Men's and Women's clothing sizes

[Recursion]

OK, so here's something I don't get:

When I go to a high-end men's clothing store I have to give the tailor 5 different numbers to get a suit (42, 17 x 35, 34, 34, if anyone is curious). This despite the fact that, roughly, I am shaped more or less like every other non-overweight man.

I went shopping with my girlfriend yesterday and she gave exactly one number, despite the fact that women's bodies in general seem to vary so much in shape from one another. And apparently a single-digit size also seems to imply "under 5'6" tall", which she isn't remotely. Who the hell came up with this system and why is it still in place?

My first foray into women's clothing sizes was a disaster, when I bought (a different) girlfriend a shirt that I thought looked nice, not knowing what "Lane Bryant" meant in the social order of things, or the implications of a boyfriend giving a girlfriend a shirt from there. The next piece of clothing I bought for her had an odd-numbered size. I'm still not sure exactly what that means but apparently it was a mistake too. Since then I've just done gift cards.

[LeftyMom]

1. You've actually figured it out.

It makes no sense, and that's before you get into the wide variation in sizes from one brand (and even one garment to another within a brand) to the next. The sizing system comes from old measurements of army nurses, so only sturdy, young, relatively active women were used.

FWIW, the odd sized stuff is "juniors"- think clothes styled and cut for teens and young adults, though it can also be useful for basics if you're older and not so curvy.

Lane Bryant is a store for "curvy women" which is what they say now that everybody's figured out that plus sized and full figured mean fat. But a lot of women who shop there aren't really fat, my best friend buys her bras there, she's not fat but her boobs are enormous and they have good bras for that (not all bra stores have bras for every size woman- can you picture men going to three stores to get underpants? I don't know why we put up with this crap.) But if you buy a woman something from there, she's going to think you're calling her fat. So don't.

[Recursion]

3. The problem was, I did know about "woman" stores

Which, as far as I can tell, cater to about 2/3rds of the female population yet are somehow marketed as "niche". What threw me is that I thought any store for plus sizes would have "woman" in the title, which is apparently not true (though apparently unlike most of the others, Lane Bryant isn't the "woman" division of a larger clothing line).

As someone who currently dates a rather tall woman, I'm surprised there don't seem to be "tall" stores for women like there are for men. On the other hand, my mom is short (which is apparently what "petite" means; she calls herself "mammoth petite") and the combination of "short" and "over size 14" leaves little in the way of shopping opportunities.

I guess the capitalist in me feels like somebody is missing out on a lot of potential money here: why force half or more of your market into frankly degrading "specialty" stores, and why seemingly guarantee a lot of returns by using a sizing system that doesn't offer any real clue as to whether or not a piece of clothing will fit? Swimsuit measurements seem to work well; I figure if a dress said it's made for "38-28-38" and a given height that would cover most of the bases, you know? Maybe I have a business model here...

[supernova]

5. Make up for it by getting her something from Chico's

:D

All sizes are either 0, 1, 2, or 3 and fit just about every sized woman you could imagine.

:D

[Coyote_Bandit]

11. I love Chicos but it ain't for everyone

Their sizes do not fit women who wear anything larger than a size 16. That eliminates all the plus size women.

http://www.chicos.com/store/page.asp?id=22

[KitchenWitch]

7. There are a few tall boutiques. With an emphasis on the word 'boutique'

Boutique means you pay twice as much for a similar article of clothing that an "average" height and weight woman can buy at a regular department store.

It is crazy, in order for me to get 4 more inches of inseam in slacks/pants/jeans, I end up paying $30-50 more.

x(

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. I wear men's slacks because they fit me.

Two numbers: waist size and inseam. Simple.

It took me years to figure out that women's slacks didn't fit. I have narrow hips and a flat rear. Found this out when my boyfriend was close enough in height to me that I could wear his old slacks.

Women's clothing sizes are insane. They think everybody is a 5 or 6 or 8. And if you're normal sized or even a little bit fat (not tall), they think you're huge. That's a 14 or 16 or 18 or 20.

[DarkTirade]

4. It's one of the stupidest systems EVER.

Hell, I have trouble fitting into men's clothing even when I know the measurements are right because my body shape is a little off from the norm. Broad shoulders and waist, very long torso, but short arms. So shirts rarely fit me right. And I have very thick legs, side effect of walking everywhere for the first several years of my adult life, then right when I finally got a car I lost my job and ended up working at a warehouse, lifting heavy things (lifting with my legs of course to avoid back problems.) for three years. So I have rather large, muscular legs.

So even when I find jeans that are the right length and waist size, they're often too tight for my legs. And when I find a shirt that fits my shoulders and torso, it's often waaaaaay too long for my arms.

And women's bodies tend to have a LOT more variance than men's bodies do. Between distribution of fat in different places for different women, different bust sizes, and completely different skeletal structures... it just makes no sense.

[supernova]

6. The non-standardization of sizes is really annoying

It makes shopping for clothes a real pain.

In one store, I'm a 12, in another a 14. In another line I'm a 10.

Sheesh.

[Recursion]

8. Yeah, all of the men's clothing numbers are actual measurements

I think my idea would work: bust in inches, waist in inches, hips in inches, and inches from armpit to hips. That's a rational and objective way to do it. And my store will sell all sizes of women's clothing, just like men's clothing stores do. Any venture capitalists here?

[supernova]

9. Yes!!

Fabulous Idea!

At least if I get an SO, or my brother in a store for a suit, a 42" Long is a 42" Long jacket, no matter who made it.

It would be wonderful and a relief if women's clothes followed suit, so to speak. :D

[Liberal Dose]

10. I love getting money (or a gift certificate) as a gift. It's always the right size! nt