Clothes Shopping - It's All In The Numbers

[jeffrey]

By Virginia Bola, PsyD

Offer a woman the choice between a dress she likes a lot, that fits well but is size 12, and a dress she likes, which also fits well but is labeled size 8, and she'll take the lesser preferred every time.

Why are we so hung up on sizes? Men don't care. If something is too snug, they just go to a larger size. If the fit is a little tight for a woman, she'll buy it anyway, and swear to lose a few pounds so it fits more comfortably.

Many years ago, I worked in the garment district. I was shocked to learn that, as manufacturers, we were allowed to change a label two sizes in either direction if that was necessary to fill the retailer's order. Two sizes is a big difference! That's when I learned to ignore labels, especially during sales. Often the only reason something really nice is still hanging on the rack, despite deep price reductions, is that the marked size is inaccurate. I acquired a lot of inexpensive, beautiful clothes that way.




The female obsession with sizes has not been lost on the production folks. A size 8, for example, is now two and a half inches bigger around the waist than its size 8 counterpart 30 years ago. There are now sections in stores carrying size 2 and size 0 (what?), just to make us feel good. Pay more for your clothes at a fancy department store and I guarantee you'll fit into a smaller size than at the local K-Mart.

Where's the reality? As a nation, we are getting fatter all the time. Does the fact that we fit into "smaller" sizes contradict that?

No, it's just one more instance of the mutual-fooling-ourselves in which we so delight. Let's be honest and look at the size of our bodies, not our clothes.

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Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and admitted diet fanatic specializing in the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. She recently published a psychologically-based workbook, "Diet with an Attitude" which develops mental skills for permanent weight control.

[PrincessPerky]

SHHHHHH! I like fitting a size 6 (or smaller) when not pregnant! Don't ruin it for me!

[niki_the_tiger]

Wow well that explains why two pairs of pants of the same size might fit differently! I always wondered about that!

[kealina]

sorry so long....
tell me about it... I'm very petite and slender at 5 feet tall... and i'm not at all trendy so i've always relied on hand me downs and yard sales for most of my clothing...
i have some "vintage" clothes as well as older clothes (up to 10 years old and older) and the sizes range from S-M, sizes 1-7... love the classic vintage stuff...
i was at the mall recently exchanging a clothing gift that was too big... i know i haven't gained or lost a significant amount of weight because i still fit all my old stuff... anyways, i grabbed a 0 to try on and it was too big! i couldn't believe it... the salesgirl offered me a 00.... i didn't even know they had that size...
of course it all depends on where you go... some brands are too small and some are way too big.... they are all also way, way too long for someone as short as me... to get pants the right length and size i generally have to run to the kid section... and actually i find it disturbing that childrens sizes have expanded so much also... i know people don't want to hear a "skinny" person complain and actually i deal ok.... it's just that i have noticed the changing sizes because i do have older clothing to compare them with....
also, my good friend did that.... she bought a dress simply because it said she was a size 6 or 8 or something like that... and she was thrilled too.... guess it's true that people care about size.... IMHO it doesn't matter as long as you're healthy and if lucky, porportionate.... i think i would look funny so skinny if i was taller but i'm so short i look very normal....anyways, i try to ignore labels on size and just figure out what fits me and is flattering as well as affordable quality...

[Mabuisakura]

Originally Posted by niki_the_tiger

Wow well that explains why two pairs of pants of the same size might fit differently! I always wondered about that!

Me too!

[fairy74]

My grandma always made me try clothes on because she also was a garment worker and alerted me to this sneaky trick of sizing...who cares what size you wear! Nothing is worse than a woman stuffed into a too small dress and looking like a sausage in casing---ICK!!!

[Saving_spree]

Before purchasing I try them to make sure it fits me right...

Once I bought without trying and later realized that it was too big for me and then checked the label...

In short I try & buy.

[PrincessPerky]

I get super annoyed at children's clothing not being a consistent size. If I need a dress or whatever I can spend some time trying things on (and besides I do look at my already owned clothing daily so I have a good idea what a new one should look like.)

But kids have limited attention spans, last night I had to try 4 different items (gifts) on my one year old. I did them spaced our over an hour, letting her play in between. Please explain why clothing manufacturers put us through this? I expect handme downs to be of varying sizes (depending on how they were washed and such) but new stuff you have to check so gma can return the wrong sized stuff.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by jeffrey

Why are we so hung up on sizes? Men don't care.

I don't think that is true. It isn't that men don't care. It is that sizes on men's clothing actually mean something. I can walk into any store in the country and grab a pair of pants size 32 waist, 32 inseam and know that they will fit me just fine because 32 is an actual measurement in inches. It isn't some meaningless designation like 6 or 8 or 0 in women's clothing. It drives my wife crazy. I don't even need to try things on. Same goes for dress shirts. I wear a 15-1/2 neck, 32/33 sleeve. Never have I bought a shirt that size that didn't fit me well. In fact, shirts come packaged so I don't even wear them until I get them home and wash them first. I definitely don't try them on. There's no need. The size actually means something that is consistent across all brands and styles.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

My DH is like DS. I buy his clothes because he's a 30 x32 which is hard to find at times. Actually he's more a 29 or 28, but that's impossible. So he gets a 30 waits.

As for me it's nuts that I constantly have to try on clothes to fiure out what size I am, depending on the brand and cut of the jeans!

I bought maternity jeans and I thought I'd be a medium, tried it on and it fit. BUt the lady at the store told me you get huge in the last two months so i bought two larges because I figured well i can't gets skinneir right? Turns out it's really gives way and I have to wear a belly band to hold them up. ugh. I'm praying now ot get mbigger and have them fit better.

[Caoineag]

Women's sizing is obnoxious. I range from a 4 relaxed fit to a 12 in vintage clothing. I wish our sizes meant something. Yuck.

[patty jones]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

My DH is like DS. I buy his clothes because he's a 30 x32 which is hard to find at times. Actually he's more a 29 or 28, but that's impossible. So he gets a 30 waits.

As for me it's nuts that I constantly have to try on clothes to fiure out what size I am, depending on the brand and cut of the jeans!

I bought maternity jeans and I thought I'd be a medium, tried it on and it fit. BUt the lady at the store told me you get huge in the last two months so i bought two larges because I figured well i can't gets skinneir right? Turns out it's really gives way and I have to wear a belly band to hold them up. ugh. I'm praying now ot get mbigger and have them fit better.

Yes she was right , In the coming months your size is going to bigger so the big size of clothes are beneficial.