Sion

so, we (the wife and I) have a stack of magazines next to the toilet. last time I was on the throne, I looked down to find a catalog of some women's clothes on the top of the pile. then I notice some of the copy on the cover:

"We have your size:

Misses
Petite's
Women's"


WTF is the difference?

I'm guessing that its some variation of small, medium and large. But which is which?

is Misses smaller than Petite's, despite the fact that petite is the french word for small/little?

and if that is true, does that make Women's large?

and what about the dreaded "Plus" size?


and as if thats not bad enough, then you get into the numerical sizing. for example, my wife is a size 12. her step-sister is a size 4. however, my wife is NOT, I repeat, NOT 3 times larger than her step-sister. the step-sister is about 100-110 lbs. the wife is about 150-160. shouldnt a size 12 be 3 times larger??


I guess all I can say is: sizing for women's clothing is FUCKED up.

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HamiC

At the very least, I think petite is for shorter women. Regardless, you are right, women's clothes are sized in a very confusing (and unhealthy) way. There are actually pants in size 0!

No wonder so many women have self-image issues......

maleficent

Petites are for shorter women, sleeves are cut shorter, pants rise is cut shorter, and everything is just cut shorter -- I beleive it's for 5 '5" and under.

Misses is usually even sized clothes (4,6,8,10,12), that's probably what the majority of adult women wear.
There's also, and I am drawing a blank on what it's called, is another variation of women's sizing (3,5,7,9,11,13) which are also misses type sizing but it's generally cut slimmer.
Women's sizes are not only plus sizes (14 on up)but in some cases it could also fit smaller sizes with women who aren't large just more amply endowed. Women's sizing generally have fuller busts.

Sizing also varies across designers. A size 8 in one designer, might fit a regular size 12, but some smaller women might not get their big toe in.

It's just one of the many pleasures of being a girl

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Rubyee

And men wonder why we spend so much time clothes shopping and trying things on.

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Averett

And people wonder why women have horrible body issues

There isn't much difference between a size 6 and a size 10. But when you think about it, you'd think that the size 6 is obviously better, right? The size 10 seems like the woman would be huge.

I get caught up in it. I'm a size 10, and I would much rather be a size 8. When in reality there really isn't all that much of a difference. There are some styles that would fit me better as a size 12, but something in me just doesn't want to buy that size.

Then different stores/clothing lines have different sizing. A size 10 jeans at the Gap will fit differently than a size 10 jeans at American Eagle. It's fucked up.

Okay, so Misses is for girls, usually pre-teens, teens.... Petites are for women who are of smaller stature. 5'4 or shorter I think, and generally thin. Women are for the rest of us...

I hate clothing sizes.

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sexymama

There was a time that I would "kill" to be a size 10; but reality is that I will never fit "misses" sizes as I am full figured. I have learned to accept - even celebrate - my body just the way it is. American woman need to stop worrying about dress size (which is obviously very screwed up) and, imho, worry more about health and attitude toward one's self.

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SecretMethod70

Let's not forget size 00!

I don't think the sizing itself is directly related to female body issues. It is more supplemental to the problems created by the media than anything else.

Case in point: Men's sizing makes total sense (IMO) and there is increasing concern about the "Adonis Complex." <a href="http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FIT_MALE_EATING_DISORDERS?SITE=NNCO&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">Male eating disorders are on the rise.</a>

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SixEdxMia

Fuck pants.They are a tool of the devil.

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Cynthetiq

having worked manufacturing garments....

Its not just sizes but also dimensions.

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00111000

Thank god I'm a guy. I can grab a pair of pants off the rack and pretty much know that they will fit. If they don't...I'll wear them anyway. I've gone shopping a few times with the wife, it's not a pretty sight sometimes. Women are evil at the sales rack!

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k1ng

Gap also has 'Ankle' sizes which is similar to petite, from what I've been told.

Ex: A size 6 Ankle pair of jeans is approximately 2 inches shorter than a size 6 Regular.

I guess I should explain why I know this. I've worked at Gap for 3.5 years.

