Clothes Sizing for Normal Women

honestly, if people want better clothing, then start your own company. How is a designer supposed to accomodate everyone in the entire world? If you don't like your clothes, make them yourself. In the meantime, look for other designers such as Baby Phat and house of Dereon, which I find are good for people like me (junk in the trunk!)

Standardization of women's clothing is a necessity, not an option. For those of you who have narrow hips, the Juniors' department must be a lifesaver in terms of pants, no matter your age.

I want to go to Wal-mart and buy an 8 knowing that this is the same size 8 that's at Macy's or Saks 5th Avenue. If they could just make the waist the same, I'd be thrilled. I don't expect a hip standardization because women aren't as uniform in the lower body as men are.

Oh, and can we do something about the inseams? I know we've got these Amazon teens now that are 5'8" and 12 years old, but those of us who didn't start getting the hormone-enhanced meat and dairy until after puberty ran its course aren't as tall. Now, I'm only 5'4", and I have a 30" inseam. That wasn't Petite 5 years ago!

And don't tell me to buy stupid heels. I walk e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e.

I'm ALWAYS hungry but never gain weight, which is a good thing. The fact is that I don't get enough food to fill my hunger. My boyfriend is the same way, 5 minutes after he's done eating a big meal, he's starving AGAIN!!! It just confuses me. I kinda wish I didn't have to eat so much because, I don't have enough food to feed myself. And I'm too lazy to make my own food, even though i love to cook.

I'm 5'9 1/2 but have relatively long legs and short torso. I have great difficulty finding jeans that are long enough without making me look like I'm expecting a flood. When I do find one that's long enough, they're usually way too big on the waist and when they fit the waist they're too tight around the thighs. It's so frustrating. I sometimes spend hours looking for the perfect pair only to walk out of the store empty handed.

I am an hourglass with big shoulders, a little waist, and big hips, and I am only 12. Sasha, I have your issues with long legs. If clothes fit my waist, they are too tight everywhere else. If they fit my hips, then it gapes a lot at the waist. Any suggestions?

I'm 5'2 and 100 lbs. 5 years ago I was a size 2 in most stores...now I'm still the same height and weight, but I don't even fit into a 0 or sometimes 00 in Express,GAP, banana..etc. Bebe has jeans that are sized by the waist ( in my case 24) and they are a perfect fit becase they are not lying about what size they really are ( I HATE vanity sizing). A size 24 is a size 24..or whatever you are. Its not a size 2 is actually a 6 and 6 is actually a 10 and 00 is actually a 2...AGGHHHH!!!!

You know, this discussion is interesting. I don't necessarily agree with "difficulty finding clothes" and no, I'm not a tall model-like creature who just happens to fit everything.

1. You get to know which stores have cuts that fit you and which ones don't, and then you just don't return to the ones that don't. If you insist on trying to fit clothes at those stores, then yes, you'll have "difficulty finding clothes".

2. For short people, hem your pants. It is pretty easy. I know shows like What Not to Wear are always saying you should have your clothes tailored, but seriously, it is not worth the trouble of completely taking in a button down shirt when you can just go elsewhere and get another button down shirt that fits you. But hemming is worth it. If it fits on the legs, waist, and rise, it fits you. Problem solved.

3. Stop thinking you are a specific size. If it looks like what you normally wear, it is your size. And often, if it is a completely "wrong" size (way bigger than usual, or smaller) it will be marked down too! I got a fantastic raincoat that was marked size 2 but is more like a 6 very cheap, and I have no problem going up to a 12 for a jacket. Stop deriving your self-esteem from the number on the label.

4. Certain things will never fit your particular body type unless you have them made to fit. You have to accept that. For example, I'm short. I cannot walk into a store and buy a low-cut shirt. What is low-cut on a tall woman would be down to my bellybutton on me. On the other hand, I know that something that looks like a regular neckline on the mannequin will be low-cut on me. Because my pants will have to be hemmed, anything with a flare or a detail on the leg will lose the detail, so those are out too. Everyone will have specific problems cause as it was said, retailers can't fit everyone exactly: learn which are yours and just avoid them.

Well, I am yet another one of those short, slender women. I do have curvy hips though so I am able to wear size 0 slacks from Express. Sometimes I buy the "short" length pants, but other times the "short" length is a little too short for me, so I buy the average length and hem them shorter. However, one of my friends is shorter than 5 feet, no hips either, so a misses size 0 is still too big for her tiny frame. She has to get all her work/interview pants tailor made. If I ever lost my curves, shopping for pants would be so much harder with today's vanity sizing.

