thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 25, 2015 10:27:49 GMT -5
It's about time they start making workout clothes in larger sizes. Just because I'm not a size 10 for two, doesn't mean that I don't like to work out. They make workout clothes in my size, but I still hate working out.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 25, 2015 11:52:25 GMT -5
I've gotten such that I HATE buying clothes. I'm sitting very firmly on that cusp between ladies and plus sizes and neither fit me well.
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quince
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Post by quince on Aug 25, 2015 12:34:24 GMT -5
I'm fat. I don't mind clothing being called plus sized. Less stupid prints though, please.
I can usually get regular sizing in clothing, except for bikini tops. I prefer those with bra sizing anyway. (And yes, fat me still wears bikinis.)
I have a reasonably sized chest- it can be hard to find clothing that works well with average to above average sized boobs, at any size.
I'd laugh at a Big and Busty section for clothing.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Aug 25, 2015 12:36:33 GMT -5
I actually got a lot of info from that show What Not To Wear. They didn't have only tall skinny women on there. They pointed out how to buy a blouse for big boobs and how to buy pants if your butt was larger than your waist!! It's called tailoring. Something I always had to have done due to being short. But some pants I've had to have the waist taken in bcuz I get that gap in back that I'm not happy with. DH has a home office and I think I'm getting a sewing machine. But I hate having to go through racks of clothes to find my size. It's okay in a small store like Lily but a department store? What a pita. I was in a Dillard's that didn't designate sizes on sections. My time was more valuable than to dig through piles and hangars to see if my size was somehow there.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Aug 25, 2015 12:37:12 GMT -5
I'm fat. I don't mind clothing being called plus sized. Less stupid prints though, please. I can usually get regular sizing in clothing, except for bikini tops. I prefer those with bra sizing anyway. (And yes, fat me still wears bikinis.) I have a reasonably sized chest- it can be hard to find clothing that works well with average to above average sized boobs, at any size. I'd laugh at a Big and Busty section for clothing. Big and Busty. That's a great name!!
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Aug 25, 2015 12:44:58 GMT -5
Can we just drive drop all the labels, and simply use numbers? Real, measurement based numbers? That don't change?
What does 0 mean? Or 3x? What did 10 mean twenty years ago? They are all stupid.
It works for guys jeans: waist and inseam in inches. Why can't we handle real measurements for other clothes items? It would make buying clothes easier, at least in theory. Now I never know if something will fit me, I have to try everything on, I can't trust the size numbers to run "true".
As much as it would be nice for a given style item to be available in all sizes, some styles just will not be flattering to all sizes and shapes. There needs to be some variety in cuts as well, people come in all different shapes. I'm sure that is why much of the larger sizes are less than well fitting - just making things bigger all around is not the best answer.
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quince
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Post by quince on Aug 25, 2015 12:51:57 GMT -5
Maybe waist, hip, and inseam for women?
Not a problem for me anymore, but when I was just out of high school, I had a 20 inch waist, and 38 inch hips. Not a goddamned thing fit me.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 25, 2015 13:05:33 GMT -5
I'm sure that is why much of the larger sizes are less than well fitting - just making things bigger all around is not the best answer.
They need to be longer too. I had a horrible time with some LS t shirts I bought from EB last year. They were plenty big around, but the freaking shirts shrunk such that they didn't cover my waistband on my jeans. I do NOT need to be showing my midriff! I just ordered some LS t shirts from Duluth Trading post that are supposed to be longer. Fingers are crossed that they are.
I have found that I have had much better success buying coats in the men's department. They're longer in length, wider across the shoulder (so I can wear something other than a t shirt without feeling like I'm in a straight jacket) and they're much better constructed.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Aug 25, 2015 16:02:49 GMT -5
I could rant about this all day. I'm short (petite) and right on the edge of the two categories as well. BUT I have a large chest and shirts are a nightmare. I gave up on long sleeves in most shirts ages ago since I don't have $50 to spend on one freaking shirt. I buy cardigans and wear them over camis in the winter since I'm lucky enough to live in the south. LS T-shirts suck! If it's big enough to get around the chest, the arms are 6 inches too long. I'm not exactly sure when clothing manufacturers decided we are all wearing stripper shoes with our pants but I'd like them to get over it please. I tried on a pair of jeans once that fit perfectly, except for the fact that the fabric extended 6 inches past my toes. WTH kind of shoe is that tall?? I'm all for being able to find decent looking stuff in larger sizes, don't make shirts out of leftover circus tent materials and tell us it's pretty. We're larger than you think we should be, not stupid. The clothes in Lane Bryant stores, by and large, make me want to poke my eyes out. Most of the prints are fugly and the T-shirts seem to be aimed to appeal to 9 year olds.
