Am I plus size?

[Swinglower]

Today I went shopping with a friend of mine. We walked into one shop and I picked up the first thing I saw which was a slim vest. My friend immediately asked “are you not coming to the plus size section?”

I was a bit taken aback as I don’t class myself as that big. I’m a size 12/14 on the bottom and size 14 top for reference.

I followed her to the plus size section to giver some company and found some of it went down to my size.

have I just been living under a rock or has plus size got lower? I always thought it began around 18/20

I’m a 16/18 and I have never shopped in the plus-sized range!
It’s not even crossed my mind that I should.

I wouldn’t class that as plus size at all. I think the categories of plus size, mid size and straight size is a bit of a ‘nightmare’ to navigate as people class themselves differently.

I'm plus sized 22-26 depending on shop. Most plus sized ranges start at a 18

It's a pity there has to be designated sections. I don't know why more brands don't continue their range up through larger sizes.

I think in the past (when I was young), plus sized started at 14
However, people are bigger now and apparently the average size of a UK woman is a 16.
No retailer in their right mind would want to label these women as plus sized. Would be a disaster marketing wise.
It was a weird thing for your friend to say. She basically said she thinks you're fat!

12 is large and 14 is XL. If so what’s plus ?

Sizing is completely random. If you put my measurements into most size charts I would be 18/14/12, or a large. If I bought anything in those sizes I would be swimming in material. The arms would be long, the shoulders off, the boobs hanging, the waists voluminous, I would look like I was a child borrowing my mum's clothes.

What I actually wear is a 12. My frame is small, 30 inch back, and my bust enormous, and I am just slightly overweight, so waist pudgy, but small hips. My hip to waist ratio is still 0.8 though

Plus size my arse.... Well actually not my arse, I have none!

I'm a 14 and always assumed that as that is usually an XL that the extra but made it plus sized? I'm definitely a bit plus to what I should be 😂

We were a similar size for years about an 18 when I had my second child four years ago. Since then I’ve slowly come back to my current size. I do wear a lot of baggy clothes so maybe she hasn’t noticed as it is gradual.

I think it starts at 16 but some places 14 (although a 14 from plus range is usually bigger than 14 regular for some reason).
I'm a 12-14 and wouldn't consider myself plus sized either.
But as others have said I'm only 5'4" so maybe look bigger than I would if I was 5'8" and a size 12-14!

Curvy = hourglass
Plus size = overweight

Two very different things

Yeah definitely
I'm curvy (shape) and plus size (size) but you can be curvy and a size 6 or straight up and down and a size 26

I didn’t try anything on that day. I’m going shopping this Saturday so will test out your theory then.

I think curvy is a more modern way of saying plus size.

I guess that 'plus size' has negative connotations, and nobody wants to think that they would be shopping in the plus size section. It's just a form of vanity sizing as the population has got bigger. A size 14 now is probably the equivalent of an 18 back in the 80s.

'Curvissa' linked above for example, is marketed at 'curvy' women but it starts at size 14 so it's not meant for shapely slim women.

I'd say plus size was 16 upwards

I think regular sizing goes to a 14.

Some plus size starts at 14.
So at 12/14 you are more in the regular section but may find some pieces in the plus section.

Was your friend more feeling that she didn't want be plus sized alone?

Curvy can be any size though. My DD is a size 6/8, but has to get curvy sizing as she has very small waist, but larger boobs and butt. Even then the waists are way too big for her. Nightmare to find anything that fits.

Yeah I have that problem as well. Shirts are an absolute nightmare.

I think of plus size as 16 and above.

I wouldn't have thought a 14 was plus size, but I suppose it must be with vanity sizing. If a 6 is really a size 10, then the 14 must actually be an 18.

I don't even think a 16 is plus size necessarily. I'd probably say plus size is from 18+. I'm a size 14-16 but I don't wear size 16 in the plus size sections very often because I feel like they're more generously cut.

Have you heard of mid size. That kind of encompasses sizes 12-16 and is a better description imo.

There is no hard rule on what is counted as 'plus size' it depends on the retailer (and probably the fabric used).

New look were accused of charging a 'fat tax' a few years ago because they were charging more for larger sizes, so retailers have to be careful to charge the same, even though it costs more to produce larger sizes. This is why expensive brands using high quality fabrics often don't do very large sizes.

My guess is that specialist 'plus size' ranges are just a way of charging extra without it being noticeable (because the smaller sizes aren't available for comparison). I don't think it means anything other than - this is the point at which the retailer wants to charge for extra fabric.

Can I ask what shop was this?

I spent yesterday comparing size charts from different brands. New look allows more in the bust and hips than others. yours is fairly standard in the bust but allows more in the hips.

Today I went to new look, yours and Bon marche to try some dresses. Yours and bonmarche fitted nicely in my usual size and were baggy enough to move freely. I was able to go a size lower in new look without much issue just a little tighter on the hips. Just proves my point there is no standard between brands but very happy I can fit a size lower.

I did try one from the plus size range but it was too large for me in certain areas.

”Curvy” and “Curves” are the names used by a lot of brands for their plus size range.

Size 14 clothes in the regular ranges are basically scaled up versions of the smaller sizes and some people find that doesn’t suit their figure and that the style and fit of clothes in the plus size ranges are more comfortable/ flattering. They often suit a bigger bust as well. Years ago I was a 12/ 14 and hardly anything fit right or suited me. It was unbelievable how much better things fit when I started to order from plus size shops. I’m bigger now but if I was 12/ 14 I’d still buy plus size clothes.