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Sources:
Fashion misfit: women’s dissatisfaction and its implications by Kathryn Brownbridge, Simeon Gill, Sarah Grogan, Sarah Kilgariff, Amanda Whalley
A Ready-Made Business: The Birth of the Clothing Industry in America by Michael Zakim
Why Ready-Made Clothes Are Poor Fits: And How Scientists Can Get You Just the Right
Size by Emily C. Davis
Ready or not: Custom-made ideals and ready-made clothes in late 19th-century America by Rob Schorman
The Development of the Clothing Industry: Technology and Fashion by Andrew Godley
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/015d...
www.washingtonpost.com/news/w...
slate.com/culture/2012/01/clo...
www.teenvogue.com/story/savag...
jezebel.com/the-lingerie-addi...
www.thelingerieaddict.com/201...
www.glossy.co/fashion/can-com... onl h-a-one-size-fits-most-approach-survive-in-a Was Wasworld-of-inclusivity/
www.washingtonpost.com/postev...
www.popsugar.com/fashion/why-...
www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdoo...
digitalcommons.wou.edu/cgi/vi...
Let’s also not forget that when it comes to looking “fashionable” or even just “put together” plus sized people are held to much higher standards than those that are conventionally attractive. When a thin person wears an old t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers they look relaxed and fashionable, but when a fat person wears the same outfit they’re outdated slobs.
I had made a plan with a coworker of mine to visit the team where we trained at. I bought my sparkling personality and a lovepop card. I dressed in baggy jeans and a loose men’s shirt tied effortlessly in the front. I felt good, not like hiding good but good good. When we arrived she was in a tank and jeans. I should say my training team location was soho in nyc. It’s known for being a epicenter of fashion. When we arrived we all chatted. Until my my male assistant manager pulled me aside. I had always complimented his suits when we worked together. He looked at me with concerned and asked me how big my shirt was? He was afraid I was covering up and I needed to show off my body. He implied I should be proud no matter how I look. I watched at my size 8 coworker chatted away and me being size 16 got lectured. What did I do wrong ? I thought I was dropping off a card and that it would be a casual interaction. Instead he embarrassed me. I told him .. ha it’s a 2X and he jolted like he’d never ever heard of that number before. After that it was just buzzing I heard and I left feeling less good than I had before
This reminds me a lot of that "model off duty" look that's so revered when most times it's just basic outfits that would never be praised if another person wore them.
reminds me of “is it an outfit or is she just skinny”
I agree with you. It's expected to dress a certain way, as you said, but then finding clothes that are beautiful and fashionable to achieve that specific look is really difficult. So it's an unfair loop that people get stuck in
preachhh
The interesting thing to me is that society does revere the "hourglass" figure, but I've found that modern clothes don't actually fit this standard. Most modern pants in my experience have almost the same hip size as they do waist size, which also doesn't work for many people. So even if your body fits the idealistic hourglass standard, your clothes still probably won't fit.
Yea my clothes definitely don’t fit and I have always had hourglass shape since I was a kid , it was even harder then . My hips have always been big and that gives me trouble with pants
Oh my god, yes to that. I’ve bought this pair of mom jeans recently and i could barely close the button in the front but i could fit TWO FISTS im the gap between my back and the waistband of the jeans. What the hell
Im a plus sized hourglass and this is VERY true!
I came into the comments to say this, no one wins with standardized sizing truly it sucks. Above the waist I can somtimes fit in straight sizes but below the waist is three “sizes” bigger lol
came here to say exactly this
When I was a teen my mum encouraged me to get clothes that were just a liiiittle bit too small so it would incentivise me to lose weight. And then she wondered why I've had self esteem issues for most of my life, that I'm only now getting over at the age of 29.
My mom like to point out anyone who puts on weight or is overweight. When I call her out on it, my mom says she's just concerned about them. Like for example I was watching Fuller House one time and mom said wow Kimmy Gibbler got fat. Kimmy Gibbler was not fat she may have put on a few pounds, but who doesn't.
That's awful :( I'm so sorry she did that
I had to wear shoes one size smaller so my feet look not too big 😅 Not a great parenting advice either.
I’m 26 and just the other day while I was trying some jeans, I chose one that fit perfectly and told my mom “what if i gain weight? Shouldn’t I get something a tiny bit more comfortable.?” And she replied “this one is perfect. And you know you shouldn’t gain more weight” I’m a size 2 😐
My mom would go extra big to hide my shameful fat body. And she does the same for herself
As someone who has the privilege of learning to sew, I found so much power in the careful tailoring, and the lack of sizing makes me not feel the need to 'just squeeze in'. After recovering from an ED this really helps me, and I honestly think standard sizes were a huge factor in my ED
You have unlocked a superpower lol
Yes! I love my sewing machine ❤️
Sewing is so empowering!
I bought a sewing machine too because frankly clothes shopping is ridiculous
@@princepark1013 yes, my family had the economic stability to support my hobby, my mother stayed home and that is why I can see, sewing in my country is also quite expensive, so definitely
I would just like to thank you for using the word "fat" Mina. As a fat person it means a lot to hear smaller people using the word without being scared of the stigma. Fat positivity all around. 💕💖
I wholeheartedly agree with you. As someone who struggles with body dysmorphia, an ed, and self-esteem; it's actually really beneficial to hear the word become less stigmatised. It's triggering at first but it helps to hear her not make it seem negative etc
yes whenever i say i’m fat to people they constantly try to say no you’re not…but yes i am and who told you fat was bad? who told you fat is not also beautiful? also when people ask me ‘do i look fat in this?’ i constantly answer with ‘why is fat bad?’ so so much unlearning to do
The word fat is not an insult.... unfortunately idiots made it so by stigmatizing anyone that doesn't fit the mould of "oh such a great figure" aka bs beauty standards very few can achieve with or without enhancements
The word fat is not an insult.... unfortunately idiots made it so by stigmatizing anyone that doesn't fit the mould of "oh such a great figure" aka bs beauty standards very few can achieve with or without enhancements
someone a couple days ago called me “fluffy” and i wanted to die omg
The second she started talking about clothing waste I got a shein add
Kinda same I had an add for my local shein alternative lmao
They said, “You called?”
I got an ad from marimekko lol
Yes and they fit awful just like fashion nova. And if they fit good they are uncomfortable.
We love irony
"I slept on it. and now I'm back with different words." What a delightful sentence. Really takes you to the core of emotional vulnerability and sincerity.
I went to an inpatient ED treatment facility when I was in middle school. It was pretty intense, but sometimes on the weekends we went on outings like to the mall or the book store if we had a good week. We were not allowed, under any circumstances, to step foot in Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister. They even made our parents sign an agreement stating that they would not take us to these stores. This was back in 2010 and those brands were all the rage. I didn’t understand at the time until Mr. Jeffries (🤡) made all those comments and it all finally clicked. I actually did my senior thesis on how the fashion industry breeds eating disorders in impressionable young people. 12 years later and I still haven’t stepped into these stores. And yes, I’ve heard about their rebrand and no, I don’t care.
I had a similar experience, though not quite as intense. I've had food/weight issues my whole life that were a result of childhood abuse, but at age like 18 or so, I remember shopping at the mall with my sister. We visited a bunch of stores (including Abercrombie) but the one that really sent me over the edge was actually a Forever 21. I hadn't stepped foot in that store since I was a preteen, but looking through the racks, I felt as though NOTHING would fit me, and looking back I can admit that I was a totally average body type, not what could be considered plus size at all. Everything was just labeled so small, and the models were all so ridiculously skinny. That day literally triggered the start of my ED, because I was determined that next time I went back, I'd be "skinny" enough to wear those clothes. I'd be so curious to read your thesis, but I too will never step foot in certain stores.
I feel like standardized sizing also enforces brand loyalty. Like if you know that you're a size 10 at one store, and that their clothes will always fit then you're more likely to buy from them especially while online shopping.
I only buy American eagle jeans because of this! They were the only ones that consistently fit and it’s more exhausting to go look in other stores because they don’t always have the sizes I can try on (I’m a 16 so I’m usually somewhere in between standard and plus sizing)
This! I only shop jeans at Old Navy because they have petite sizes, mid rise, different style jeans and I never have to roll my jeans up unlike other stores.
This is so true. I use an online second hand store but I always go to my favorite brands first because I know they will fit me and be comfortable.
Me with Walmart and Fashion Nova, I only wear high waisted jeans 😭 Im a size 13 or 15 depending
This
Loving this red hair era. I know you were unsure about it, but I think it really suits you!
Your username is cracking me up
yeah it’s really cute!
@@berby2068 and I wish for you the best in the world
While I agree, I mostly liked your comment because of your username and pic
red (mina's version)
As a plus size woman, this is why I've learned how to sew and make my own clothing. I'm no expert in having a perfectly tailored garment, but I can make something that it unique to my body and literally no one else has one like it.
Yeah. I'm learning to sew because I want clothes that finally fit me perfectly. And I appreciate the creative liberty.
Superpower unlocked!
lmao anything to avoid dieting i guess.
This is why I got into sewing as well. Too bad I'm terrible at it and my clothes still look like shit. 🤷
@@BrentMalice over 90% of all diets fail long-term. There are so many factors that go into body size and shape that it's useless "advice" for most people. Stop being so ignorant.
