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So how do you ladies measure your waist size?

18 Posts
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Posts: 1728
Baroness
Topic starter
(@chrisfp99)
Famed Member     London , Kent, United Kingdom
Joined: 2 years ago

Or bust, or hips come to that. Hello girls, look I tried measuring what I thought was my waist and it came out as 39 inches. But I wear 36 inch (mens) jeans, and they're pretty loose. What am I doing wrong? You'll understand this is at the forefront of my mind as my rare 10 days en femme approaches. My eternal search for two cute dresses is continually hampered by the frustration that what I thought was my size suddenly becomes unavailable. I'm currently looking at two dresses which are available in size 16 but not 18. My understanding is that 18 is 36 waist and 16 is 34. Just wondering if I can squeeze into the size 16s.

Hugs, Chrissie xx. 

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6 Replies
Duchess
(@flatlander48)
Joined: 5 years ago

Noble Member     Cathedral City, California, United States of America
Posts: 1470

@chrisfp99 

This is taken from the Kohl’s department store web site:

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Lady
(@harriette)
Joined: 2 years ago

Illustrious Member     Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4016

@chrisfp99 Chrissie, search the forum for the word arbitrary. There are a few threads that discuss sizes.

Clothing sizes are arbitrary. Not only that, the size numbers have changed over the decades. This is why, when shopping in person, I have a tape measure and a list of my measurements. You can also try them on in a change room, but measurements can save you a lot of wasted time, effort, and money.

It is foolish to think arbitrary size numbers mean anything. For example, I have size 9, 10 & 12 shorts that all fit properly. Two dresses from the same company can be different. I bought 3 different LBDs from one store on-line thinking at least one should fit. Fortunately, one fitted (just in the nick of time, too), one ended up being exchanged, one was refunded.

Shoes must be tried on unless you get really, really lucky. Different shoes from the same company can be different. Hell, I've got one brand name pair that were different in the same box, even though they were marked properly!

If you order sight unseen, then good luck. If you use a tape measure with a good chart, you have a fighting chance. To be certain, try something on.

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Lady
(@sashabennett)
Joined: 1 year ago

Noble Member     Wick, Caithness, United Kingdom
Posts: 803

@chrisfp99 Sizing is really all over the place when it comes to ladies clothes. I have dresses in sizes 12, 14 & 16 which all fit pretty well. Really the only way is to try them on & see what works. Once you have something that fits well then just use that as a reference but chances are you will be sending stuff back fairly regularly. On average dress sizes are cut for a C cup so that's worth bearing in mind as well. If you are up to it then in person shopping is always going to be best. Good luck with your 10 days!

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Duchess
(@loneleycd)
Joined: 5 years ago

Famed Member     Roland, Iowa, United States of America
Posts: 2157

@chrisfp99 

Clothing sizes are all over the place, specially women's sizes. My favorite store for Clothing is Torrid since they specialize in larger women's clothes. 

I am not a large person, so the smaller Torrid sizes are perfect for me. Torrid sizes 00 = medium, 0 = large, 1 = 1X, 2 = 2X and so on. Most of my Torrid clothes are size 00 or  0 and fit great. A while back I found a cute tops and tried on the 00 and 0 sizes and found they were to tight in the chest. I ended up finding the last size 1 and it fit perfectly. 

On another note in the same store I found another cute top ,sleeveless in a size 0 that I loved and bought. Then a couple weeks later I saw the same top again, forgot I already had one and bought the size 00. They both fit well.  So much depends on the style of clothing and how it is cut . SO for me I prefer to buy in person and try on the clothes. 

 

Cassie 

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Lady
(@joanarbour)
Joined: 9 years ago

Reputable Member     Missoula, Montana, United States of America
Posts: 169

@chrisfp99 one of the most important tips I have ever been given is that men’s and women’s waists are in different places! Your boy waist is typically at or below the navel, your girl waist is often waaay above your navel (well one or two inches).

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(@blueeyedbimbo)
Joined: 2 years ago

Trusted Member     Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Posts: 59

@chrisfp99 WITH MY EYES SHUT LOL. X

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Posts: 1742
Duchess
(@alison-anderson)
Noble Member     Middlesex county, New Jersey, United States of America
Joined: 6 years ago

I think men's clothing manufacturers have learned a trick from women's clothing. I had pants where the "waist size" on the pants was lower than the actual measurement. For me it's even worse, because my hips are about the same size as my waist. I can pull on or off a pair of men's pants fully closed (and I'm not talking about sweat pants) without having to open them. I usually need a belt to pull it in tighter on the waist to keep it up. Even after losing a significant amount of weight due to illness, I my waist and hip sizes are about the same.

As to whether the size 16 dress will fit, it depends on a couple of things. How stretchy is the material? Is it a pull-on dress or does it have a zipper? (Non-stretch material with a zipper may mean the zipper won't close or will break if forced.) Is it figure hugging (fit-and-flare) or somewhat loose (worn with a belt)?

I use a tape measure around my "female waist" (at or just above the belly button) or around my chest with forms in (one arm down, the other arm down to the elbow and holding the tape measure in place) to measure myself. I put my thumb on the end just past the circle and then read that measurement. Don't make it too tight, you want to be able to breathe without ripping your clothes.

I don't usually bother with the hips, my hips are likely smaller than the measurements in the chart, and the skirt or skirt part of the dress will hang loose around my hips. But if I want to measure the hips, I use the tape measure there as well.

