FashBlog.com

Have you ever wondered why you are wearing a smaller or larger size all of a sudden, even though you have not gained or lost any weight at all? Or how about this - You receive a gift card from an expensive, upscale department store and find that only the smaller sizes fit you. Have you lost weight? Perhaps you are sick and do not know it, but should go in for a physical right away.

Probably not. Although a yearly health exam is a wise choice, what you are probably suffering from is really only a retail trick known as Vanity Sizing.

Decades ago, especially in the 1940s through 1960s, women used to squeeze their feet into tiny sizes of shoes, because none of them wanted to have the big feet that they thought were unattractive. So, shoe retailers changed the sizing system and made size 10s into size 7s one year. Now, in every shoe store you enter, you need to try on the sizes and see what really fits.

The same thing happened with women's clothing. Marilyn Monroe was really a size 12, you know.

The vintage styles from the 40s, 50s and 60s can be as much as 4 to 6 times smaller in size than the same sized item purchased new today anywhere. So, a size 12 from 1945 would be a size 4 today at Saks 5th Ave or anywhere in Paris or Beverly Hills 90210.

In addition, you may be a size 4 in one brand and a size 12 in another, but you probably want to buy the first item, even though the second one looks much, much better on you regarding style, cut, and fit. Clothing retailers and manufacturers want to boost their sales and your self image by convincing you that you have decreased a couple of sizes without any real weight loss as well. The more expensive brand and the store, usually the smaller will be the size number on the dress tag of the garment that fits you. Such an ego boost results in a lot of women with money or gift cards buying their clothes, instead of shopping less expensive retailers, or even WalMart. Taking your own measurements and keeping them in your purse or memory is more useful than knowing your clothing size since you will wear a 4 in one brand, an 8 in another and a 10 in another.

The Talbots Department Stores Fit Survey for 2006 found that a full 85% of all women and girls decide to buy a clothing item based on the size that is printed on the hang tag, not by the way it fits, looks, or feels. The smaller the size, the more apt they are to buy it. Further, 62% of all women consider purchasing only items in their size, even if larger items fit better. In addition, 62% of women also stated that they do not have any idea what their body measurements might be. Therefore, it is small wonder why so many women have trouble with ill fitting bra and under clothing, shoes and all other clothing items. According to Talbots again 40% of women buy clothing with plans of losing weight in order to fit into it. What are they going to wear now, though? Baggy sweatpants maybe.

This may be the reason behind the popularity of T-shirts and sweat pants or even print pajamas among high school and college aged women for street clothes. You see it all the time on the TV show What Not to Wear.

Of course, many women and girls have two stashes of clothing keep, divided into fat clothes and thin clothes. The fat clothes are for when they have bloated or gained a few pounds of weight. The thin clothes are a measurement tool for determining how much weight they have lost. If they can squeeze into the thin clothes, they feel good about themselves, just like those ladies and their too tiny shoes in the 1940s. Those women today are 80 years old and have had multiple bunion surgeries or can only wear slippers.

Sizes are not that important, so if size in an issue for you, cut all the size tags out of your clothing. It is no one's business what your sizes are, anyway. It is funny to do that in a retirement home, because there is an element even among the retired ladies that still tries to find out who wears what sizes, especially shoes and undergarments (I know, sounds like a sitcom, but it is true). Cut out the sizes and they will have to keep wondering, or find something else to do.

Back to today, if you have a boyfriend, do not clothes shop for your own clothing with him. Do not ask if something makes you look fat. Shop with friends or go alone and seek the help of a professional sales person or the alterations staff, who should be able to spare some time for their customers. You boyfriend does not need to know what sizes you wear, either, unless he is going to buy you a nice sweater, or a ring perhaps.

Do not be a fashion slave to the point that you try to squeeze into clothing items that are uncomfortable. Find things that fit correctly and ask a knowledgeable department store sales associate or alterations person for help. Some stores even have free sizing clinics twice a year for everything from undergarments to suits and dresses, to jeans and shoes, so try some of those.

Remember that size numbers will definitely change, even if you do not gain or lose an ounce, so those numbers are not important. What is extremely important is a good fit in an attractive, well-made garment that feels good as you wear it. That will make you feel good and that will make you BE more attractive just by itself.

Happy holidays with YOUR correct, comfortable, and beautiful sizes!