Fashion designer here ! One thing I hate about some standard sizing is when brands say they are making for women but they use teen or junior sizing . It drives me up a wall. I have a small body, but I am curvy with most of my shape in my butt and hips. And juniors sizing is always cut straight, a lot of time brands do this to save money because cutting straight takes up less fabric than curves. I think juniors sizes is silly because people who have gone through puberty can be curvy or straight at any age. To me it doesn’t even make sense as a category. Bodies even slim bodies are not straight lines and juniors is always cut like a square which fit no one other than prepubescent people and if they’re prepubescent it should be considered children’s wear. And it’s frustrating when brands that market to grown women are using juniors cutting. And it’s all about the whole slim girl bias. In college when I was studying for a fashion design degree our professors would make us use the junior model to do our flat sketches because they looked less wide.
And that's why they set such ridiculous standards for their models, using anorexic 18-20 year old Asian girls (if not younger) as "adult" models for the US and European markets.
The question is also how much money this actually saves. Most women don’t have a straight silhouette.
@@CherryJuli A lot really. For better fitting clothes you also need to have skilled pattern makers, seamstresses and fit models. When you’re cutting something straight you can have more junior pattern makers & seamstresses and could completely omit fit models and just use a dress form or the slimmest person in your office (I’ve seen it) It not only cuts on material cost but people/employee costs too. 🙄
If it fits over my hips its too loose at the waist. This is why so many of us wear ugly elastic.
@@tomorrow4eva plus elastic waist bands are much easier to take in when you lose weight, usually :)
As someone with an hourglass figure i can comfortably say that clothes are not "made for our body tipe". Not stretchy garments are always loose around my waist or tight around my chest/hip
Yeah, same. That's why I switched to vintage clothing in the first place - higher chance to find clothes that fit both my waist and chest at the same time.
they're not made for rectangular gals either, speaking as one. so hard to find a dress that fits both my bust and waist. honestly i think the problem is that most clothing is just very poorly made so it just fits odd on everyone.
By trying to make clothing for everyone they end up making clothing for no one. I agree, I always struggle to find a pair of pants that fit me well
I think the thing is that they make clothes for ”the perfect” in between rectangular or hourglass, where very few women fit in. I am a size S/36 so it should be easy, right? Well yes, it’s probably easier than someone having a size 42. However I have 75E boobs which makes it difficult to find tops that fit. And I have pretty wide ”long” hips with a small butt which means when pants fit on my waist they are too big over the butt and thighs. 😵 finding clothes that fits is truly a journey. I see A LOT of people saying that clothes are too small for their butts and thighs while I’m like please they are too big for mee 😭 and funny enough it’s the exact same issue I had as when I was a size 38/40. I’m looking for a pair of blue straight jeans and I think I’ve tried around 10 pairs this fall and none fits. It feels like I’m going crazy haha
I think it’s made to be cheap to produce using square patterns, sometimes based off pictures and always so fast that no adjustments can be made. Not with concern really for how it would fit an actual person
i’m in fashion school and our pattern blocks are “size 10” but they’re more like a modern 6 lmao it’s fucked
Honestly! The most frustrating part is having to listen to lectures about how WE, the students, need to fix this problem. Yet the schools won't teach plus size fashion, supply plus size judy's, and sample sizes listed as a size 10 are easily a size 4 at best. I'm a size 10 top in most brands and the most I can get through the armholes with the blocks we were provided is my wrist, and it's still tight! We are paying loads in tuition, the least these schools can do is offer an elective let alone an actually size inclusive design program 😩
You have no idea how many times I had to adjust and create new blocks for projects during uni AND ESPECIALLY after uni.
Same the first time I made something on it I was like ah, size 10, my size, put it on and ripped it...Needless to say it didn't come on me
yes! i’m a modern size 8-10 and i’m a 14-16 in patterns and that’s weird, disproportionate, and makes me and many other feel dysmorphic.
my singer dress form goes from size size 8-16 UK (small to medium) yet has a max 41inch hip
It’s a shame that growing up we have all had the message of “smaller=prettier” drilled into our minds without even realising from young ages and only seeing thin white women on childhood tv shows resulting in unrealistic beauty standards. This like you said leads to us feeling unworthy if we don’t fit into our usual clothing size and makes us feel superior if we fit into the smallest size possible. Hopefully with more diverse models and sizing starting to appear the stigma around clothing sizes will begin to change.
they’re so skinny it’s actually promoting eating disorders in children. not to mention absolutely flawless skin and “perfect” facial structure… 😬
Totally agree especially seeing our children see this diversity on tv.. they are gonna be apart of a more positive generation when it comes to body type!
Preach!!!
Vanity sizing messes things up which also makes things harder for naturally skinny women..
it's not even about being small, as a 5'0" woman I'm certainly not considered to be "the ideal" height, it's about having this specific skinny, lean build
My mother still has clothes in her closet from the 80s when she was a teenager/young adult, years before she had children and she keeps these clothes because she wants to fit into them again. We've moved nearly 15 times since I was born and these clothes which are ten, twelve sizes out of date now continue to travel with us because diet culture has my mother so convinced that she needs to look barely pubescent in her mid 50s.
My mother is the same! So obsessed with being thin. She even brags about her eating disorder as if it’s something to be proud of.
Thank you for sharing this. I'm 28yo & I've been nearly the same size since 19 and recently I've gained some weight. I'm struggling hard-core. I have always struggled in varying degrees with my size. I'm up in pant size and reading about your mother and the perspective you gave.. wow. It hit me. Why do I expect myself to be my teen size? ❤thanks for your comment
The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch talking about "exciting people" is so funny to me because I don't know of anyone who would be excited by freaking Abercrombie & Fitch.
ikr? when a mean girl at a prep school (so basically, a Becky) wants to insult your style sense she'll ask "did you buy that at Abercrombie & Fitch?" Because everyone knows their clothes are literally just the worst. I don't even know who buys these clothes. Maybe girls at public schools who want to look like preppies? But how do they have the money? cause that place ain't cheap, especially since the clothes fall apart so quickly. Lands End sells basically the same style, at basically the same prices, but much better made. If you *want* to look like a budget Becky that is.
exactly, it's literally just boring basics?? like stop kidding yourself your brand is absolutely "totally vanilla" and alienating people at the same time lmao
The only time I've heard anyone really hyping up Ambercrombie & Finch is in "Summer Girls" by LFO when they say, "You look like a girl from Ambercrombie & Finch" and "I like girls that wear Ambercrombie & Finch". For this reason, I too got a kick when he said that because I only associate A & F with boring and basic. How their store in my local mall hasn't died out is beyond me. It's always empty and uninviting.
literally
They were a big deal when I was in highschool (2003-2008) but they haven't done anything to refresh their image or bring anything new to the table since then. Of course consumers have gotten bored.
You just blew my mind.
Hi bestie! 💕 love your content
HI!
😍
I'm literally obsessed with your videos
I used to watch "What Not to Wear" and one of the lessons that often stuck with me is "always dress the body you have now." I know many people find fashion stupid but finding your style that fits and looks amazing no matter your size is a huge confidence boost.
as a fat goth guy, clothes are so wildly complex a topic that sometimes i don't even know where to start. i adore fashion, and i love my body - i got to this point after deciding i didn't want to hate myself anymore, but man was it a struggle. having had a mother that was a super involved goth in the 80's growing up (who has moved onto being sort of a hippie now, but she's still a goth at heart lol) i definitely got quite a lot of the spirit from her that used to be the main part of the subculture. she talks a lot about old friends digging through dumpsters to find good ripped clothes for free, or how so many of the popular goth boots weren't expensive because no one wanted to wear them. people standing in your bathroom helping you dye your hair in makeshift ways, helping your friend do their makeup with stuff you stole from your mom's makeup bag, or getting that one friend of a friend who knew how to sew to alter something for you. we compare things a lot these days, but even the photographs of back then are glamourized. people want to take pictures of the coolest, wildest outfits - not the three dozen other regular people behind the camera that all don't look super wildly tradgoth. they loved the music, they were openly counterculture and even if they didn't have the fanciest of outfits, in a lot of ways they still rejected (then) modern fashion trends. but capitalism loves to take advantage on making a profit. deviance from the norm will be acceptable so long as it is profitable. and so you have big brands making expensive clothes that fit only a fraction of people. i try not to be a gatekeeper, people can enjoy dressing however they like and so long as they aren't harming anyone i try not to care, and i especially try not to get all in a huff about some 16 year old kid who doesn't fit the goth scene perfectly, because that would be really stupid to do. (...but at the same time, the next time someone says taylor swift is 'goth music' is going to make me wither away slowly) and that's reflected in the fashion, really. people are obsessed with trying to look super wild and out there and have these elaborate perfect expensive outfits that make them look perfect. and i will admit, i like to be fancy myself. i'm poor as hell, but i like looking like a misplaced dracula film extra who might be a genuine vampire, y'know? but there is next to nothing for fat people on all these popular websites/in stores. capitalism and society's fatphobia has made options for fat goths nigh nonexistent. i joke that i'm playing my fashion life on some merciless difficulty setting, because i'm a fat jewish transgender goth man with a very specific style. my one true benefit is that i still love dressing in any sort of clothing, be it womens or mens, because clothing is clothing and i don't care, i love also dressing ambiguously. clothing has no gender, it's fabric! life is short! i'll wear a skirt or a frilly blouse if it makes me happy. yet even clothing websites that do marginally pander to us provide us with a fraction of the clothes, inconsistent sizing and very complex sizing guides, more expensive costs etc. thrifting is hard in comparison because i live in a conservative city. i'm a great thrifter and will pour intensely over every section to find that one needle in the haystack, and even buy stuff much smaller than me to use the fabric of so i can enhance a piece that does. but it's taken me years to even build up the tiny wardrobe that i have. the contrast between me and my other goth friend is insane. they're super tiny and skinny, and every week it seems - new purchase, new find, cool thing that looks super goth and looks great. the sheer multitude of clothes accessible to them sometimes astounds me. i would love to be able to reflect how i want to dress. i would love to be able to look up a boutique shop that sells custom made pieces, see a cool thing, get it, have it arrive and it looks and fits great. but i'm poor and fat, and the capitalistic centric fashion industry is overly hostile to those of us who are.
this was fascinating, and as a fat person i can very much relate to how it's hard to find alt clothes for us but i just need to say this. WHO IN THE FUCK says taylor swift is goth?! she's one of the preppiest people i can name
Great story on the goth scene.. On other terms I totally relate to the thrifting. there is a huge contrast with the price range from thrifts to mall brands where I'm from and thrifting feels like a bet when something actually fits me because it usually doesn't end up being good or of quality..
