What size do you wear?
What size do you wear?
“What size do you wear?” Has anyone ever asked you that?
Sometimes it’s a very personal question…like what’s your weight or how much money do you make. >_<
Size is such an interesting thing because somehow, this little tiny number has the power to dictate how good or bad we feel about ourselves. But…the weird thing is that the tiny numbers on your clothing labels have continuously shifted definition over time. So shouldn’t that give them less legitimacy? Yeah, it should, but us women are STILL emotionally driven by it.
So…retailers are clever enough to take advantage.
Have you ever heard of “vanity sizing”?
Because it’s a proven fact that women buy more clothes when they feel smaller, retailers actually size the clothes to mess with our heads in THEIR FAVOR.
You know how when you walk into a Forever 21 versus an Old Navy – 2 pairs of jeans in the same size can fit TOTALLY DIFFERENT!?? You’re swimming in the Old Navy and you can’t even button your pants in the Forever. Yeah. Kinda wish we had a structured sizing system like men’s pants right!?
Well that’s where this whole mess started. During the Depression era, the government actually attempted to do a study on women’s proportions and measurements “to create a simple, standardized system of sizing.”
Unfortunately, the government found too much variable data that one system of sizing could not actually be determined! (So ladies – embrace your body type! It’s so unique!)
Instead they created a numerical system (8, 10, 12 etc.) that had nothing to do with measurements (unlike men’s pants a la 32 x 32 which basically means the same thing in all brands). This system came into use in 1958…but…it means something TOTALLY DIFFERENT TODAY!
If you compare data collected from 1958 to data collected in 2011, you’ll see that women have gotten increasingly LARGER over the years, but the corresponding sizes have not…
A size 8 in 1958 fits a person who is smaller than a 00 in 2011!
WHAAA???
Very weird. But also in 1958, the smallest size was an 8.
0, 2, 4, 6 became a thing when vanity sizing became a thing. And women began to buy more because they felt smaller.
So the point of all this? To let you know that the size of your dress literally does not mean very much, because it’s definition has been changed soooo many times over the years. Don’t give something with such low credibility so much power over your confidence!
Now, I’m in a unique position to write this article because I am a consumer but I am also a designer. My goal is to make sure you feel your best, look your best, and are the MOST COMFORTABLE in your clothing so that you can run, jump, and single leg jack knife to your heart’s desire while feeling unstoppable!
I can tell you right now that I am not vanity sizing you at all compared to what’s out there. A 4 in Lululemon will fit the same as a 4 in POPFLEX. But, I do see some activewear brands out there that are increasing their measurements and decreasing the number on the label to sneakily increase sales. I’m not into that. I don’t need to mess with you because POPsters are so much more than a number and you know that too. You don’t need a label to dictate your self worth.
Even though I say that size doesn’t matter, I must clarify that FIT does matter – as in the way you fit your clothes. After reading a bunch of comments and emails from our beautiful customers, I know there is room for improvement in the fit and the potentially the size range of our clothing line!
Tall, short, big busted, small chested, bootylicious or not so much – I need to know your body type! I’m conducting a research study on the types of bodies in the Blogilates community so that I can make POPFLEX fit you better.
Please take just 30 seconds to anonymously fill out this survey (only 5 questions)!
Your feedback is always appreciated and will 100% directly influence the next collection. We’re not a big corporate company and I’m not partnered with a large corporation either – so there are no hoops and ladders to climb through to get things done. It’s literally you, me, and the small but mighty Blogifam 🙂
Thank you so much for your suggestions always! Don’t you ever forget that POPFLEX is designed for YOU! And we get to create the best activewear line ever, together.
22 thoughts on “What size do you wear?”
There are Array22 comments posted by our users.
I have a question do you have youth sizes? My daughter has been asking for these leggings that have the flair at the bottom
I Have a small question. Do you have Kids sizes? If not, what is your smallest size in stock?
Im so glad you are looking into more sizes because I thought I would be a 2 because of my hip size and height based off your chart, but im very muscular and have a rather large butt even though I am skinny so the 2 doesn’t fit. hopefully the 4 does fit
This is so good to know.. I’ve always wondered why the sizing in the stores seem so different now. One of my favorite stores, Hollister, is definitely vanity sizing! When I was in High school I had to buy a size large in their clothes which made me feel fat and horrible even though I was thin. Now, 10 years later and 15lbs larger, I go to Hollister and the size small fits me a little loosely?!?!?
