Anothr issue is that some manufacturers consider a 12 an XL (bastids) or a 14 or ... you never know. So another reason to check sizing charts.

I'm borderline between XL and Plus-size and sometimes buy more than one size so I can find the best fit, then return the others. I have returned a lot of stuff that didn't fit, but figure it's worth it to find the things that do.

I like my Boure road shorts which come in a lot of plus-sizes.