You shouldn’t love your body if it’s not a healthy one and that’s something you have the ability to fix.
You should love your body but it really isn’t healthy anyway.
"I like looking like a misplaced dracula film extra who might be a genuine vampire" I've never related to something so much in my life. I am a "normal" sized person, but I feel that I can relate to your struggle. Fashion to me is incredibly hostile because 1) I have "masculine" proportions so I feel and look awkward constantantly in "feminine" clothing and 2) I am also poor so dressing like a well adjusted adult is in direct conflict with properly managing my finances. Recently I've been trying to adopt the mindset that I do not need to mould myself into any particular aesthetic to be happy. I'm leaning into embracing my own essence, if that makes sense. My clothing refects my personality, and that's okay. I'm scrappy, casual, a "dracula film extra" who just rolled out of bed, androgynous, and hate every color except grey and black. The only aesthetic I should embrace is my authenticity (I hope that doesn't sound too pretentious). Thank you for sharing, I'm happy to know I'm not alone in my awkwardness.
ever since i was around 10, i was larger than the average girls in my class. i was so ashamed and embarassed that larger sizes fit me that whenever someone would ask me my size i would lie. i told everyone not to buy me clothes as gifts because i was worried they'd make fun of me for fitting into Ls and XLs. it has taken years of unlearning and working on myself to finally be somewhat comfortable in my size. so even though standardised sizes are helpful, we as a society need to learn to not view those with larger sizes as inferior.
I'm the same way. I was so embarrassed for years about my body not fitting into the smaller straight sizes. It's hard work unlearning these internalized fears!!
I’ve had the same experiences.
My daughter is 10. We are going through something similar. She is tall. Children's clothes do not fit her. So I try to make clothes she likes or alter the clothes to make her more comfy.
Tbt telling my coaches/club leaders in high school that a medium would fit and then lying and saying it was dirty or forgot to wear it when it came time.
Oof I've been there too as well and I just recently realized that. I used to buy clothes that were only a M or S size, otherwise feeling bad if I couldn't fit in them, and even though I'd feel proud of myself for squeezing my body into a smaller size, the reality was that the clothing item only resulted in being extremely unconfortable for me. As obvious, clothes are supposed to fit us, not the other way around. I'm glad you finally managed to be confortable in your size!
"Clothes are not meant to fit us, but we are meant to fit into the clothes" - This is EXACTLY what is currently wrong with clothing!! Having fluctuated between both ends of the "standardised sizing" spectrum (and briefly dipped in the plus-sizing area), I have never felt in any moment of my adult life that clothing has ever properly fit ME. There is ALWAYS some area or detail that does not not fit me no matter where I shop or look for clothing (usually, the sleeves/arms, bust, waist VS hip sizing, or length of the garment are the biggest offenders & don't even get me started on pockets). I have looked into getting my clothing altered at a tailor or garment alteration store, only to be told the cost of the alterations would be more than what the garment is even worth. It's as if they've taken the silhouette of a prepubescent child and simply scaled up the measurements in strange predetermined increments to create women's clothing standard sizing. There is so little room for busts, hips or stomachs, and so much extra length added to pants/skirts, yet the average Australian woman is a size 14-16 (US 10-12) and 172.53cm tall (5 feet 7.92 inches)??. How any clothing retailer is managing to turn a profit when virtually none of their clothing fits real people is beyond me.
Well they can profit cause you don't really have other options. If you want to have clothes on your body you'll just have to put up with it and if every shop is doing that then there also isn't really the risk of you not shopping at their company because of that. For most people custom made clothing would be too expensive and also inconvenient, so again it drives more clients to them. Also people don't protest enough for them to care about such problems, as long as enough people are buying their stuff there isn't really a reason for them to care, for most companies profit is what matters most and adding size varieties would mean loss of profit because it would involve more work and time. Pockets though... Maybe if most people stopped buying stuff with problematic pockets it could change from the start a bit but that's not likely, especially for those people who find it hard to find fitting clothing.
Hearing so many people say the same thing makes it a common, hurtful problem. You deserve better!!! I hope that some day soon clothing sizing will improve. It sounds really difficult to face and though I am a random person on the internet, I really hope that you soon find clothing that fits well and makes you feel amazing!!!
It’s because everyone is built differently. It would be impossible to make clothes that fit fit every body.
as long as nothing's sagging or riding up *that* uncomfortably, you might just gonna have to bite the bullet.
Also! As soon as you get far enough away from the "average" sizes, you essentially stop being able to get clothes. My mom is a 5-6x. There was one shop within a 200 mile radius of where we live that carried her size. Their clothes were cheaply made but expensive to buy and they just weren't her style, but she put up with it because she had no other option. That store closed during the pandemic, so now we're frantically trying to find somewhere online for her to get clothes. Most stores that do carry her size are small designer businesses, and while it's great that they made the effort to carry inclusive sizes, they are absolutely impossible to afford for my working class mom. If we come across any oasis stores that are inexpensive enough to be feasible, online shopping provides its unique set of issues with a lot of waste, time, and effort trying different garments only to find out that they dont fit or are uncomfortable, and needing to return them. It's a huge struggle, and it's really sad to see my mom not feel good about how she dresses, all of her clothes are either so old that they're visibly tattered or she just doesnt like them. SO MANY PEOPLE are in the same boat. If there is a affordable fat fashion brand, you can't even buy from them typically because the need for those clothes is so high that they're constantly sold out (not to mention sleazy brands saying they carry inclusive fashion but never stocking the higher sizes). There is a high demand for fat fashion! High enough that people almost can't meet the bare minimum of having any clothes to wear at all! If you're a smaller or average sized person and have the free time, I challenge you to find a full outfit in 5x+, affordable enough that a working class person could feasibly buy it, and in a specific or cute style. It feels nearly impossible a lot of the time. I think that if someone put the effort into making a fat fashion brand that was *affordable, accessible, and good looking,* they would absolutely make a fortune. Theres a need for these clothes, even if brands don't like the way fat people look! Anyways ty for listening to my rant, I'm very passionate about this. Great video as always, I love to see people actually talking about this :D
Only online shopping, tailoring or hand made are real solutions. Online you have better plus size options
I’ve only seen Torrid have size that big but they are also on the expensive side
@@dynogamergurl There is Women Within and their whole group of affiliates that you can buy from. But you never know the quality, the good stuff is sold out fast, and the better items are expensive. Also returns are a nightmare. I have had to use them for the last few years since Walmart stopped carrying 5X and changed their main women's brand. A new one is Bloomchic if they are in to dresses. My main problem is finding comfortable pants that look good. If I see a decent ponte pant I buy it up usually from Catherines, but they are expensive.
No one should be 5x and plus….
@@emilietournesac8944 You don't get to run the world. lol What is is. That is reality, can you grasp that?
I’m a plus sized person and personally, I hate inconsistent clothing sizes. For shirts i’ll fit in any L-XL. But pants..? I can range anywhere from an XL-3XL. Which makes me really glad for size charts.
Pant sizes are really strange. I have everything from a 46 to a 54 (European sizes) in pants in my wardrobe. Pants should go on waist measurement instead of some random number. Then again I'm a 39 inch waist and I am sometimes able to fit into what is seemingly a 36 waist comfortably according to size charts so even that's not foolproof.
@@00ooooo216 Im anywhere from a size small to a size extra large in pants. Its reallu annoyinb
As someone with a large bust, I’d say it’s less about the stigma and more about the lack of affordable bras that are the actual size you need. I have never been able to find a bra that actually is my size in band and cup and it is honestly so frustrating!
Can I ask your size? Or rather no need to answer. I'm 32HH and shop from Asos and Zalando. It's difficult to find bras that really fit but I've found the correct size at least
I recommend bravissimo. They're not necessarily cheap, but it's the best shop for large bust bras.
Its finding the size overall NO lingerie shops sell anything near my size. Because its not that abnormal in my country to have a large bust its a lot easier than other places but still can be a mission.
It’s crazy because they know most women are wearing a bra that’s too small. A lot of smaller cups could be eliminated or made less. women are wearing big bands and small cups when they need the opposite.
