Look at fit, not numerical size when trying on clothes

By Melissa Cassutt
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Colorado Springs, Colo. — Brook Mark doesn’t care about numbers.

Give her a 4, 6 or 8. Her closet has them all.

For most women, lower is better when talking about clothes. But Mark knows not to let a numbers game fool her. She’s fully aware the true size of her clothing largely depends on the brand.

“I try to buy the same misses sizes, and I can’t do that anymore,” said Mark, a master gardener who lives in Colorado Springs.

Women’s fashion has always had its own rules, and the rule when it comes to sizing clothes is this: Things aren’t always as they seem. One brand’s 12 might be the same size as another brand’s 8.

It’s called “vanity sizing” — putting smaller numbers on bigger clothes. As American waistlines have grown, companies have realized women will spend more money for a smaller number, leading to the sizing rule of thumb: The more you spend, the smaller number you’ll wear. But even mainstream brands have taken hold of the concept and started peddling the idea to the average mall shopper.

Why? Well, as the name implies — vanity. Shopping is an emotional experience for women, and marketing firms have caught on, said Cheryl Locke, fashion journalism coordinator for the School of Fashion at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

“I think it has to do with feeling beautiful — feeling magically transformed by what you’re wearing,” Locke said.

To amp up that feeling, some brands have even revamped their entire sizing system — such as Chico’s, which did away with the traditional 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 concept from the start in lieu of one that sizes clothing from 0 to 3.

The thought being that smaller is always better.

“They know they can hook that woman because that woman knows they’re a 1,” said Shelley Laur, owner of Swish, a secondhand clothing store in Colorado Springs. “I don’t know if the media has done that, or if we just buy into that because a smaller number is a smaller size and it just kind of sticks that way in your brain.”

“I know a lot of women won’t even try on (bigger sizes) — if I know a woman is a 10, they refuse to try on a 10. They keep trying on 8s.”

Companies know they can hook a customer with a smaller size, which is why the fashion industry has lagged to return to standard sizing, Laur said.

So how can you beat the system? Go for fit and forget about numbers. (Your secret’s safe with the saleswoman.) Your best bet is to try things on before buying, but that’s not always possible.

“Most people don’t like to have to try things on — they don’t have time,” Mark said.

In which case, make sure the stores you frequent have friendly return policies.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Published on Wednesday, March 19, 2008