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1 Reply
Duchess Annual
(@firefly)
Joined: 7 years ago

Noble Member     Panama, Panama, Panama
Posts: 1118

@alison-anderson Curiously, I also have hips the size of my waist, before they were smaller. I usually put the pants on when I put them on for the second time and adjust them with the belt.

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Posts: 1118
Duchess Annual
(@firefly)
Noble Member     Panama, Panama, Panama
Joined: 7 years ago

Hi Chrissie. I manage to find my waist by leaning my torso to the right. The exact plane where it bends, about an inch or two below my belly button, is my waist. I measure it there. My waist measure is 44 inches but my men's jeans size is 42. The dress I buy in person at Harrisburg was XL (equivqlent to 22) and that's mostly what I buy online. I measure my bust over my nipples (and my breast forms nipples as another measure), underbust under my breasts and the hips at their widest part.

The problem is that some sizes run large and others run small. For this reason, I try to verify the sizes carefully and if the information is not clear, I prefer not to buy, because shipping from Panama to return and exchange is complicated.

By analogy, your size should be 20. An 18 can also fit you in many cases. I would recommend that you don't try to squeeze yourself into a 16 unless you can try it on before you buy it. It may be incomfortable. 

These days something happened to me with a light blue dress I bought at Janet's Closet, which is beautiful. It fits me perfectly, but the skirt that was supposed to reach halfway to the knee, barely reaches the beginning of the thigh and when I tried it on, I was afraid to bend over. If I changed it for an XXL it would look too big on the top, so I think I'll wear it with leggings. Because it's a pretty dress. So you're never sure until you try the clothes on.

Gisela

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Posts: 34
Lady
(@yuko5634)
Trusted Member     Osaka, Japan
Joined: 5 years ago

From my experience, somehow women's clothes are measured differently from men's. For men's, I could go for 1 size smaller and somehow it still fits. Meanwhile, for women's, there are lots of things to consider. For example, I have a dress that matches my 3 sizes, but there is a measurement that prevents me from putting it on comfortably: shoulder width. As it has long sleeves, non-stretching fabric, it took me a long hard time to zip myself up and my fingers were hurt for a few days because of it too. Another dress: it has high-cut waist, and my height is above average's height of women in my place, so it's natural that my back is longer than women's. The dress looks weird on me, because the waistline of the dress is located near... my chest. My makeshift fix is wearing a waist corset outside of the dress. The purpose is to hide the waistline and it worked pretty well (I think). So, it would be best if you can try it personally, but if you can't, I think you should try some clothes that have stretch-able fabric first.

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1 Reply
Lady
(@yuko5634)
Joined: 5 years ago

Trusted Member     Osaka, Japan
Posts: 34

I forgot something too: sometimes that dress is just made... badly. Even women won't be able to good look with that particular dress and it's not our fault after all 🙂

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Posts: 1828
Baroness
(@annaredhead)
Famed Member     Cornwall, United Kingdom
Joined: 11 months ago

The key measurement for me is shoulders. As I have pretty broad shoulders, I have to use them as a starting point as to what will fit dress-wise.

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2 Replies
Lady
(@harriette)
Joined: 2 years ago

Illustrious Member     Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4016

@annaredhead Right. This is why I carry my measurements around with me. For male bodies, different sizes can eliminate wearing certain clothes. I made two purchases that helped me realise some limitations of certain designs, and I then started recording what fitted and what didn't.

For example, if I choose a dress with a fixed size under my breasts, it may not be able to fit over my ribs. Afterall, it's not as if I can shrink them so that a dress can fit over them. A dress that I bought this week has an elastic panel across the back. Even if it is snug, if is forgivable.

Getting the shoulder width, sleeve length and body length right makes for a worthwhile purchase.

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Baroness
(@annaredhead)
Joined: 11 months ago

Famed Member     Cornwall, United Kingdom
Posts: 1828

@harriette I have found several brands I can rely on for size and have bought dresses from each of them a few times.

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Posts: 317
(@oliviac)
Prominent Member     Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Joined: 2 years ago

Hi Chrissie

I had never measured myself before till a few weeks ago. Because I had never purchased anything before for Olivia online and had always tried it on or got to look at the garment to judge it's size. Having said that I have dresses and tops that are size 10 at the smallest and size 16 at the largest that all fit me so different clothes manufacturers have their own idea on sizes. I have a few brands I look for that I know I'm a 12 or 14 in anything they make. 

So I decide to buy a corset to see if it would make my waist thinner for one particular dress I have. They were so expensive in shops I decided to order one on ebay from China for like $15 and take the punt. So to take my waist measurement I just measured where my ribs stop. Great tip on measure where you bend to the side as in my case just checking it now is where my ribs stop. I'm going to use that next time to make sure I have the right spot. So the verdict on the corset. It makes the dress look amazing. If I thought a bra hugged me a corset is next level bear hug.

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2 Replies
Baroness
(@chrisfp99)
Joined: 2 years ago

Famed Member     London , Kent, United Kingdom
Posts: 1728

Sounds like a lovely experience Olivia xx.

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(@oliviac)
Joined: 2 years ago

Prominent Member     Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 317

@chrisfp99 The corset is amazing but you can't bend over properly. My hat is off to those women in the 1800's who wore them all the time.

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