@@nowwhat1434 true
I feel like plus size fashion isn’t talked enough about in the conversation around SHEIN. They have a huge plus size collection! I hate the ethics around SHEIN, but shopping on their website is the first time in a long time I felt normal. I finally feel like a have options and not just the 20 or so awkwardly long and boxy shaped ones.
I spent hours looking for a short, grey pleated skirt I could fit recently and the only place I could find one was Shein. They're terrible in many ways, but sometimes they do fill a gap in the market that so desperately needs to be filled.
@@colorbar.s I wish it was easier for people to do custom stuff. I make pleated skirts and have sold them for around $30, as they don't take me any time at all to make. But if someone is asking $30-$50 for an item, and they can find it online for $10, then most of us don't bother sewing for others and just focus on sewing personal projects as a hobby, since people don't want to pay more.
shein has so much good clothes and accessories i wish they were at least slightly more ethical
@@joylox do you have a website or something to sell online? I've been wanting a good skirt but I want one that's been well made
even with their ethical practices i still think it's okay for lower income people to shop from brands like shein because they don't contribute to the masses of pollution as much as the affluent vloggers buying tons of cheap clothes at a time, just to discard them later.
19:57 A recocurring response from my peers when this statement was released: "Dude, you have no room to criticize appearances when you're that ugly!" It was honestly kinda heart-warming to watch middle-schoolers recognize how bull***t capitalist fashion philosophy can be, albeit in a very middle-schooler way. Personally, I always thought A&F clothes were pretty bland but this solidified my stance to never buy from them ever.
I remember when I was a kid there were these elastic bands with buttons that were strung through the inside of the waistbands of a lot of my jeans that you could adjust! it was probably because your body is EXPECTED to grow and change when you're a child.even though we all know adult bodies change I think its that they're not "expected" to in our current culture. I wish we could change that expectation and also bring these back!!
Maniere de vore jeans have these for all their adult jeans I’ve tried :)
I'm not the only pear-shaped human, and I really just want jeans that don't have a gap in the back big enough to carry a miniature pony. 😭
Yep! I totally understand you, and it's a mess 🥺😭
Me too 😕
What a mood. I'm also pretty short so finding jeans that just fit me is a task.
I’m a average body guy with a bit wider hips (no butt tho, just hips) and my jeans either fit my waist and are so wide on my legs to the point I feel I’m swimming in my clothes and makes me feel uncomfortable or they fit my legs and have and have the gap in my back
Lol this is why I love stretchy skinny jeans. Real denim jeans never fit. I’m not a pear but I am curvy
oh, my good old enemy: standarized sizing
Same 😞🥺
This is exactly why I appreciate plus size and petite size specific stores. I'm a petite woman, and every store I go to that has all sizes, I can never find anything that fits because of vanity sizing. I usually have to settle for an ill-fitted S (that should really be considered a M at the absolute least) or an XS if they even have it (or maybe even the fabled XXS which is what actually fits). Having petite (and plus size) specific stores is great, but the cost is clothes are considerably more expensive. A new-in-stock dress at a petite store I frequent usually runs $60-$80 depending on the style (I look at clearance usually, but that's still not very affordable for a lot people). A couple solutions I can think of: 1. Have petite and plus sections, and have XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL etc. based on those proportions separate from each other. 2. Have employee(s) in the store dedicated to altering clothing. 3. Similar to 2, except have local tailors partner up with mainstream stores. The tailoring company could have their own section in the store, but then people could also go to the tailor's main business for more expensive/extravagant clothing. 4. Like how the X in XL can continually increase (ie XXL, XXXL, etc.), making a limited quantity of XXS and XXXS would also be useful. It would allow people who need those sizes to find something that will actually fit, while keeping vanity sizes (yes, needing to go up a size because of weight gain can destroy self esteem, but needing to go to the *children's* section to find something at reasonable price can also be soul crushing. This isn't a contest to see which side has it worse, we all need clothes that fit, plain and simple). 5. Make thrifting more socially acceptable via having thrifted/recycled clothing sections in mainline stores (Ragstock does this, and the stuff I've found there is astonishing). Those are just the ideas off the top of my head, but anyone feel free to chime in with their own ideas or how these ones could be improved.
Petite is good but I will say that they tend to be on the ‘shorter’ spectrum of sizes. I’m 5’6/5’7 with a really narrow frame and I can’t shop ‘regular sizes’ (I’m usually a UK4 or EU32, which isn’t always available) nor petite clothing (I look like I’ve borrowed children clothes as they come up mid-calf on me)... but it’s a good start for shorter and smaller women!
i’m especially frustrated when brands use vanity sizing in sizing that is supposed to be just the measurement (like i’ve found that 27’ waist jeans aren’t actually 27’)
I used to manage a bridal store for a few years. Especially with first-time shoppers, I'd explain that bridal sizing was different than street sizing; aka, that if they were "normally" a size 10, they'd likely be a size 14 in bridal, partially because street wear uses more vanity sizing, and partly because most designers offer everything from a 0 to a 32, so with 16 sizes instead of 6, "sizes" are going to get skewed. I'd also give them the disclaimer that one designer's size 6 is another's size 8, and that these gowns are designed for what the company deemed the "ideal body ratios." I always encouraged my brides to focus on how they *felt* in a gown, and not their size, because at the end of the day, no one knew what size they were wearing. I would recommend to order a size that fit them *now* (with exception of pending surgery or current pregnancy) rather than the size they *hoped* to be by the wedding day, because dresses can be taken in, not let out, and isn't it better to have a dress that fits than one they can't zip up? I would share size charts with my clients, too, and it always made them feel better seeing actual numbers correlating to a size, and not some black magic. Anyway, random number sizing is bullshit and I wish sizes could be listed as "bust/waist/hip" measurements than a "desirable number." Buy what you love and what makes you feel confident, regardless of what the number says. No one knows what "size" you wear but you.
This is a very interesting point. I used to work in a clothing store too and I've taken a lot of my friends shopping over the years. What I've seen is that there is a huge discrepancy between what is in stores and what people are actually WILLING TO TRY ON. The bridal example is very interesting because you brought the dresses to your client. You know there is going to be something in the store that will fit them and look good. It's all about attitude towards clothing. I wear a lot of t-shirts and jeans on the daily and this combo can fit anyone but if you don't feel comfortable wearing it then it helps to have someone who can show you HOW to wear it. Take a tuck for example - loose, half, French, full, tied in a knot etc. There is so much you can do! What about jeans? They don't have to fit "perfectly" in fact they are often more uncomfortable that way (all the girls who ever experienced the seam of jeans rubbing against their crotch know what I mean T_T ) - belts exist for a reason. Well how about 2 belts? Cuff or peg your jeans too. My point is that two people of the same size can go into a store and put on a t-shirt and jeans and one can be totally satisfied and another one will decide that it doesn't fit at all. Also here is another beautiful part - if your clothes don't fit... make them fit. Wow. Mind blown. It's much easier to buy a larger size of something and tailor it than get things custom made. I either do it myself (even though I'm not good at sewing) or bring it to someone. If you don't subscribe to the fast fashion bs (and I don't) then altering your items to fit you is a good idea because you know that you're going to get a lot of use out of them anyway. I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that even though clothing sizes skews towards certain proportions, no one in the world will ever fit in EVERY item they like (RIP to all my jeans that I had prior to pregnancy - my hips will never be the same again). One thing to consider (especially for plus size friends out there!) is that men's clothing is also clothing and usually comes in much larger sizes. Adding a few darts to a men's shirt could really transform it into a great blouse although I personally just wear them as overshirts :)
@@IncandescentLightbulb00 I really want to buy more men’s shirts since they’re in larger sizes and I like more masculine outfits, but the shoulders always seem to be ill fitting because I have quite small sloped shoulders. Do you have any tips on how to fix this? (if not that’s alright :))
What frustrates me so much as a side issue is that we have so many ways to build semi-elastic waistbands for pants and skirts that work for a range of sizes and styles, because your body changes over the day anyway. And they can look so neat! (I just picked up a vintage skirt with elastic on only the sides of the waist as a style decision and it's adorable.) And yet we're all expected to... wear one static band size? All the time? No! Elastic and comfort and accessibility for all!
You mean I could have nice pants that fit me comfortably before AND after a large meal? sign me up!
This right here is such an underrated fact! Whenever I have to alter a pant (and that is the case for almost all my pants because I'm a pear shape and the waist of the pants never fits) I always try to go for an elastic band first which I sew into the waistband. Most of the time it's barely even noticeable and it makes wearing especially jeans sooo much more comfortable!!
@@jacquelinetsui1346 Yeah! That is exactly why I got into semi-elastic stuff! (I love the comfort of full elastic bands, but they never seem to sit right on me unless it's a super wide band and those are so rare.) A lot of 80s-90s vintage and maternity wear is semi-elastic, or you could add a bit of elastic yourself, but also a lot of folks who make clothing will alter bands if you ask! Get that comfort!
@@somebunny3553 That's awesome though! I've been planning to do more comfort alterations like that but I've been also really liking seeing semi-elastic as a style decision, especially in skirts. I'm actually surprised it's not more popular outside of maternity clothing?
As someone with 2 chronic pain conditions that affect what types of clothing are comfortable for me -- elastic waistbands are EVERYTHING
Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I really struggled to find pants that fit. It was the era of the low-ride, and I was chubby [still am] with wide and high-set hips. If I wanted to wear mid-rise, they'd be awkwardly cutting across the widest part of my body. In my late teens-early 20s, high waisted pants came back in style and my god, what a difference. Then curvy fit came along and really changed my life - now I can wear jeans that fit me at the waist without also feeling like my pelvis is about to get folded like a lawn chair. Having access to clothes that fit the shape of your body really does make all the difference.
