The realities of vanity sizing

Picture this: you are desperate for a new pair of skinny jeans — that perfect pair that hugs your hips and lifts your butt without being too tight. You walk into Gap, where you have always worn a size 8, but the size 8 jeans are too big. You think, cool, those spinning classes are paying off.

You head to Ann Taylor Loft, where you try on a size 6 dark denim with stretch. Still too big, so you try on size 4. They fit! You dropped more than you even knew.

Maybe it was the spinning class. Or maybe you’re on the receiving end of what retailers call “vanity sizing,” the practice of labeling clothes with smaller-than-standard sizes. For instance, where standards might dictate that a pant with a 28-inch waist would traditionally be labeled a size 10, a vanity-sizing retailer would label it a size 8 or 6. It’s based on research that shows women will spend more money if they think they wear a smaller size.

However, the process of putting smaller numbers on larger clothes has resulted in clothing confusion and shopping frustration. And for some, indignation that self-esteem should be tied to the size on the label.

Just ask Sue Wolf, a 50-something self-described “fashionista” from Williamsville. “I think the whole issue of vanity sizing is a manipulative device that the fashion industry has slowly pushed into the mainstream to fool women,” said Wolf. “I’ve gained 20 pounds as I’ve gotten older, but my clothing sizes have gotten smaller! So my ego is feeling good — I don’t need to lose weight after all.”

Sizes have changed. A size 12 in 1975 is now in the 4-6 range. A woman with a 32-inch bust wore a size 14 in clothes from the 1937 Sears catalog, but by 1967, the same woman wore a size 8. Classic Gap khakis in a size 8 grew by three inches from 1996 to 2010.

“I can still remember the first designer clothing I purchased,” said Wolf. “It was a beautiful Donna Karan outfit; the pants were a size 12; the top was a size 14 — it was a timeless silk set that I wore for many years. I still have it even though I can no longer button the pants, yet today I can fit into a size 6 in some brands. That makes no sense!”

It’s no accident that even within stores or brands themselves there are variations in sizes, which can also change from season to season. No brands run “true to size,” yet they are intent on capturing your loyalty. If you can wear a size two one season and a size zero the next season, chances are you have become a loyal customer, as well as a victim of a psychological sales tool.

It may not be totally rational to care about the size on the tag, but for many women, shopping is complicated.

“I dread shopping. I hate walking around the mall for hours going in and out of stores. I also hate trying on clothes because none ever seem to fit just right,” said Laurie Romano, a teacher and fitness instructor at LA Fitness. “I always seem to head back to stores where the clothes run big, making me feel skinnier. I would rather wear a size 2 than a 4 or 6. The smaller the number, the better.”

Joanne Dina, who owns clothing boutique Anna Grace in Buffalo, agrees that sizing can be a psychological influence. “I carry contemporary lines that tend to be cut smaller than misses’ sizes. Sometimes women do get upset if they have to wear a size that is larger than they are used to. In fact, sometimes they won’t buy an item, even if it’s a good fit and flatters them.”

The lack of size standards also create inefficiencies. Toula Philips of Buffalo has developed her own solution. “I order a lot online, and I buy two sizes of the same item. Recently, I ordered a red dress from Nordstrom in a size four and a size six. I’m hoping one of them will fit!” said Philips. “You never know what size you actually are.”

Julie DeLoreto, manager and buyer for LeeLee boutique in Williamsville, said it’s best if women start looking beyond the number. “Women have had to get used to the idea of wearing different sizes. I try to be proactive — if I know a brand runs small, I will give a customer two different sizes to try on. I tell them not to look at the size; instead, consider the fit and see if it flatters your body type. In today’s world of fashion, women have to be willing to try on everything.”

Try telling that to new moms who have to lose their “baby weight.” With two babies born 16 months apart, Kara Refermat of Lancaster waited to buy post-baby clothes until she could order her usual size 8 jeans online. She hoped they would fit. “I never thought they would be too big, but I actually had to re-order them in a size 6! It made my day.”

Let’s face it. Small numbers mean big sales. And like it or not, for most women, size matters.

The perils of being petite

I may be in my 50s, but my weight has stayed the same since I was a teenager: 96 pounds. At 5’1”, I am a freak of nature, and my genes have resulted in impossibly frustrating shopping experiences. While you may think I’m lucky, there is nothing fun about finding clothes that fit, because in the retail world of vanity sizing, I probably belong in the children’s department. In my quest for stylish clothes, I am not only a short person; I am also short-changed.

I’m a size 00 petite, with nowhere to go but down. Am I supposed to gain in self-esteem even as my size ventures into negative numbers? Five years ago, my size didn’t even exist, and today my choices are still as narrow as the extra-small belts hanging in my closet. J. Jill? Over the hill. J. Crew? Boo to you — in both cases the size charts don’t tell the story, as the clothes simply don’t measure up — or in my case, they need to measure “down” so they would actually fit.

Recently, as I exited a dressing room with an armful of “too-big” clothes — all in size XXS Petite — the salesperson remarked, “What? No luck? Maybe you should gain some weight.”

Really? Would you tell another woman to lose a few?

I wanted to tell her that my weight was just fine for my small-boned, narrow, truly petite frame, size 5 shoe, size 4 ring, size 32B bust.

Instead, I held my tongue in the name of fashion.