Wednesday, April 7, 2010

The 12 of Lies

I'm down about 10 pounds. Which, according to fashionistas, means I am technically down a size.  Okay, but really what size am I now down to? See here is what is going on in the world of retail, and has been for years, only now it's even worse than what it once was. The size is a big fat lie.  Did you know depending upon the brand, or even the store, sizes of clothes may vary? Yup. More expensive lines of clothing, have been doing what is known in the industry as "vanity sizing" for eons, but now less expensive stores such as The Gap and H&M have followed in their footsteps. In simpler terms, manufacturers want people to feel good about the clothing they are buying and so they downsize the actual size. So a size 8 in a Banana Republic store, may actually be a size 10 at Target. 

What is a person to do? I say fuck it. Wear what fits your body and don't even look at the size anymore.  No one is a "00" it cannot physically exist, and yet you can purchase a size "00" in some stores! This is crazy talk.  Don't buy into the madness. Don't get hung up on what size your clothing says it is on the tag, it's just one big lie.  For every 10 pounds you drop, go buy something that fits your body. Try on all the sizes, who gives a rats ass what it says on the collar or on the waistband.  You're not wearing your clothes inside out.  If the label bothers you, take it out.  We all know the Feds are far too busy pursuing people who remove tags from mattresses, and no one is going to bust you for taking your scissors to your Ann Taylor dress and cutting out The Lie from the back of the neck!

Size is just a number, and by the looks of it, it's not even a real number. So go buy what fits, feel good in what you are wearing. Maybe you can't afford a whole new wardrobe as you lose weight, but one pair of jeans, or a top, that fits you at the size you are, may be all the encouragement you need to keep on track and not feel discouraged.  Let's take back our own vanity and not let the fashion industry tell us how to feel about ourselves!

5 comments:

I can't find my blog said...

God, I love this.

Last year (?) I posted a picture of 2 pairs of jeans. One that I found in the bowels of my closet, size 8, from my college days. The other from a recent shopping trip, also size 8. Uh, I've had 2 babies in that time and have considerable mush around my middle because of said babies and the picture is proof positive of vanity sizing. A FULL 2 INCHES OF VANITY SIZING. I'm no fool.

Rock your 12 pounds, regardless of what the tag says, my friend.

jackieblue said...

I have the same issue. Since I have lost weight during this contest, I can typically (not always!) wear a small or medium (6-10 depending on garment) and I could not get on something older that is a 12!

I do think vanity sizing is alive and well at Target, though. I often wear a smaller size there than at, say, Calvin Klein (where most pants can't get past my thighs, anyway).

Also, the *shape* a female is supposed to be now is very unrealistic. I need clothes with a waist size one to 2 sizes smaller than my hips because I am not boyish enough for most "fashion." Little in the middle but I got much back.

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with @jackieblue about waist vs hip sizes. And butt! My pants are often practically falling off my waist but if I go smaller they aren't right in the hips. I suppose I could have things tailored, but should we really expect to do that just to have a pair of pants that fit right?

Devra said...

My mother's theory is since the clothes are being made primarily in China, maybe they are making the clothes to fit Chinese women.

I'm just puttin' it out there. Not sure if it's accurate or not.

jackieblue said...

So today I tried on clothes. I am having a hard time at this stage. The range of stuff that fits is pathetic. From size 4 (which I could not even usually wear when I was 20 lbs lighter than I am now) to XL! How is this even possible? Of course I ended up buying nothing because nothing looked good. Blah. Chinese women must have no ass or chest.

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