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Aug 25, 2015 16:52:19 GMT -5
I'm a plus size and find that size 0X fits me best, but that size is really hard to find. XL, XXL and 1X don't always fit right. I did find one brand of pants that fit me pretty well and I've bought several pairs of them when I can find them.
Don't get me started on the styles available in plus sizes! I'm sick of only finding these filmy, silky fabric blouses in prints only an old lady would wear! I know I'm older but I still want to look good. In addition, I work in a professional capacity and I don't need to look like a "hootchy mama" when I go to work.
i have to attend several formal events each year and trying to find formal wear that doesn't look juvenile or MOB is really hard.
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honeysalt
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Post by honeysalt on Aug 25, 2015 17:14:40 GMT -5
The sizes that stores carry don't make any sense to me from a business perspective. I am not plus sized, but the two women I shop with are. I can't tell you how many times they find something they like, ask if there are any in their size, only to have the store clerk say that all of the items in their size flew off the rack the second they came in.
I understand that some brand and design houses distinguish themselves by not offering larger options, but I think most of them are just missing out on sales.
My friends usually go to Lane Bryant and they love it. For some shoppers, this might be about avoiding the "skinny bitches" as Captain put it, but it also has to be nice to have a store filled with clothing in your size. Also, their sales associates in my city are some of the best I have encountered.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Aug 25, 2015 17:20:40 GMT -5
I've had good luck finding non-ugly clothes of decent quality here: Ulla Popken
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Aug 25, 2015 17:42:09 GMT -5
Well, approximately 70% of the American population is overweight or heavier... I think the last stats were that 30% plus was Obese...
I'm short and stout and when I'm just "overweight" I'm currently in the size 10 to 12 range... when my BMI shifts firmly into obese I'm fitting into 14s...
The other thing to remember is that women's clothing sizes are kind of questionable... They suffer from Vanity sizing... so basically clothes are bigger - so today's size 10 would equate to 10 years ago "size 14" or bigger.
I have some weight and measurement stats from the late 80's - and what size clothing I was buying (I was keeping a 'journal' because I was running and working out...) Back then I was size 12 at 135 pounds. Today I'm a size 12 and weight a fat flabby 155 pounds. (I'm also boarding on having an obese BMI.... )
I did loose weight 2 years ago - and got down to 134/125 and was fitting into a Size 6... How come I was a size 12 at the same weight more than a dozen years ago?? That's vanity sizing. For a while I was joking that if I could just hold steady at 134/135 - I'd eventually be wearing a "negative size" thanks to vanity sizing.
Basically, we're ALL a lot bigger than people use to be....
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 25, 2015 18:04:58 GMT -5
How do you determine what the waist is on low-rise jeans? I guess we don't have to worry about it, since they will be out of style until 2025-2030.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 25, 2015 18:16:07 GMT -5
Welll.....not really. Dudes are usually more straight, and the rise differential is much smaller than a woman's. The difference in the number of inches between my highest-waisted pants and my lowest waisted pants would be more than 5 inches. So, I would have to know the rise first, and then figure out if I am a 28 or a 33. And I would have to know every rise-to-size proportion. So, I could be a 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 or 33. I am just not sure this is a magical solution as it is just as variable as being a "Size 8."
I don't find sizes as variable as other people do. 90% of the clothes in my closet are either an 8 or a M. My husband's pants size, however, has more variation.
