General Chat

I have been wondering this for a few days and an article today triggered me into action! When did dress sizes ie. 10, 12, 14 begin? I can only recall in my teenage years and on dress patterns and dresses etc were sold in either bust sizes or hip sizes. Following on from that in todays Daily M..l are pictured some women all size 12. Now I am willing to accept that a woman who is 5' 10" tall and 10st. 10lbs weight could be a size 12 however I do dispute that someone of similar weight but of a height 4-6" less is a size 12.

How right you are Chris.
I get so frustrated by slimming success stories where someone has slimmed down to 11 stone & can now wear a size 10-12. Where do these people buy their clothes?. I.m 5ft 5 ins & weigh 10 stones 2 lbs & I can´t get away with much smaller than a size 14.
Marion

Snap Marion!!

Thank goodness for that Chris. I was beginning to think I was misshapen.
Marion

PP that is very true I was M & S size 12 - 14 everywhere else but still does not answer the truthfulness of the statement that a woman height 5' 4" weighing nearer 11 stone than 10 is a size 12. I would say she is a 14-16.

Well I am 5 foot two and a half (very important that half ) and at 10.11 I am a size 16/14. Usually the former. No way could I wear a size 12.

I think 10, 12, 14 etc must have come in in the late 60s early 70s but not sure.

I work in a ladies dress shop and our main stockists are Kasimia and Saloos. Kasimia are on the generous side and Saloos are on the small side. As for small, medium, large etc then your guess is as good as mine.


Personally I think that dress sizes should be rethought altogether. Womens shapes have changed dramatically over the years. Who do you know who is a 36-24-36 measurement? Not me, that's for sure. lol

When I left school I was 36-24-34 which at the time was a standard size

Now that is size 12 on bust, size 8 on waist and hips

I have recently gone down from 14st 9lbs and size 20-22, to 12st 7lbs and I am now a size 14 bottom and 16 top. In fact my size 14 jeans are now getting a bit too baggy for me.

I got measured today and my measurements were 44 36 42.

Now then, when I was 23 or 24 I was a size 14 and my measurements were 36 26 37.

However, I remember going to Debenhams for a suit for work and at those measurements I had to get a size 12 jacket and a size 20 skirt, yet I was a definite size 14 everywhere else.

I am 5ft 3ins.

Dianne xx

waist 10 inches smaller than bust and hips 2 inches larger than bust were standard measurements in the 60s.
Waists got bigger in the late 70s/80s.

I bought two fine knit sweaters in size M which were a nice fit. Later bought two at another branch, didn't try on as I assumed size M in the same type sweater would be ok. Nope, they were too baggy and sleeves were over my hands.
Likewise M&S, same style/type of trouser but two different sizes at different branches.

Another thing that gets to me is: small/medium, medium/large etc. What is that all about?

I am anything from a size 14 to size 18 in a top - depends on the brand and style, Can't stand tight fitting tops- shows too many lumps and bumps.

Don't think I ever had a 24 inch waist - must have passed me by when I wasn't looking :))

I had one Libby but with a 32" bust and 34" hips - stood me sideways and couldn't tell back from front - how the mighty have fallen!!!

At 16 i was a size 8 and mum used to make most of my clothes.
At 24 still a sze 8 as my wedding dress still proves.
At 26 after first child born I doubled in size due to Pre eglampsi which was not recognised, I the never went back to size 8 but did get back tis size twelve
One daughter later still around size 14 then had twins and Pre-eclapsia came back and I doubed in size and never went back to a really small size got stuck at size 20.
BUT have been very unwell for the past two weeks and still cannot eat or drink very much and have dropped to a size 18 so maybe I will end up a size 12 again one day.

That would be GREAT!!!

I have a great problem these days (though not in the past) with tops and t-shirts. I often have to go up at least one size as they are so skimpy on the shoulders and look ridiculous. I find that sizes vary hugely across shops, and ranges within the same shop. I find better sizing on internet-only sites generally.

The Ideal World shopping channel makes me laugh.

Some of their clothes sizes for 'larger ladies' are deliberately understated so what they call a size 12 or a small is really a size 18, and so on upwards.

Talk about kidding yourself.....!

With weight Chris, I think it is more about shape than weight. Because I am more of an apple shape and carry weight on my tum I tend to have to have size 16 trousers because of the zip not doing up. However, having said that I am borderline now, I have lost half a stone + from 11st 7lbs and in some styles can wear a size 14 trouser, depends on the style and material I think. I can never these days buy trousers without trying them on.

why do some shops sell clothes in size 12/14 16/18 and others size 12 then size 14/16 18/20. I can fit o.k in size 14/16 not in 12/14. what about m & s selling trousers in short, medium and long lengths, their medium length is 31" small is 28" I am a 29" leg so have to buy the medium and take them up.

hope you can follow that.

jean

What I always find frustrating is that they assume that if you are a size 16/18 that you will be tall. I hold clothes up and they trail on the floor, especially coats.
Carol

my daughter is having the same problems with the designer shops, they now only sell 32" leg length in jeans, when she queried this she was told that is the size for all of the jeans. so she can no longer buy the jeans she likes as by taking them up it would ruin the shape of the leg.

jean

Of course there is the ultimate size which fits all, Its Circus Size.aka."The Big Top" pmsl.:o)>.**M**.