It seems simple to me. If designers and clothing stores want to increase the measurements of their sizes, SO BE IT. They should continue HOWEVER to carry a similar range of measurements. Meaning that if they want to make a size 6 into a size 0 they should make AND carry a size 00 or even 000 for those of us who used to fit into their size 2. True size 2 or 0 women from five years ago have not disappeared. We still exist, we are the same size, and we need clothing that fits. It is infuriating to have to pay $20 to $80 to tailor our clothes, since designers have simply decided to drop any consumer standing under 5'4'' and weighing under 120lbs.

I am in my 60s, am short waisted and average height (5'6") not overweight, 112 lbs - but with age the differentiation between hips and waist has diminished! My hips are small and my derriere non existent!. For 'smart' clothes, I always wear tunic tops and elasic waisted slacks (I'm long legged) - but I find that for casual jeans, men's fit much better!

Making clothes that fit better is always a better thing.

I am a huge fan of this store called Susie's Deals!

They carry clothes for everyone, men's, women's, and kids too. I always know that I can walk in to one of their stores a come out with a big bag of really cute stylish stuff for $25! Everything in the store is sold for $5.99 or less and you can even find things that are 2 for $5.99!

I have bought some really nice name brand things at this store and given them to friends and family for Christmas. People have NO idea that these nice items only cost me $5.99 each .. It's Awesome!

I urge you to check them out, because you only have one store on your site that carries clothing and this store appeals to everyone! And they have a web site where you can also shop online or snatch an e-coupon to use at the store, and if you spend $50 the shipping is FREE which is a definite plus!

Their web site is http://www.susiesdeals.com they have store in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah too.

I live in england and have an english measurement of a 13 waist with a bulging abdoman but with very narrow hips and thighs, this together with a nerve muscular condition i cannot wear anything with tight elastic or belted waistband to pull waist in to accomodate a smaller fitting garment hence i walk around wearing horrible baggy trousers etc and am miserable with it. i would be eternally grateful if anyone could help me

One can really say that New York City in USA, is the city that never sleeps. See, though when talking about men’s clothing apparel, or even the most detailed style of women’s clothing apparel, they still have it. Looking for uniform restaurant apparel? I bet they got that also!

Different brands have a different ideas of small, medium & etc.
There are clothes that are a size medium that are too tight on me & then size smalls which are too loose on me. (My body fat is 23% and BMI is 20.7)
So go figure.

I HATE getting jeans because they're all too long.
I'm five feet tall & even the petites don't fit!
Grrr

I'm slim, but my measurements are 35-24-34 so clothes that fit in the bust often don't fit in the waist. For jeans, I just wear low-rise jeans so I don't have the waist too small/hips too big issue.

thanks for sharing!

My problem is even the petite section clothing in nicer department stores look like they're geared toward the 65+ age group. I'm 40 .... can't wear junior styles, but certainly not ready for "old lady clothes" yet. Add to that I'm thick in the middle and bottom, big arms, and small bust...LET ME TELL YOU ALL ABOUT FRUSTRATION! If a shirt fits in the arms, it hangs everywhere else; too tight and I end up with a tension headache. If starving for just a week could fix it, I MIGHT be able to hang in there ... otherwise, I'm doomed to be short and fat because I certainly can't starve for a few days let alone longer than a week!

My problem is that I'm pretty much an inverted triangle and 5'5" with petite leg length. I have wide shoulders, a big chest, thick waist, smallish hips/crotch and smallish legs.

Tops are usually too tight across my back and my chest. It seems like all the nice blouses are made for people with no shoulders. lol My shoulders will ALWAYS end up in the sleeve. If they fit my chest then it will be way too big everywhere else.

Don't get me started on gigantic neck holes in plus size clothing. *sigh* I hate seeing my bra strap. I don't understand how it could be so bad for me since I have such wide shoulders. I can only imagine what this is like for women with short sloped shoulders.

With pants.. arggg... If I find jeans that fit my waist it will be waaaaaay too baggy in the crotch, butt and legs. Saggy crotch is so attractive. If they fit my butt and legs then I'm in pain around my waist and I'll get major muffin top.

I end up wearing pants with lots of stretch to them or are made out of cotton like workout pants. I wish I could just fit into a nice pair of cute jeans.

I could stand to lose some weight and I'm working on it, but,I've always had these problems. Back in the 80's when huge shoulder pads were in style I used to complain to my mother that I looked like a linebacker in full gear. I used to cut the shoulder pads out and actually looked like what most people did when they had them in. haha