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sapphire12
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Post by sapphire12 on Aug 25, 2015 18:33:30 GMT -5
My two cents: In high school, which was over 20 years ago, I used to sometimes shop in the 5-7-9 store. I can still get into my prom dress. It's too tight in the hips, but I can get it on. Sitting down is not an option though, so I'm not that much bigger now. I currently wear 4-8. I don't get the vanity sizing nonsense. Clothes are based on whatever scale is being used. If a 6 today used to be a 12 from yesteryear, so be it. I don't see this as vanity anything.
The bigger issue for me, is the inconsistency of clothing. I do not feel better when I have to buy a tank in XS, instead of a S or M. In fact, it annoys me to the nth degree. Now, when I order online, I order everything in at least 2 sizes and return what doesn't fit. I prefer to try clothes on at home, where I have all my shoes and options.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 25, 2015 22:00:59 GMT -5
Every pair of jeans I have is a size 8 - from the low (somewhat low, not Britney Spears low) to the (now fashionable) high waisted jeans. They are all 8's. When they size them, they take into account that many women have a waist and have hips. They try to make it so if you have a "normal" (whatever their definition of normal is) shape, the size is the same, even if the style is different. I would wear a size 8 in both the "Devin" that has a very short rise, and in the "Kate" fit - which hits a little below the belly button. I know that isn't true of all women - but what you are suggesting would make it untrue for a vast majority of women. Almost all of them would have a different "hip-hugger" size vs. a pant that comes higher.
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Aug 25, 2015 22:04:58 GMT -5
Well, approximately 70% of the American population is overweight or heavier... I think the last stats were that 30% plus was Obese...
I'm short and stout and when I'm just "overweight" I'm currently in the size 10 to 12 range... when my BMI shifts firmly into obese I'm fitting into 14s...
The other thing to remember is that women's clothing sizes are kind of questionable... They suffer from Vanity sizing... so basically clothes are bigger - so today's size 10 would equate to 10 years ago "size 14" or bigger.
I have some weight and measurement stats from the late 80's - and what size clothing I was buying (I was keeping a 'journal' because I was running and working out...) Back then I was size 12 at 135 pounds. Today I'm a size 12 and weight a fat flabby 155 pounds. (I'm also boarding on having an obese BMI.... )
I did loose weight 2 years ago - and got down to 134/125 and was fitting into a Size 6... How come I was a size 12 at the same weight more than a dozen years ago?? That's vanity sizing. For a while I was joking that if I could just hold steady at 134/135 - I'd eventually be wearing a "negative size" thanks to vanity sizing.
Basically, we're ALL a lot bigger than people use to be....
Last week I was cleaning out clothes to donate, and tried some things on as part of the decision process. Some of the pants and skirts were size 10, most size 8, and many were too tight in the waist now, or otherwise didn't fit right. Now, after five kids, I'm wearing size 0-2. Roughly the same weight, slightly different shape. That's vanity sizing!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 25, 2015 22:32:43 GMT -5
Really?? I have been a size 8 for 13 years, and before that, I was 8 pounds lighter, and a size 6. Why am I the only one that didn't move from an 8 to a zero, even though I am the same weight??
