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MissKatya -> RE: Vanity Sizing (7/25/2015 1:26:11 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MariaB
...I recently spoke to the manager of FatFace and asked why their sizing is so generous. She told me that since the 70s and 80s people have become much taller and their shape has changed quite dramatically... I call nonsense on that one. Whilst we may of grown in height, womens sizing is done on hip, bust and waist width. If our hips and waists are evolving to be bigger, then we need to simply purchase bigger sizes.....
Yes and no on this one. She isn't exactly wrong with her answer as body size standards do change over the course of the years but the truth is that it's kind of a marketing tactic. If designers see a surge in a measurement change (such as taller or more fuller figured women), they will modify the current measurements of clothing to reflect it, therefore setting the notion that a women that may have been a size large are now a size medium. It sounds so vain but designers have picked up on the vanity of women wanting to think that they are smaller than they really are. Clothing looks better when it fits correctly so cutting a dress to size large measurements and putting a size medium label on it is nothing more than a cunning marketing ploy. And it works.
As you said, Ms. Monroe's measurements would not reflect a current UK 14-16 but more of a UK 10 (?). She would also be considered a size small/medium today but was considered large/plus size back in her day.
But the reason as to why there is such an erratic change in sizing from designer to designer is manufacturing.
Most of the clothing are mass produced in sweatshops that are mostly mechanical, which are more concerned with final output than finished product. When clothing is mass produced in a mostly mechanical sweatshop, it's usually patterned a few sizes larger to give space for assembly mistakes, whereas a shop or boutique that individually makes an item will pattern to the correct size because there is little to no mistakes made in assembly because it's being done by hand. Some mass produced are better than others and you will definitely see that in the price you pay for clothing.
For example: mass produced sweatshop will have a machine that will lay the fabric out while another machine will laser cut the pattern pieces out. If the pattern is not laid/cut correctly on the fabric, the bias is off, therefore creating an uncomfortable fit so items are cut larger to give some leeway to correct mistakes.
Individual boutique will have someone lay the fabric and pattern out, check for bias and then cut pieces and assemble by hand.
So depending on where you shop, you will be able to know that at that particular store, you will be one size whereas at another store, you will be a different size.
It's frustrating and annoying as well but the best way to shop is by your individual measurements and not the size they offer.
Finally, my design degree can finally be put to good use! Lol.
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