Is size 12 seen as "big" generally?

[piperoo1095]

Hi all,

Not trying to cause controversy here as I am genuinely interested. But do most people consider a UK size 12 to be "big"? I only ask because I see a lot of posts online at people "horrified" that they reached a size 12 and to me it's never seemed bad at all. Perhaps I've been living under my nice little rock of ignorance. Of course I'm sure height and build plays a massive role too!

I think it depends where you live, where I live 18 + is probably the average size, whereas somewhere more affluent it likely to be much smaller.

I'm very content a t a 12, but '10' has always been the aspirational number as far as I remember

It does depend on height really, but the average height woman, eg 5ft 4 a 12 is a medium size IMO, not slim but not "big" either. Also build, someone who's a small build will be "bigger" if they need a size 12, whereas a tall broad shouldered woman could be quite skinny at size 12.

I think opinions on sizes have changed considerably over the years. When I was 18 and at college (way back in 1981) a size 12 was considered 'ideal'. It was certainly what I was always striving for! But if you were a size 14 you certainly weren't considered huge. To be honest,I don't think anyone I knew among my social circle was smaller than a size 10. Nowadays,I think many women see a size 8 as the ideal size. But I do think that clothes sizes themselves have actually changed. I think a size 12 now is more like a size 14,a size 8 is more like a size 10. I am 61 now and a size 16 but I certainly don't feel (or look,I hope!) humongous!

Yeah I’d say it is with people I know irl.

In the 80s, I remember going shopping with my mum for her cardigans in M&S. She was a size 12 then but because of 'vanity sizing', that would now be a size 8.

It's my ideal. 5'5" and I'm a twelve at around 10st7lbs. I'm not there right now, but will be again by the summer!

'Online' is not the real world.

If any of the people you're reading are in the US then a "12" isn't small, their sizes are different, , but in the U.K. for an average height woman it's probably an ok bmi.

I'm only 5'1", most of my clothes are 12 at the moment - just a bit overweight bit I don't think anyone would call me 'big'

I would view a size 12 as in the "average" zone (though now it's smaller than average, I guess).

I've varied in size but have never been smaller than a 10 even when I was verging on underweight.

Yep, I’m 5.10 and often buy a 12, depending on where I’m shopping. My BMI is 20, so I’m not overweight but I assume my shoulders and pelvis are proportionally wider than a shorter woman’s.

When I was a young woman, growing up in the Kate Moss era, I would have considered size 12 to be fat. And myself to be fat if I was ever over a size 8 / 10. Those sizes were genuinely tiny back then, as well. I think young women have more choice nowadays when it comes to size, attitude, fashion…

Now, post-baby, perimenopausal me wools be quite happy at a size 12. I’ve gone up to size 14 / 16 at times in my 40s. At 5”4, I’d say size 12 is ideal for me. I often resorted to an eating disorder to maintain my “skinny” self when I was younger. I’m focused on healthy eating now, and treating my body kindly.

Its average isn't it? I'm 5 ft 3 and a size 10. I don't mind being a 12 but i feel better and slimmer when I'm not

It depends on what size a "size 12" is. When I was young it was definitely a slim size, but vanity sizing has meant that it has crept up to something more like what used to be a size 14 or even 16. And there is so much variation between brands. It is just a nonsense metric really.

I think it’s mid-sized, certainly not ‘big’.

Depends how tall you are, if you are 5ft it's a lot bigger than if you were 6ft

No. It's a great size. No one will ever persuade me it's big.

It depends on height. A 6ft woman wearing a size 12 will be slim. A 5ft woman is likely to be well into the overweight category.

It really depends on your size and frame. I'm quite tall and have an hour glass shape. Even at my lightest weight I needed to be a size 12 for the width of my hips.. My pelvis is literally a size 12. I can remember at Uni wearing size 12 jeans with gaping waistbands but snug on the hips. Now I've expanded to a 14 I look a bit on the pudgy side, although I still don't look very fat. However, my sil is tiny in height with a slight frame. If she got to a size 12 I would imagine she would look very fat.

There is no UK standard for 'size 12' clothes. A size 12 from Zara will generally be a lot smaller than one from Next or M&S. BMI is a more useful indicator than dress size as it takes height into account.

Someone who is 5'1" will look very different to someone who is 5'11" wearing the same clothes size

I'm a size 12 at 6 foot. I look too too thin at a size 10.

Size 12....I can only dream

If you’re 6ft and a size 12 you’re extremely slim. 5ft and I’d imagine rather overweight ?

What sort of height and build are you OP

I’m 5ft 6
weigh 8.11 -9’stone
im a small/ 8 -10 medium depending on where I buy / how tight/ loose I want it
BMI is 19 -20

A us 12 is a uk 16, so if it's a us site then it may be considered larger whereas in the uk it's definitely medium

I'm 5'10 and size 14, about BMI 22 but I'm fairly broad boned.