Joined Jun 2006
Jambi-rific in Seattle!
Forum Thread
Just spent $600 on a dress ****Update post 48****
November 5, 2013 at
08:19 PM
in
Rant
Cliff Notes: ZM is a pissed off fatty.
WTF Macy's why would you not carry the plus size dresses in your stores? Not one store in the greater Seattle area had any of the 12 dress styles I checked on in stock, regardless of color!
So out of frustration and a lack of trust in Macy's stock system, I ordered the same dress in three different sizes, hoping one of them will be the right fit.
WTF Macy's why would you not carry the plus size dresses in your stores? Not one store in the greater Seattle area had any of the 12 dress styles I checked on in stock, regardless of color!
So out of frustration and a lack of trust in Macy's stock system, I ordered the same dress in three different sizes, hoping one of them will be the right fit.
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Straight ain't ya
Straight ain't ya
I eat 1500 calories a day consisting mostly of protein and carbs, and I work out. Some people are just naturally built larger or smaller. I also can't magically grow taller so I no longer wear petite clothing and I hate paying for alterations. My clothes cost the same and they use less fabric!
It's people like you that put pressure on others to change their bodies and be uncomfortable with how they are as is. There is nothing wrong with not being average (so long as the person is overall in good health) and wishing stores catered to more body types.
One time, 20 years ago, I mentioned I liked Eeyore and I wore a set of Eeyore pajamas on Christmas morning. ONCE!
I've received something from the Eeyore clothing (and slippers) line every year since.
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http://fashion.about.c
According to Stores.org, $28 billion a year of merchandise is returned to stores because of poor fit.
An informal poll on this site shows that 42% never find clothes to fit; 40% only sometimes; 14% said rarely and only 4% said always.
But you really don't care about statistics and projections: you already know that it's almost impossible to find great fit.
The real reason is pretty simple: there's no standardization in women's sizes. A U.S. size 4 could be an 8 or a 2 depending on the maker.
There is a very basic guideline for fit based on a 60-year-old study done by the US Dept. of Commerce.
Unfortunately, the 2,000 women who were measured for that study were mostly young, unmarried, white women according to Ellen Goldsberry, associate professor with The University of Arizona Division of Retailing and Consumer Studies on the university's web site.
That cross-section doesn't begin to touch on the diversity of today's demographics.
Also, this old data is out-of-sync with the way women have increased in size: in 1941 the average woman was 5' 2", 129 pounds. Today she is 5' 4" and weighs 144 lbs (wearing between a 12 and 14).
Another reason clothes never fit is that most sizes are based on the assumption that women's bodies are hourglass in nature. (Ex: A size 8 at the Gap is a 36 bust-28 waist -36 hips.) In reality, the average woman's body is much more a pear shape (smaller on top and heavier through the hips).
To make matters even more confusing, factor in the inane sizing system itself.
"Missy" sizes (2-20) originally designated age, not measurements.
And the sizes themselves keep fitting bigger.
Unfortunately, this means that if you have always worn a size 10, you've actually grown by as much as 5" in the bust and waist over the past 30 years.
Since it refers to a "60 year old study" and compares to 1941 measurements, perhaps the new data is based on 2001 data. That's 12 years and a lot of lattes/cinnabons/ice cream ago.
The 15 additional pounds isn't that much considering the average height is 2" taller.
Since it refers to a "60 year old study" and compares to 1941 measurements, perhaps the new data is based on 2001 data. That's 12 years and a lot of lattes/cinnabons/ice cream ago.
And 15 lbs on a person my height and build is about a size and a half increase. I find that I have to gain or lose 10 lbs to change sizes. So noticable to me but maybe not to someone who doesn't see me everyday.
This also means I'm below average by today's average
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And the second part about today's figures being more pear shaped always gets me too. I sometimes have to go up in sizes like ZM to get the top to fit correctly (even though its more of a shoulder thing than a boob thing in my case). But its still super frustrating. Its also the main reason I know how to sew. That and hemming pants.