Not Everything Is True to Size
How easy is it for you to fit into the same size every time you go into a store? Is it just me or does everyone have one item of clothing that they absolutely hate buying? For me it’s pants. I never have great luck finding pants that fit me well, and most clothing these days isn’t sized universally. I have this frustration for multiple reasons:
- I’m 5’2 and most pants that are labeled as regular are for people at least 5’6–5’7.
- If a store offers petite sizes or pants that are tailored for shorter people, they’re usually harder to find or you can only get those sizes online.
- Women’s pants sizes aren’t universal at every store so, even if I find a perfect pair of pants that fit at one store, it doesn’t mean that the same size will fit at another.
- My proportions are a little different which makes some styles of pants look insanely odd on me.
Usually, my issue is finding my correct size in pants but then realizing the regular length is for someone at least four inches taller than me. When I buy pants in a store, I know they’ll always be too long if it says regular on the label. All I want is to be able to wear pants without having to cuff them at the bottom. Sure, I could go get them tailored but that seems a little extra to me. Maybe one day I’ll cave in and just bring all of my pants to a tailor to have them properly hemmed.
Stores Offering Petite Selections
The one time I actually had a successful experience on the first go was when I went to J-Crew for work pants. When I tried them on and they fit perfectly, I happened to love them so much I bought multiple pairs. It was a church-like experience of finding pants that don’t have any issues in length or fit.
Now they’re not cheap pants. However, I was willing to buy multiple pairs because of how good they fit. I normally don’t buy pants unless I have to and at that moment, I knew I needed multiple pairs to last me a while.
It would be amazing to have that experience every time I go shopping for pants. Not having something fit properly and buying it anyways kills me a little on the inside. There really should be stores dedicated to people 5’5 and under. That would make a huge difference in the shopping experience.
Now, although it’s really difficult at times to shop for petite sizes, there are a few stores that offer good size ranges. They include:
If I’m out shopping I won’t try stuff on unless I know I need to. In the case of any pants, I always have to try them on because certain styles don’t work well with my height and leg size. Here’s what I mean, I’m naturally shorter but I have a lot of muscle in my legs.
So, straight-leg pants, carpenter pants, and any wide-leg pants look absolutely horrific on me. I look best in tighter jeans that are high-waisted to give off the illusion of looking taller than I actually am. Finding styles that fit can be difficult but once you find one or two that look great, you can just run with it!
Because I have short legs and a long torso, it can be a little difficult to know what kinds of pants/clothing to go for since my proportions aren’t the same. This doesn’t help the case of clothing sizes being different across the board.
Sizes Aren’t Universal
I’ll give you an example of a recent purchase I made from ASOS and why I’m writing a whole article on this. First off, I started by shopping on their petite section of the website. Not all retailers have a dedicated petite section so, I appreciate that. I normally don’t like buying pants online. That’s the one thing I’ll go out and shop for because I like to try them on.
If you’re also reading this and are short you’ll understand what I mean. I decided to go out on a whim (especially since we’re still in a pandemic) and I got the ASOS Design Petite High rise stretch ‘effortless’ crop kick flare jeans online (longest name ever.)
I was 100% skeptical on whether or not they would fit. I got them in the mail and guess what, they fit in length and the pockets are actually large enough to hold a wallet and phone! But, I didn’t quite fit in the waist. So, even if a petite size is perfect in length, you still might run into problems with the waist size being correct.
Size Inconsistency Isn’t Your Fault
After looking into this further, I learned that over time brands have evolved their sizing to represent who they believe their core customer is. Otherwise known as vanity sizing or insanity sizing.
“Brands don’t want universal size charts. Think of a brand’s clothing shape, the dimensions of each size, and the amount of ease in their clothes as a form of intellectual property; it’s the secret recipe that makes each brand special and keeps customers coming back. In fact, brands take their sizing and fit so seriously that they create clothes that fit their customers, veering away from published size standards as they gain more data.”
So, instead of keeping sizes universal, it’s now turned into a numbers game to get more insights into the brands’ core audience. Shopping for clothes is already overwhelming. Having that extra layer of not knowing what your size is with each store you go into can be difficult to navigate. And I didn’t even talk about the emotional strain you go through when trying to find clothes that fit you properly.
Size charts don’t take into account shape which is why it’s so damn confusing to try to find pants that fit.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
An example of a company that’s been getting a lot of backlash for their American Girl Doll-like sizes is Brandy Melville. The reason this company in particular receives backlash is because of their one size fits all policy. There’s a clear example of their customer base.
Their demographics are mainly skinny teens. But the emphasis is on the skinny aspect. “Almost all of their clothing items fit the sizes small or x-small. Outrageously, their pants, skirts, and shorts fit the waist size of 23–25 inches. The brand’s attempts to justify this policy by using the phrase “one size fits most,” rather than “one size fits all,” does not conceal its negative consequences.”
As company branding has evolved over time, so have clothing sizes to match their ideal customer base. Every brand does this which sucks so, it’s important to uplift, support, and promote companies that actively work on and offer size inclusivity.
