You see, I'm short. Really short. 5'2" short.
And while it is a lot of fun being called a midget and a midget albino and all sorts of other hilarious nicknames, it makes shopping for pants a bloody nightmare!
But more than that, shopping in modern clothing stores is not only a complete minefield, but it can also be incredibly confusing.
Which is where Gemma Seager comes in.
The lovely Gemma of Retro Chick has begun the Campaign for Clearer Clothes Sizing to try and regulate clothing store sizes.
It is well documented that vanity sizing and a lack of production regulation has led to an environment where you can be an 8 in one store and a 14 in another! In fact, you can even buy one item in a store in a Small and have to get another in a Large. It truly boggles the mind.
To show you how much I am not kidding about that, take the two images above. The white skirt and the white dress were both bought from the same store during the same season. They are made from almost identical material.
The skirt is a size 14.
The dress is a size 8 and a bit loose on me.
How is anyone, REGARDLESS of what size they are, meant to feel comfortable trusting the little number on a label when they don't even mean the same thing in the same store?
While most who have blogged on this issue are from the UK/Europe or the USA, I just want to stand up and say it is most certainly a global issue, as even here in New Zealand where the number of clothing retailers is minuscule in comparison, there is no consistency whatsoever.
There is one particular store I won't name as it won't mean anything to most of you (to any NZ readers, it starts with an S and ends with an accent...) that has sizes as small as XXXS, yet only stocks up to an XL, which actually equates to a 12-14 at times.
So, what can be done?
Measurements on clothing labels - Is it too much to ask to print a couple more numbers stating the bust, waist and hip measurements for an item? Some places do it already and it is certainly a million times easier to shop to your own measurements (especially online) than it is to shop to sizes.
More sizing honesty from stores - You will not lose your customers if you keep to a recognised sizing system and advertise this in-store or online. You WILL lose customers if you are unreliable and dishonest about your sizing practises.
Stop vanity sizing - Nobody is being helped if they can continue to think their measurements equate to a size 10 because shops continue to revamp their sizes every year or so to match what they think the public want. Yes, sizes do change, just think about vintage sizing! But a size 12 last year should not be a size 10 this year.
But most importantly:
Know your own measurements - I cannot stress this enough. Get to know your shape. Recheck it every couple of months. Don't think of yourself as a small, or a 12, or a 22, or whatever! Shop to your measurements, not to the label. Because until retailers are willing to listen to their customers and work with other brands as well, you're on your own sister!
And now I turn it over to you. How do you deal with inconsistency in sizing? Do you regularly check your measurements? Do you prefer online shopping for these reasons or does the inconsistency mean you must try it on to trust it? Let's get people talking.
