My measurements, and the clothes that fit me, don't match what size guides say I should wear

[dudsville]

I've always been curious about this and whether anyone else has noticed this about themselves. I have been a 12/14 for the last decade, sometimes smaller depending on the shop and the cut of the item, never bigger. HOWEVER, size guides suggest I should be wearing a size 20. My hips are 44 inches. I have at times followed their guidance and bought the recommended size and it is far too big. Anyone else find that their measurements and clothes that fit don't match with size guides from that same shop??

I've noticed this too - I have very big hips and a big bust, size charts will often say I should be wearing something like a 20/22, yet in reality I'm mostly a 14/16. It's like some shops don't actually make clothes to match their own size charts. Phase eight, for example, put my bust at a 20 and hips similar yet I regularly wear size 14 dresses and 16 trousers from them!

This is why I've gone off online shopping, I have to try on at least three sizes of everything. Dresses are the worst - they never fit all over and I don't understand why people like them so much.

you are female. you are expecte d to love spending hours in hot dark stinking shops trying on clothes. you are also deemed stupid enough to care what the label says. hence no measurement s , just random sizing.

same with shoes now. fortunately I only need walking trainers and can buy from the bloke section, so i can go up in the shrunken sizes and dont pay the pink tax.

But I like trying on clothes

My measurements aren't much different to op and I have two pairs of the exact same chinos from Zara, I should be a 14 I think from their measurements but I one pair is a 12 and one a 10. And the 10 are the e looser fitting ones.
This is why I never buy trousers online!

This is on a vintage skirt I have.

Wow ofthread, now a 10 is supposed to fit a 28'' waist I think. I wear a 10 and can confidently order a 10 but my waist is not slim. I've never gone in at the waist much. I'd probably have a 29" inch waist but I can always (cannot remember the last time I had to return) a size 10.

Clothes should be sold by the measurements not by the size. I saw a nice pair of trousers on Tommy Hilfiger and I didn't know what size would correspond to uk size 10 so I used their tool and comparing with other labels I wear it told me to order size ''36'' but if that's HIPS, my hips are at least 39''! So how the HELL could I fit in size 36 trousers but I bet if I ordered them I could get them on

Thank you!

I know what you mean op. I sometines worry im somehow wearing all my clothes too tight. Even more irritating with clothes that come with an inch measurement. I measure 32 inches round my waist. Bought dome raw denim from uniqlop waist size 29 inches. They fit well. No squishing. The waistband on the trousers themselves meadures 32 inches.
I buy s lot online but it would be so much easier if at least the clothes described in inches were accurately measured. Its so inconvenient.

Yes.
I measured my bust (correctly) at 45inches. I bought a size 20 blouse because that is what the clothes website said I needed. Its huge. I've reordered a size 16.
This happens a lot.

Ive have tried so many times to make my own clothes (using actual measurements, not what size I think I am) and they always come out far too big.

I dont know what I do wrong.

I have a 30 inch waist - I can wear DHs 30 inch jeans not a bother - yet I wear size 8 in ladies

Bust at fullest measurement is 42, I just bought a pile of small t shirts which are still gappy around the neckline

Shoes? Take your pick - I have from size 2 to size 6