“Hold on, I’ll get you a large,” said the sales assistant. I’ve never been a ‘large’ in my life. What do you mean ‘a large’ I felt like saying? What do you mean I may not fit your ideal vision on what a small or medium size looks like? My self esteem and I stood under the fluro lights in half dressed confusion awaiting this ‘large’ to arrive.
While on a recent shopping expedition I happened upon a lovely dress in Zara. The ‘S’ hadn’t fit, the ‘M’ was snug and the ‘L’ was perfect. The only other size available was XL.
If you have ever felt like this when shopping, you’re not alone. Women face this problem everyday in shops all over Australia, as there is no standard clothing size used in the Australian fashion industry.
The most recent Australian clothing standard for adult men and women was withdrawn in 2007 as it was considered no longer relevant.
And do you know why? Established in 1959, the standard was based on data from a 1926 study of women conducted by underwear manufacturer Berlei and some US Department of Commerce Standards. That’s statistics older than your nanna.
In 2009 CHOICE commissioned a study in response to a federal government review of the Australian textiles, clothing and footwear industry.
“We haven’t collected data for such a long time so there is no standard across the industry,” Elise Davidson from CHOICE said.
“Fashion designers don’t work in a bubble and they have to be aware that these issues effect their customers. They are directly marketing to their ‘ideal’ body shape, which can sometimes exclude parts of the market,” she said.
Kate Brown, a journalist who participated in the study said that shopping can be an emotional roller coaster for women when trying on clothes.
“I do worry about the effect sizing can have on young women – to find out you don’t fit into some designers ‘vision’ of what they think is the norm could have a devastating affect on self esteem and a healthy body image,” Ms Brown said.
Rather than keeping sizes consistent, designers and manufacturers are free to make up their own size specifications playing on delicate issues around weight and self-image.
Former editor of Ragtrader Tracey Porter however thinks that the fashion industry can’t be held responsible for Aussie women’s’ self-esteem.
“In reality, fashion businesses like all commercial entities have the right to target whomever they chose with their product,” Ms Porter said.
“Whether they risk alienating a particular consumer segment or miss out on sales as a result of their decision is a risk they have to take,” she said.
I bought the dress from Zara in the end, even though I stood there deliberating in the change room for 20 minutes. I felt like a twit knowing that I should be beyond what the tag said, but also knowing that if a woman of my size was being edged out of Zara, perhaps size really does matter.
54 comments
Thanks so much for this article! This is problem that constantly troubles me, I can go into stores and end up having to try an L or even an XL when I am only M even though this shouldn’t really bother me because I know its just the sizing, it always leaves me doubting myself and my body- lowering my self esteem.
So thank you for this article! It’s nice to have light spread on this constant problem! 😀
Realistically speaking, woman and men vary from person to person. What is the ‘Right” size? who’s to say the small you get in Zara isn’t a medium to the next person? Sizes are subjective, much the same as ones self esteem. If clothes and the fit is what helps someone feel “Great” about them selves…then thats a concern! Lets just work on what we can work on, sizes are always going to be different from store to store 🙂
Great post. The Zara thing is particularly demonstrative of this problem – I bought a trench there recently and I only had one option – tight across the shoulders and arms and fitting beautifully everywhere else, or fitting well on the shoulders and completely shapeless and ill fitting at the waist. I think perhaps those Spanish ladies are not very broad across the shoulders? I am a size 10 and definitely not a swimmer or everything. It is these inconsistencies in the cut that also are a problem I think.
Something really needs to be done about this. I hate that i walk into some shops not knowing if i am a small or their version of large. I’ve starting buying things online lately and ordered a ‘medium’ size dress, it arrived and it was SO SO tiny!!! i thought they mistakenly sent me an extra small, i read the tag and it said ‘medium’ !! WTF?!
Now, unless they have a size chart with measurements i dont purchase clothes online. The dress is now sitting in my closet with the tag still on it. It upset my self esteem, and my wallet!
x
being an ole marketing girl you think someone would have wised up by now and offered us something like …
delux
delux petite
delux relaxed
delux with extra zush zush
hee hee le xox
This is sad and it isn’t going on only in Australia, I had a similar experience here in Brazil. I’m now size large too.
