Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY

About 15 years ago they changed the sizing of clothes. My X used to wear a size 5-6 and then all of a sudden a size 0. Her weight remained the same. If she went to a second-hand shop all the size 5-6's would fit her.

Then THEY added spandex to our clothes. My size 34 jeans still fit even after gaining 25 pounds. But an older pair of dress pants with NO stretch that I decided to try on just before New Years.... was 3-4" TOO small. OUCH!!

Brucek wrote:THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY

About 15 years ago they changed the sizing of clothes. My X used to wear a size 5-6 and then all of a sudden a size 0. Her weight remained the same. If she went to a second-hand shop all the size 5-6's would fit her.

Then THEY added spandex to our clothes. My size 34 jeans still fit even after gaining 25 pounds. But an older pair of dress pants with NO stretch that I decided to try on just before New Years.... was 3-4" TOO small. OUCH!!

They call it vanity sizing. Far worse for women's clothes, but it looks like it's creeping in for men's sizes too.

It goes back longer than 15 years, although there was a big jump downward about that time. I have clothes from high school and college (late 60's - mid 70s). Size 16. I can wear them right now. But in modern clothes, I wear size 6 and 8. In men’s jeans, I have some 31s, some 32s. I wore a 32 in college, though, so go figure....

The other thing is, there is no consistency across brands. What's a 6 in one brand might be a 4 or an 8 in another. The only thing that’s stayed consistent is sewing patterns (where I still wear a 14-16).

Goose

Goose, you are totally right. I fit into a size 10 from the 1950’s, but am a modern day size 0 or 2. When they talk about Marilyn Monroe being a size 14, it’s not like today!

Brucek wrote:THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY

About 15 years ago they changed the sizing of clothes. My X used to wear a size 5-6 and then all of a sudden a size 0. Her weight remained the same. If she went to a second-hand shop all the size 5-6's would fit her.

Then THEY added spandex to our clothes. My size 34 jeans still fit even after gaining 25 pounds. But an older pair of dress pants with NO stretch that I decided to try on just before New Years.... was 3-4" TOO small. OUCH!!

Many of us haven been talking about it for many years and the evolution it has gone through along the way. It goes back way more then 15 years. The earliest study I have referenced in my presentation is 1992 and probably goes back even further.

Tamburrino, N. (1992). Sized to sell. Bobbin, 33(10), 68.

Sieben, W. A., & Chen-Yu, H. J. (1992). The accuracy of size information on men’s prewashed jeans. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 11(1), 74-82.

In Health
Jeff

I was shopping in Florida a few weeks ago at Beall's for my fiance. I see they now have PS, PM, PL.

Brucek wrote:I was shopping in Florida a few weeks ago at Beall's for my fiance. I see they now have PS, PM, PL.

Those are sizes for petites , usually woman who are 4 feet or shorter. It’s a different cut of pattern for petite woman with narrower arm holes and a shorter crotch along with shorter arm and pant length. Petite sizes are usually one size smaller than a regular. For example if you fit regular woman’s size 12 you would need a petite size 14 and you would find the arm and pants length too short and the arm holes too tight and the pants uncomfortable.

when I was 18 years old in 1979, I weighed 180 lbs and wore a size 18 jean. I remember because look at all the 18's. In adulthood I gained HUGELY and then lost weight again about 10 years ago. Got into size 18 jeans...at a weight of about 225 lbs.

It's just stupid. Who is a size 0? FFS. Vanity sizing. Honestly.