(mention of weight and problems surrounding that so tread lightly 💗) i'm someone who is severely underweight but relatively average/tall in height, and standard sizing is my worst nightmare. thanks to vanity sizing, even size s and xs hang off of my frame and not one single item of clothing that i've ever bought has fit me (even just passably) without me tailoring it myself. thankfully i learnt to sew so i could make my own clothes fit, but it's so frustrating! sewing is such an important skill though and something i think everyone should try and learn (since standard sizing fits essentially no one) also, i know plus size women struggle with sizing issues a lot more, but the opposite problem of the same kind can be so annoying too. in conclusion - sizes suck
thank you sm for acknowledging people on the opposite end to you, I very much relate as someone w a 'non conventional' body shape, as im around 4'11 and a rectangle body shape with a round tummy, however i have to rely on my mother's help to sew my clothing due to anxiety around needles and dyspraxia, never seeing a body like mine be seen as pretty in media is confusing, there really is no genuine diversity in fashion, its so sad to see because I'd love to see a person like me on a runway
As someone who is more curvy that most girls my age, it really hard to find clothes that fit! I literally wear sweatpants and sweatshirts because of the lack of options for curvy people
same!! i'm short and curvy and sweatpants are the only trousers which usually fit over my hips but i can tighten around my waist 😩
your profile pic is giving me [death]
I agree! I alter a lot of my older clothes for them to fit! But! I recently found lucy and yak shorts and pants. They are a lot of money but they fit greatly my "small waist big hips/legs" body. Worth every pennies when I replace one of my old item.
@@ellaferrier I know! Beetlejuice for life!
Seriously. Or the plus size options aren't as cute or just fit so weird.
Can we talk about how size inclusivity needs to also include sizing that actually adds length without adding width? Being tall and actually being a medium but having to get an xl just so it is long enough is frustrating as heck. And sometimes even then the clothing item is not long enough, and ends up just swallowing me whole.
Try being an XS and having even the “tall” things come up to the middle of your forearms and above your ankles.
Yes please
@@muirgirl yes I'm a size medium to and I have a 38in inseam and most tall brands only carry up to a size 34 and it kills me all of my pant's are short all of me tops are short. It kills me.
YES!!!! Thank you! I basically never wear pants anymore only dresses and skirts because of the length issue. If it's long enough it's wayyyy too big and if it fits my waist and hips it's wayyyy too short. Ugh frustrating. I'm learning to sew so I can make my own clothes
Bruh. I've been between sizes 0-4 in my life but I have a 33 inch inseam and tall clothes seem to start at a size 8 when they can be found (which is rare).
I think, for me, what I’ve found the hardest is that clothes that are in my size and price range are clearly designed for much older women. Even in high school, I was dressing like my teachers did just because there were so rarely affordable clothes that fit me. And that goes for every type of clothing- fun tops, formal dresses, cute bras, hell even shoes! And that lack of choices forces us into this box of what a plus sized woman has to look like, even if we don’t want to dress like that. And don’t even get me started on how jeans can’t withstand my thighs!
As a person on the street fashion side... This issue only can be addressed by taking the means of production in your hands. Learning how to sew and repair clothing gives you a whole new perspective in the way the clothes should look on you and what's better to buy. On my current group we're collecting data so everyone can have 1 or 2 whole outfits well fitted for them.
I think the bra thing actually has less to do with not wanting to claim a larger cup size, and more to do with the fact that larger cup and band sizes are not catered too. Bra’s are expensive, and up until this year (I’ve been wearing bra’s for a little over a decade) I’ve never had a bra that fit me. I’ve been large busted and fat for most of my life, and finding a bra that comes in both band and cup size under a certain price range is nonexistent. I couldn’t afford the $150 bra I wear now, and so I wore a 42 DDD knowing it wasn’t the correct size. I also just hated the beige cone shaped bra’s that I occasionally did find in larger sizes. I went to a plus size friendly lingerie boutique I’d been following on Instagram this summer, and it was only then I found out I am a 42 G! The girl who runs the shop told me that they actually don’t stock any basics, her clientele doesn’t really want them. I didn’t want them either. I’ve been force fed bland uninspired clothing by corporations who hate fat bodies most of my life. If I was spending this kind of money on a bra I wanted to adore it.
I too am large busted and fat, but I'm still currently struggling through my "incorrect size for cheapness sake" era. Cant wait until I have enough bank for a correct fit
I am thin but I also have experience with the bra bullshit. I remember like age 15 going to get sized for a bra at a department store with my mom. And the employee said “ok you’re a 30ddd” and my mom audibly gasped and was like. Freaked out by it. I got one bra that day and it was mad uncomfortable, but I never wanted to talk to her about it after that so I just ended up wearing sports bras and bralettes throughout high school to avoid it. I finally got sized for real (6-7 years later mind you) at an all sizes bra shop and lord almighty… I’m more comfortable now!!
Yep. I’m a G cup (AU, I think that’s an I in US sizing), and my daughter is an H-I (J-K in US) and it’s gotten so expensive to buy bras for us (especially because my daughter is only 14, so I’m buying all of her bras still), that I’ve found it easier, more supportive, more comfortable, and cheaper to switch to wearing corsets. Corsets support the bust from below and distribute that weight evenly across the entire torso, which makes them far more supportive, and a whole helluva lot less painful. And if I’m seeing it myself, I get a perfect fit, and it’s going to last me longer, making it more economical than bras. The added bonus is that they’re also a back brace, which serves my disabled arse extremely well. And they’re also like a weighted blanket for my torso, which helps with my anxiety too. Bras just aren’t worth it to me anymore. I’m also switching my daughter over to corsetry, though we’re starting with regency long stays (so there’s no waist cinching at all, they’re just supportive) that I’m adding a separating busk to in the front to make it quick and easy to do up for daily wear. They’re a lot more adjustable than a bought bra, meaning they’ll last her longer.
if you know your bra size and are in the US check out bare necessities! it’s where i buy most of my bras and it has larger sizes and includes US/UK sizes and will convert your US or UK size to the other so it’s pretty simple to understand :)
i finally went to a boutique that carried my bra size in my 20s, i was a 30F for a long time and you can't find it anywhere. but in the last two years i've switched to just no underwire bras and i'm SO MUCH more comfortable and saving hundreds of dollars. i know it doesn't work for all clothes and it's maybe less aesthetically appealing but it's such a relief because even the fancy $100+ bras in my size were still uncomfortable.
What I'd really like to see is the return of the alterations department -- even just a couple of decades ago, mid-range department stores would employ seamstresses and tailors to adjust clothing to fit the individual buyer. Sometimes this was included in the purchase price, and sometimes it was a small additional fee. Either way, it was seen as an essential service to offer. But as the garment industry shifted production overseas to exploit lower labor costs, in-house alteration departments were seen as unnecessary expenses damaging the bottom line and slowly started to disappear. Now you really only see them in upscale department stores or fancy boutiques.
Im living in germany and the other way i was buying some black pants for my new job at uniqlo and i saw that they had that service! I thought it was pretty cool
I feel like this also has to do with the cheapness of most clothes. Even if things cost a fair amount of money, the quality of materials used to make clothes now tends to be pretty bad now. Cheap polyesters and such, when a decade or two ago you could still find cotton, silk, etc. when the clothes themselves were at a higher standard, having them altered to fit was seen as an investment in a nice garment that would last for seasons to come. Now with a lot of clothes, they really are seen and treated as disposable. Why pay for alterations on an garment that might not last more than a few wears?
And *THIS* is why I had to learn to sew my own clothes as I grew into a tall curvy bod. The difference to body image and confidence that comes from clothes that fit you properly cannot be overstated. Shopping is so depressing since ready wear always makes me feel like my body is commiting a crime by walking into the store.
do you like make clothes by scratch or do u fix already bought clothes?
This was an incredibly validating video. As an international student (moved to the U.K. from Southern Africa) I have struggled with finding clothes that fit especially since gaining weight. I fit the stereotypical curvy black woman shape but people don’t realise how depressing it is not being able to wear jeans you like because your butt is too big. Or even dealing with chub rub between your thighs in the summer when wearing dresses, flowy dresses never actually being flowy because your hips are wide. Don’t even get me started with the struggle for big boobs! It’s honestly a nightmare and I don’t enjoy shopping at all. Jeans are literally so straight and tops are getting too tiny or there’s so many cut outs in them that you’re left wondering how will my breasts even fit in that ? I know in some lights having a so called hourglass figure is desirable but people don’t realise it’s a specific type of hourglass. As long as you’ve got perky breasts, a tiny waist and not too wide hips, you’re the standard. Anything outside of these margins will become very apparent when you’re shopping because you have to compensate by buying body tape or boob for example. Hate it
I have uneven breasts, and the modern excuse for bras are only meant to fit department store mannequins. The only bras that are ever comfortable are sports bras. I go comfort over looks everytime, even though I love the older fashions of previous eras.
I also have uneven cup sizes!! And I have given up on bras entirely besides the occasional bralette or sports bra.
