Dress sizes and weight loss brackets

[Jenasaurus]

In April I was 8 stone 10 and a size 12 today I’m 8 stone 2. I have a mother of the bride outfit my daughter bought for me to wear in size 12 when I was about 9 stone. It fitted me well in April. Her wedding is in 2 weeks and I’m anxious as some of my clothes are now a size 8/10. I’m worried that the dress may be too big what are the typical measurements for a size 12. My waist is 28.5 I don’t want to cause my daughter anxiety and am happy even if it’s a loose fit but could o really have gone down 2 sizes by just losing an extra 5 percent. I was 14 stone 10 in October 2024 and have an issue seeing myself as slim.

It varies so much, height and weight distribution will make a big difference especially on a women’s body. But I would definitely expect you to be smaller than a 12 at 8st 2.

Forgive me for asking this, but can’t you just try the dress on and see how it fits? I’m not sure I understand what the anxiety is about when you can check how the dress fits and then know if you need it altered or to get a new dress.

From what you've posted I'm guessing you're quite short. You need to try it on and you've time to get any alterations made if needed.

It's the kitchen towel effect. The smaller you get, the more the weight loss is reflected in size. Like others I don't quite understand why you can't try the dress on if it's already bought. If it's on order made to measure then as suggested contact the shop and get remeasured. Two weeks should be long enough for simple alterations.

A size 12 is just a rough guide as clothes are not made to a strict set of measurements as even within the same store, their dress sizes will vary considerably depending on the garment and where it was made.

If you’re worried about it not fitting properly, you need to try it on now and decide whether it can be easily altered to fit you properly or buy something new.

You’ve still got plenty of time to go shopping.

as @GiveMeWordGames said, the kitchen towel effect is real. Best to just try on the dress, some things look fine being a bit loose/flowy, others will look clearly and unpleasantly over sized

You can have it altered.

A typical UK women's size 12 is generally designed for a body with a 36 to 37-inch (91–94 cm) bust, a 29 to 30-inch (73–77 cm) waist, and 38 to 40-inch hips

Try putting your measurements in here: https://sizes.darkgreener.com/

You can weigh more than another person or the same height yet be more than one dress size smaller-my mum and auntie were like this and everyone always got their dress sizes wrong. It is possible not to fit into a 12 despite being 8 stone if, like some of my relatives, you have a large bra size. Just go with what you feel comfortable with.

go to a seamstress and get intakes in.

I’m 11 stone 7 and a size 10-12-14 usually 10 top and 12 bottom.

I was 15stone 12 and a size 18

i went shopping today and needed a 14 dress in next and a 10 trousers

Hi it’s because she bought and paid for the dress in April so we can’t send it back and she has been stressed out this week with the bridesmaids dresses all being altered I just know it will upset her as it will be a last minute rush to find a new dress

I’m 5ft 4

I think it’s only gone through my head today when my son and his girlfriend said they thought I was tiny and when I showed them the dress I tried on on April they said I was a lot smaller now. I will see if I can try it on and get it altered I know I am making more of this than I should worry about but I don’t want her stressing out as she has had a lot of recent issues like one of her bridesmaids ghosting her

But do you have the dress available to try on @Jenasaurus ?

No it’s at my daughters house so I will have to see when she is home and try it on without making her anxious

I was a 36D bust and a 30.5 inch waist I’m now a 34d with a 28 inch waist so I think I need to sort this out sooner than later.

I think I would prepare yourself for it now being too big, as you are at the lower end of the healthy BMI range and are unlikely to be a size 12 now at 5ft 4in and 8st 2lbs. Is it a fitted dress or a more unstructured style?

Wow so much variation in size, between people! I’m 5ft4 and a 12 at 10s7. I’d be a U.K. 8 at 8 stone and have been slimmest 9stone a size 8-10!
Try it on, only way to know for sure!

Ok so the first photo is me trying on the dress on April. The second one in orange is me a couple of weeks ago. I still see myself as the same size in both but my son and his girlfriend see me as a lot smaller

At 5’3 and 8st 2lbs I’m a size 6… I don’t see how you’d ever be a 12 OP.

I think you may be right I’ve just checked the label in my PJs and it’s an XS. It was a gift and I had no idea it’s a 6/8. This feels odd as I’ve previously been an XL or bigger and worn size 24 as recent as 2024 at 14 stone 10 and then when I fitted size 12 I thought great that’s it. I’m 61 and never been able to shop in normal shops. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and went on the jabs thinking o will get healthy and lose some weight but never thought I would ever be this small and I have lots of loose skin on my belly where I carried most of my weight. I assumed I had more to lose but my sons girlfriend who is a paramedic looked at my belly and said it’s all loose skin and not fat and she said she thinks I may actually be underweight if the skin was removed I could be 4 pounds lighter than I am. Now I need to taper down on the jabs but I’m scared I’ll go back to how I was again. I still see the old large plus size me in the mirror

The good news is, looking at the dress, it would be easy to alter.
Dresses like this can be taken up at the shoulder seam (on top of the shoulders) to raise the dress up, making it fit when you now have less breast tissue. You may not even need the waist altering too.
I was concerned that, if it was a very fitted or complex design, alteration might be impossible, but this style of dress would be an easy fix.
Try it on and go from there.

Thank you I feel reassured. It’s a black tie wedding if they raise at the shoulders will it make the dress shorter or just the bust bit. I’m giving my daughter away and want to make sure I don’t let her down x

@Jenasaurus , just the bust bit.
At the moment, if you try it on, because you've probably lost all over, it may look as if it is drowning you. But if you just pick up the dress at the shoulder seam, just pinch out a tiny bit of that fabric, it will then pull a tiny bit tighter over your bust. Not enough to lift the waist (or, therefore, the hem) but enough for it not to droop and sag.
It is the kind of alteration even a competent home sewer could do (it's really easy) so a tailor could do it very easily.
It will then look exactly as it did when you first tried it on.
I would try it on and see how it looks.
When you first posted, I was imagining that if it was very structured, very fitted, or a thick fabric like a taffeta, it would be a really difficult fix. But that isn't the case.
It's a lovely, elegant dress and you are going to look beautiful on your daughter's special day.

The dress is lovely and this style is very accommodating for changes in size, you may find it hangs a bit longer as you are taking up less room inside it! I would also say to try a more padded bra, and do get a bra fitting as you are pretty unlikely to be a 34 back given your weight and true dress size (see Boob or Bust or the many bra fitting threads on here) - do this first before making any decisions about altering the dress.