Wow, what a lot of comment. So I thought I would throw my 2 cents worth in. I have a classic hourglass figure, in that my bust and hips are exactly the same and my waist is 8″ smaller. While this sounds fabulous it is actually a dead set pain in the neck to fit, most modern clothes appear to be made for varying sizes of pencils. The variances in size labeling annoy me as you have to take a dozen items into the change room, and then hope that the assistants are happy to help. Hence there are only a couple of retailers that I frequent as I know their sizing, I have a chance of striking it lucky with styles AND their service is good. Failing that there is vintage (got to love the 50s shapes), of which I have a large collection but unfortunately is not really practical for everyday wear due to their fragility. So then it is off to the sewing machine….. I sometimes wish I could wear leggings and polar fleece….
I really don’t mind what size I end up in, a label is just a label. What bugs me about Australia’s irregular sizing standards is the inability to pick up a garment in a store and another garment in a store in the same size and know they’ll both fit me. I went into Gorman over the weekend and put on a size 10 dress – It was teensy. Then I put on the size 12 and it was swimming on me. Then I put on a size 12 skirt and it was too tight, and then one that was too big. And then settled on a size 10 skirt that fit perfectly. How can one store with their own items not fit to a standard? How on earth does that work?
I totally get what you’re say LM.
For me, its not the issue with the size I am, but the fact that suddenly I can’t fit into said size? Thats what does a number on me. I think “since when was I a size … (such and such)”
Not long ago I was in Zara. I had to size up two sizes to find something that fit. The same happens in H&M.
How can I be one size at Gap and a four sizes larger at H&M???
I had to come back and read all the comments on what was obviously a thought provoking blog post. And I have to say now I feel even worse. Because a) I have a totally normal female reaction to being told to go up and size and feel shit about it and b) that apparently it is my issue that my self esteem is not where it should be.
At the end of the day when images of anorexic teens are shoved in our face in the name of fashion and we are constantly told to lose weight, it is pretty hard not to worry about how you look and be upset if a size you think would fit you, in fact doesn’t fit you. Sure, you should buy whatever looks good on you but at the end of the day I think we are all lying if we don’t admit it feels good to buy something that is a size 10 and we are all sometimes pissed off at the fashion industry when a size 10 in one shop could be a size 6 in another.
If you are confident enough in your own body to be baffled, confused or flat out offended by other people’s self esteem issues and feelings of inadequacies when trying on larger sizes, that actually baffles me. I guess it is our apology for being human I suppose!
I hope I don’t get shot for this. Yes, the lack of standardised sizing is the industry’s problem. But when you have a problem with the size you are, the issue is in your head.
I’m all for doing away with S, M and L and just opt for European Sizing by numbers. The ones that go 32, 34, 36…etc each size about 2″ up from the last. I can walk into H&M (bless them) and 75% of the time fit perfectly into the size I know to be mine. The other 15% of the time, the cut doesn’t suit my body type anyway.
But standardised sizing won’t help if women develop a stigma about being over a certain size. If it’s accurate and true and you’re unhappy, lose weight. Sorry, but it’s true. Otherwise, accept the size you are.
Fitting into an ‘S’ doesn’t mean much if it’s vanity sizing. It just makes shopping more annoying. The scene in Eat Pray Love where she tries to squeeze herself into a pair of jeans that don’t fit, just because the label says they’re a smaller size, baffles me and is yet another irritating element in a very irritating movie.
And to the girl who thinks this post is all about her being “large and disgusting” get over yourself. It really isn’t. That’s your own insecurities speaking out.
@The Bargain Darling – this the first time I write back on a comment made by another blogger on a site as truly fantastic as this:)
If you had read the article properly you would see that Lady M is not “saying anyone bigger than you is disgusting and that isn’t nice, but thanks for your pretend concern” – with a comment like this, and the sarcasm in it…you simply have not read the article well enough or understand her work well enough to make this remark.