My breasts are for the most part symmetrical, but I have never (not an exaggeration) found a bra that fits. I’m skinny-ish and I’m probably a AA or A cup size, yet I haven’t found a bra that isn’t insanely large in the cups and/or way too tight in the band. I also just wear sports bras and stretchy things bc I’ve given up looking for a bra
It doesn't help that we're taught misinformation about bra sizing. We were told that A = flat, B = small, C = medium, D = large, DD+ = very large, when that is entirely incorrect. Cup sizes are just the difference between our underbust and bust measurements, which is why just telling people you're this cup size makes no sense when you don't include your band size, and cup sizing can go all way up to M, so when taking the large range in consideration, DD is actually - GASP! - on the smaller end. After all, DD is only five inches in difference between the circumference of your bust and underbust, and if you understand basic math, you will know that it's not a dramatic difference. ABraThatFits, IrishBraLady, Bratabase, and similar online resources are a good place to start understand how bras are supposed to be sized and why UK sizing is recommended far more often than US sizing even if people are Americans, like me.
bralettes are life changing !!
tbh, where I live different stores have different sizes. I have to buy bra's in specific stores. Bigger women can't shop at most of those stores and also have to go another store. Some sizes are even harder to find, even with even boobs, and have to be found online.
One thing that thrifting has helped me with is knowing my measurements and in turn being more aware before I buy an item if it's going to fit or not (definitely not perfect when I'm trying to measure jeans in the thrift store or using poshmark/depop), but I'd say I've had more successes than fails. Whereas with shopping on normal big brand websites, I'm always so confused when they don't have all of the measurements of the item especially with jeans because my idea of what a high rise measurement is can be very different than what say Agolde/Levi's/BDG/etc classifies as "high rise". I just wish I would have been more aware of my measurements in the past when I did shop fast fashion because I did a lot of online shopping and returning mainly from the fit of the items. Although I also know for some people knowing their measurements can be triggering so I can understand it's not always a positive thing.
That’s awesome. Majority of my clothes were thrifted when I was a straight size. Now that I’m plus size, it is extremely hard to find any clothes that make me feel comfortable and confident, other than fast fashion.But I completely agree that knowing your measurements help in any situation.
Alexa I just came from your vid omg?
!
I totally agree especially if you’re not a straight fit as social media usually displays based on what’s popular.
Unfortunately let's not forget how the people who can afford to buy new clothes purposefully go to thrift stores and buy up all the good stuff. Which leaves no good stuff for those who don't have a choice of where to shop. Some people aren't so privileged. Some people literally HAVE to shop at thrift stores and when you're shopping at thrift stores when you can afford to buy brand new you are hurting those who need it AND it drives up prices furthering putting affordable attractive clothes out of reach for the needy. Unfortunately that stupid thrift store Macklemore song and the thrift flip TikToks have ruined things for those who need to shop there. Privileged people show up buy up the good stuff, drive up prices, and leave nothing for everyone else. Just one more thing that privileged middle and upper class people (women specifically) ruined for the less fortunate. I think everyone deserves to feel beautiful and just because someone can't afford to spend a lot of money on fashion doesn't mean they shouldn't get a chance to feel like a million bucks. I'm not saying that people in this thread and the op are the privilege middle class and rich people ruining things for everyone else I'm just trying to bring awareness to a problem.
As a bigger girl and have been having many troubles finding clothes that fit me my whole life, hearing you said "there is no reason larger women can't look just as fabulous as all other women" touched me a lot and made me cry...
One of the things I wanted to call out too, is height variability. A lot of men's pants sell by waist size and inseam length, and while I understand the waist measurements could be off, the inseam being a listed measurements means that clothing companies understand that men have varied needs in terms of leg length. Generally speaking, this is not the case for woman. Pants, shorts, trousers, and jeans are still sold in the 1 unit measurement vanity sizing. Occasionally there are "tall" "long" "petite" and "short" options, but these are outliers. Body weight over the course of a persons life can fluctuate, but most people don't change in height after puberty, so inseam length is a pretty steadfast unit of measure for everyone. Yet, it's disregarded for women, as though we're all the same height. The stores that do try to account for height difference also tend to miss the mark in other body differences. You can be "tall" and "curvy", but it unlikely that a store catering to taller bodies will account for shape differences within that. I've always thought that if 3 units of measurement for tops and bottoms were given (shoulder, bust, waist for tops and waist, hip, inseam for bottoms), more people would be able to find better fitting clothing (given that certain sizes aren't neglected) and companies would still be able to mass produce. It may decrease the volume at which they can pump things out, but that's probably good for the environment. It's amazing to me that something hasn't been done about this yet. I've seen the a trend in more companies offering made to measure casual garments, but those prices are not feasible for everyone.
I've been wanting to open my own online custom clothing store, where someone would select a base pattern, anything extra like pockets, type of closure, etc, and colour, then I'd make it. But yeah, I'd have to charge less than minimum wage to actually get any business, I did try before... I often trace pairs of pants I have and then make them longer, since it's hard to find tall pants that aren't made for people with wider hips than mine. Then again, fabrics are often just as expensive as buying a fast fashion item, so unless you're like me and make most stuff out of endcuts and old sheets, you'd be looking at quite a bit. Although I was happy with my high school grad dress, I spend around $50 on it, made it with the help of my aunt, and most of my classmates spent $150-$400 each on their dresses.
Thank youu. I'm 5'9~ and it's so hard to find pants that fit. They're either to short or to big. :")
You're completely right. Same goes for tops, dresses and coats : for someone who is petite but has some curve like myself, clothes are either too tight or the back length is too big and the waistline ends up at the middle of my hips...
As a 4'11 person with some fat. Finally. Someone said it.
exactly. can't we just have NORMAL sizing like the mens' section?? they can do it over there, why can't womens' clothes just have both inseam and waist sizing??? im 5"11 and i couldnt find ANY properly-fitting pants during the "skinny jeans era" of the 2010s. kind of grateful for the boot-cut trend rn because atleast i can stock up on some long pants
I could never really wrap my head around the fact that the measurements for bottoms in men's sizing has all these different options for waist/inseam/length sizes, but for women's sizing more often than not we're just stuck with one number. I'd kill for big clothing companies to start offering more options for petite sizing available especially in store rather than just online! AND for the stigma of "well if you're petite, that means you're thin" bs, because a majority of women are not the standard size 2, 5'5, thin frame with long slender legs.
Yes I would love that I have super short legs but wide hips and thick thighs like I can’t buy pants they just fit funny
@@idaormark3079 can soooo relate! Thick thighs are both a blessing and a curse when it comes to finding pants that'll fit right 😩
I have long legs but like my waist is small so pants almost never fit properly unless I alter them myself. Never even buy matching sets bc my bust is not as big as the pants size I am😭😭😭
I'm stupidly short (4 foot 11) and am plus size, so I always have to hem my pants and they never really fit quite right. I can't wear cute and in style, different cuts either, like flare, because I have to hem them. It's frustrating.
yeah me too! i’m pretty tall so it’s hard to find pants that are long enough
Every time I watch your videos, I feel the waistline of my brain increasing immensely with knowledge and wisdom (it still fits in my head due to vanity sizing ofc)
I’m so glad I learned to sew my own clothes, especially as I’ve gotten older and I’ve gone from slender and easy to fit to ‘normal weight’ but with a different shape, much of it caused by childbirth and change in metabolism due to age. Fabric is expensive and good fabric even more so, so clothing becomes and an investment and I tend to stick to making pieces that have a classic style and can be worn for years. Though I still suffer from the ‘but I was 115lbs or less most of my life and now I’m 135-140, omg!’ anxiety at times, I feel more comfortable with it than I would have at a younger age. The clothes I do purchase ready-made tend to be from companies like Gudrun Sjöden, which emphasises an eco-sustainable methodology and has lots of mix and match basics that, while higher priced, have a longevity that can stand the test of time and in the end save money because they need not be replaced often if ever. That said, I understand that the ability to do this is a privilege and I do not fault those who rely on fast fashion because their ability to have a larger initial outlay in order to have a long term benefit just isn’t feasible. Anyway, very interesting video; I may be older but I still find the younger generation’s opinions and reflections very informative and sometimes quite eye-opening!
Standardize sizing today is just another way for people to feel insecure about their bodies Edit: I want to clarify that the way Standardize sizing is done is dishonest which is why it makes people feel insecure. Nobody should be going to a store a buying jeans that say 26 inches and come to find out that it’s 3 inches bigger.
I agree (to a degree), but what would a good solution be :0
A really big issue is that even the same store has different fitting on pieces with the size from the same brand 😅😅😅
yeah, but... how else would you easily label them? by one measure in a specific metric? but then how would people know the other measurements, which for all we know could be way off? and how would it exactly make them feel insecure? by not having their size? if so, that's not the problem of the sizing itself. if it's the label of being an XL, for example, then that's not exactly making anything new known because that's just your measurement, and how it fits. I guess it could be the "connotation" of being an XL but that seems somewhat insignificant in the face of other potential issues.
Standardizing sizes enables people to reliably buy what they know they can get on. The best way to go about it is to buy what you know fits your larget measurement, then do some basic alterations to better the fit. Basic sewing needs to be taught in schools again. Knowing some basics saves a lot of money as well. We all know people who’ve tossed fine pieces over a fallen he, or lost button they didn’t know how to replace.
