stupid sizing?

[emily_in_nc]

Eden, I have a feeling no one is going to feel sorry for you.

I do understand, being a smaller gal myself, but many on here would give their right arm to be as tiny as you are!

[Crankin]

That's why I hesitated on saying anything, but it's not just a matter of being small all over. Even though my weight is on the smaller end, petite sized people (i.e. short people) come in all sizes... up to size 16 in most stores. What does a size 10 five foot tall person do? I can remember when I was in my twenties and looking for work clothes. It was really hard for me; I never wore pants and some of the junior clothes were not appropriate, even though they fit. I remember when Petite Sophisticate opened when I was in my early thirties. It was the eighties and I bought tons of suits there that I wore when I taught high school. I wore them on my interviews when I moved to MA. It was like I died and went to heaven.
And, I do think it's kind of discrimination when there's no clothing for smaller people. I can't help my height.
And I guess cycling clothes are just as variable in their proportions as regular clothes. I pretty much stick to 1-2 brands because I know they fit.

[redrhodie]

What about bathing suits? Ever notice how they have their own completely different size chart, that doesn't relate to other clothing? And it's larger than regular clothes. It's like the reverse of vanity sizing. Add to that those dreadful mirrors and lighting (I'm talking dept stores specifically) and you're in for some fun.

[Tri Girl]

I know, right, Red?? What is up with that? I don't like having to go up 2 sizes in a swimsuit from what I wear in regular clothes. Not cool!! If they would figure that out, they'd sell a lot more swimsuits! Very frustrating! I like when I find things from Ann Taylor at the thrift stores- they do some serious vanity sizing. I can swear 8's and 10's from that store. Makes me feel sorta better about it.

[jessmarimba]

Red, I would give anything to find a longer-torsoed one piece bathing suit in a physical store. I don't think they exist. I mean, I'm comfortable in a bikini, but that doesn't mean I always want to wear one (and yes I know about tankinis, but it's not like those are going to cover my midriff either).

Eden, I've often wondered about people like you as far as sizing goes! I'm 5'7" and narrow-shouldered - I wear a S or XS in most athletic tops (as long as they're long enough). But I know compared to someone who is small-framed and 6 inches shorter, I still look like a giant. So who makes clothes to fit you??

[bmccasland]

Although my weight has crept up over the years (arrggg) it wasn't until I moved to New Orleans that I found a nice selection of petite clothes. I'm 5'3" and currently weigh ~160lbs, so depending on what I buy I wear a 10 or 12, and M to XL. In N.O. there were a lot of petit women - that old european blood line. So I left here, and thanks to a large asian community, there's a lot of short women - so the department stores stock a pretty good selection of petites.

But I haven't tried to buy cycling gear.

[emily_in_nc]

What about bathing suits? Ever notice how they have their own completely different size chart, that doesn't relate to other clothing? And it's larger than regular clothes. It's like the reverse of vanity sizing.

Yeah, I'm worried about this b/c I just ordered two separate swimsuit pieces from Lands End (a bikini top and boyshorts), and with quite a bit of fear and trepidation, I ended up ordering my normal clothing size rather than sizing up. I did this b/c after reading all the reviews, it seemed that the pieces ran true to real sizes. Lands End has separate size charts for swimsuits, and my measurements fit into my normal size. But that probably means nothing! I just have this bad feeling they're going to have to go back for the next size up.

[Eden]

Eden, I have a feeling no one is going to feel sorry for you.

I do understand, being a smaller gal myself, but many on here would give their right arm to be as tiny as you are!

I'm only tiny because I'm short and everything about me is scaled down- I'm healthy thin, but not exactly super skinny. Believe me you would *not* give your right arm to be this small....

there are a lot of things that I have to settle for making do with or adapting something that is too big and plenty more (including bicycles) that I am totally on the edge of fitting. Trust me - you do not want to be on the fringes of "normal". Pardon me if I roll my eyes a bit at anyone who complains about whether or not they are a m, l, or xl - hey at least they make your size - ask me about the dozens of pairs of boots I looked at before I finally found a pair that was even produced in a small enough size - ask me why I have to wear two pairs of socks with my winter cycling shoes *all* of the time - ask me if I can actually purchase a pair of jeans made for adults anymore... oh yeah, an ergonomically correct workstation.... yeah right, not if you are my size, adapt and make do....

