Size Matters

I've been thinking about size a lot recently. More specifically clothes sizing, most specifically women's clothes sizing and how very arbitrary and unhelpful it is for numerous reasons. I proably won't be able to cover all of my problems with it in one post, so I might try to cover the issues very generally now, and then come back to some select points at a later date, we shall see.

Why must we define our size with just one number?
I understand that it is not possible to make every item of clothing a company has for sale in every single possible combination of sizes, obviously it would be never ending. I also see that compared to men's clothing it makes sense, as they tend not to go in for all in one items*, and these numbers are 'dress' sizes. When trying to design and fit an item that covers 3 of the key measurement areas (bust, waist, hips) as well as the question of length in body, skirt and arms, it must be difficult to average it all out to a point where it fits the majority of women. Clearly the people in the know have had to perform some complex maths in order to create a univerally applicable sizing system that makes shopping a breeze.

 But they haven't. Or they did, but it was decades ago and it's become largely obsolete with modern diets, lifestyles, style of clothes we're wearing and the underwear we are choosing.

Even if it did still function it wouldn't matter because individual retailers and designers have free rein to fudge the numbers and make the customer feel better or worse about themselves, to sell more clothes (flattery), to sell less clothes (exclusivity) or just to be a pain in the arse (I have no proof of this one, it's just a suspicion). I've found that the older the target market of a store, the more generous the sizing. Also, the more expensive the shop the smaller the range of sizes they hold. Is this an indicator of production limitations or an effort to refine the customer base (the range will be at the smallest end, without fail.)

 *Perhaps the ubiquitous onesie may change this, should it prove to have sartorial staying power, but I doubt it. On a similar note I have never fathomed the logic of selling men's shirts sized only in relation to neck measurement, the smallest measurement you could base it on, except perhaps wrists. At least for women it tends to be your widest part that gets the deciding vote. 


Why is it only jeans that get the two measurement treatment?
A minor gripe, but for denim it seems someone decided we desrve a more accurate fit, and bestowed upon womankind the chance to have something that fits in both the leg and the waist. Not the hips though, which is odd, because for a good few years womens jeans didn't even reach the waist, they started somewhere just below the belly button, or lower (thanks Britney) so what measurement is that? Lower waist? Upper hip? Crotch girth? How can you sell something on the basis of a measurement for a body part that isn't even covered by the garment? Could I get this sweater in a 32" leg please?

What the hell is up with bra sizes?
I don't even know where to start. It seems that there are at least 3 different methods of measuring and sizing bras, and again some of the methods haven't changed since the first bras were created a century ago. It's hardly suprising that, as is often quoted, 80% of women are wearing the wrong size bra. The current sizing system defies logic for the most part, and creates all kinds of misunderstandings, making buying this most basic item of clothing fustrating and in some cases demoralising. If it is the intention of retailers to ensnare their customers by make shopping somewhere else massively inconvenient then they've succeeded. Perhaps we should all just strap them down until the lingerie powers that be sort their shit out.

In a sense none of this is a huge problem, because you go to the shop, you buy what fits, you learn who's selling what and how their sizing compares. The problems occur when people begin to define themselves and others by a number that has no real meaning but which can be used as a stick to beat them with, or an ideal to live up to.

One way we can get around all of this is by making our own clothes. Idealistic, yes, there's not many people who have the time and money to make their entire wardrobe, but once you've made just one thing for yourself, from scratch, you have a much better understanding of your own shape and how your clothes should fit the best.

As I said, I'll be coming back to these issues in the near future, with a bit more research and hopefully a few more answers, but I'd love to hear what you think now. Do you have a sizing pet hate? Are there stores you always have problems with? Let me know in the comments!