What is an 18w?

Do sizes go

14

14w

16

16w and so forth?

My 18w's are too big on me so I was excited thinking I'm in a 16 now but it probably means I'm only in an 18 huh? I'm NOT shopping for jeans until I think I might be on the "normal side" or else I'd just go try stuff on. That's a sensitive subject- shopping for clothes has always left me disgusted and really disappointed in myself.

The W is a different cut. You can't really compare them. You also can't generalize because every brand is different.

Women's sizes are fuller in the waist and hips, also for dresses/shirts there's more room in the bust and the armholes are bigger. helps accommodate a curvy figure and still be fitted so it doesn't look like you're wearing a potato sack

The W means it's a woman's or plus size. If your 18w jeans are too big then you should try a 16w or a regular 18 and see how they fit. Shopping should be more fun now that you are losing weight. Different brands of jeans are cut differently too so you really have to try them on to get a pair that fit you properly. But don't spend too much money cuz you're going to keep losing and getting smaller. Try Marshall's, TJ Maxx, a consignment store, etc so you save money. You could also have your pants taken in if you sew or know someone who does.

pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4

Yes to all the above...my experience is how you explained it. I was a tight 18W then after they were to big I dropped to a 16W....when the were too big I am in a 16 and now they are getting loose. Next I will go try on the 14W before I will try a regular 14.

DEFINITELY go to thrift shops, don't spend your money at retail while you are in the losing phase. Also, once you are in the teens of sizes they seem to go excruciatingly slow with a LOT of weight in between. For example, at 200 lbs I was in a size 16 jeans very tight, 165 pounds I was in a size 12 comfortably. That's 35 pounds and I only went down 2 sizes! WTF! As I understand it though, once you hit the single digits it goes really fast, like there's just a few pounds difference between an 8 and a 6. I have this one pair of JCrew cords -size 12R- that I poured myself into at 185 lbs, they were so painfully tight they left bruises and made me nauseous but dangit they zipped and buttoned! I was still wearing these same pants at 165 lbs and they were still snug! I figured I would actually be able to wear these damn pants for 40 lbs, from 185 to 145, before they could be declared too loose! GAH!!!

Don't laugh.... I thought the W meant "wide".. I always got this size because of my big ol' booty and they seemed to fit better.

_{W sizes always fit me like a potato sack. I never carried much weight in my waist, but my legs are immense. : ( So I had to wear them.}

_{W sizes always fit me like a potato sack. I never carried much weight in my waist' date=' but my legs are immense. : ( So I had to wear them.[/sub']}

_{I have the opposite issue. My weight is all in my waist so I always have a muffin top and the legs are way too big. I pray my proportions change, but if not, I may learn to make my own clothes or at least alter them to take in the legs.}

Lol I'm pearish so I'll lose slow in my big old butt. Sigh.

^ me too. In fact I am not so sure that I want all of my butt to go. I like the cushioning and so does my hubby

Gotta a lot o junk in my trunk too! LOL!

pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4

I have never understood the W either!!

Women's clothing sizes are just out of control. And it doesn't get any better when you get into the smaller sizes either. I actually was able to purchase some capris in a size 4. Imagine my elation after my tight size 22/24 last summer. Then the next pair of jeans I had to buy were a size 10. WTF?! Here's a kicker. I finally got my box of "skinny" jeans out of storage from 15 years ago (mostly 10s and 12s) and they either fit or are a little snug. Double WTF?!?! But then again it dawned on me, there was no such thing as size 0 or 00 15 years ago. So did they just rename all the cuts and my 4s are actually 8s? My advice to everyone is the same that I am trying to follow, doesn't matter what the scale says or what the tag says, if you feel good and you think you look good, that's all that matters.

And don't even get me started with the new European jean sizing, I mean sheesh! The last thing I want is to wear a size 30! Lol

If you do a search through VST topics you will find some old threads where we really got into the fascinating/revolting world of "vanity sizing" or as we like to call it, "your pants are lying to you". As Americas girth increases so does our desire to be lied to - there was an article in the new york times maybe 2+ years ago where a reporter went to a dozen different stores, from chi-chi boutiques to big warehouse places and got a plain pair of cotton khakis in the same size from each store. There was wild discrepancy between the actual sizes with the biggest lies coming from the cheaper stores, so a men's 34 (the reporter was a man BTW) at Old Navy when taken home and actually measured, was more like a 37!!

People make a big deal about the fact that at her heaviest, Marilyn Monroe was a 12, but, that was a 1950's 12, which means today at her heaviest she probably would have been an 8, max. My Mother is fond of telling me that the day she found out she was pregnant with me she weighed 118 pounds, but she has also told me that she was never smaller than a size 8. I doubt that a 5'4" woman weighing 118 pounds today would be in an 8 - more like a 2!

So, my point is, it's all bullshi+, and anyway, the really really good clothes are the ones that are custom made for you anyway, whether by haute couture or Grandma