[Crankin]

Thank you. I am probably an inch taller than you and also thin, but not "skinny" by any means.
I almost never go into a physical store anymore. There is an Ann Taylor Loft near my house, where I buy lots of stuff, because they have my size, but right now I am not so happy with their stuff. The Talbots next door constantly tries to get me to buy stuff there, when I go in to buy stockings or other little accessories. Besides the fact that the clothes look like they are for old ladies (even though I am an old lady, I don't dress like one), the size 2s there swim on me. I buy a lot of stuff from Banana Republic and Gap; there is a Banana Republic petite store in a mall about 18 miles from here, so maybe twice a year I go there; the rest is done on-line. I didn't know the Gap had petites on-line, as they are not in the stores. I have found tons of skinny jeans that fit me! However, their sweaters and tops are a little big on me; they don't have xx small petites (even though I am not xxsmall).
Bathing suits, well, I only buy them from Athleta now. I found one tank style, halter top that is flattering to me, or at least as flattering as a bathing suit can be.

[Pax]

My SO and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum, I'm 5'10" and big, she's 5' and tiny. Neither of us has much luck in stores. For some reason if you're heavy the stores assume you are short (most plus size clothes come in a 30" inseam???). My SO is almost ten inches shorter than me but our inseams are only 1.5 inches different, she is all legs with a super short torso... almost nothing off the rack fits her. The current womens clothing style of tapered in waists normally hit her somewhere low on the hips. Last time we went shopping for some nice clothes she was trying on L and XL as well!! This pretty much means I'll never be able to wear womens clothing, no matter how much weight I lose.

We end up wearing guy jeans (Lee fits her, Wrangler fits me), and lots of tshirts/sweatshirts.

[Grog]

Hey Eden, I think you should come and shop North of the Border in Richmond BC (and I could point you to a specific mall or two). There is a really big Chinese community there and very many tiny women. Men also tend to be a little smaller and for my husband (who has a true, skinny climber body type and is not very tall) it's also great, he can actually find pants and a belt that fits him out there...

[malkin]

Discussions like this always leave me wondering if there is any configuration of woman who can consistently find clothes that fit off the rack and just what that woman might look like.

As for sizing, I just pretend the letters mean something else:

L for Lovely
M for aMazing (or Monstrous depending on how the sizes run and if it fits or not)

XL that fits after you have lost weight might mean that item is for a person who is Ex-Large (i.e. formerly large)

[zoom-zoom]

Discussions like this always leave me wondering if there is any configuration of woman who can consistently find clothes that fit off the rack and just what that woman might look like.

Given how clothes fit me I have decided that she has legs that are 2" longer, torso that is an inch or two shorter, a thicker waist, but smaller butt and thighs and 1 cup size smaller boobs.

[lph]

As for sizing, I just pretend the letters mean something else:

L for Lovely
M for aMazing (or Monstrous depending on how the sizes run and if it fits or not)

XL that fits after you have lost weight might mean that item is for a person who is Ex-Large (i.e. formerly large)

Late to this one. I came across a lovely and very expensive series of designer dresses in one shop labeled like this
S - Smashing
M - Marvellous
L - Luscious
XL - Extra Luscious

I've always wondered why manufacturers even want to alienate a whole bunch of women by telling them they're "large", given that the beauty ideal for women has been attached to "small and dainty" for hundreds of years. Why not just size clothes by numbers that state something that can be measured? You're not going to alienate anyone by telling them they need a pair of pants with a hip circumference of x inches or a top that fits a bust of y inches - either it fits or it doesn't, no need to mix in relative judgements like large and small. (Which all go out the window if you're shopping in a country where the population is sized differently anyway.)

[nscrbug]

I pretty much have come to despise clothes shopping of any kind. I'm a muscular & fit 5'6", 157lbs. I wear size 8 jeans/pants, but there is no way that I'm squeezing into anything smaller than an XL on top...especially when it comes to cycling gear. Nearly every single jersey or workout top I own, is an XL. I tend to stay away from the European stuff, as it is generally cut even smaller. Swimsuits are another animal...I usually have to get a 40 no matter what. I have a very broad upper back and shoulder area (from swimming and lifting weights)...so that will always be a problem area for me. A lot of my cycling bottoms are mediums, but a few are larges depending on brand. I just accept the fact that I am the size that I am...whatever that may be.