The FastDay Forum

I have been perplexed as to why I am still a size 18 and not gone down a size after losing 17 KGS ( 37 pounds) it doesn't make sense, right? The answer came to me this week- vanity sizing. Let me explain.As a larger person I shop in the larger lady shops like 'Autograph'and ' Be me' and I am a size 18 there or an XL in target or most other shops. I've been hanging to get down to a size 16 and less and decided I won't officially be a size 16 till I can fit into a normal clothes shops pants ( like Myer, Target, Suzanne Grae etc) any way I would be a 16 in the tops but still not the bottom half - my legs would but still a bit tight around waist- I figure 2 or 3 more KGS off should do it. Anyhoo- I went to buy a smaller size in the swimming cossies I like at 'Beme' as I explained to the lady, I really like the skirt style and i needed the smaller size as I am losing weight. She asked me what size I was. I told her size 18. She looked shocked and said 'not in our clothes your not. You would be a size 16 verging on a size 14" then it hit me - all the clothes in this shop are a size smaller on the label than what they would be in your average shop- I think they call it vanity sizing. So at 104 kgs i was really a size 20 (drrrrr )all along even though my clothes said 18 or XL and i suppose I have gone down a size to size 18 and soon to be 16. So this was my lightbulb moment. Sorry it is such a saga but I wanted to share and it may help someone.
Xxx julianna

Are you saying that something labelled size 20 in a regular shop would be called size 18 in a specialised 'larger ladies'' shop? How confusing!

Very confusing. In the UK there is a ladies clothes shop which has a 'bigger' range. The standard size in the regular part of the shop goes up to a 16 but if you compare that 16 to the 16 in the larger section there is a massive different.
Strange.

Yes Sally- that is my conclusion. Because I can fit into BeMe size 16 jeans( wearing them now and slightly loose) but still cannot fit into Size 16 pants/jeans/Capri pants in Myer, Target ,Best and Less and Lord have I tried! Yes it is confusing Lil and pretty patronizing really to larger sized people when you think about it. But I'm not outraged as I'm pretty layed back. Just happy to finally understand WHY I have been unable to buy new clothes!

Well soon at the rate you are going you will be wafting past BeMe clothes range onto Myers

Well, if you'd like to really be confused try coming over here to the States. Not only do you have the plus size shops with their unique sizing; there are the plus sizes at the big box stores which tend to be larger, IMO. Then, when you go to Kohls or the department stores in the mall they have women's sizes, misses sizes and junior sizes that use the same numbers but are NOT the same size, not by a long shot. If you shop boutiques they tend to run small and are not as likely to be vanity sizes.

I am moving to more 14s; but I have clothes that fit (and fit well, not baggy) that are 14, 14W, 16, 16W and 18. I have some 18W and even some 20s that ran small that I still wear but they are fairly baggy now. Also, if you go in the junior department they do some weird things for plus size like make 15, 17 and 19. I have a pair of 15s that fit perfectly and look nice. There is also the L, XL and XXL type sizing. For me, pants are the worst.

When you have big "girls" that makes blouses that button difficult to size properly. Dresses are a complete different thing, too.

I noticed that a while ago. I've also noticed that I can fit into a 12 in brands like sportscraft, regatta, basque but if I tried this size in most of the brands my 23 year old daughter wears they would be too tight.
As gillymary said you'll be out of those stores in no time.

[Betsysgr8]

43tweaker you took the words right out of me! I have almost always HAD to buy the plus sizes or womens sizes but they never made sense of my body type. In order to get the waist to fit (back in the day when pants/trousers fitted at the small of the waist and not below as now days) I couldn't find anything to fit proper, the croch hung to low and the butt was too big but the thighs fit if the waist did! It was insane! I was much better at fitting into men's levi's 501's because everything fit my body much better! When I had lost enough weight to try my husbands jeans on and they fit! he asked me "will they stay that shape after they are washed?" (I discovered and so did he curves!) I replied "yes, if I wear them often enough" We went out and bought more of "our" jeans the next day! lol

Yeah, Betsy...I have done the same thing. Tried my OH jeans (and khaki shorts once) and found they fit me better if they are too tight for him. Actually, now I fall about halfway in the middle of the hubs and my oldest, 18yo son. I have worn cast offs from both of them. I don't mind big sloppy tshirts for working out or sometimes sleeping, crafting, cooking, hanging out at home etc.

There is also the self vanity of 'if I can squeeze into 24 then I'm a 24' not a 26 as I really am. Or where blouses are concerned a 28.
Its only now after losing 40lbs that I can truly say that my bottoms are a size 20 or 22 if they haven't got elastic, but my top is still a large buxom lady top at about 24.

I also agree that 'large ladies shops add and inch on here and there just to make you feel good.

I remember a story on a TV Current Affairs program here in Sydney which talked about this mislabelling of sizes on clothes in an attempt to make the consumer fell better about the product. I found it very strange at the time that someone would have their identity and sense of self-worth tied up in a number printed on the label at the back of their clothes, but it actually does seem to be quite common.

I think UK sizing must be pretty consistent because all my 16s are too big, and my few 14s fit. That's for trousers. I can wear smaller sizes for dresses and tops (12, and sometimes 10 in a pinch), but that's because I'm a pear, not because the sizing is off.

I have a few US trousers from Eddie Bauer, Gap, and Ann Taylor. The ones that fit are all 12s. The 14s fit like UK 16s.

I used to find sizing a complete nightmare and mainly shopped at M&S (as it was easier). Would take anything from 18-22 into the changing rooms of every outfit. Most depressing

One top would be say 18, another cut would be 22 at a min. I was XL mostly when not an actual size.

I wouldn't buy close fitting as being an apple, they just clung around the mid area.

Now I am a 12 on top (but some cuts are still 16 in places), however I have moved away from M&S and can venture into other shops (woohooo) ! Several women I work with shop at M&S and often see several wearing the same clothes.

I still don't know what size to buy online though, maybe it will get easier or stop being in between sizes

Now I find M&S trouser lengths to be all over the place (now I am trying on other styles).

Thanks for all you comments. @ma3xiu1's thoughts made remember a thought I used to have when I was slim- what does it matter what size number is on your clothes tag- as long as the clothes are flattering and fit well.
Xxx julianna

This has been going on for quite a while - I think we are being 'programmed' into sizes with labels - 'normal' 'obese' (I remember the time my doctor said I was obese; in my mind's eye, I wasn't!) as it's easy to 'categorise' us that way.

We are the fortunate few who have recognised this and we're 'fighting back', aren't we, ladies?