Her blog is real quality compared to so many others.You are more then welcome to have an opinion because that is what blogging is about, but keep it nice….Sorry Lady Melbourne if I am writing something wrong…but I wanted to write back on this comment…it is just not right…..:)
Have a great day.
p:s If I have some spelling mistakes….sorry
Wow, I think this very well written blog post has been taken completely out of context by a lot of readers.
If you are a standard Aus 8 or 10 then of course you are going to be a little funny about being told you are a ‘large’ or ‘extra-large’. The same would apply no matter what size you are!
I only ever buy blazers, coats and accessories from Zara in London as their dress/skirt/top sizes drive me mad due to inconsistency. I’ve never found a dress in their store that fits me both on top and bottom.
Either way, being different sizes in different stores is extremely frustrating. I like to shop online and if everything is a different size, then this becomes almost impossible (as you need to try it on).
Keep up the good work LM – your commentary on the fashion industry is always a great read. NHG x
I am a size 18 – you have no idea what it feels like, you should consider yourself lucky to be able to step into Zara, because this post is basically saying anyone bigger than you is disgusting and that isn’t nice, but thanks for your pretend concern
Sizing BAFFLES me. At my tiniest, I was a size 10-12. I have gained 15 kilos and I am now 12-14-16. How the heck can I be a size 12, 15 kilos apart? I agree though, however much i know i shouldn’t, I judge my body by what the label says and now that I am overweight for my size I am all the more sensitive and find myself seeking out the labels I know I’ll be a smaller size in (Wayne Cooper, Cue, Sportsgirl) and avoiding the tiny ones (Zara, Forever New etc).
As a 5’11, 62 kg woman in Australia – i am apparently a Large or often a size 12-14-16 , which is odd as i remember growing up and thinking that they were the sizes for woman with a few more curves ( which includes breast which i certainly have little of ) than i, but the reality is – if it fits and looks great then ladies screw the number – if it worries you that much, chop it of.
The silver lining we should see is that we are forced to try everything on – which means there is far less risk of going home with a cut or colour that looks terrible on us.
Great article Lady M – the lack of uniform sizing in Australia is immensely frustrating, and I think that retailers use it to their advantage (as suggested by Peach).
Last year I went into Cue to buy a skirt for work, and picked up both a 10 and 12 in a style that I liked and headed to the change rooms. A sales assistant stopped me along the way to take the skirts for me, and looking at the sizes said cloyingly, ‘Oh no, you’re not a 12 honey! You’re an 8, maybe even a 6’.
The assumption seemed to be that having a size tag with a smaller number on it would make me want to purchase the item. I know my size and (like a lot of women I know) have worked hard to accept myself as I am, and the implication that a small (tag) size should boost my self esteem really irritated me.
Wow, the torrent of comments (and the article) judging bigger sizes as “worse” or “huge impact on self-esteem” are just horrible to read.
The size labels aren’t the issue – instead it’s YOUR issues around body fat and self-esteem. Take some responsibility for changing your views, and realise that all the messages flying around are trying to make you feel bad about your size, whatever size you are. This sells more crap and keeps especially women busy navel gazing.
It shouldn’t matter if you’re an L in that shop – do you fit into it? Great! The problem is if there’s nothing in the shop that fits you. According to the free market there should be plenty of alternatives that will fit you – right? Wrong.
There’s starting to be a few more creative labels for larger women out there, but not that many, mostly in the bigger cities (or online, not always ideal for buying clothes), and they tend to be expensive. If you don’t like the styles, or aren’t well-off, you’re out of luck.
Surely there are huge profits to be made fulfilling a plus-size niche? Yes – so why, if the free market abhors a vacuum, are there so many empty spaces still? Fat stigma, lack of good books on the subject, lack of good biometrics, a focus only on skinny women in fashion school, lack of glamour dahling, all these things mean the vast majority of fashion school graduates wouldn’t consider designing plus size clothing for a second. Isn’t that the Kmart section for ugly working-class old women?
