I hate the rationale behind sizes. And what I hate even more than that is that the rationale behind sizes matters to me.
BUT, this is cool. Article: A Better Fit
Clothing manufacturers are taking note of a couple of important size trends. We're a multicultural society, and Asian and Hispanic women in particular tend to have smaller frames. At the same time, the average American woman is getting taller and heavier – 5-foot-5 and 159 pounds is now average. A third of all women are pear-shaped, meaning their hips are bigger than their bust.
Apparenly, some manufacturers (including Gap) are making clothes for "real" bodies, to reflect the statement above. It's about damn time!
This article also introduced me to the term "vanity sizing" or "The practice of placing a smaller size label on a larger size garment" (wordspy.com). This article did a pretty good job of explaining what's wrong with vanity sizing which is that while it's nice to fit into a size 8 one day when you are really a 12, if you go to another store and buy a 12 it really messes with your confidence. (Oh you know what I'm talking about: "Did I gain 10 lbs in a week!!? I guess I can never eat again, alas.") While great for some manufacturers (their sales go up because people like to buy smaller sizes) this is not so great for girls who are concerned about their body images. Boooo vanity sizing! Boo frivolous preoccupation with size!
Posted by Lacey at July 24, 2003 12:22 PM