I am tall and plus sized and it is a nightmare to know what size I am supposed to be of anything. I am anywhere from a size UK 12 to UK 18 depending on the brand / item etc.
In: Other
In the US, women’s clothing sizes are pretty much arbitrary. Men’s clothing sizes are nominally based on inches. So a women’s size 12 jeans isn’t anchored to any specific measurement, while men’s size 34 jeans are supposed to be 34 inches around the waist.
I say “nominally” for men’s sizes because in casual clothing, there has also been a certain amount of creep, and size 34 men’s jeans may be 36 or 38 inches.
The reason for this creep is vanity. As we age, we tend to put on weight. If you’re shopping for jeans and you “know” you’re a size 34 and you fit in one brand and not the other, you’ll buy the size 34 instead of admitting you’re a size 36.
In men’s clothes, the measurements are still accurate in more formal dress; men’s dress clothing is often customized to fit, and so the sizes are accurate representations.
I presume that there is similar pressure on the women’s clothing market as well, but that is further compounded by the fact that the original sizing was pretty arbitrary to begin with.
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