I wish my clothes I wore were much smaller

[Karen__Starr]

I am curious about how many are wearing a particular size clothes and actually pursuing a much smaller size. Personally, most of my life, I was a size 3 but thyroid issues pushed me to a size 9 and said enough back about two years ago and slowly returned to my size 3. My plan was simple, gain control of my thyroid by seeing a specialist and banning fast food from my diet. The last part was pulling out my old size 3 clothes and trying to get into them from time to time rather than weigh myself as an incentive.

What is truly amazing or should I say scary is when purchasing new size 3 clothing that they are actually larger than 20 years ago. Last month I was half listening to a radio talk show where one of the people talking said that this is true, sizes are not what they use to be. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Kiera79]

No I haven't as I am in a size 3 and lower depending on how they are made. Exactly your point right. If the jeans have any spandex in them at all you can go smaller. A true jean with no spandex will need to be a bit bigger than normal.

[Kim_Bitzflick]

Size 3!!!!!!!!???? I'm a size 12! NO Fair!

But on topic.

I've heard about the size adjustment you speak of, but I have only really bought clothes in the lasst 5 years so I cannot confirm it, but it sounds right.

[Being Paige]

Yes I'm am trying to get into smaller sizes. Takes alot of exercise and time but well worth it.

[Kathi Lake]

Yup! Totally!

I have a beautiful high-waisted Laura Ashley skirt from about 16-18 years ago that is a size 6. It is tighter on me today than some of my size 0's. So, the moral of the story is, . . . if you want to be a certain size, simply be very patient.



Kathi

[Karren H]

Well before you started this thread I felt pretty petite in my size 10 dresses but now I feel like a friggin blimp!!! Thanks!!!

[Kathi Lake]

. . . now I feel like a friggin blimp!!! Thanks!!!

No need to feel that way. I'm the freak of nature, after all.



Kathi

[msniki48]

What should I say!

i can't even utter the number......sheeeeez

sucks getting old

[Heather J]

I've noticed it also seems to depend on where you buy your cloths I'm normaly a 14-16 (or large) but some places only have 12-14, but they seem to fit Ok anyway. I too am also trying to lose wieght, my goal is get down to 10-12.

Heather J.

[Karren H]

Lucky the Steelers have a by week else they could rent me to fly over the stadium!!!

[StephanieC]

I think the size thing has hit both men's and women's clothes. Recently I pulled out some blazers from the back of the closet and, though the same size as the jacket I just purchased, fit better. It seems like larger sizes are being renumbered downward (over the last 10-20 years). Perhaps this is in response to the "broadening" of Americans?

I alternate between a 4 and a 6: a size 0 is but a distant dream. (That being said, I don't see a lot of outfits with that size anyway.) Interesting tidbit: I recall my Mom always shopped in the young men's section because that was the only place that sold sizes she could wear....she was quite petite.

[Suzette Muguet de Mai]

Now this is depressing. Like size 3, really I was happy with size 12 now I am depressed. Gosh, I wanted to get to size 10 and I thought that would be great. Like that is so amazing. Size three, like 3...sigh.

[Barbara Dugan]

I really don't care much about what the clothes size says... as long as the clothes look fabulous on me I am happy

[Shari]

Size 3?

SIZE THREE?

How can anybody be a size 3?

You make me feel like a whale.

[gabe]

Where do you find odd number sizes? I am between a two and four. Sizes are so arbitrary these days, with some label I am a zero, yet with other junior label I am a 1/2 R pants.

[Claire Cook]

Well before you started this thread I felt pretty petite in my size 10 dresses but now I feel like a friggin blimp!!! Thanks!!!

Karren, LOL! Seriously, I for one have given up figuring out women's clothes sizes. I'm normally a 10-12, but have one size 8 dress that fits great, and I've tried on size 14 dresses that I would not dare zip up for fear of ripping them!

[Karren H]

Where do you find odd number sizes? I am between a two and four. Sizes are so arbitrary these days, with some label I am a zero, yet with other junior label I am a 1/2 R pants.

Head to the Jr department. They are odd numbers... If you can wear that young stuff...

[Teri Jean]

I'm sorry but I wear a size 18-20 and look slim in them. But then I'm not so vertically challenged. LOL The sizes have shifted and for some of us it has more to do with age than the manufacture of the garments. Get it? Hmmmmmmmmmm Yep I getting wider and shorter. LOL

[Christie ann]

I have heard that the big "they" in the mass fashion industry have re-standardized sizes so that we all still feel good about our selves and continue to buy clothes. I have noticed that while I have stayed relatively the same, I now wear a smaller size than just a few years ago. We won't get into the numbers other than to say they are higher than mid teens.

This has also been the biggest "out" on me, that I know women's sizes.

[Chari]

In the "fashion" business there are no standard sizes! What is a size 8 made by one manufacturer, could be a size 6 or 10 from another. Some clothing manufacturers did down size the numbers a few years ago to help convince GGs that "todays gals are a bit smaller". IMO, it was probably because of foreign products made in the Asian markets. Also yesterdays fads hanging in your closet could be tomarrows fashion!

[AKAMichelle]

I think the answer would have to be nearly all of us. Women have body issues and we are no different. That gut as a guy which is ok, is absolutely disgusting in female mode.

I would love to lose several dress sizes.

[shannonsilk]

The only people who are holding out against size inflation/deflation are the ones that make sewing patterns. The sizing for them is still what it was decades ago and is way different than today. A size 16 is a 38" chest and 30" waist according to Vogue patterns.

[dilane]

I read an article about clothing sizes awhile ago.

Generally speaking, size 10 in the USA is the average woman's size.
The average American woman is about 20 pounds (9kg) heavier than she was 20 years ago.
Hence the size inflation. (a result of body inflation

I wear size 8 in current sizes, but I cannot zip up some old size 8 dresses from the 80's that my wife used to wear.
I have an old skirt in size 12 from the mid 70's, and I can't close the waist on it. Nowadays I wear skirts in sizes 2 to 6.

-- Diane

[Sarah Michelle]

One of the Toronto area t.v. stations did a report on sizing. They bought the clothes and then measured them, the numbers don't mean a thing anymore, a 28 waist jean (not mine) can be as large as 30. There is a term for it which I've forgotten but it has to do with trying to sustain the self-esteem of young people by keeping the number small.
And for all you single digit sizes, I'm with the big girls, 18 for my tops and dresses, 12/14 for my skirts. I shop in Penningtons more than I would like, and I use a seamstress to make the dresses hang properly.

[Jodi]

Where do you find odd number sizes? I am between a two and four. Sizes are so arbitrary these days, with some label I am a zero, yet with other junior label I am a 1/2 R pants.

The odd numbered sizes are junior sizes. The even numbered sizes are missys sizes. For junior sizes, you look for the junior dept in a large store. Some stores specialize in junior sizes, ie Express, Rave, Rue 21.

Jodi