Clothing sizes are mental, aren't they?

[athingthateveryoneneeds]

More and more I'm thinking they are not worth even looking at anymore, and I'll just have to grab an armful in a wide range of sizes to see what fits best.

I know it depends on the cut, the fabric, the style, etc. But why can't we use measurements instead? A cm is a cm after all.

Yesterday I took a punt on some Costco jeans in my size. They are a bit loose, but the next size down was nearly an inch smaller in the waist.

I also noticed they had American sizes alongside UK ones on the label. Size 14 UK equates to size 10 USA!! That's surely ridiculous.

I am overweight but I can fit into clothes that range in size from 8-16. Rendering the entire sizing system utterly meaningless.

Is there an alternative? Are men's clothing sizes so variable? My DH tends to just grab clothes off the rack in his size and job done. No faffing around in changing rooms, no returning funny cut clothes. I know the excuse.is that women come.in all shapes and sizes, but men do as well!

This was part of the reason I started to make more of my clothes. I found that I was altering most things I was buying because if they fit one part, another part wouldn't fit, and I would end up altering it anyway.

Interesting! What do you make?

Yes, I do wish the measurements were available, the actual measurements of the actual garment, none of this nonsense where the size guide gives a vague range of meaningless measurements for the brand and when you get the actual garment it's miles off.
Bought some Hush joggers in large (I'm a 14-16) and they're closer to 18-20.
Bought a Primrose Park dress (size small) on eBay.The seller and I kind of got into it because I'd asked the measurements and she directed me to the website (where I'd already been and found it uselessly vague).
Dress fits brilliantly btw. I can't imagine what a large would look like on me, even though I'd assume that would be my size.

Men's clothes are getting as bad. I bought DH three shirts for his birthday. Each a large. One is too big, one is just right and one is so tight he cannot sit down in it. All from the same shop too.

That's irritating! I've noticed they now have a slim fit in shirts and trousers etc for men, but maybe that's not new and I'm.just oblivious to men's fashion.

Yep. I choose by looking these days.
Next are shocking for this. I looked at a 10 and it was double my size. I fitted their 6 .

I feel like I need to preface this by saying I actually agree with you that womens sizes are very variable. I can understand it to a degree though because some women will carry more weight on thighs/hips/bum than others so sizing for all isnt easy.

Yesterday I took a punt on some Costco jeans in my size. They are a bit loose, but the next size down was nearly an inch smaller in the waist.

Ok, I don't entirely understand the problem here. A smaller size was...smaller? Is that it? I mean that sounds normal to me.

I also noticed they had American sizes alongside UK ones on the label. Size 14 UK equates to size 10 USA!! That's surely ridiculous.

That's the norm absolutely everywhere, though. It's just a difference between countries.

I take a tape measure with me - saves so much time. I bought a size 8 skirt in M&S last year. I am not a size 8.

@RavenWings I was surprised at how much smaller, only one size down. But yes I wasn't surprised at a smaller size actually being smaller. :)

The difference in sizes between countries is silly though, isn't it? Size 34 jeans in the men's department should be the same in any country. Why is it so widely variable in women's clothing?

I wonder if it is down to poor quality checking.

DD works as a garment technologist and part of her job is measuring random samples from lines of clothing. If she finds a certain percentage are out of true, they have to go back to manufacturer. This is usually in China, so a massive ball ache sending a whole line of clothing back. Some companies skimp on this quality checking obviously.

DD reckons that Sainsbury's Tu range has the best quality checking in the UK. She would love to work for them she says. .

Nice tip! I'll shop there more often if that's the case.

I think it makes sense for there to be a difference in sizing between say Western and Asian countries - your average woman in China is going to have smaller measurements than one in the UK. When I was in Japan, I was an Irish XS but definitely not getting into anything smaller than a Japanese M.

I think that makes sense too, because they need to meet as much of the market as they can.

I'd guess that it's similar with USA/UK sizing (aka the American sizes are bigger to accommodate a larger standard size), but that's just me guessing. I've never read up on it.

That does make sense. Hadn't thought about it from that perspective.

It's already annoying that a standard size changes from shop to shop. But some places don't even have uniform size 14s or whatever in their own store! I don't shop for clothes much anymore. I have to have a whole morning/afternoon free and be feeling very patient...

Mind you though it's no excuse for the size differences you see in the same shops. A 10 isn't the same 10 everywhere, I get that...but sometimes in the same shop it's not the same.

Tbh I'm convinced womens clothes are made badly to encourage us to buy more!

I'd welcome sizes in actual cm or even inches, too, and have started to take my measurements and a tape with me when shopping.

I recently bought two pairs of jeans, same size, same cut, same make, same day, same shelf - one in blue one in black. The black one is smaller, not much but noticable.

A 10 isn't the same 10 everywhere, I get that...but sometimes in the same shop it's not the same

That's because, even though the clothes are for sale within the same shop space, they have probably come from entirely different manufacturers.

I mainly make tops and dresses, because I'm not quite competent enough for jeans and smart trousers, but eventually I hope to make jeans and a coat.

@YouWereRight that's fantastic. I enjoy seeing but I think I would need to take classes for clothing. I'm self taught for quilting etc.

*sewing

They are crazy. I'm a 12/14. Have just bought some M&S cashmere jumpers in size 20 (and one of them has shrunk after just one wash and now only just fits - grrrr) but tried a size 12 blouse on in there last week and could have fit two of me inside it.

I've posted this before but anyway

Asos standard range. Got a lovely fitted dress, size 14 so about my usual size
Asos curve range. Hmmm, maybe it'll come up a bit bigger I thought as I ordered another fitted dress. Size 24 I had to get

I like Sainsbury's, I'm always a 14 there, ever time. Long tall Sally is variable, I take a medium but not according to their size chart in which I should be a large
M&S shoes I find good as am a half size, and they're always spot on

I agree that Tu clothes seem pretty standard - I'm losing weight, and can now fit in all the size 16 stuff I bought (was 20-22).

Also bought jeans in 16, same style, M&S. Bought a day earlier. Cannot zip them up.

Then tried a pair of New Look trousers: needed a 14.
I'm 5'10" and 14st. I'm not a size 14!

If Woolovers can give the actual sizes of their things in inches/cm why can’t other firms?
It isn’t just the difference between the sizes though I’d it? The other week I took four pairs of jeans into M&S fitting rooms, all size 14, same style just different colours ( yep,I’ve learned of old you can’t go off the label) they all were different. One just right, one too baggy & two I just couldn’t zip up at all.

Here - weirdly I'm 5ft 10 and 14st 10 and a 14! Need a 16 on top for boobs but it's always big on my waist