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Female clothes sizing
This topic was started as a blog by Carol and as the blogs dont seem to get much of an “airing” these days so I thought it worthwhile to transpose my response to Carol buying clothes that varied so much in sizing. Her purchases were too big and she said she was drowning in them.
Hello Carol and to all on TGR.
Carol, I have had the same problem as you with recent purchases, only not so much as “drowning”, but definitely “wailing”, rather than “waving”.
I bought two new dresses over the Internet. One from here in OZ, a very respected label too if I might add and the other, (yet another!!!) Chinese evening gown.
DRESS 1/. Went up a size to a 20, (I’m normally a comfy 18 and its so tight across the bust I can barely do up the zip in the back.
DRESS 2/. The gown I’m wearing in my profile photo is Chinese made, fits me very well, except perhaps for being a bit loose across the bust.
So I nominated almost the same sizing, just tightened up the bust a bit. Its off the shoulder style and is so tight across the bust that a/. I cant wear a bra, (luckily it has sewn in cups) and b/. In order to get out of it I have to take one of my forms out of my bra then twist the back around so I can undo the zip.
None of this happens with male drab, first and most obvious is we can try things on much easier, but 2/. Like Carols comments above, why does female clothing vary so much betweeen labels and sizing????
Some of us on TGR have the “intestines” to go straight into the shop and ask to try things on first, but for those that dont, i.e. me…that’s not an option.
Very Very frustrating.
Caty
PS When I took the “offending garments” in for alteration “all was revealed”. (And I dont mean me standing there in socks, jocks, bra and breast forms.LOL) My rib cage sticks out more than my underbust measurement So for us mere males. maybe that should be measured either instead of or in addition to our bust/unbderbust.
Yes I know, if I can go in for alteration, why not a try on in the first place. Would work locally, but would more than ruin the economic advantages of buying on line from China. I aint flying there for a fitting.
Also, I via some good networking, I was “expected” at the alteration service and that helps heaps. -
2 Replies
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Caty wrote:… why does female clothing vary so much betweeen labels and sizing????I made a similar comment to my Good Lady Wife, only to receive the compassionate reply “welcome to our world”.
Some time ago I read an interesting article in a so-called women’s magazine about clothing sizing. One interesting comment was that some of the problems are caused by image expectations. Some brands intentionally reduce the sizing on garments so that women so inclined can feel ‘slimmer’ in their range – “Oh I am a size 16 in X brand but in Y brand I am a size 14”. The same goes for style. Tighter clothing isn’t necessarily marked a smaller size than those designed for a looser fit.
One final comment in the article was that men’s clothing, especially pants and some shirts, is usually sized by measurements so we can look for those as the indicators we need. For women having actually centimetres or inches marked on clothing sizes is seen as discouraging.
In the long run, as my wife says, the only real way to know if it will fit is to try it on. Whether that is done in store before purchase or at home after purchase, well that’s an issue for the individual’s level of confidence.
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There was a huge push a few years ago to standardize sizing in women’s clothing. It was regarded as an answer to the very problems which we all know about and are described above. I think it has lost traction as the sizes seem to be the same mish mash. Aus sizes, Euro sizes, US. Makes a girls heads spin.