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Aug 25, 2015 23:09:32 GMT -5
I have different problem: I wear petite pants and misses shirts.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Aug 26, 2015 0:03:18 GMT -5
If this is Melissa McCarthy's line, I read an article about that and her main point seemed to be that all shapes of women ought to be able to shop together - that if you go out shopping for fun with your GF's, you should all be able to go to one department and find the same dress in size 4 and 14 and 24. As it is now, the petite women go to one section, the average women go to another one, and the fluffy women go to a third. I guess they have to meet up later someplace (I don't know, I hate shopping and I always do it by myself so I can get it over with ASAP). I understand her point, for women who like to shop as a group, but for me, personally, I don't want to waste time sorting through clothing that isn't appropriate for me. A lot of stores have stuff that is too 'young' for a middle aged broad like me, and I know which stores have good quality stuff that won't fall apart after a couple washings, so I have a handful of stores I visit when undertaking the dreadful task of buying new clothing. I know those stores will have my size, will carry pretty good quality stuff, and carry professional business clothing, which is what I'm usually shopping for. So I would prefer larger stores maintain a 'young adult' area, a petite area, a woman's area and a plus size area, because that makes it faster for me to find what I want and get the hell out. Although to be honest, I've mostly switched to online shopping in the last five years or so, because that means I don't have to visit the damn mall at all. I think there should be two separate departments - women who like to shop for fun and women who consider it torture and want to get in and out. In the "for fun" department - knock yourselves out. Have 50 different style and sized all in one big pile. But in the other department - please point me to the "short" section and "fat" section bc those are the only two I want to be looking through. Also, are we ever going to stop renaming everything
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Aug 26, 2015 0:14:54 GMT -5
Really?? I have been a size 8 for 13 years, and before that, I was 8 pounds lighter, and a size 6. Why am I the only one that didn't move from an 8 to a zero, even though I am the same weight?? Pre-kids I was the same weight for YEARS. Depending on the store I wore sizes from 0-6. Or small. Now, I am about 8-10. Or medium. Very rarely large. That is really my only wish for clothing manufacturing - have consistent in sizes so I can buy things on-line. I don't want to try on 3 same shirts to figure out what size I need.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 26, 2015 0:30:55 GMT -5
All the women in that picture are built like rulers. Of course the pants fit them regardless of how high waisted they are. They're all the same thickness from roughly their knees to their shoulders. I seriously doubt that's true of curvy women though. It can't be true of women with a belly, unless all high waisted women's pants are designed to fit over a belly, but then they wouldn't fit women with flat stomachs. Judging by how often I see women with muffin top going on, a lot of you are deluding yourselves if you think you actually fit correctly into the size of low rise jeans you're wearing anyway. Switching to measurements in inches couldn't be any worse. They all fit ME in a size 8. I do not look like those women. I wear a size 8 almost always. If you change to an "inches" situation, I will wear many different sizes depending on the cut. But, from the sounds of it - I am the only one. It looks like everyone else has a range of sizes in their closet. I don't know why I am so lucky that every 8 fits me, or maybe I just stick with a more narrow range of stores and brands. Maybe the price level I purchase in is consistent, and if I went higher or lower, I would get more variety. I don't know why - but for some magical reason, I am a size 8. All I know is that if you go to an "inches" measurement, it wouldn't mean that clothes will be perfectly consistent and easy to figure out the right size. Even in men's clothes that isn't true. I am not sure why it is okay to be inconsistent with one number scheme, but not another. Maybe we should get rid of sizes and use a Granimal type of chart. One size can be a coyote, one a gorilla, one a giraffe, etc.
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honeysalt
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Post by honeysalt on Aug 26, 2015 1:15:32 GMT -5
All the women in that picture are built like rulers. Of course the pants fit them regardless of how high waisted they are. They're all the same thickness from roughly their knees to their shoulders. I seriously doubt that's true of curvy women though. It can't be true of women with a belly, unless all high waisted women's pants are designed to fit over a belly, but then they wouldn't fit women with flat stomachs. Judging by how often I see women with muffin top going on, a lot of you are deluding yourselves if you think you actually fit correctly into the size of low rise jeans you're wearing anyway. Switching to measurements in inches couldn't be any worse. I might have to revoke my woman card (which I don't hold that dearly) and my YM card (which is more important, but not sacrosanct) here. I am a size 0-2 US (I have some unique hormonal issues that make me infertile, and at a significantly increased risk for cancer., and have to see an endocrinologist on the regular...So, yes, I am scarfing cheeseburgers while staying thin, but, no, that is not without consequences). That is the part that may make me have to revoke my woman card. I also like European jeans, which are inch based and expensive (which may make me have to revoke my YM card). EU jeans use inches, but they still vary greatly regarding sizing. I have to go up 3+ inches to fit into J Jeans over Hudson Jeans. This is coming from a highly androgenic "woman" who is built like a pencil with no muffin top. If the measurements in inches were consistent, we could use them to overcome our delusions, but they currently are not, so I am not sure where that gets us, even those of us with no muffin top, no lower body curves and amounts of body fat that we have to regularly monitor to stay healthy, let alone the rest of the female population, fighting a very different fight. Women don't need to fit their clothes, we need clothes that fit us. I am fortunate enough to have a body that fashion houses want to clothe, but fashion houses and women are missing out because so many people in this industry are more concerned with fitting people like me (who are anomalies) than fitting average women, the very ladies who make up a majority of the market. All of which is not to say that you, Sum Dum Skinny Gai, are responsible for the dearth of clothing that fits the US female market, but it is to say that the US market place is currently undeserving a majority or the female population, and that seems like a strange waste to me, given how much money there is to be made by giving such a large part of the world's population (with discretionary income) the products that they desire.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Aug 26, 2015 1:45:02 GMT -5
Really?? I have been a size 8 for 13 years, and before that, I was 8 pounds lighter, and a size 6. Why am I the only one that didn't move from an 8 to a zero, even though I am the same weight?? I do not believe there is as much vanity sizing as is reported on these boards. I think more of it depends on who you buy from and muscle mass, measurements, etc. I know there is a clothing line that has their own odd sizing, and the majority of sizes are 0 to 3 for some reason. They do not do the usual Misses 2 to 16 thing.
