Stop the sizing madness!!!

[quint41]

Is anyone besides me sick and tired of the huge discrepancy in sizes of women's clothes?! I just received an order of workout clothes that I had ordered online. I KNOW -- my fault for trying to get a bargain online instead of paying full price at my local sporting goods giant. Three multisport tops have to be returned because the size LARGE tops are too darn small -- again!! However, this weekend I bought some work clothes -- all of the tops I purchased are size 8 or Small. I bought a demin jacket, had to get a darn XS!!!! So, why, then, can I barely get these workout tops over my head?!?!?! They are by SheBeest, Zoot and Moving Comfort, not some fly-by-night brand.

Most of my biking shorts and all of my jerseys are size Large. I'm 5'4", weigh 140 lbs, and all of my everyday clothes are size 8 or Small. What gives?!?!?!

ARGH! Another shipping charge to send these things back!

[7rider]

Here, here!
It drives me insane when I go shopping with DH. He'll pick up a size M and throw it in the basket. "Aren't you going to try that on?" I ask. "Why?" he responds. "It's a medium." And the kicker of it is.....he's right. It all fits him.
I have to try on EVERYTHING. I range from size medium (LL Bean and Cannondale) to extra-large (Castelli), depending on not only the manufacture, but the style (and even model year??). I have a pair of women's Gramicci pants, size M. They fit me fine. I go back to the store, I can't get a single pair of Gramicci pants in size M over my hips. What the heck happened?? I still wear the old ones and they fit fine.

[Pax]

I'm 5'10" and on the north side of 200#'s, my honey is 5'1" and about 110#'s...she wears a womens large in most things. Even if I lost half of my body weight I couldn't wear a womens XL and it's damn annoying. Instead I get to wear guys stuff in boring (or worse yet ugly) colors that fit weird.

[quint41]

5'1" and 110 lbs. and she's wearing a LARGE?!?! What is wrong with these manufacturers?!?!

I usually wear an 8, as I said. My daughter and I went shopping for work clothes this weekend -- Ann Taylor Loft -- I tried on an 8 skirt and it was too big. I bought the 6!! I wore it today, and even that was SLIGHTLY BIG IN THE WAIST! The sweater that I bought is a small, and even that was a little roomy on me today. I AM 5'4" AND 145 LBS. TODAY. I AM NOT A VERY SMALL PERSON!!!!!!!!!

I put on my Large Canari women's biking shorts and my Small Unisex Vomax MS Jersey to go riding tonight.

ARARRRGGGHHHHH!!!

[Zen]

...I usually wear an 8, as I said. My daughter and I went shopping for work clothes this weekend -- Ann Taylor Loft -- I tried on an 8 skirt and it was too big. I bought the 6!! I wore it today, and even that was SLIGHTLY BIG IN THE WAIST! The sweater that I bought is a small, and even that was a little roomy on me today. I AM 5'4" AND 145 LBS. TODAY. I AM NOT A VERY SMALL PERSON!!!!!!!!!...

Ann Taylor is a rather high end store (to me anyway) and the higher end retailers usually run smaller.
I believe this is whats known as "ego sizing".

[Eden]

.... my honey is 5'1" and about 110#'s...she wears a womens large in most things.....

From what store?!?!?!?!?! I'm 5' nothing and about 103 so not too much smaller than your honey and nearly everthing seems much too large for me, I'm lucky when I can find and xs or an xxs or a 0......
I've recently found that girls! jeans in a size 16 or 14 actually fit me - ack! I've been sized out of the adult world. I'll admit I'm short, but I'm certainly not rail thin and I have hips so I did not expect to fit into kids clothes..

[Wahine]

I'm 5'7" and around 142 lbs, depending on the day.

I can wear anything from a size 4 up to a size 8 usually in women's work/casual wear. I need a large or XL in Zoot tri clothes. Yup, it's crazy. I now keep all my measurements on a card and use that to check the sizing before buying on-line. Even then I get into trouble, sugoi's tops are usually too short for my torso and many shorts fit me well in the waist and butt while they cut into me on the leg openings. Arrrrrrgggggg!!