There’s of course been an attempt at an Australian standard, as has been pointed out, but its size 12 is way smaller than an actual size 12 now. Vanity sizing creep? As Mel above pointed out, ranges are tailored to the target market for the store – fashion labels work with particular body shapes and widths, and their sizing charts are carefully constructed, sometimes with their own empirical research. Your customers’ country, age, race, lifestyle, income, all can produce very different body types and ranges.
It’s not practical for one small fashion label to cater to every size and shape – absolutely not. You produce a design, and then it has to be mechanically graded up and down in size. More than a couple of grades, and the pattern starts to distort too much, and you need to start with a fresh design for a different size range. Most designers can only do one design, so practically, design in, say, 10, and size up to 12, maybe 14, and down to 8, maybe 6. If this label was also to cater to plus sizes, they’d need to produce another design in, say, 18, and then grade that up and down. Every size produced has an overhead in design, cutting, sewing, stocking – it’s not practical for a small label as I said.
(Also, it’s not just size, some labels focus on, say, women with young boyish figures, some with curvaceous figures, etc. One label cannot fit all.)
What there should be more of is designers who will design around, say, an 18, or a 26, or whatever, rather than almost always a 10. And for different ages, races, etc. But as I said, the theory out there is woeful, as well as the stigma, despite potential profits.
It works the other way too. My mum very nearly didn’t buy a gorgeous perfect pair of pants from Country Road because the tag said size 6. My mum is certainly a slim and toned lady, but she’s normally a size 10, and this really threw her. It took me almost 20 minutes to convince her that they fit perfectly, and only after she’d tried the size 8 on a few more times and ensured herself that they were too big. It seems odd to me that there are no standard sizes, even in underwear, shoes, anything!
I certainly wouldn’t get offended being handed a “large” size of a particular garment, because I know how ridiculous the fashion industry can be.
I range anything from a 10 to a 16, and a lot of that has to do with boobage.
I think the lack of sizing standards does have an effect on some women’s and girl’s self-esteem, but I mostly just find it annoying, going into the change room with 3 different sizes wondering which one will actually fit.
I found this post to be really retrograde and out of step with what is supposed to be the democratising effect of blogging in the stlye world.
“What do you mean a ‘large’?”
???
I can’t imagine who in the blog world of fashion would still be offended at being handed a size large- in the age of Beth Ditto, Young Fat & Fabulous, Vogue Italia Curvy.
Who cares about uniform sizing? The pleasant surprise of irregular sizing encourages everyone to approach size for what it is: arbitrary, changeable, with no bearing on self-image and beauty.
I am back for more:)
With that title I keep thinking of something completely different:)
Haha….I have a dirty mind….Sorry….
Have a great week.
Thank you
This is the same in Europe and particularly in Paris…
And it s awfull, lot of women can’t find their size in a lot of brands….
Some M are really close to an older…. S or Xs…
It’s a shame, and women have curves and it’s Beautiful!
I’ve been starting to research clothing size and fit, and one thing I’ve noticed time and again is customers’ unrealistic expectations that sizes should be standardised. That is not how the market works.
Basically, each company grades its sizes based on its target consumers, organising its sizing system so that the size that sells best is defined as a ‘medium’. So, if smaller women are Zara’s best customers, of course Zara is going to skew small. Likewise, a brand targeted to a more mature customer will make its ‘medium’ more generous.
There is no point feeling annoyed or upset about market forces that are out of your control, and definitely not in drawing self-esteem from the number on the tag, which many other commenters have pointed out isn’t even visible and can be cut out.
Fit is the important thing – and as other commenters have mentioned, it can have very little to do with size, and hence a standardised sizing system will not solve any current problems women face due to their diverse body shapes.
The only time label size should matter is when that one particular piece of clothing is actually going to make a huge difference in your life and if you can’t buy it from a retail shop then have it custom made if it is that important. Does it really matter what the label size is on the garments women are wearing? I think women are far too caught up with label sizes. I believe that it is more about wearing clothing that suits your body type and the way in which you carry yourself that makes women look and feel attractive. You can still look a million dollars at any size if you dress to suit your body shape and your personality. Confidence is the key.
