2, 4, 6, 8, what is Leslie's sizing fate?

I mean, seriously.

On Sunday, I was trying on various items of clothing (sportsbra at Lucy; silky halter sundress at Foxes; tee shirt at Target) and if someone had gathered up all the pieces that actually fit me and then looked at the tags, they would have seen I was Made in Heaven have thought someone was shopping for Brangelina's soccer team.

Lucy: Medium/Long sportsbra (love the long option! Keep it up!)
Foxes: Size six is just billowing around my chest. Like, I don't think I could have filled a Size zero up there.
Target: Size extra large bottoms on a cute polka dot bikini barely contain my rear and a size large on the top looks like something Pammie Anderson would wear. Within 30 minutes I have jumped from toddler ta tas to Kim Kardashian. Halleluyah!
Old Navy: (In truth, I didn't actually go to Old Navy but rather was wearing an outfit almost entirely composed of their stuff, so as I changed in and out of clothes, I noticed...) Size medium pointelle knit sweater fits but is tight, in a good way; Size small khaki jacket makes me look like a camo-cutie but the sleeves have to be rolled-up to prevent high-water wrists and I can never button the thing - and yes, I bought it on purpose; Size 8 Long jeans are getting a wee bit hard to pul over the tushy but look good once they're on. I have the exact same pair in a different wash at home, Size 10, and somehow, they fit the same.

Either I'm some sort of pod person who can shapeshift between retail stores without my consciousness realizing it or...we need a presidential candidate who will demand a move toward universal ass coverage.

Comments

I agree I find the same thing in Australia, but I have the issue in the same store even. I can go from a size 8 in one pair of jeans up to and anything in between to a size 12 or 14. The trouble is the store only lets you take 5 items in too and 3 of those are the same item in 3 different sizes. Shopping sucks :( I say bring on universal sizing!

Amen, sister! It makes gift shopping so much harder too. My husband will ask what I want for my birthday and the only clothing I can reliably tell him what size to get are shoes. I get a lot of gift cards:)

Speaking of men, vanity sizing is a problem for them too. Hubby has Levi's cargo pants from the men's section in size 32/32 and Levi's cargo pants from the young men's section in 34/32. Guess which ones won't button? That's right, the 34/32. I mean, those numbers are supposed to mean "inches" right???

And what is the insanity with juniors vs women's sizing? A size 5 is smaller than a size 2. Somebody stop the madness!

PS> Did you get any cute sundresses??? I'm dying to go spring shopping - so I can celebrate all 3 months of warm weather here:)

seriously.

this vanity sizing is getting ridonculous.

I get it, that it's supposed to make us feel better about ourselves, but made it makes shopping take a whole lot longer.

there's a good study to do, however, perhaps the MizFit is entirely wrong and V.S. does increase what a given store is able to sell.

Id imagine it would.

(tangent. but not. Im clueless on the different between a 24 month pair of shorts and a 2T for my Toddler Tornado as well. I suggest we lose the numbers and simply go by barometers we all know: baggy (aka MK Olsen) tailored (uh, Diane Keaton?) and LeavingNadaToImagination (this week? LaLohan)

M.

i just buy mediums...life is too short to worry about size. besides, designers are numerically challenged; that's why they're designing clothes and not math equations!

This is a big part of why I hate shopping! If you look in my closet, I have pants ranging from a size 6 to a size 12, all of which fit me pretty much the same. My bathing suits seem like the halves were bought for two totally different people, and the shirts are just all over the place.

While vanity sizing is kinda stupid, I would be okay with it if there was a universal system. That way, if I pop into the Gap to buy some pants, I don't have to try on 4 pair, wondering which is gonna fit!

hilarious Leslie! What did you end up getting? (should we call you Kim now?) :)

the sizes are so frustrating. I rarely have time to go shopping and when I do, I don't want to try on 10 different sizes!

I'm all for universal ass coverage!

All the more reason not to obsess over sizes when losing weight, eh?

@ anon - "designers are numerically challenged; that's why they're designing clothes and not math equations" - best thing I've read all morning!! Hee:)

Couldn't agree more. The target bikinis are so cute but sadly not something I can wear in public! I wish they had a section of suits for women that was between the grandma suit section and the cute display for teens.

Amen! I absolutely am writing in a Universal Ass Coverage referendum in on the ballots in November!

I mean, we have a Department of Weights and Measures or some such thing, right? You can't put out a ruler or scale or whatever without it conforming, yes? WHY shouldn't clothing sizes be the same?

Okay. Maybe because then I couldn't fool myself into feeling better about my tush by shopping at the store with the smaller numbers on the bigger clothes. :-) But at least I'd have a little better roadmap...and I'd waste WAY less time in horrid torture-chamber death-camp-reminiscent changing rooms...

And totally agree juniors sizing is insane. These girls have enough body image problems...let's just stick them in what is realistically a size 2 and tell them it's a 9. THAT'll make 'em feel good about themselves...

V.

ooh - Valerie, maybe we can start a write-in ballot campaign. Or something.

WorkoutMommy - I bought the sportsbra but returned it b/c I thought the material was too thin. And all I got at Target was a long sleeved wicking tee. Twas a sad, sad day for Leslie's closet.

anon - astutely summed up :-)

I agree that it is complete madness. My closet contains S-XL...all fitting pretty near the same. Forget about pants, 4-10 grace my closet also....no wonder women have such body image issues!!!

That is why I like shopping at the consignment shops where they organize everything by color...takes the focus off the number!

Don't have much to add except a big ole "amen" to universal sizing!

What a great post. Sizing is so ridiculous. At one point, I had bottoms sized 4, 6, and 8 all from Abercrombie. The same freaking brand!!! What is this garbage? I hate it.

I guess this is the cool thing about being in culinary school or beign a chef, a VERY forgiving uniform! These days i basically live in those huge, drawstring checkered chef's pants, and when i was on break last week, wearing jeans and pants with actuall sizes felt so restricting. Its really funny, our pants for school come in only three sizes, short, regular, and extra long!

totally... i fit in different sizes everywhere, and often many different sizes even within the same store!

Women's sizing is so ridiculous! I hate it.

Vanity sizing is really out of control. On the upside though, in a way, it can help one not get so attached to a number as it can change just from store to store.

I hear ya sister! Sizes suck! Why do guys have standard sizes based of of inches and we have to jump from size to size depending on the brand and sometimes the cut/style within the same brand?!

I feel like some companies just want to make you feel really skinny and boost your self-esteem so they take what is really a 8 and make it a 6 so you'll want to shop there. But then there are the stores designed for teeny boppers who have flag poles for legs like Hollister so good luck getting an ankle in their jeans and half a boob in their XL tops.

So your numeric-based self-esteem is riding high at one store and then you try on a shirt at another you and are Fatty McTubberton.

Wear what looks and feels good on you, regardless of the number on the tag; we all know its immaterial since the sizes are so inconsistent. And it drives me crazy when gals say 'I'm a 2' like a status ranking. 2 as in 2 years old? 2nd place? YOU are not 'a 2' its just the number on your tag! A sad and unimpressive way to define yourself.