@@Lucy-lx3dn yeah I agree, I'm not sure how you would fix this. There's so much diversify in body shapes and measurements and with bigger sizes everyone stores fat differently so it's even worse. Unless we go back to wearing custom made clothing or sewing our own it makes sense to have standard sizes otherwise we're gonna spend even more time trying to find clothes that fit, maybe we should focus more on fixing people's attitudes
"which is NOT a bad thing by the way , THAT IS NOT A BAD THING" god please yell at me more that weight gain isn't bad these are the affirmations i need
@@FireSilver25 it’s totally normal everyday of every time
A lot of people I know have gained weight during this whole corona mess. We were stuck at home for weeks, we were too drained to cook healthy meals, a lot of us became very depressed and anxious because of this whole ordeal, a lot of us lost jobs or got pay cuts due to this, and could no longer afford to eat super healthy. A lot of us turned to cooking or baking as a way to relieve stress. Gaining weight isn't the worst thing that can happen to you and you don't need to lose it all again if you can't or don't want to. These are very tough times
everything you said is why i want to go into clothing design particularly for queer, fat, disabled folks. i used to be very thin and have gained a lot of weight &it’s been a difficult journey of just finding clothes that fit, are flattering, and are my style. i hope that ican create some kind of alternative to fast fashion &big corporations that refuse to size properly
I have always struggled with an "out of proportion" body. I recently got a breast reduction (I had an Australian K cup, for comparison I have NEVER met ANYONE larger than a G cup, and that G cup was a single woman. Literally I had no idea bra sizes even went up to K) The issue was that I had a size 14 band, I DARE you to find a size 14K. I had a single website that would make bras for women with larger boob jobs, and it goes without saying they were default expensive as hell. I went for a reduction mainly for my health, as I was struggling to breath and I could no longer lay on my front as I would hurt my back from it being angled up so sharply, or lay on my back because the weight would collapse my lungs and I was entirely unable to breathe. The second issue was the stigma. Since I started puberty, I was always the big chested one. It was humiliating to know that no shirt or dress that was store bought would fit me. I had to get XXXL shirts just to cover my breasts, and the rest of my body was so small. I was wearing size 12 pants, and size 28 shirts. It was completely dehumanizing. I stopped trying to look nice. I gave up on trying to do anything to make me stand out more than I already did, I couldn't wear tight fitting clothes, and I ended up just trying to dress like I was extremely overweight, because it was better than having strangers stare at me or worse, try to hit on me and in some occasions try their luck at feeling me up. I went in for my operation last year in November at the age of 18. It was expensive, it was painful, I have scars that will never fade and I had complications that will ensure I never get a "normal" breast. Am I devastated? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I could not bear the burden, it was bad enough having the shame from myself, but it was so much worse having the shame pounded in by clothing labels that all my friends could enjoy. Sure I might be lop sided and have a misshaped right side now, but I would always take it over being restrained everyday for the rest of my life.
when i was in 6th or 7th grade i took so much pride in being able to fit "one size fits all" (XXS) and the second i hit puberty and started growing into my body and couldn't fit those sizes it took a HUGE toll on my self-esteem. brands like brandy melville buy into patriarchal values that say all young women stay the same size as actual children.
But brandy Melville is a brand that is directed toward teens (aka teenagers) it isn’t meant to be an “adult” clothing store. If you want “adult” go to forever 21 or Nordstrom or something…
@@dianalove539 I'm sure you are a teen in 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade too. And I'm sure you can extend that to your college years too. Puberty is intrinsically linked to teenage years. The main comment never mentioned adulthood anywhere.
The crazy part about things being based of an "hourglass" shape is that it's averaged out so much (which, surprise, there is no average woman!) that it doesn't even fit us either! They forget that smaller waists with a large difference in circumferences versus hips mean that you need to actually allow space for larger thighs and busts. My measurements are 41" bust, 31" waist, and 44" hips AND I'm only 5'1". The thighs are ALWAYS the limiting factor, and I have to size up by 2-3 sizes to fit them...which means the waist is always too loose, and the legs are already too long to begin with. Standard sizing fits no one because it tried to work for everyone. I think brands would actually have a better time if they catered to certain shapes consistently, because people would have the chance to become loyal repeat customers. If you find a place that specifically makes clothing for people with wide hips, or people with big stomachs but skinny legs, or people who are very short, or whatever your body type is, wouldn't you keep going back?
LITERALLY I'm a 31" waist, 40" bust, 39" hips, 20" thigh and 5'2 w/ hip dips. It is a STRUGGLE to find things that fit off-the-rack, the torso is always too long, and nothing ever fits my bust AND my waist And shoulders, cap sleeves are the devil but they're on everything. A big issue I've found is that the proportions of clothing aren't changed when they're sized up, and it's really the proportions of a garment that make it look pleasing to the eye, but if it's just sized up by adding extra inches horizontally instead of changing the size of the pattern proportionally. It ends up looking very different to the original design and far less flattering. (edit: just finished the video and she talked about this already lmao)
i have similar measurements and i relate
With a more busty hourglass pretty much anything ready to wear that goes on and is not stretchy will just hang off the boobs and be too big at the waist. Clothes seem to be made for at most a D cup.
I have the same exact issue! I'm supposedly the ideal, tall, thin, large butt and bust, but since i have a larger bust small shirts end up being short on me despite fitting in every other way. And with pants either they cant go over my butt or fit my small waist and larger butt but are too short oR they fit my butt and are the right length but are huge on my waist
Yes! I have this exact problem! It’s so limiting when it comes to finding clothing.
I had to buy pants in a larger size today and I def felt that shame of "I need to change and be my smaller size." This video made me feel a little better, thanks Mina!
As a woman with a large chest, who is also below average height at 5'0, I have the hardest time finding clothes. Especailly when it comes to sports bras. the XL-XXL size almost never fits right. The band is always too big the cup portion is always too small. And when it comes to "regular" clothes, I find myself just wearing t-shirts and leggings because everything else off the rack doesn't fit comfortably at all. Finding this community has really inspired me to bring out my sewing machine and start looking into how to make my own clothes.
I have cried going out clothes shopping especially if it’s with a friend who happens to have a body that works within the sizing format that is used now a days. As someone with an apple body, no matter how large I go up in size nothing will ever fit me because my waist is bigger than my chest and hips which is the opposite of what sizing charts expect. It hurts because I love fashion a lot, I’ve considered just leaning to sew. I want to be more positive in my life outlook but I thought I’d share my personal struggles within standardized sizing.
@Noura Pines - and others with issues here: Do it! Learn to sew!! you get to make ALL the choices for fit and fabric. Self-empowerment FTW!!
Learn to sew! It is SOOOO liberating to know you can tailor your own clothes. And it’s not that hard to do anymore :) Don’t be afraid. Take back and make your own clothes “couture”. Also, for an apple body, I HIGHLY recommend finding/manufacturing a waist just below your boobs. Think “high-waisted” or empire waist. It really helps to define a waist, even if you think it’s too high. Once you learn to sew, you can just buy that size that fits your hips and take in the waist. It’s literally just two to three lines of stitches, if you really wanna simplify it (i.e., be lazy about it).
This happened to me too! When I tried an empire waist dress and saw that it fit me better than any other kind of clothing, my life became a little bit easier. But as someone who has just recently started sewing, DO IT! It's so much fun and you can make the clothes you've always wanted to wear but couldn't find anywhere in your size. And even make them better, and at least you know the labor is going to be ethical. My life is a little bit brighter thanks to it, so yeah, I'd really recommend it if you can :)
Clothes shopping has always been very triggering for me too. Thanks for sharing your experiences
Fellow fitting room crier over here… I feel ya
‼️I live in an apartment complex and this girl next to me my neighbor she recently got married and she comes from wealthy family so she has a lot of designer clothes. Well she gained weight after having her two kids and could no longer fit into her pre-mom clothes. She put them in trash bags and put them in the dumpster. There is a thrift store two blocks away. And I'm talking designer clothes never worn with the $200 tags on them still. I noticed some clothes peeking out of the trash bag when I was throwing my trash away and I got them out and they all fit me perfectly. And I think she saw me wearing one of her clothes because next time she took her clothes and threw them in the far away furniture only dumpster so that way I couldn't find them and wear them. But I did find them. I just took all the bags of her clothes into my house kept and washed what I wanted and donated the rest. This girl would rather throw away her nice clothes so no one else could wear them then donate them to someone who could need them. If she couldn't fit in these clothes and couldn't wear them anymore she didn't want anyone else to wear them either. She was just a really selfish insecure person. And she basically threw her entire wardrobe away over the course of 3 weeks because it was all too small for her.
What on Earth! How wasteful! I was able to get a bit of money for my secondhand clothes at a consignment store. Even if she was too snooty to donate anything she could have made a bunch by reselling it!
That's insane! Glad you got them!
Glad you got them and donated the rest! 🐛
@@khazermashkes2316 I know! She could have definitely resold them (this all happened a year ago so clothing resale sites existed and were very popular) like these were brand new probably 1/4 of her clothes still had tags on them and the other clothes were in perfect shape. I just truly think that she would rather no one wear those clothes then sell them at a discount so someone else could enjoy them. She was literally throwing money away. If she didn't care about the money she could have just taken those trash bags two blocks over and drop them off at the thrift store donation area like I did. But she didn't do that either. Then the way she started trying to hide the clothes in the dumpster, all of that together just really makes me believe she's one of those people who believe if I can't have it no one can. It was so incredibly wasteful. I don't know why so many rich people are like this. Coach literally slashes up their extra bags and destroys them to keep anyone else from getting them. There are a lot of rich people who are truly like that who would rather destroy what they don't need then let us poor plebs have them.
