Why Women's Clothing Sizes Are Inconsistent

Why Women’s Clothing Sizes Are So Inconsistent

The truth is- most people assume sizing in clothing is standardized, like shoe sizes or measurements. At least in the United States where our clothing has a system of numbers that range from 00- 30+ and as high as we want that scale to go. In reality, clothing sizes are brand-created labels, not universal metrics. No one is actually holding brands accountable for how large or small they make a large or small shirt. 

Why a Size 8 Isn’t the Same Everywhere

A size “8” has no legal or industry-wide definition assigned to it. These standardized sizings are actually up to the discretion of the designers who create the design, the pattern makers who make the patterns and measurements, the size of the fit model they use in their design process, and so many other factors. This makes sense that each brand would have their own standard size small, medium, etc. This also leads into the question about fit most shoppers ask “  Does the fit run small or large?” “Is this outfit true to size?” Between all of these factors combined is why women’s sizing is inconsistent and explains why a size 8 fits differently in every store.

There Is No Universal Clothing Sizing System 

Here are the facts. Each brand develops sizing based on a multitude of factors including but not limited to;

• Target customers. The physical height and weight of ideal customers is placed into a group of audience members that you are considered similar to and marketed directly based on your physical appearance.

• Fit model(s). A fit model is a model that is hired by the designer brand to try on clothes of a specific sizing. For example, a model with bust, waist, and hip measurements of a size small will have to wear many labeled clothing sized small. If the agency or brand decides to change fit models, this can even affect the clothing sizes that are being produced and sold. 

• Design aesthetic (tight, oversized, tailoredThe intended fit of watch design can also factor into the sizing of a garment. For example, if a collection is meant to be tailored and tight fitting then the design aesthetic will fit and be sized smaller than a normal fitting garment of a similar size. The same can be said for an over-sized or baggy style. 

• Two brands can both say “size M” and mean entirely different measurements. Not a single brand is held to a standard of size chart that they should design within range of. Similar legislation was intact until 1985 when standard sizing stopped being regulated and all sizing changed to the discretion of designers. 

• Even within the same brand, sizing can change season to season. This is because jackets and winter wear tend to require more layers and fluff than a simple summer dress. The bulkiness of fabrics can even cause a disruption in the way a garment fits and the sizing that is used. 

• Insider secret: Vanity sizing is completely legal and regularly used by brands for marketing. Vanity sizing refers to the practice of labeling clothing smaller than they actually are. 

• Many brands fit to one single fit model, then grade sizes up and down from there. Grading up in size from an XS to an XL does not account for specific changes that occur naturally in the body and therefore don’t fit women in that size range the same they would in other women. 

What Is Vanity Sizing and Why Brands Use It

Most brands don’t want you to know this, but they are changing labels in your clothing to make you feel better about yourself and shop with them more often. The practice of labeling clothing smaller than it actually measures to be in called vanity sizing and it all started in the later 1980s. As I mentioned earlier, all sizing regulations  went out the window in the early 1980s and soon after Vanity sizing emerged to make shoppers feel “smaller”. 

How Vanity Sizing Changed Over Time 

A modern size 4 often measures closer to a vintage size 8 or 10 because of these specific changes. The theory behind this sizing change is simply psychological with the idea that if you believe you are a smaller size with Brand X, then you will choose to shop with them more often because it makes you feel good about yourself. Brands adjust sizing to reduce returns and boost customer confidence — not accuracy. This often causes a lot of confusion in the dressing room and can lead to frustration with women shoppers where they begin to blame themselves for this phenomenon. 

Why Clothing Fits Differently Even Within the Same Brand

Most brands fit on models of a small size to begin with and then change the pattern pieces- rather than adjusting the shape of the garment to accommodate for different body shapes. Let’s be real, a model that is a size 2 has minimal hip-to-waist ratio variations in comparison to a model/woman who is a size 12, 18 or even 24. The average height of a model who wears the garment on the runway must be at least 5 feet and nine inches tall, which is on the taller spectrum than the average woman. This also causes for un-balanced proportions in the garments that can be unflattering on women who are not models or have a stature of that size or proportions. This is opposite for real bodies who vary in factors such as Bust-to-waist ratio, Hip width, Torso length, Weight fluctuations, and more. When clothes don’t fit, the shopper is blamed. This is a huge mental health moment for women when they shop for themselves. If most women don’t know the inner workings of the fashion industry, they are more likely to blame themselves for ill-fitting clothes. 

Why Consistency Isn’t a Priority in Traditional Fashion

Sizing expectations have been the same over the past 50 years, even though our modern society has changed. Most trends and designs are created for the customers, however, most brands do not accommodate for those changes. Women naturally experience weight fluctuates due to a wide array of factors in their everyday lives including but not limited to; Stress, Hormones, Life stages, Health and so much more. Most clothing is designed for one “moment” in time. In fact, I have noticed a lot of design houses take inspiration for a design by an actual moment in time, event, or temporary inspiration. Without taking the women into account, who are we creating for? This type of stigma around clothing creates anxiety, shame, and constant re-buying for women who have trouble finding their sizes in brands. This is why when women are asked about what size they typically wear they will state a range between several sizes. This sizing range will usually include a span of at least 3 different sizes such as “ I wear a size 4, 6, and 8 depending on the brand.” Women are conditioned to change their bodies instead of expecting clothes to adapt. This dynamic can create a stressful experience at the junction of fashion and mental health. In my opinion, this is why shopping for clothes is stressful. 

Your Body Isn’t Static - But Clothing Is

If the same body fits three different sizes, the system is flawed because there is no standard size to keep this practice reigned in. Without a standard baseline to keep everyone on track to a true fit, there needs to be guidelines, rules, or regulations at least. Needing different sizes across brands does not mean that you gained weight, you’re “between sizes”, or that your body is wrong. It means fashion hasn’t evolved to reflect real bodies in over 50 years. In order to change our outlook on our bodies- the root of body negativity needs to be changed. This negativity that is engrained in the fashion industry must be revoked.

A Smarter Approach - Designing Clothing That Adjusts

I would like to acknowledge the wide strides in the fashion industry that have created a shift and change from introducing plus size clothing to adaptive clothing that accommodates disabilities. 

Instead of forcing bodies into rigid sizes, some brands design flexibility into garments for a wider range of people. In hind sight it is strange to think that this line of thinking is new for the clothing business. Some of these accommodations can be seen as Adjustable waistbands, ties, stays, and elastic. Depending on the placement of these specific attachments this can allow for one piece to fit multiple sizes and bodies to fluctuate without replacing wardrobes. This approach supports confidence, sustainability,and mental well-being for women, which is a rarely seen approach in Women's wear.

Clothing should serve people, not the other way around.

The overall realization of this being that sizes are tools, not truths. 

If shopping makes you feel discouraged, it’s not because you failed.The future of fashion isn’t smaller sizing — it’s smarter design.

You deserve clothes that adjust to you, not the opposite.