Vanity Sizing

[sunnyd 32]

So I watched a segment on the Today show this week and read an article about vanity sizing, which is becoming more and more prevalent among clothing companies in the US. Basically it is when clothing designers put a smaller size on larger clothes so the buyer will feel good about themselves and will be more inclined to buy. Companies feel buyers will pay more for a smaller size.

Yes I do feel better if it is a smaller size but I also get frustrated when trying to buy clothes because it takes longer to determine what size I am at each clothing store. I wish there was consistency and a standardized measurement for each size like many other countries have. It would make shopping a whole lot easier!

What do you all think about this? Do women really need that much of an ego boost? Do we really evaluate our self worth based on the size of our clothing? Will we pay more for a smaller size?

[Rev Me Up! 75]

I think it is ridiculous!!!! From high school until I was about 21, I weighed 115 pounds. I was a solid size 6. Back then, there were very few size 4's in the store and no one had ever heard of a size 0 - and I was TINY!!! These days, I see the size 0 and 00, and I don't see very many people who were smaller than I was. Very strange. Once I saw the prevalence of size 0 in the stores, I knew that something had to be fishy with the sizing.

It's awful because it is much harder to find a size that fits. I am sort of in between sizes right now, but I have tried on pants in size 16 down to 12 and they all fit, depending on where I buy them. I think it makes everything much harder for the consumer.

[thinoneday 445]

I personally hate vanity sizing. . I hate it that you buy something thinking "oh wow, I'm THAT size" and then next time you try on that size it doesn't fit and you feel all fat and obese again. I personally think it's dumb. Just keep all the sizes the same in all stores.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

I personally hate vanity sizing too. It's great that I can fit a size 8 in some makers but ya know, I know in my heart and in my mind that it isn't real - so... why would that make me feel better? In reality sizing I'm about a 14. I don't care, if I'm a 14, I'm a 14... that actually makes me feel darned proud!!! I can live with that. I always thought I was cute as a size 14 where at one time I got down to a size 3 when I was 135 Lbs (I know I'll never be that tiny again! Besides Jr's pants have too thin legs too...lol) It's fun and nice to fit a smaller size per some clothing makers, but I'm smart enough to know it's not real.

Also in reality sizing I want to get down to a size 8. I think I'll look great at that size. But in today's sizing that would put me at around a size 4, who knows maybe even some 2's...

This subject was also discussed on Dr. Oz the other day. It had some of the worst culprits and some that are on the better side. Apparently the Gap allows a 38" waist on a size 12!!! What in the world!!!??? That would mean I could fit their size 6 pants... that's insane! The Kohl's brand is somewhere on the better side where the size 12 was a 34" waist. I'm a 32" waist and starting to break into their size 10's so yeah that's about right.

They did mention the vanity sizing started as early as in the 70's. According to the analysts, Marilyn Monroe was a size 12 (considered a fuller figure gal back then, but now would be considered quite thin) and she had a 26" Waist. So the size 12 has gone from a 26" all the way up to a 38" now? That's a difference of 7 sizes for GAP!!! Amazing... LOL

It's such a chore to do any type of shopping for clothes because I can fit anywhere from a size 8 all the way up to a 14 even sometimes (which is fine because that should be normal for me)! Anyway, that's my 2 cents. If someday the manufacturers decided to go back to regular real sizing I'd be fine with it.

[Rootman 1,101]

That's why I shop at Walmart, there I'm a medium, everywhere else I'm a 2X Stolen from Larry the Cable Guy.

[lunarose 97]

I hate it too. It makes buying clothing online impossible and by online I am talking about places like Penney's or walmart! And I swear they have done the opposite with shoes. I have shoes that I bought over 20 years ago size 7 1/2 - 8 that I can still fit into but when shopping these days nothing below a 9 ever fits even with the weight I lost.

[Disney 20]

I don't like it either. I like consistency!

When I was in high school weighing anywhere from 130-140 I wore a size 10 or 12. Now, I weigh about 205 and I can get into 16's. Now that is crazy. At this rate, I would be in a 12 by the time I weigh 180 or so.

Also, if you ever look at vintage stores or even on ebay, the sizes back in the 60's and 70's and probably even 80's were wayyyy smaller than today. I mean, if it says size 10, it is probably a size 4 nowadays. I bought a vintage rock concert tshirt on there and it was size XL and it was about the size of an XS in today's clothes. I knew this beforehand as I read the measurements. Just crazy that we need that perfect "number" to make ourselves feel good.