September 16, 2010

The necessary evil of sizing

I promised you a post with this subject, so I'll give it a go. I really don't think I can cover all the different aspects of this sticky topic in one post, but I may have a little bit of extra insight. But, more about that later.

First of all, don't we all hate size tags? And the fact that they always
seem to be wrong? Sewing your own clothes may seem like a way out of the limbo of the changing rooms, but be honest, is it really? Every pattern you buy comes in sizes and now, you have to try and pick the right one without being able to try stuff on...
These are just two examples of sizing tables. The pink one is Burda's, the grey one comes from Knipmode (where "bovenwijdte" = "bust measurement", "taillewijdte" = "waist measurement" and "heupwijdte" = "hip measurement").

You may have wondered about those ever-wrong sizes. Why are you a size 34 in one store and a 38 in the other? Why do you often have to pick a larger size than your usual RTW one when studying the sizing tables of sewing patterns? Isn't there some kind of standard?
Well... That's the point, isn't it? There is no standard. There is no rule telling fashion brands or pattern makers that such-and-such are the measurements for each size.
The only regulated sizing I know of (and I haven't made a study of this, so there may be many more cases) was in the US in the 1950's when sizing for womenswear was done by bust size, in three different shape categories. In fact, more than the confusing sizing, I think it's a pity we lost the notion of different clothes intended for differently shaped women in today's fashion jungle. Although it seems we just have many more different shapes nowadays...

As a 'rule', fashion companies (for RTW and sewing patterns) try to size their products according to their customer's expectations. That's the reason sizes run (much) smaller at youth-oriented stores like H&M. Not just the number stuck on the main size (bust circumference for dresses and tops, hip circumference for bottoms) differs, but also the ratio between measurements. Again, this is based on the target customer.
A company which only sells in the Netherlands, or northern Europe (like sewing magazine Knipmode) will make its designs for rather tall women (Dutch women are tall, on average). And a company selling mainly to 35+ women will decide on a much curvier basic block than one selling to ages 15 to 25.
In RTW, you would do well to seek out and remember the brands which best fit your body shape.

You probably knew most of that already. However, there's another nastly little secret which will sound familiar to the experienced seamstress.
Fashion companies have to start somewhere when making a new design. In theory, this starting point is an ideally shaped specimen of the body type of their target audience, in their most average size. However, many brands have to present clothes to retailers to sell them and for that reason, they may prefer to go with a smaller than average size which looks better on a hanger.
In the Netherlands, the size most brands do their fitting for is 38. Their own 38. Usually combined with a height of 1,70 meter and a B cup. That's why I said seamstresses would recognise this. This is what all the talk of full bust and small bust adjustments is all about. It's why they're needed. And why anyone with a seriously different cup size has such trouble buying clothes ready-to-wear.

Another major cause of confusion is what is known as 'size inflation'. Apperently women are more eager to buy if they are pleasantly surprised by the size on the tag. To use this effect even while people are generally getting larger, companies regurlarly adept their sizing tables. Those selling sewing patterns do this rarely. They know their customers are used to go by the sizing table and will only change it if they feel there is a real, over-all change they have to respond to. For example, about two years ago, Knipmode changed its sizing. They made each size slightly bigger but, more importantly, they changed the standard height from 1,68 to 1,72. To suit the afore mentioned tall Dutch woman. In doing so, they lost me as customer because my measurements had now pretty much dropped off the chart.
Ready-to-wear manufactures live by their ability to respond quickly to the market they're in. They employ people who constantly monitor the application of their blocks and adept the size and fit of those blocks to customer demand. So they may change quickly and often.

7 comments:

  1. It's very frustrating! And so I had a little bit of something like schadenfreude to see that men have fantasy sizing too! http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/pants-size-chart-090710

    It's kind of hilarious how even an actual number of inches can be lied about by a clothing company.

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  2. Unfortunately with your pictures I can't see a larger version, so I can't read the Knipmode table (I've seen Burda's already, of course). I'm curious, since I'm a little taller than average (here) and have most of my length in my limbs. I added 5" of length to my Jalie jeans pattern to get them long enough, and that's still not a "wear with heels" length.

    Do you find drafting your own patterns helps a lot with overcoming size number confusion? Or is the extra work of drafting equal to the extra work of altering a pattern to fit?

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  3. don't get me stated on sizing, I may have had a rant before. Its been decades since I drafted a pattern, perhaps I should try again (with a supply of anti blood pressure pills)

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  4. A size tag is just a starting point. It doesn't define my worth, so I don't particularly care what it says, only if the item fits well or not. Having said that, I was amused this past weekend to walk past a high-end plus size retail shop with a sign in the entry advertising its range of clothing in "Sizes 10W to 22W". (Really, a 10 is a plus size now? And what's with the "W"? Hmmmm....)

    I'm not sure that stadardization of RTW and/or pattern sizing would be particularly helpful, anyway. If a pattern tells me it has a size 40 bust, that really doesn't tell me how those 40 inches are distributed front and back (though knowing the cup size the block is based on helps considerably). Then there's the whole issue of wearing and design ease - how do you allow for that unless you try something on (or make a muslin)?

    I would much prefer to see back shoulder width and shoulder length added to the measurement tables. Basic bone structure doesn't change, even if the amount of padding over it does. Having these basic measurements as a reference would go a long way (I think) in helping to determine the best pattern to use as a starting point. And I say "starting point" because it's just not reasonable to expect a pattern manufacturer to produce the range of sizes and shape variations that would be required to fit everyone right out of the envelope.

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  5. Christine, don't get me started on shoulder width. That's a major pet peeve of mine when it comes to fitting. Personally, I think stating cup size for sewing patterns would help a bit but you're definately right that manufacturers can't possibly serve all shapes and sizes.

    Tanitisis and fabriquefantastique, I think drafting your own patterns makes a world of difference. I've learnt to do so about two years ago and I've never looked back. Sure, it's more work at the start but once you have a well-fitting sloper you can make variations on that and you don't have to worry about fitting issues ever again.
    By the way, the Knipmode size table is here: http://www.knipmode.nl/media/2009/maattabelknip.pdf

    Aurora F., thank you for the link. It's hilarious. So men suffer the same, but don't even realise it! (by the way, this inches issue seems familiar, I think they do the same in jeans sizing...)

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  6. This is fantastic, Lauriana, thankyou for this. Very interesting indeed! With regard to the "W" Christine mentioned, I'm guessing that probably stands for "Women's" though it does seem a moot point so I coulod be wrong...
    With RTW, there is absolutely no substitute for trying it on. None.
    And, in my own dressmaking I'm happy now I've reached a stage where the size issue hasn't been a problem for years, as I am pretty experienced with self-fitting and can sort problems out early on in the piece.
    On the whole I think the pattern companies do a sterling job with fitting a myriad of sizes for each pattern, whilst still trying to keep it simple enough to attract and not intimidate first time seamstresses. Each and every woman has her own unique size and fitting issues and it's almost an impossible task to create standard pattern sizes to suit all of us... It's up to us as self-couturing women to seek out patterns which are going to suit our own personal body shapes, and as well to pay attention to the fitting (ie, making muslins etc) of our own sewing creations..., issues that are covered in sewing magazines such as Threads, and online sites and sewing blogs such as your own regularly.

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  7. I read up on sizing - apparently the EU attempted to create a single standardised sizing for clothing in 2006, but... (and am I surprised!?) the couldn't get all the countries to agree so it fell through.

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