Do you ever find yourself fixated on the size on clothing labels, even though you know it shouldn't be so important? There are certain stores where I know I can wear smaller sizes than others. Even though the clothes from two different stores might be exactly the same size, I'm more likely to wear the ones with the smaller number on them. Logic tells me it's ridiculous and size shouldn't matter, but for some silly reason, it does. As more Americans become overweight and obese, retailers know that the size on their clothing matters. That's why many of them have started scaling down the size labels on clothing. This means that even though you are really a size 10, some stores will label your size a 6 to make you feel better. Deceptive? Maybe. Effective? Yes. Why does the size on a label matter so much? I know I'm not really a size 4. But if I found a pair of size 6 jeans that fit comfortably, I'd probably end up buying them even if I didn't really like them. The fact that the number on a label is somehow tied to my self-esteem is frustrating to me. For some reason, I think it makes me feel more "normal" to wear an average size. I should be better than that. What's really important is that I'm healthy and fit, right? Who cares if I wear a size 4 or a size 14? But the truth is, I do care. Some studies suggest that as American's waistlines have expanded, so has the perception of a "normal" size. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the average American's BMI has increased, while the number of people who would consider themselves to be overweight has decreased. Is this the result of publicity campaigns promoting self-acceptance (such as Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty)? Maybe, but not likely. More likely it's that as overweight people are surrounded by more overweight people, overweight becomes the new "normal." Whether it's the size on a clothing label or the size of the people around you, have you ever found it easier to convince yourself that you're a size you're really not? Do you let the size on clothing labels bother you the way I do?
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Another thing I have noticed with the ready made is just poor craftsmanship, sloppiness in assembly. I have, on more than one occasion, bought 2 pair of pants, where I had tried on for size, decided one size fits, say, 2x petite pants, and then found another one on the rack also by same vendor, same model, same color or maybe the black one instead of the blue, same size 2x so you would think they would fit exactly the same, right? Well, no, I'd get home and the one pair might be an inch longer in the hem, or 3/4 of an inch narrower in the waist, or the inside thigh might be tighter in one leg than in the other. I've talked to people who used to work in the clothing industry and they'd laugh about times when they accidentally grabbed the wrong size label and sewed in a size 14 label in a pair of pants that was actually cut and sewn to be a size 12 (or 16, off a size in any case.). Well, it's not a laughing matter to the person who bought those pants! So it's hard to know in advance which companies or vendors have better quality control over another company. Report
I remember seeing an ad in the 70s that talked about the perfect size 10. That same woman is now probably a size 6 or less. In those days I was about 5'7" and weighed about 140 and was a size 12. I never quite made it into a 10. A few years ago a friend who weighed about 225 said she was wearing a size 18. No way I thought. But she did.
Marketing people must think consumers are pretty stupid if they think we don't know what they are doing. We know, we're just trying to work within their nonsense.
BTW, there is a mystery novel called "Size 12 is not Fat." It opens with a woman trying on clothes in a store that are certainly much smaller than she expected to wear. She heard someone in another room ask if the size 0 came in a smaller size. The chapter goes on to talk about vanity sizing. The next book in the series is "Size 14 isn't Plus Size Either!" Report
I notice that in other brands I'd be like 2 sizes bigger according to them. However it doesn't bother me if the number is bigger as long as I can fit into my favorite :o). Report
Also I really believe the culprit is the way people eat these days. With most families that have anyone over the age of being legal workers they all do work. And the food that are eaten are prepared, semi prepared or restaurant food. Not good real ingredients for all balanced 3 meals a day. Lets get real about this, garbage in we ware it. Report
I've always seen labels, though I'm more comfortable in my skin than when I was a teenager.
I have to say that now, the closest experience I can give to the article would be shopping at a store like Lane Bryant were they made up their own labeling system. They started this almost a couple of years ago. Since then I've seen other stores do this in their plus-size section. It's laughable, but I understand the ploy for this type of method. I mean, If you were a size 20+ would you frown at being able to put on a pair of jeans that say size 8? I bought a pair when I was pregnant with my son back in early 08. I have to say it was a feel good moment because I was wearing a size 6 and my stomach was sticking out to here...
It's a mental thing that unfortantely I do believe a lot of women get sucked into, even ones who are denying it. Afterall, if this mentality didn't exist amongst the majority of women who are a size 12 and up (as that is the size that most plus-size sections do start), marketing trends would not be following this new sizing method. Report
My husband can go to the store and pick out a pair of shorts or jeans off the shelf and know that they'll fit him. I can't do that and have a hard time explaining to him why it's such an issue.
With the vanity sizing, it just makes it all that harder to know what size I need to choose. It definitely makes me not want to go clothes shopping!
My mom is a lot more petite (5' 4" and a bit over 100lbs). She can fit in girl's clothing, which she often has to buy in order to get something that fits her. Growing up, she was always a size 9 jean, now she's typically a 2 or smaller. Report
What's worse is I answer by saying "Oh yeah of cousre we do" and hand her a 00. Bleh! DOUBLE ZERO?! Thats not even a number!!!! Report
1) It was the right color.
2) It was a terrific price.
3) It lied to me. It looked me straight in the eye and told me I was a Size 6. Report