were massive though. In normal shops I'm anything from a 10-14.

The style of jeans also dictates different sizes, eg my skinny jeans will be at a least a size bigger than my boyfriend jeans, because boyfriend jeans are a looser fit IYSWIM?