I've been trying to remember if I had this issue when I was bigger. If I did, I don't remember it (or I paid as little attention as possible and then blocked it out.)
The issue is the sizes of women's clothing. Particularly, numbered sizes (as opposed to sizes based on inches, which tend to be more universally accurate, or S/M/L which are of course expected to be subject to the brand.)
As I've lost weight and started, timidly, to explore more fun clothing, I have noticed something rather frustrating. The size numbers on women's clothing are so wildly varied as to be utterly pointless.
There is literally no point to assigning a number to a size, unless you are buying every piece of clothing from the same manufacturer.
A couple of my dresses which fit fine now, are a size 12. But the dress I wear in Love's Labour's Lost (which I tried on at the store and bought myself)? Size 6. That's a difference of six sizes (supposedly) and yet both dresses fit me fine. And it's not a matter of the small one stretching; you've seen the photos, if it were stretched much over my belly and ass it would just be one big mess of rolls and I wouldn't be wearing it.
I don't even want to get started on jeans sizes. That, too, is crazy varied. I understand there being a difference in cuts and fits with different jeans, but it's completely silly that a 14 in my DKNY jeans is tighter than a 10 in Levi's. Men's jeans sizes are based on inches (waist and inseam); I don't understand why women's jeans aren't the same way.
And you've likely read about "vanity sizing," where certain brands will label their sizes in lower numbers (e.g. what should be a 10 will be labeled a 6, so a size-10 woman will be...I dunno, flattered into buying it?). I don't think this is the whole problem. I think because it's simply not regulated universally, it will continue to be just as subjective as small/ medium/ large sizing and require women to know their own measurements and check size charts, like I do.
...and then sometimes the size charts are inaccurate. FABULOUS.
It occurred to me to check the dresses Melissa (my coworker and friend) gave me, which fit fine. The majority of them are just "L", which sounds about right given my measurements and the fact that most are from Old Navy (a store I used to frequent, especially in college when I was my smallest and fit into most of their clothes.) I don't mind checking charts and measurements, but it frustrates me that the numbered-sizing system is so completely pointless and still so widely used.
Do I have numbers in mind for the weight I want to lose? Of course - having a hard and fast goal is helpful in making plans and sticking to them. Do I care WTF size is printed on the tag of my dress? NO. Seriously, no one freaking cares about that. I'm not afraid someone will walk up, sneak a peek at the tag on my dress and go "oh never mind, that nice-looking woman I thought was a 10 is actually a 16, GROSS EWW GET ME AWAY FROM HER". Seriously...just...bleh.
I had this flashback to a pair of (size 13) Daisy Duke shorts I bought in 8th grade, with colorful flowers patched onto them, and a red gingham shirt that I'd bought with it. It didn't fit right when I was 13, but later on when I'd lost a little weight in high school it looked fine.
I so rarely wear shorts that I have no idea what size I should be looking for. But part of me wonders if those ones would fit now. They're someplace in a box in my mom's garage. .....I'll report back on my findings.
ANYway. There are candy-colored cupcakes at my office this morning, and a taco truck coming in for lunch, because of course there is. But I had a nice breakfast and I packed my lunch and dinner, and I'm good until after Caesar rehearsal tonight. And then tomorrow's payday, so hooray! More groceries.
TL;DR - my goal for most of this was to be a 6/8 by the end of the weight loss campaign. But that number is becoming more and more meaningless as I learn that women's clothing sizes don't mean anything. And I would like to continue to lose weight and change my shape, even though I can wear (at least one dress in) a size 6.
Ugh. Numbers.
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