The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[TheShadow]

I went shopping for slacks because all my nice slacks were looking like baggy jammes (Yeah MF!). Well I tried on a bunch of 12's and they all fit!. So then at home I dragged out my too small pants box from the basement and started trying them all on. Oddly, all the 12's were way too small. Now these pants are from about 7 years ago when I was smaller and somehow in the last 7 years they have changed all the sizes,some of these 12's I couldn't even get over my hips, let alone buttoned or zipped. I know it varies from one maker to another, but ALL the old ones were MUCH smaller than the new ones. Some one else pointed out to me how she noticed that a lot of skinny girls now are bragging that they wear a size one or a size zero. I remember from my ultra skinny days (25 years ago) that at 105 lbs and 5'5", I wore a 3. So how much would you weigh to wear a zero???? I think todays sizes are a lot bigger than they were 10 years ago. Maybe they are trying to make women feel better about themselves by enlarging the sizes to go with today's "larger" proportions.

[Serendipity]

I'm sure it's just marketing. I mean, how many times have we bought something just because we could't believe we could fit into a size ______(fill in the blank). It is aggravating because I would really like to know what size I am in comparison with my younger days, but the only thing that will tell me is the mirror, I guess.

This is just another reason why I will not stop until I'm at least a size 6....figuring that is really about a 10!

[Sarya]

It is indeed marketing. It is somewhat well known that clothing has gotten bigger over the years. It has also changed shape. You'll notice that older women's jeans are usually a lot smaller in the waist and wider in the hip than they are today as well.

[TheShadow]

I think the only way to compare to our younger days is if you still have the pants from thise days to try on.

[Sarya]

I don't even know what size I wore back then so there aren't any comparisons for me Not to mention I threw out all of my old clothing.

[GucciGoo]

I dunno. Last time I was in the 140's I was able to wear a size 10. I am 152 now and cannot get them closed at all.

[Arklahoma]

I know we've all talked about this before, but I actually just read an article in a fitness magazine regarding vanity sizing. They did a little research and said that companies do this b/c it makes women feel better about themselves so they tend to buy more product.

All comes down to dollars & cents.

[wildtrk]

One more topic that doesn't apply to men. I go to buy a new suit and the first thing they do is whip out a tape measure and start measuring my body using a recognized and standard unit of measure. Inches are inches, if they measure my chest at 50" the suit coat I put on has a tag on the sleeve that says 50 regular. But then again, I buy clothes out of need and not because that silk tie is "to die for" and while I am at it I will need to get a pair of matching shoes to go with it.

[Arklahoma]

Men also pay less for dry cleaning and hair cuts. Good to be a guy!!!

[medimama]

another thing to keep in mind is things like, was "back then" before kids? I mean, I do agree that sizes probably have changed ... when I was a teenager I was a size 16/18 at about 185lbs. - now, eight years later I was a 22/2x/3x at 242lbs.!!! but, that could be me - I've lost 20lbs. before without changing clothes size? but I often wonder if when I get to 150lbs. will I be a size 10 like I was six years ago? who knows!

[wildtrk]

Men also pay less for hair cuts.

<<<<<<--- I pay even less than many others!

Good to be a guy!!!

You said it sister!

[Arklahoma]

What can I say ... You're special!!!

[lise]

It gets vicious ofr wedding gowns! The sizes are never right!

[DogMa]

Even jeans that give a waist size aren't consistent. I was just out trying on jeans this afternoon, and a 28 in one brand is not the same as 28 in another. Which makes no sense to me.

[cyberghost]

Well, I could be wrong but I read somewhere that the national average size for women used to be a size 12 a few years ago - now it's a size 14. And marketing back then was much less sneaky than it is now - companies will do close to anything to have you buy their product; consider all the clothes brands that now carry plus sizes where before a plus sized girl would go through hell and back to find something that looks halfway decent. It's not just women either, it's childrens clothes as well.

So I guess it boils down to two things: it's good that plus sized women have more choices now, but it sucks in the sense of getting a painful reality check when you buy European clothes.