Same Size, Different Size: Why clothing sizing is causing an unnecessary upset in the UK

I personally love shopping. In my opinion, there is always an excuse for a cheeky trip to town or a quick scroll on the online shopping apps. However, over lockdown, I faced a huge struggle. Everyone had their own safe haven, their own source of serenity, something they would rely on to make their day even that little bit better; mine was shopping. I would order clothes, excitedly follow the delivery, wait for the door-bell to ring with the glorious brown box from Zara, or the white package from H&M. Grab the scissors to score the package open to find that the item did not even fit. Disappointment. Anger.

With the ever-increasing UK population, the average size 8 has now shrunk by two inches, according Georgia Aspinall. According to clothing brand, NastyGal, the current size 8 has a 26-inch-waist. TWENTY SIX. Health Line states that a ten or eleven year old girl should, in fact, have a waist size of 26-28 inches. This is where I start to get confused. Back in 1957, the average size for a British woman (5”2, weighing around 9 stone, size 3 feet) was a dress size 12. Skip forwards around 50 years, the average British woman (5”5, weighing 11 stone, with size 6 feet) was the dress size of 16. So what happened? Is it sizing or the environment?

Today, the most commonly purchased clothing size is size 12, with around 31% of women buying this size. However, how do you know this size is ‘universal’ to all the shops you visit? For example, a couple months ago, I ordered a dress from Zara. Personally, I have always been a Small or Medium, dependent on shape of the item etc. I realised I accidently ordered two of the same dress. No worries, never mind, it was free return back then! I tried on the first size small, it was a so huge and baggy, literally drowning me ; tried on the other… IT WAS HALF THE SIZE. How does that work?

But it’s not just me who sees the ‘sizing-world’ as preposterous. In a survey, more than four in ten( around 44%) of people were unhappy about the differences in clothes sizes that exist from one store to another. They said they would rather stick to only a small number of stores, the ones that are actually reliable when it comes to clothes that will fit and suit their shape. To be honest, I don’t blame them. Some sorts of disappointment are worth avoiding.

So next time you shop, be prepared to buy more than one size or it’s another trip to the Post Office for you!

(images sourced online)