Sure it’s disappointing not being able to buy clothes from a particular brand or designer but there are lots of things in this world that are disappointing because we can’t have them. That’s life. We want to live in a world that encourages free will, freedom of choice and individuality but then turn around and complain that brands and designers should be conforming to a uniform standard. Sure we live in a society where majority rule. But maybe the designer or brand owner wanted to start a label to only attract very small frames, medium sized frames or large frames. Should we be judging? Zara doesn’t appear to be having any difficulty in sales across the globe, so maybe their sizing hits their target market. Zara has been around since 1975 and I’m sure that they’ve done plenty of research in regards to what sizing best fits their business model and vision. Is it really that important that we as women fight to persuade Zara and many other smaller sizing labels to incorporate a standard sizing range for clothing. These days all I read and listen to are so many women advocating that we should all embrace each and every woman (and their bodies) as individuals. Wouldn’t then a standard set of sizing guidelines defeat this same advocation?
Yes, an important issue for women’s fashion but it’s not exactly breaking news – this issue has been around for years and I’m afraid A Current Affair has beat you to it.
Sounds like I’ll be really disappointed with the sizing arrangements in Zara. Being a size 14-16 will probably put me in the ‘ you can only shop here for accessories’ category…..Damn.
In this day and age women are still fighting a battle with size and yes a varied method of sizing is not helping, so what is the answer? Standardisation of sizing, surely it can’t be that difficult?…then tackle the magazines, the naive, the media, the playground bullies and then, only then, will we get somewhere.
Sleekit x
I completely agree that the inconsistency of Australian clothing sizes can be really frustrating. I went jean shopping a few weeks ago I couldn’t even do up a pair of 18 jeans in one shop (I am generally a size 16) and ended up buying a size 14 pair in another shop that fit perfectly.
It’s clear that this is a big issue for a lot of women. I think it is so naive for Tracey Porter to think that designers have a right to exclude certain sized women from wearing their clothes. That’s not what this issue is about. If a designer does not want to make “plus size clothing” that is their choice however when the standard sizing that a designer is using does not reflect the standard sizing of the population they are not doing their job properly.
I bought a skirt online this week from quite a well-known designer. It arrived this morning and even though it was marked a size 12 it was apparent at a glance that it was more like a size 8. I can just squeeze it on but it looks ridiculous, it’s way too tight! At first I second guessed myself. “Maybe I’ve put on weight…” I thought in dismay. It wasn’t until I realised that ALL my other size 12 clothing still fits me, that I put my insecurities to rest.
It is abusive for designers to create clothing that is smaller than its label and it’s time the fahsion industry started to cater the actual sizes of women out there. After all, we are there clients!
P.s. this may be a strange comment to follow this with, but I’m also in Round 3 of the Style correspondent competition. It would be so wonderful if we could go to New York together, two Australian bloggers! Good luck with everything lovely!
xx
Sizing is definitely changing I think… Back in the late 90s when I was growing up and in my teens, I would go into a shop and buy a Seduce or Wish piece in about a size 10 and it would fit fine, if not be on slightly large side. Looking back to those pieces if I were to try them on now, they would still fit but would be on the smallish side. However, if I go into a shop now looking to buy from one of those brands or something similar, I would have to buy a size 6 to fit me! I have not lost any weight at all in this last decade, but in fact have gained about 4 kilos.
What I’m trying to say is – sizing is getting bigger and bigger! I think it’s terrible to encourage people to think that they are a smaller size than they really are. Australians in general are a growing lot and by that I don’t mean just in population, but in waistlines.
Why don’t people stop complaining about clothes getting smaller and have a look at themselves getting bigger? It’s not about who is the skinniest, but who is healthy. The health system is surely going to be overcrowded with all these fatties in the future…
Well put Mademoiselle Melbourne!
Hi.
Great writing/photography girl.
You always seem to get your blog better and better:)
And that is one of the reasons why your blog is the one I check EVERY morning:)
Have a great day.