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uptown

There are Misses clothing,Junior clothing,petite clothing there's also clothing labled "mature dressing"

Juniors are generally cut shorter than Misses styles and tend to be more youthful/trendy,petites are for shorter women in general,mature dressing includes a lot of polyster and elastic waist bands.


My problem is that I'm older but am tall/willowly and wear size 4 and 6.. Ia don't want to dress like a teenager but don't want to be relgated to thje business suit,boat necked sweater soccer mommie look either.Where are the dignified yet elegant,sexy clothing for grown women who diet and work out to stay slim and trim?

k1ng

Go to several retail stores (Express for Women, Banana Republic, etc.. ) and ask the employees that question. Keep doing that until you find something you like. It probably helps to go when they aren't busy so they can spend more time with you and actually help you out.

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veruca

petite is for shorter women
junior's for teens and early 20's and will usually be your odd numbered sizes
misses is for career wear, and adult women in non-plus sizes. these would be your even numbers. they are also fuller cut.
woman's labeling, is for plus sizes, and will usually be followed by a "W", which means they are cut fuller in certain places
so let's say you are a 14, a "misses" 14 is cut differant than a "woman's" 14...because woman's sizes, usually have a bigger waist
and then you get into the odd sizing...a junior 7 is actually a misses 10 usually, because the cut of the odd sizing is so slim, it is meant for girl's with no curve, like teen's...and yes, a woman can usually wear 3 differant sizes, because every manufacturer has a differant idea of body size, there is no regulation

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MSD

Mens' sizes make things easier, although you do still need to try stuff on. Womens' sizes are absurd. I attreibute the lack of inch (locigcal) measurements to our society's conditioning to make women fearful of anything far from 36-24-36, or whatever the "perfect" measuement is. Just look at our exhibition board, not everyone has the measurements of a model, yet they manage to look good despite what society tells them is the ideal.

Redgirl

What sucks for me is I'm getting to the age where I should stop shopping in Jr's. I like their clothes better, but lets face it- I'm 28 and those clothes are becoming too cutesy for me. (See Mariah Carey and her butterfly clothes obsession!)

But it would appear my only other choice is misses, which as Uptown stated is usually retarded in the style dept, or I have to start spending more money and shopping at Gap-like places for trendy yet classic clothes.

My conclusion: getting old sucks.

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Luki

This is true. I used to work in women's clothing. Juniors is what I have, on occasion, refferred to as anorexics(sp?) clothing do to the way they are cut they are for women who's hips might be a little bigger than their stomach.

Yeah, this is crazy. 00 is just stupid, they should put up a sign that says free sandwhiches here. And then they might be able to sell more 0s.

I am, to put it bluntly a larger girl. I am find that to follow with the thinness of everything is kind of pointless. What difference does it matter if you have a pant size of 6 or 14? An image shouldn't matter, "it's what's inside that matters." And this should be true. But anymore there are too many people being superficial and this is what causes these things.

Everyone should be more excepting..

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Sion

excepting? expecting? or accepting?

j/k with ya Luki

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la petite moi

Yep, it is fucked up. Plus size supposedly starts at 12. But whatever, some women are just way taller.

Anyway, Petite's are for women that are shorter. I wear Petite's in some things because I have hips, and I'm short. Blah.

WarWagon

This is why I always just buy a mens size 38 pants for all of my casual attire. It's always going to be big on me (I can slide just about all of my pants/shorts on and off without unbuttoning/unzipping), so I just use a belt, cinch things up, and call it a day. Good thing I don't tuck my shirts in, eh?

bermuDa

women's sizes keep changing too... seems like they periodically shift the sizes down in number, to make the self-conscious masses go "Oh hey I'm a size smaller now, my KFC diet must be working!"

This plays hell on the smaller women, whose size disappears into nothingness and they are left shopping in the children's section for sailor moon dresses.

Men's sizes aren't just cut and dry, they're practical. Waist circumference, leg length... not only does it make it easy to shop, we can actually answer a question like "You look like you could pass a child, how big is your waist?" but when you ask that to women all you get is a blank stare.... and then a slap in the face.

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WarWagon

Seriously though, these people take it too far. Don't worry ladies, there's a lot of guys out there, myself included, who really like a woman with some meat on her bones.