[michelem]

I can relate Eden. This "ego sizing" thing is VERY frustrating as I am the same weight I was in high school, but in high school I wore a size 5 and now, 20+ years later a size 0 is too large. It is near impossible for me to find anything that fits anymore. XS in cycling shorts, tights, and jerseys seem to be the right size for me though . . .

[Pax]

From what store?!?!?!?!?! I'm 5' nothing and about 103 so not too much smaller than your honey and nearly everthing seems much too large for me, I'm lucky when I can find and xs or an xxs or a 0......
I've recently found that girls! jeans in a size 16 or 14 actually fit me - ack! I've been sized out of the adult world. I'll admit I'm short, but I'm certainly not rail thin and I have hips so I did not expect to fit into kids clothes..

I would guess part of it is neither of us like the look/style of the fashions in the '00's, we wear boring jeans and t-shirts/polo shirts...mostly LL Bean, Gap, Lands End and we both HATE tight fitting clothes. We ordered her last top from LL Bean in a medium it fit REALLY close to the body and was tight in the shoulders.

[Eden]

I would guess part of it is neither of us like the look/style of the fashions in the '00's, we wear boring jeans and t-shirts/polo shirts...mostly LL Bean, Gap, Lands End and we both HATE tight fitting clothes. We ordered her last top from LL Bean in a medium it fit REALLY close to the body and was tight in the shoulders.

I can relate a bit to that - though I fit into kids jeans I have yet to see a pair I'd be comfortable wearing out..... (they are all cut so low!). I'm suprised an LL Bean medium would be tight - but I am well, less than well endowed, so its generally a big suprise if a top is small on me...
I accepted for years and even got used to wearing stuff that was too big on me, but a few years ago I actually found some clothes that fit and now I just can't go back to all that baggy stuff - I just feel like it makes me look like a little kid wearing someone elses clothes... Unfortunately this does limit my selections a bit.

[Bikingmomof3]

I wish I could sew better. Now that I am finally down to were I was 14 years ago (yes, I am slow ) I find that when I buy a really nice outfit I must have it tailored. To fit my shoulders, the bust and sleeves of every top are too long. Petite bottoms are just short enough to look wrong and regular is usually just long enough to look sloppy. Almost every pair of slacks or skirt will have a waist that is too big and must be taken in. I have resigned myself to finding a decent and affordable tailor.

[Bikingmomof3]

Ann Taylor is a rather high end store (to me anyway) and the higher end retailers usually run smaller.
I believe this is whats known as "ego sizing".

They must because I just bought a summer dress from them and it is a size 4. Honestly my shoulders, for those who have seen them, are not a size 4. But it looks good on the tag, right?

[bmccasland]

and another example of the maddness - I'm supposed to order a work related polo type shirt, and when I looked at the sizing chart it gave the measurements of the shirt (width from seam to seam) . So now I get to go home and measure another polo shirt that fits comfortably to see what it's chest measurement is! I have never seen clothes sizes given in the width from seam to seam.

One time, Pre-K, I went to one of those high end boutiques just to see what they had, and the designer had her own sizing. So I'm looking for something in the 8-10-12 range (my "normal" size) only to discover that translates to her size 2. Gaak! If sizing wasn't confusing enough!!!

Does anyone else out there remember when ladies blouses and dresses were sold by bust size? If you wore a size 34 bra, then you wore a size 34 blouse.

[Jolt]

5'1" and about 110#'s...she wears a womens large in most things.

Holy crap, that is officially ridiculous! I'm not far from her size, and I haven't run into that situation with anything (there are some tops where I'll wear a medium, but that's partly because I don't like things skin-tight). Usually I wear a small in most things (XS in L.L. Bean though--their stuff seems to run a bit big). It really would be nice if sizes were more standardized, but I doubt that will ever happen.

[Pax]

Holy crap, that is officially ridiculous! I'm not far from her size, and I haven't run into that situation with anything (there are some tops where I'll wear a medium, but that's partly because I don't like things skin-tight). Usually I wear a small in most things (XS in L.L. Bean though--their stuff seems to run a bit big). It really would be nice if sizes were more standardized, but I doubt that will ever happen.

She ordered three polos from LL Bean recently, all identical except color, all size medium (she wanted less tail to tuck in)...all three fit differently and two fit so poorly they had to be sent back. I don't know if it's poor quality control or just that there is NO standards for sizing womens garments.