I’m usually a size six or XS but have clothes in size 10 and medium or jeans labeled size 27 etc. As long as you can find an item that actually fits what is the problem, really?
I’ve miss out on so many great items because lots of retailers mark size 8 a size 6 and the real size sixes are left with nothing when they don’t make a size four for us like Country Road has done.
A number doesn’t define you. If you’re healthy and happy with your size, that’s all that is important.
I understand the frustration over not having an Australian clothing standard. It is impractical.
However, I don’t understand why someone would not purchase a garment that fits them nicely, based on a tiny number printed on a tag no one would ever see.
Compare this problem, for instance, to not ever finding a pair of pants that fit you properly; for your legs are too long (120cm) and you have no bum AT ALL. So although you would fit in a size 6 pair of jeans, the hem would naturally end halfway down your calf… It is ironic that so many people talk about fashion designers’ clothes targeted at the “ideal” standard body when people like me (who work in the industry as runaway models) find it difficult to come across pants that actually fit.
I’m in HK at the moment and just hit up Zara here coz they were having a massive sale and totally felt your irritation. I’m actually in between sizes as well (between S & M) and it all depends on the article of clothing I am trying on. Plus I have boobs and a hips/butt which is a whole issue on its own around sizing,
I have been known to not buy something because it was in a ‘larger’ size than I viewed myself, but have also tried to use my sense of judgement when it really gets ridiculous.
I love the comment tho – you can always cut it off. And you can! It’s that easy.
To take things to another extreme, in Asia, Zara tends to be too large even for healthily sized girls (we come in small packages). While most of us really don’t mind being an “S” or an “XS” it does mean that as “extreme” sizes there are only 3 of each brought in to the stores and say…. 20 M sizes. Which can be frustrating if you really, really like a dress. Also in warehouse sales there are never ANY XS’s. Zara, just call us S and bring more in will ya?
It is not only in Australia that sizes are not so accurate. You will find the same problem with American and European brands. It depends where the product was made. But I don’t see why would anyone feel uncomfortable with whatever size they buy,if you are comfortable with yourself and your body. Size really doesn’t matter. If a dress size 18 fits me,and I am a size 6-8, I wouldn’t worry at all.
It really wasn’t my intention to be argumentative here, and I appreciate your response Chon.
I suppose the issue isn’t that you are now above a Size 12 yourself, but that you consider Size 12 to be undesirable. And then there was the assumption that we should share in your outrage.
It’s sometimes difficult to discuss topics like this without causing offense, and I do my best to avoid looking for trouble. But I also think that we have a choice (and a responsibility) to encourage healthy messages about body sizes when we talk about this topic
It’s worth remembering that the average woman is a size 14. It is not only those who fit into sample sizes who enjoy Lady Melbourne and fashion in general, and I feel “sized out” of discussions when I read comments like yours.
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Conformity amongst sizing would make shopping a whole lot easier and a lot less frustrating although it is easy to understand why this country continues to be sizist when one person commented that the mere thought of an item of clothing with a 12 stitched inside made her feel ‘fat and horrid’.
I am a healthy size 14 and have been the same size for over 10 years. I eat well and am very active – running, swimming and regularly competing in triathlons. In this country a 14 is considered average yet stores such as Kookai don’t stock above a 12. I have it on authority that the Australian chain manager doesn’t want to see ‘fat’ people in his clothes yet I can get larger Kookai items through ASOS. I’m glad I haven’t signed up to the Zara craze as it appears to be yet another store that doesn’t cater to the average sized Australian woman, yet they say they base their Australian ranges on Australian trends.
No wonder we feel so much pressure as women to conform to this ‘ideal’ body image that is unattainable for some. I would literally have to starve myself and cut down on exercise in order to become a size 10 or even 12. I am not going to do that for the sake of fashion or to conform to a tiny tag sewn into an item of clothing.
Elizabeth, I didn’t mean to offend and I do apologise. If it is worth anything right now I am more than size 12 due to a years worth of unsuccessful IVF treatments. My point was more that the sales lady made me feel like a piece of crap and indicated that I was too big to be trying on the smaller sizes – that’s all.
