The real reason nothing fits you (hint: it’s not your body)
"Why does nothing fit me?" you mutter for the umpteenth time as you stare into the mirror of what might as well be a prison cell.
The fitting room (or, more accurately today, online retail in general) is a lawless place.
Feeling good about yourself? Look into this terrible mirror with bad lighting!
Think you know your size? Just kidding, not here!
top / jeans / shoes (similar) / bag (similar)
Standing in front of the mirror is one of our fa-vuh-rate times to completely tear ourselves down, and much of that has to do with the number on the tag.
Related story: 6 self-love practices to feel like a babe
I love what TIME writer Eliana Dockterman has to say about dressing rooms.
“What I really hate is why I have to go to fitting rooms in the first place: to see if I’ve distilled my unique body shape down to one magic number, knowing full well that I probably won’t be right, and it definitely won’t be magic,” she writes. “I hate that I’m embarrassed to ask a salesperson for help, as if it’s somehow my fault that I’m not short or tall or curvy or skinny enough to match an industry standard. I hate that it feels like nothing fits.”
So, why does nothing fit?
Not only is there no law that says sizing needs to be the same (or even moderately comparable) between brands, sizes continue to get bigger so that we can feel better by purchasing a smaller number.
Welcome to the world of vanity sizing.
What is vanity sizing?
It’s just what it sounds like: Shifting sizes to appeal to shoppers' vanity. And in some regard, we do have ourselves to blame.
Retail heard us loud and clear: We feel better about ourselves, and therefore buy more, when we can walk out of the store with a smaller number on the tag.
You might have heard the old rumor that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12 or 16. Which is true; because the smallest available size in 1958 was an 8.
Do you know who was a size 8 that same year? Twiggy. Who, in today’s sizing, would be a 00.
The Wall Street Journal writes,
As Americans have grown physically larger, brands have shifted their metrics to make shoppers feel skinnier—so much so that a women’s size 12 in 1958 is now a size 6. Those numbers are even more confusing given that a pair of size-6 jeans can vary in the waistband by as much as 6 in., according to one estimate. They’re also discriminatory: 67% of American women wear a size 14 or above, and most stores don’t carry those numbers, however arbitrary they may be.
ASTM International’s subcommittee on body measurement for apparel sizing, the group that currently publishes the guidelines, regularly accommodates for size inflation (i.e. vanity sizing).
However, as The Wall Street Journal points out, those updates are truly guidelines—not actual rules.
“Body measurements are attached to the codes, but the figures aren’t fixed, and even if they were, adhering to the sizing tables is voluntary: In most instances, clothing manufacturers don’t have to follow the guidelines, which is why one brand’s size 8 is another brand’s size 4.”
How to face the fitting room
While, for most of us, trying on clothes will rarely be the highlight of our day, I do have a few ways to make it easier.
First, be open to trying on lots of sizes. Not only is there virtually no regulation on sizing, but there are even variants within the same STORE. This isn’t a “numbers don’t matter” speech. This is a “numbers literally don’t mean anything and are completely arbitrary” speech.
Next, don’t rely on the mannequin. Yes, it can be helpful to get outfit ideas. But those looks are chosen to flatter a tiny piece of plastic, not necessarily a human body. It anatomically shouldn’t look the same on you. (Also, if you look at the back of a mannequin, the clothing is usually clipped into place. That's right: Mannequins are often smaller than a store's smallest size.)
Finally, fit your widest part first and then find a great tailor. Jeans are a perfect example. Size up as much as you need to fit your hips, then get the waist taken in. Wide shoulders? Get your tops big enough that the shoulder seam doesn’t pull and then get darts added to the back. (PSA, tailoring is way cheaper than you think.)
Shopping online
Shopping online can feel safer what without all of the terrible downlighting and other humans. But you do need to come armed with another set of tools: your bust, waist and hip measurements. While size guides are jut that — a guide — having your actual measurements handy can help you make informed choices rather than crossing your fingers and praying to the garment gods.
Watch this quick tutorial to fill your shopping toolbox with your three measurements!
Timestamps:
:10 - Gather your tools + tips
1:35 - Bust measurement
2:33 - Waist measurement
3:15 - Hip measurement