It’s the proverbial elephant in the room. If it’s not your age, it’s your size. And for those of you who are in the bloom of youth (i.e. high school), it’s the latter and will be for a few more years. With the emphasis on the body beautiful, the lithe, leanness of a supermodel, being slender makes many girls feel better about themselves and better than their classmates. There was a time when a woman would say “I am a Size 12” to the envy of the room (meaning the other women). In fact, Marilyn Monroe, the very epitome of sexy and beautiful wore not only a Size 12, but up to a Size 16. And she literally defines gorgeous. Of course, a Size 12 in the 1950s is probably close to a current Size 6. She was very curvy, and had a super tiny waist.
Today’s Sizes
Today, sizes start at 00 (or XXS) and go up to size 24 or (XXXL). You can easily find this wide range of sizes at mass consumer stores in which inexpensive clothing is mass manufactured overseas, and then brought to America to be sold fast, never to be seen again. If you grew up shopping at the same store – if your mothers or guardians always bought you school clothes, or any clothes from the same shops, you’re going to know your size, in blouses, shirts, skirts, dresses, pants and leggings – and shoes, too. But step out of your comfort zone and you’ll find that an H&M Size 14 is different than a Crofts and Barrow (Kohl’s) Size 14. How can this be? Simple: sizes are mere guidelines. There are no hard-and-fast rules for sizing for clothing.
There’s no “universal” sizing. We won’t go so far as to say that a Size 4 in one clothing line is wildly different than another Size 4 in another designer’s line. However, there is enough difference that when you’re buying a formal gown, something as special as an event dress, you absolutely must look at the sizing chart. Reputable formal wear companies carry a wide-range of sizes and from different designers and give their customers the opportunity to look at exactly what the measurements are in inches. Check out https://www.peachesboutique.com/.
Must Read: The Sizing Chart
Many of us are too excited, too lazy or too experienced to realize that those sizing charts are essential to buying into a new designer line of clothing. Formal wear must fit well. It is pretty much the opposite of nightgown shopping. And when you are talking “body-con” dress or even one that simply “looks right,” fit is what it’s all about. Again, it’s essential that when you choose a dress, be sure you look at the designer’s name and then look at their size charts.
Fit Fashion
So we learned that sizing varied over the decades – and the more specific, fitted and detailed the style of that era (the 1950s and 1960s are ideal fashion examples), the more important the sizing. These are dresses that might not fit you after a heavy meal!
Vanity, Thy Name is Woman
Sizing, notably the XXS and 00 are considered by some watchers to be “vanity sizing,” meaning that they could simply make them Size 2 to 20 and leave it at that, but they do not, because there are girls and women who feel good wearing teeny tiny of sizes. Of course, there are also collections and lines which represent sizing differences. In women’s clothing alone, there are juniors, misses, women’s and different sizes within each category.
So whenever you’re looking for formal dresses girls, I hope this article was more than helpful and you took your notes. If you want to have the perfect dress, you need to ensure that it fits you perfectly too.
I myself have a petite frame (5.9″), I can go from a size 1 (UK- 4) to a 4 (UK – 8), depending on the cut or the item I am choosing. Just to give you an example, at H&M I usually look for a size 1 and I love that they have that size. However, if I’m looking for loose jumpers I might go up to a size 6 (UK – 10)(I like to play peek-a-boo with my shoulders out). For dresses and jeans I usually look for measurements at the store.
Hope this was helpful to you,
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This article is published in partnership with Mediabuzzer.
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