I recently went shopping for some new jeans and found that I fit into a womans size 14. I have not fit a size 14 jeans since I was 16-18yrs old & 180lbs. I'm around 220lbs right now and can't understand how this is possible. Have sizes changed over the past 18-20yrs?

Oh yeah...Sizes have gotten much bigger. I have to say I love wearing size 10 jeans, but I am fully cognizant of the fact that 20 years ago, these jeans would have been labeled size 14.

Congratulations on your loss, even though the sizes have changed, you are still doing a great job.

Cindy

Sizes have definitely changed. Ten or fifteen years ago, I weighed less than I do now and my body measurements were smaller, but I only fit into a size 8. NOW, I weigh more and my measurements are bigger, but I fit into size 4's, even a few 2's. While I'm glad I've lost weight, this vanity sizing just makes me roll my eyes. It is absolutely ridiculous that I have to worry that I may shrink down into children's sizes someday--it doesn't make sense to me. :puke:

I just thought I'd add, I was underwear shopping the other day, just for a few pairs of the regular cotton kind. I fit into extra smalls now, and there were no smaller sizes. I'm hoping to get down to 125 lbs (healthy BMI of 21.5,), which made me a size 6 in my younger years, and it looks promising that I'll get there eventually without too much effort. Soooo...do normal, thin people not wear underwear, or do they shop in the girls section??? :crying:

Edited October 11, 201015 yr by L12

Also, remember that women's sizes are different from regular sizes.

I only just realized this in the past month..

The sizes go from a Women's 18, 16, 14 to a regular 18, 16, 14, etc..

Why can't they just have it go by your measurements or something? It would be nice if they just TRIED to make it a little less complicated.

It is so strange how sizes work. I too was jeans shopping yesterday and so happy I could fit into a misses 14 again. A 12 fit but was tight - I don't like too tight. But I weigh 179, weird how figures work! I am super short - 5'1" so I am compact!! I know what a great feeling it was!! Congrats..

I was trying to explain this to my Dad the other night when I was telling him I was having surgery and how I have struggled with thinking I was fat all my life. When I was a teenager, I was 140-150lbs at 5'6"...I was SKINNY..but because I took a size 13 pants in the store...I thought I was fat. I remember shopping at Le Chateau and they had a new 'plus size' line that was size 1, 2 and 3...but they were equivalent to size 10, 12, 14!!! Plus size if you're a 10!!!!! Unbelievable! I became bulimic for years trying to get down to a size 5...never happened...I looked horrible but could never get that small. This lead to a learned habit of binge eating so when I eventually kicked myself in the butt and stopped being bulimic\, I still ate too much...and now I have a metabolism that has ground to a halt.

I feel so ripped off that even when I WAS skinny, I didn't know it. My goal now is just to hit 170 lol. Glad to hear the sizes have changed though...maybe I'll be a 13 at 170 now.

The clothing sizes have adapted over the years, and as the average woman is MUCH bigger than 10, 20, 30, 50+ years ago, the sizes have adapted to suit the population.