Also, the cheaper the clothing, usually the tighter the sizes seem to fit and sometimes vice versa. I've noticed this at Walmart especially for pants and shorts. Thyme, you are not the only one who has not downsized in sizes. I unfortunately gained weight and my sizes went up as expected. I miss the size 8 days. I found buying clothes fairly consistent and easy too.
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honeysalt
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Post by honeysalt on Aug 26, 2015 2:02:54 GMT -5
Skinny? I've gained over 10 pounds in the last few months thank you very much! Since you state that : "I'm a skinny dude" just a few posts up, I am going to believe you.
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yogiii
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Post by yogiii on Aug 26, 2015 5:26:07 GMT -5
Really?? I have been a size 8 for 13 years, and before that, I was 8 pounds lighter, and a size 6. Why am I the only one that didn't move from an 8 to a zero, even though I am the same weight?? That's my experience also. I'm tall and basically boy shaped though, so maybe that has something to do with it?
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sarcasticgirl
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Post by sarcasticgirl on Aug 26, 2015 7:49:49 GMT -5
I wear different sizes depending on the cut and the manufacturer. I have a difficult time with pants because I am not hour glass... I do not have hips, I have a butt from jogging, but there is not curve from my waist to my hips. So, I end up buying pants that for my waist- size 12 and have to search for something that isn't baggy as hell on my hips.- also, I am short waisted, so low rise is a normal rise on me. I am tired of skinny legs because sometimes I just want a regular trouser. I suppose I could have them tailored, but I already have to have them hemmed, because at 5'5" regular pants are about 4 inches too long.
This is why I have been leaning towards dresses more and more. Find a great fit, buy in multiple colors.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using proboards
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Aug 26, 2015 8:52:03 GMT -5
Really?? I have been a size 8 for 13 years, and before that, I was 8 pounds lighter, and a size 6. Why am I the only one that didn't move from an 8 to a zero, even though I am the same weight?? I really have no clue when any of these items were from, they'd sat in my drawers forever and needed to go. At least some of them were likely pre-kids (I spent most of the 90's either pregnant or nursing, so not a lot of "regular clothes" from that period), so maybe most of the vanity sizing shift occurred then? I've been updating my wardrobe in recent years now that I'm working again and have moved beyond the toddler stage of childrearing. Unfortunately, things that fit me best are in the junior section, and I don't really want to dress like a teenager at work.
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Aug 26, 2015 8:55:30 GMT -5
I believe vanity sizing is rampant in the cheaper brands (Kohls, Penny's, Old Navy, etc.). Depending on the cut I wear a 2-6. I have a couple pairs of shorts from high school that were a size 10. I can barely squeeze into them.
In terms of the plus size stuff, I don't think the issue is putting in a different area of the store, I do think it's an issue that the plus size department tends to be far smaller with far less choice. Additionally, I hate that outside of places like Lane Bryant and a few other places plus sized clothes tend to be cut badly. I have a good friend who is a size 22/24 and anytime we go shopping I'm always appalled at the lack of choices that she has for cute clothes. And that the choices she does have are cut poorly, and that there is such a huge difference between two sizes, that she can't just go up or down a size to see if the next size fits a little better.
As for workout gear, I love runningwarehouse's clearance section. You can get some great stuff cheap, and they also carry larger sizes.
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