I’m not thin but neither am I large. In the local Asian brand market, I usually take an M (Medium) size for clothes without being over ambitious.
Yet going into to Western (American, British or European) clothes stores, I find I’m fitting into sizes like XS, S (MNG, Zara, Banana Republic) 0, 2 (Banana Republic, Gap) 8 (Marks & Spencer, TopShop or any British brand). The question is, am I really fitting into those tiny sizes? If I am, then how on earth are the even slimmer or smaller sized girls fitting into anything in these brands?
This is the phenomenon of vanity sizing. I personally believe that vanity sizing exists. Why I say so is because when you compare men and women’s clothing sizes, you’d notice that most men’s sizes are constant across most brands. Men’s shirts are measured by collar size (which don’t differ by very much), chest and sleeve length and men’s pants are measured by waist and length of the leg. That’s mostly all there is to men’s wear I’ve found. Know a man’s collar and waist size and you can invariably shop for your man at any time, even with him absent, without too much fear of his clothes not fitting.
Try with with women’s clothes and you have a nightmare on your hands. The same dimensions could mean anything from an XS to an M depending on the brand and cut. I personally feel it would be better if there could be some form of chart or guideline provided that shows you what the measurements of an XS or M are. Worse still when numbers come into play. Can you imagine if I’m a 0 in sizing, what would a smaller girl be? Negative? I have seen labels with negative sizing once (I can’t recall where) and it wasn’t pretty, I assure you! Negative sizing is just wrong!
I think manufacturers are basically catering to the psychology and vanity of women. Weight and size are 2 things many women obsess about. Manufacturers can capitalize on this by reducing their label sizes while keeping the dimensions the same. So, if you normally wear M but find that you are an S or XS in a certain brand, you might want to keep shopping there just so your wardrobe is populated with clothes that bear the label of a smaller size. I guess it might make some people happy but it doesn’t help or encourage them to lose any extra weight if they are still fitting into their old sizes albeit the dimensions might now be larger.
What it does do, is create havoc when shopping as far as I’m concerned. These days, I walk into a store and I can’t tell from looking at the labels what size I might take, and I hate having to try on lots of different sizes just to find one that fits. I don’t quite subscribe to this vanity sizing phenomenon because all I want are clothes that fit. I might gasp a little if told I’m an L but hey, if its fits and looks good, its just a label, and no one has to see it except you (and not even you if you cut it off!). 😉
I must admit to a little thrill every time I’m told I take an XS or S or 2 or 0 (yes its happened before and I was reeling) but the thrill soon passes when you realise that out of that one store, those sizes don’t exist in other brands.
In this regard, I find that Asian brands tend to be more constant in their sizing. I can more or less consistently take an M for most Asian or local brands. In fact, I find that the Asian version of Vanity Sizing is the opposite of the western concept. In Asian brands, I am anywhere between an M (Medium) to an L (Large). Somehow I find that Asian brands are cut smaller so I actually have to size UP instead of DOWN and fitting into an S or XS is but a dream. This begs the other question – if Asian sizes are cut small and Western sizes are cut bigger, what size are we in actual fact? The mind boggles…
Do you have a problem with vanity sizing?
hehehe to be honest, I’ve been having trouble choosing even ASIAN sizes! Do you know that I get to buy Small, Medium , Large and sometimes XL???? and it’s all asian brands!!!! It is just confusing and I always leave that to try on the shirt/blouse instead of just buying it base on shops! That’s why online shopping for clothes isn’t a good idea to be honest not unless the material is LYCRA… anyways..we even have one brand name here called Petite monde wherein I felt they only serves PETITE customers coz their sizes are only XS, S and Ms…that’s it! LOL and not everyone is petite here in the PHilippines..can you imagine that? But in fairness, we do have shops for big sizes as well 🙂 sizes are just CRAZY! Don’t let me start to talk about shoe sizes! lol
So far, i only have no problem when it comes to jeans since many brands measure it in waist and length. Other than that? Are just miserable. I have problem just like you and some time even a 4 look loose on me. After that i just walk pass some shop even the clothes inside attract me sooo… much, cause i know they wont fit me, ugh!
I tell you…I super hate it when they don’t standardize their sizes. So normally, I note down in my hp the brands and the sizes I wear. But so far, the international brands have remained the most consistent one across the board. I’m a size 8 or rather S internationally I think…and sizes don’t affect me. I just need something that fits. I do realise that it’s more difficult when it comes to pants. I fluctuate between size 8 and 10 depending on the cut and brand. I prefer sizes in numbers. So much easier. All the while I thought 8 is a size S but in Forever 21, I wear a size M and I have no idea what size M is in no. Super confusing!
