Welcome to Crossdresser Heaven, a safe and welcoming place for everyone in the crossdresser community.
Join Crossdresser Heaven today to participate in the forums.
I never know what size to buy and often get it wrong.Some clothes I have are the same (supposedly)
size but some fit and some are a bit tight or loose.I think my size is UK 18 ,20 or 22 but sometimes 16
or Large or XL or XXl. I`m not big, but compared to a female maybe I am a little.It seems to be a roll the
dice whenbuying online and usually just go for a bigger size. I do have a few things that fit me perfectly but
they are so hard to find. Does anyone else have this problem?
@stope yes, oh gosh yes!
one shoe company is one size, another to tight by a size. Some places a top I wear are a XL, same company might be XXL in another store or a 3x on another rack. Skirts are the same issue. Depending on manufacturer and where they are located. I wanted a tighter fit on a garter belt I ordered. So I ordered a 16-18 US/UK size and it fell off. On the same label were many different sizes listed for different countries. The Asia size was listed as 4XL. Now I know to be careful of anything out of Asia. I would say I use to return half of what I bought due to sizes. But since my wife and I shop together now for Lisa we know my wife is one size smaller than me. So far it’s working out. Well, except the heels!
@lisa55 Regarding women’s clothing, there is not such thing as a size standard. Even if there was, fit would come into play. For example, some items are designed to be Body Conforming (bodycon). They are intended to fit closely. There is a Traditional fit, which is not intended to fit tightly. It is a bit loose and allows fairly easy movement. There is also Oversized, which means that for blouses, shirts, jackets, etc. the fit is at least 1 size larger than would be expected. However, rarely will you see any labeling that defines how a garment is intended to fit.
Department store and manufacturer web sites usually have Size Charts for what they are selling, but you need to know your measurements for comparison. Along with the Size Charts are diagrams that show how to take measurements.
Note that Oversize garments may work to our favor. For example, Chico’s has its own sizing and they have their own Size Chart which is on their web site. In their sizing, I am a Size 4. In the past, they have made dress jackets and blazers in silk and silk blends. I love them and I have several that I bought from thrift shops, online and in person. But, what I noticed early on was that often their Size 3 jackets and blazers were oversized and actually fit a Size 4 person like me. However, if you are looking at online thrift shops and sites like ETSY and Poshmark, you will often have to ask specifically for measurements. Do NOT rely on a vendor stating a letter or numerical size, because as has been stated, there is a lot of variance in sizing.
@stope I have navigated buying in the UK, and Australia. On line elsewhere if it is an American company the sizing is pretty much uniform. If it’s Asian, it’s a total crapshoot. I have bought articles 3 and 4 sizes bigger and they are too small.
Hi 🙂
Hopefully this link will work.
I did a post on this same topic a couple of months ago after there was an article in The Guardian about it:
Women's clothes sizing in the UK is an absolute mess. With skirts I'm anything from a UK10 to a 14, and with tops I vary between UK16 and 20. If you read through the replies to my forum post you'll see it gets worse ... since UK and US sizes don't match.
And when outlets start using meaningless terms such as L, XL and XXL it just becomes gibberish!
In short ... I feel your pain!
Hugs
Ellie x
This is an oft asked question and even some regular brands have variances which I suspect is down to lack of quality control and where the garments are made as they will be sourced from around the globe. My advice is to know your measurements, bust and waist, measure around then halve so you know both. If you buy online a good vendor has a size chart to follow if it doesn't then avoid. If you able to buy in store take a measure with you. It's pit to pit for the bust and across the band for skirts. Works all the time for me as I kept getting it wrong too.
Hi Blu Eyes,
I’ve read that the womens fashions sizing is determined by the manufacturer
so they can size as they choose. So it’s always best to try on your garment
Alice
I have 5 or 6 Anne Klein dresses all size 14. A few months ago, I saw another one of her dresses I liked in a 14 and just took it off the rack and paid for it, never thinking I needed to try it on. Got home, tried it on and could not come anywhere close to zipping it up, it fit like a size 10. The labels in the dress matched the ones in my dresses but just made in a different factory.
Look up the word arbitrary. Manufacturers are not obliged or required to follow sizing standards, so they make up their own sizes.
Yes, there have been some attempts to standardize sizes, but we all know how well that has worked out.
Maybe some day they will figure things out, but, for now, a measuring tape is our friend. Carry one with you when you go shopping with a thorough list of your body measurements. That will save you wasting your time in change rooms.
Shopping on-line is a crapshoot. If a store doesn't feel the need to supply a real size guide, don't support them and move on. If there is a size guide, follow it closely. Read comments for sizing problems.
It's so frustrating!
I am a UK10 in skirts, 12 in dresses and tops and usually go for a 14 in coats and jackets (bloody shoulders!). However I have bought skirts that are an 8 that fit perfectly and thought 'Aha!' and then bought skirts in 8 that don't fit... I don't do that anymore... unless it's a total bargain and is irresistible!
Dresses are the same... particularly if they are of an unforgiving, non-stretchy material, I can find difficulty in zipping, so care is required.
And shoes! I can wear a UK size 9, BUT the variance in sizes here is verging on sadistic! I have been burned so many times by small '9's or ones designed for feet the width of a cigarette paper, so I tend to seek out the wider-fit ones if at all possible.
The biggest problem though is the variance in sizes from the same retailer. I know they are sourced from different manufacturers, but come on guys! And stuff off Amazon or Ebay originating in China are a whole other minefield. I've bought some of these things in charity shops and the sizing can be erratic to say the least!
I bought two pairs of leggings (no howls of anguish from you girls who would never be seen dead in them thank you very much) online from Next recently, one in navy and the other in black. Both pairs were supposed to be the same size but the black pair was about a size smaller. Unfortunately I only tried on the navy pair before removing the labels and putting the leggings away. So I was really annoyed to discover the sizing issue when I went to put the black pair on. Since I'd removed the label I couldn't exchange them. I was even more annoyed when I checked the online reviews to see that another customer had experienced the same problem. So the moral of this story is always try on before removing the label and read online reviews for sizing advice. Some brands have a little bar line indicating how "true to size " reviewers have found an item of clothing. However I think this is only useful if a reasonable number of people have posted reviews. Who said being a girl was easy?
Another gripe is with brands which charge not only for delivery but also deduct a "service charge" for returns. This is particularly galling if the brand is consistently random with its sizing. I love Uniqlo clothes but I've almost given up ordering online because you can't rely on their sizing and they charge for returns. But since they only have a handful of stores around the country it means I don't buy much from Uniqlo these days
Veronica xxx
