They put a big pile of fabric on the table, and then they cut it with a laser. The pieces at the bottom of the pile wind up bigger than the pieces at the top, even though they all get the same size label.

This is why I take every pair of jeans labeled with my size into the J. Jill fitting room, and try them all on to see which fits best. And the salespeople don't mind having to put all my rejects back on the rack, because they understand why it's necessary.

As for bike shorts, I was so happy with the Shebeest Century shorts. But when they changed the chamois last year to a two-piece thing with seams, I figured I would have to start looking for new favorite shorts, because there is just no reason to have a line of stitches between me and my saddle. Fortunately they've gone back to the old one-piece chamois, so I guess I wasn't the only one who refused to buy their "improved" version.