Hi Cassey. I wanted to ask a question.
I always run into real problems with burning out whenever I start a workout programme.
This past week I’ve been going for a light jog every day, but the past two days I’ve barely been able to get myself up and out of bed.
I really need to loose some weight because it’s affecting my health, but the two times I’ve tried to start PIIT, I’ve burned out within the first week. The second time I even took it easy, only doing one round, rather than the recommended 4.
This is a really big problem for me and I’d really appreciate some help.
Thanks
Sarah
Thank you, Cassey for caring so much about your supporters and readers! You are AWESOME!
http://poshpossibilities.blogspot.com
LOVE this! Size is so different, and I love when companies make an effort to have fits that are realistic for a healthy girl’s body.
When is the next collection coming out? I’m really hoping that the next one has sweaters/long sleeves because I figure skate and tank tops aren’t ideal for that. I can’t wait to finally buy some Popflex!
I’d love some long-sleeves too! Personally, one of my favourite pieces from the original Blogilates collection was the long sleeve baseball style/raglan coverup. Does anyone remember what I mean? lol… it was thin, like a ballet coverup, but still comfortable to work out in when it was chilly. Please make some wintry sets, Cassey! I think a “frozen” or snow-themed set would be really pretty too 🙂
This is a wonderful article, Cassey! 🙂 Numbers can be so confusing – for example, it took me a while to understand I need L tights just because I am a tall girl, not because of any weight issues. Usually I wear 36 (EU, might be M?), so you really cannot be defined by only one number.
Interesting. So theyre making bigger sizes and numbering hem smaller?
Lets just say my size isn’t available on any of the popflex clothes that I’d really like to buy…
when it comes to pants they should just put the measurement as the size (25″, 26″ 27″). a lot of brands do it this way instead of that 1 2 3 4 system. i once went shopping for shorts and bought a pair without looking at the size (it was a buy 1 get one free) so i just grabbed the one that looked small and when i got home it said size 7. i’m a size 3 and these size 7 shorts fit me perfectly….other places i go to size 3 is too big…..the numbers mean nothing.
As a man who wears women’s tights for running and yoga because they fit is so much better. I find that women’s tights hold me together so much better than men’s tights.
As for sizing, I find that the Popflex line of tights to be the perfect sizing. The length on me is great (I am 5’10”). They are snug without being overly tight. So as far as I am concerned the sizing is great and does not need to change.
Thanks for posting this article! It was most interesting:-))
“Size is such an interesting thing because somehow, this little tiny number has the power to dictate how good or bad we feel about ourselves” It really affects what we feel about ourselves.
I really hope you decide to start offering plus sizes 🙂 Even though I’m trying to get into shape I still try to feel confident in the body I have NOW. I love your designs but it feels a bit hurtful that you don’t seem to think big girls want/need nice workout clothes too 🙁
This is so true! It really sank in for me when I began sewing my own clothes. The sizing for most sewing patterns often follows older women’s sizing standards. When my measurements told me to sew a size 12 when I wear a size 6 or 8 from most retailers, I was very upset until I learned about this! This is also true with bridal gowns, and I wish more people knew that “regular” sizes are inflated downwards. I was in a bridal salon dressing room next to a woman who was sobbing over the fact that her regular size didn’t fit. What a terrible feeling to have when trying on wedding dresses! It’s liberating knowing that labels definitely don’t dictate self worth!!
That moment when you **really** want to help with the survey but:
1. Don’t really know, because italian sizes are totally different;
2. Even after finding a conversion chart don’t really know again, because you hate shopping so much your mother does all your shopping (yeah, she even buys me bras, believe it or not).
So I’m gonna try but I am not reliable. 😀
My closet has sizes ranging from 4 to 10 depending on the maker and country of origin. IMHO size is much less important than cut/fit for clothing. I always find it amusing when I try a pair of straight leg jeans and while the waist is too big, my calves are having their circulation cut off. =) Hence, I stopped caring about the number on a tag years ago. Stressing about size, which is just a number, is just not worth the time while being in good health and living life to the fullest are actually things worth doing.
Thanks for writing this post. It’s an important body-image topic for girls and women to be aware of. Great points about vanity sizing and how one brand can offer such a different fit from another in the same size!
Amanda ~ FitnessTestDrive.com
This is completely true.
Brands try to mess with our heads.
Most important lesson here: don’t let the size of your new blouse or pants make you feel miserable, ever.
Kisses
Celien | The Losing Struggle