Have you heard about vanity sizing? It is when manufacturers put smaller sizes on clothing to make consumers feel better about themselves. My first experience with this was while watching The Biggest Loser. A contestant that weighed almost 10 pounds more than I do put on a pair of pants a size smaller than I wear. I thought, “How can this be?” Then, a few months later, I saw a report on t.v. about vanity sizing. They had different clothing brands and showed how a size 10 from one brand fit the same as a size 8 (or even 6!) in other brands. This doesn’t make me feel better about myself; it makes me feel confused. It also makes me have to try on clothing, instead of just picking up my size and heading to the checkout (not that every style fits my body type, but I had a much better shot at a good fit). Now I understand my dismay trying on jeans when I thought I was in a size 8 and I fit in a true size 10. Had I gained weight? Was I getting weird middle age bulges? To be honest, I don’t care what the size says, I just want to wear a consistent size.
Exercise and diet are about health. You can change the number on a tag, but that will not change how you feel physically, the number on the scale, or change your actual shape. I mean, my husband is not going to look at me one day and say, “Hey, weren’t you a size 6 earlier this week?”
The inconsistent sizes also make me unsure of what size I really am – leading not to buy clothing unless I can try it on. Often a flea market option is discarded because of this.
I hear you!