I have problem every time i go shopping for clothes. I have broad shoulders, so XL is my size but asian brands, not many have them. They are always out of stock for the blouses i like, or they just don’t make it in my size. International brands make me feel huge and fat 😛 because my size is double digits. Anyway, its not my fault my bones are huge, genetics. My jeans, i buy from the men’s department. Female size jeans they have my waist size, but the length is not there. So thats my luck.. 🙁
And, I think EU size and US sizes should just standardize…I am a size 4-6 (S) in the States but size 8 in Europe countries. Sigh.
Nikki: Asians seem to think everyone is super small while western brands seem to be larger. Most confusing! I however have less problems with shoes as I’m quite consistently a size 36!
a.min: Ah yes, jeans are probably the most consistent in terms of sizing. Everything else is out the window.
S-kay: I usually just try it on in whatever smallest and next size up is available. Numbers don’t bother me but I guess its not true of others.
Ali3nated: Ooh think of it this way – you have long legs! 🙂 And just because its double digits doesn’t mean anything so long as it fits and you look good. 🙂
Yes! Sizing is a joke. I can buy all XS, S, M and L within even ONE brand name! Talk about unstandardized! It’s frustrating especially when you feel like just picking up and paying but no…I have to wait in line behind 10 girls to get into the changing room. I agree, I don’t care what the size says, as long as that garment fits well and makes me look fab! 🙂
Oh I don’t know. I really don’t mind it, hehe. Here in Oz, I range from Small to Large (L if bought in Chinese clothes shops). But for the rest, I’m an M. In M’sia, I can’t get anything less than a bloody XL.
I likey here :p
The fashion industry is so obesssed with size!!!! Once you are plus-sized, it’s so difficult to get clothings. 🙁
In Singapore, getting anything more than XL is like hunting for treasure. Most of the times, you can only get plus-size clothings in Dorothy Perkins, Marks & Spencer, a couple of brands in Robinsons and risk wearing the same clothings as the other girls on the streets. I had an incident once at my workplace where my colleague and I wore the same blouse.. and the same colour! It’s so embarassing! But (luckily?) another colleague told me that the blouse slooks lightly different on me due to our build (I’m a ‘smaller’ size (UK16) than the other colleague) and I had added on other accessories.
I love shopping, especially for clothes and make-up, but walking into any fashion outlets often invite stares from the sales staff. As much as I wish to be able to fit in those tiny sizes, I guess it’s still donkey years away before I can walk into those shops with ease, despite hours of gym exercises and diets.. Ha ha ha. 😛
I’d be pretty happy (and thus proving that I’m susceptible to vanity sizing! LOL) if I could fit into either M or S sizes. Unfortunately, for Asian brands, I normally end up as L or even XL, due to shoulder/bust/hip cutting problems.
I would so love to be in Tine’s shoes right now!
I have a problem with Asian sizes because they have smaller cuts esp in the busts area.. so it’s quite hard to get a perfectly fit top.. so i have to resort to brands like zara, f21, mng for a top that flatters my body more.. but its really disappointing esp when i badly want to fit those free sizes clothes in bangsar n hartamas *_*
I am very small-sized girl and I cannot fit in most Western brands because they are too big for me even for size S or XS. I am okay with Asian brands though, usually I can fit in their S or XS size. I am thrilled when I get a smaller size too, but really t doesn’t really tempt me to get all my clothes from that particular shop only. Designs and comfort are more important!
my experience: there’s US sizing, of which there’s womens sizes (even number scale) and junior sizes (odd number scale); UK size which is even number; European size which is even number double digits. Within those sizing systems typically can expect to be the same size, maybe going up or down one size depending on brand or style of clothing. I’m a 12 in US size (US L = size 12-14), 14 in UK size, 42 in European. if i know what sizing system a brand uses then i start from these figures and go from there. Asian brands? no way, i can’t fit into anything by asian brands! and funny enough, neither can my mom even though she is a slender and petite woman, 5 ft 2, US size 4. so it’s not just about being thin, it’s also your bone structure.
I don’t think it’s vanity sizing because American women do tend to be larger esp across the shoulders and hips. Their shirts are cut for broader shoulders while Asian brands tend to be more narrow. FYI my mom and i also fit well into VS bras but Asian brands are really uncomfortable for us, the cups are too narrow and close together.
i used to wear M and S back in Asia, but since coming to North America, I always have to pick whatever the smallest size is of the brand. Generally i find Banana Republic the most guilty of vanity sizing – most of their size 0’s don’t fit me. I’ve noticed that of all the international brands, Esprit and Benetton are much better for Asians on the petite side.
Yeah, being of larger frame, I can’t really buy clothes in Asian shops. The XL usually can’t fit me. But I noticed that in recent years, they are changing the cutting and size. I am able to fit into the largest size usually, L or XL depending on how many sizes they have for each design.
But its true about vanity sizing. Recently I bought a stretchy top from a small little no brand shop that says their stock comes from Paris and I am an S. There are only 2 sizes available. S and XS. Goodness.
And now the larger cutting clothes are in and I can fit in S, M, L, XL depending on how fitting, short I want the clothes to be. All in 1 shop too. Thats just mind boogling.