Me? I reckon there are at least a dozen. I have everything from XS to XL. I have size 6s and size 16s. I have size 0 and size 4 (some shops go from 0 to 4, choosing to step out of the more traditional 8.10.12,14 system). Does it keep me awake at night? Not really. I've never been troubled by inconsistent sizing. I don't think I have a particularly strong link between the number in the back of my clothes to the feeling I carry about myself in my head. But I know many women do. Consumer magazine Choice released a report today along with this cute video (if you can't play a video at work, after the jump I've published the findings – a quick, easy read):
I was invited to be part of a round table discussion last week along with a bunch of other bloggers and fashion commentators, but couldn't make it. The Choice report says:
While there is an Australian standard for children’s clothes sizes,
there isn’t for adults. So in the absence of any definitive size guide,
designers and clothing manufacturers base their versions of sizes on
their sales history, marketing hunches and what they believe is their
ideal customer.
While this may suit the designers, who can
manipulate sizing to give an instant “feel good” factor, as well as
deter the “wrong” body shapes from fitting their clothes, consumers are
often left having to try on a range of sizes to find the right one.
Last year the federal government conducted a review of the of the
Australian textiles, clothing and footwear industry. One of its key
recommendations was to allocate, “as a matter of urgency,” $5 million
from the 2009 budget to develop a national sizing standard.
While
direct funding hasn’t been allocated in this year’s budget, the
government will commission further advice on introducing a voluntary
national sizing standard and anthropometric database as part of an
overall funding package of $55 million for the textiles, clothing and
footwear industries.
Top Comments
It drives me crazy! I bought a lovely Alannah Hill blouse from EBAy that was a size 14. I got it a size bigger than i usually wear (i thought) to make sure and it's still too small!
How frustrating!
I have loads of sizes in my wardrobe too, but this is really because of my yo-yoing weight. I can't bear to throw out classic designs that I know I may fit into again in a year or so. I too have a short body and I'm 5'3", and I have to think very carefully which styles I choose, I can be anywhere from a size M to XXL in tops, and size 14 bottoms and size 18 tailored shirts, it's crazy really. But I don't stress about it.