Dress sizes can make or break a day. Whether it’s the euphoria we feel when we fit into a smaller size than we’d normally take, or the despair when we don’t really fit into anything, dress sizes tend to trigger much more emotional responses than they should. No matter how body-positive you try to be, dress sizes affect how you feel about yourself – but they’re actually incredibly arbitrary. I mean, today I’m wearing a size 28 dress but the wedding dress that I wore two weeks ago was a size 24 with room to spare! Here’s why you should ignore them altogether.
There’s no firm standard
Dress sizes vary from place to place, and can even vary within the same shop! How clothes fit on your depends on their shape, style, and cut – so a pair of size 18 jeans in a slouchy boyfriend style and a tight-fitting, high-waisted style are likely to actually be different sizes even if they’re both from the same brand. Add to this the fact that there are often variations in manufacturing (one person might leave a wider margin around the seams than another, for example), and it’s easy to see how sizes can differ from piece to piece. You’ll find that somewhere like Pronovias US which has really gorgeous tailored pieces will fit completely different from a supermarket.
…because of a little something called vanity sizing
But the biggest reason for different dress sizes is a simple marketing trick. Manufacturers know that people are more likely to buy something if they feel flattered by the size; many brands have increased their measurements so that people can feel as though they’re buying a smaller size garment. Dress sizes have actually grown dramatically since dress sizes were first used, for precisely this reason (and because the average woman has become taller and wider since the 1950s). Before dress sizes were used to create off-the-peg, mass-produced garments, clothes would have been custom-made to people’s individual measurements.
Focus on the piece, not the size
If you’re too laser-focused on wearing a smaller size, it might not fit as well. Sometimes a few sizes bigger can look much better, as in the case of oversized jumpers, floaty dresses, or slouchy jeans. Look at how the garment moves with you, how it flows and how it feels, instead of the number on the label. Also, think about what you’re buying the clothing for. For example, If you want an epic holiday outfit, think outside the box. You could look for beach wedding dresses in the US or even be super brave and make your own.
People are all shapes and sizes
What dress size you wear shouldn’t be taken as a value judgement. You should love yourself no matter your size. Off-the-rack clothes won’t fit everyone in the same way, and taller women will often take a larger size to account for wider shoulders or longer arms. But at the end of the day if it bothers you to wear a larger size, cut out your labels as soon as you get home!