“I remember getting a dress for my sisters wedding and the lady said to me you might need the size 12, they are small sizes. I was horrified I hadn’t been in a size 12 for years and it made me feel fat and horrid.”
Comments such as these make me, a Size 12, feel “fat and horrid”.
This is why I wasn’t that excited about Zara opening in Aus. Out of all the chain stores across the world that I have visited they have always had the least forgiving sizing. As someone who is a size 16 my options for shopping are much smaller than….well those who are smaller. I’m often too small for plus size clothing (especially in the bust) and then regular stores don’t grade their sizes correctly and the only hope is it might have some stretch in it. So yes I know this pain, but possibly more acutely, because as you noted the store only went up to an XL, and if you, a normal S had to buy an L where does that leave people like me? Thanks for the great article Lady M x
It’s certainly strange. I’m a decent 10/11 but a size 6 at Country Road. One thing I DO know is if I was a retailer I’d definitely skew down. That Zara – they is playing with fire!
I find Zara’s sizing ridiculous. I bought a high-waisted skirt from their recently, it fits perfectly on the waist, but getting it up past my thighs is somewhat of a struggle.
Sportsgirl is a store that doesn’t even seem to have their own uniform sizing. I tried on an XS dress that fit quite nicely and yet in pants I need a size 12 and I AM NOT that out of proportion.
been there girl.
Personally speaking, I wouldn’t worry about the Zara sizing I’m an 8 on a good day and a 10 on a bad one and I bought a Zara jacket in a Large recently. It made me depressed but at the end of the day, nobody’s looking at the little number on the inside – they’re looking at how cute you are in the piece.
Great commentary by the way. There definitely needs to be uniform sizing introduced in Australia.
There does seem to be quite a disconnect between the sizes available in shops – and what they are called – and the actual sizes of real people in Australia in 2011. I have size 11 women’s feet and like many women I know with my shoe size, usually have to go to specialist shoe shops or order online from overseas. In clothes shops typically all the bigger sizes sell first until it’s just 6’s and 8’s on the racks. Hopefully shops will start to realise that they’re going to alienate the majority of potential customers by designing clothes for the ideal, not the real, body shape.
The blasé approach to sizing drives me crazy at times. If I ever go into a store that’s new to me, I’ll end up taking a whole range of sizes into the changing rooms with me until I can work out what size I’ll be in that store. And then there are boobs. Boobs mean I can go into one store and come out with three items in three different sizes. They mean I have to accept that my skirt may be an 8 but my shirt will almost inevitably be a 10 or 12.
It’s very difficult to disassociate yourself from the size on the label, but I think it’s worth it in the end. If we just accept the clothing sizes are rubbish and as changeable as Melbourne weather, then we’ll all be happier people.
As a male I range between an xs and an xl depending on the brand. I don’t take it as a value judgement, we come in a wide variety of sizes:) which is awesome!
I love this article! This is a big issue in Australia. I also start to question my size when the label is more than a S – M. However I’d rather the garment to fit well than worry about the size attached to it. After all you can always cut it off 😉
I can understand why you wouldn’t have bought the dress and you are right if a woman your size is wearing a L then do they have an XXL for all of the size 14 and above? It does affect our sense of self esteem regardless of the Ragtrader report. I remember getting a dress for my sisters wedding and the lady said to me you might need the size 12, they are small sizes. I was horrified I hadn’t been in a size 12 for years and it made me feel fat and horrid. I didn’t end up buying the dress despite the fact that it could have looked lovely! At least you were smart enough to purchase it 🙂
Will you post a pic of the dress please? I am curious.
Excellent commentary! I think it’s super important for woman to understand that there is no regulation for S/M/L etc and to avoid the effect it can have on their self image. Also, I know too many girls who squeeze themselves into ill-fitting clothes simply because they are a slave to the size label. Just because a label in a particular piece says you’re a large doesn’t make it so. Buy what fits you, ladies. Thank you Lady Melbourne.