Rich people are so wasteful. They prefer to throw away stuff instead of giving it to people that need it or will cherish the items.
Mina, the research you do is so healing! You remind us of the BS behind these factors in our lives and give us space for grace :) . Thank you!
I really love this video!! I love all your videos, honestly… I appreciate you taking the time to talk about all of the different aspects of toxicity that some, or really ALL, of us have to experience when we try to buy clothes for ourselves. Also, that closing quote from Tim Gunn was lovely. Okay thank you for that positivity
The Marilyn Monroe myth annoys me cause it's so pointless, even by looking at her photos you could tell she wasn't plus size lol she had a BMI of 19.5 on her ID when she was super famous in 1954 and went to visit soldiers in Korea in those famous photos and videos and even at her heaviest when she was pregnant her waist was 28 inches, her clothes couldn't even zip on a modern size 4 mannequin (in part because she was often sewed into her clothing and bought too small a size but still). During her time in Manhattan she went to shop with a friend at an Italian store and asked for three sweaters in EU/Italian sizes 38 to wear at home, 36 for dinners and 34 for public appearances and her friend told her to stop being silly and just get a 38, that's an American size 6 at most
Her waist was smaller than a size 0.
Being Taiwanese and having an easy access to Japanese brand such as Uniqlo, GU, and Muji, its honestly soooo anxious for me to shop in these stores because Japanese sizes are usually smaller than usual, which always makes me question my weight. There's this time when I bought a XL dress from uniqlo and it's literally the same size as a S size dress from H&M lmao
Oh my god, I had the same experience but in Vietnam. There is no way that ready to wear is going to fit 2XL standard sizing. But, on the flip side it is very normal to get custom made clothes there, because Aoi Dai or the long dress outfit MUST be made custom for each person; there is a huge population of seasoned seamstresses all over the country for this and the many global manufacturers who have factories there.
I’m a US L and I ordered a shirt in XL from a Japanese brand and it literally fit like a S 😭 I was so heartbroken lol
Being a plus size cosplayer is a huge struggle for the exact same reason :( I have to spend hours looking for specific custom sized versions that are double the price and aren't even guaranteed to be good quality while straight sized people can find the perfect one in a single search. it's exhausting. And I'm a eu XL, imagine how hard it is for people bigger than me.
I bought a couple things from Uniqlo recently for the 1st time and bought 1 size bigger for this exact reason.
oh yeah at Muji I am the largest size possible in their pants. I am an XL. I'm not upset by it on a personal level because I know that the sizing just runs very small, but it's pretty funny considering I'm not considered plus size at any Western clothing brand. I'm pretty averagely sized. So anyone larger than me can't wear anything from Muji, which is...a lot of people!
Getting into lolita/egl was beneficial to me because I had to focus on my actual measurements and not a labeled size. I also came to appreciate not buying as much clothing, enjoying what I do have since most of it is custom sized, and being okay with waiting a few months for higher quality clothes. Of course when it comes to my normie work attire I'm struggling buying what little plus size fast fashion I can get. It seems near impossible to find affordable, and well made, plus size clothing. I guess I'm a pear shape (125cm bust, 109 waist, 144 hip) and im 173 cm tall. If the pants fit my legs and thighs it falls off my waist. Tops are either too fitted for my stomach or if they fit there the top is falling down cause I'm not as big chested as the shirt thinks I should be. I love fashion but it can be so frustrating
i've pretty much moved away from normal clothes entirely because of this! i've never felt hateful towards myself when shopping for lolita clothes, especially on the western second hand market because of the focus on measurements, it just makes sense to measure based on actual measurements rather than arbitrary sizings.
lovelovelove all the in-depth research you do for your videos, adds so much to them
"My beautiful doves" warms my heart every time
WE ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN THE SIZE OF OUR CLOTHES. OUR SELF-WORTH AND VALUE DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE NUMBER ON OUR SCALE. In Asia, I'm a size M, L or sometimes XL. This makes me feel really self-conscious as I am often an S or M in America. In Asia, I'm considered "chubby" or even overweight but in the west my size is average, I have always had insecurities around the sizes I buy. I often find myself buying clothes online that didn't quite align with my measurement but I was fearful to get an L because that would cement the fact that I was "fat" (I get called this in Asia all the time). Ughhh this is something I'm still working through so thanks for making these types of videos to break the stigma around the value and self-worth people place on the sizes we wear. If you can relate to my story, know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
This is even funnier in south asia where women are shorter but fairly curvy or simply not stick thin. And yet the most widely available clothing sizes are smaller than what you think would be average size. Who are they making clothes for?
This!
@@thisisnotausernameXD ok but east asian women aren't all "stick thin" that's a shit misconception perpetuated by western culture and as this commenter and millions of Asian women will attest, there are plenty of curvy, thick, larger Asian women. js confront your assumptions. I also know lovely Indian women who are statuesque super skinny & tall, I'm sure you do too.
@@samaraisnt You are missing my point entirely. Just because you and I know some tall and thin indian women does not mean the average Indian woman is tall or thin. The height in the country is 5ft 2in and medium is the most commonly sold clothing size but that latter holds little meaning as there is no single sizing system that is followed there either. Who knows what biases play into women buying medium sized clothing too? Most women I know struggle to find clothing that fits well. If most clothing is made for smaller sizes than the average, isn't that a problem?
Thank you so much for posting this Mina! I really needed to hear these words to realize that not all the clothes I buy have to be size small and that I shouldn't wear clothes that don't completely fit comfortably.
you are literally my most favorite KZheadr right now, I adore your informative fashion history content, it's always so well researched and so well presented. Plus your style makes my brain feel nice.
Commenting again for the interaction I just wanted to say it's funny that the CEO of Abercrombie thinks he can judge people on their looks when he literally looks like someone's big toe.
So it’s okay for you to judge?
@@whointhewhat yes. Staying silent and not judging him is cosigning his behavior. Terrible people judging others deserve to be judged themselves. I'm not judging some innocent person. I'm not a powerful man punching down. If this man thinks he has the right to judge women on what they look like that gives women the right to judge him on what he looks like. See what I mean? Judgment isn't always a bad thing when it's used correctly to call people out on their cruel and hurtful behavior.
@@whointhewhat If he’s punching down and looks like someone’s big toe I don’t see why not 🥴
Didn’t the company get a new female CEO?
@@gicell yes he’s been gone for awhile
as a person who is both skinny and curvy, i have so much trouble with 'standard sizing'! i don't think they even design for the hourglass figure anymore because anything that fits the rest of my body will not fit over my chest and hips. thankfully i really like baggy and oversized clothing, but it's still a pain.
right like clothes seem to be made for people who have a fairly straight figure. good thing I don't wear high waisted jeans/skirts anymore because it's a hassle to take in at the waist
This! I've always been thin and curvy, but in the last couple of years I gained some weight and good Lord is it hard to find clothes that fit me properly! Lately I've just started buying bigger pants and getting them tailored to fit me (I hate spandex clothing, I love quality fabrics).
Exactly!!! And apart from that I'm also petite, why can't we have good fitting clothes?? Argh
Yeah, they used to design for hourglass shape, but not so much anymore. If you have a Google of “dress form size 2” you can see the sample size dress form. In the US that’s a 2, and I think that relates to an 8-10 in UK and AU sizes. But you can see how not curvy it is. There’s a reason why the super stretchy stuff is in fashion now that the hyper-hourglass body is also back on trend. It’s the only stuff that’ll fit extreme hourglasses without a whole lot of very expensive tailoring. But, skintight and stretchy might work for some, for others who aren’t so confident, who want garments to fit but not expose… they’re outta luck. My being unable to fit into standardised sizing (and the lack of clothes in my style in my size) is one of the reasons I started seeing my own clothes.
pants either fit my hips or my waist, i can’t have both. shirts are always too long on me and they never fit my waist! i shop in the petites but then the shirts are tight around my chest :/ i also like baggy clothes so it doesn’t bother me that much.
I loved this! Thank you so much for all this information! I can’t say if I prefer standardized sizing one way or the other but this video really helped me pinpoint and reflect on some body dysmorphia and eating disorder issues that I never realized were intrinsically tied to clothing!
I really liked the new conclusion haha the quote you included resonated. I listened to it a couple times. I'm a *size 12-16* depending on brand and this is a question I've had for YEARS. Thank you for this great video Mina! I loved it and I love you!
Vanity sizing is so insidious, both in terms of reinforcing fatphobia and the actual logistics of shopping. I used to work at Old Navy and helping people find their size was so difficult because not only is the sizing way different than other brands, but each item/style varies as well. Someone would ask for help finding a pair of jeans and I would have to give them a stack of 4-5 different sizes because it was such a trial and error process. At the end of the day, it was more frustrating for everyone involved!
Old Navy is one of the WORST for this. I don't even bother trying anymore.
*THANK YOU* ! Marylin was definately *not* plus sized. also with Savage, I'm really disappointed; They do not carry a 30H and claim they have a size for " *everybody* " and I emailed them asking i they would be expanding their sizing...they're response was "thank you for your interest but we are not interested in expanding our sizing at this time" I was heartbroken because I'm not even Plus sized...I'm a small to medium, it's just my fuqin boobs that are large and I can't even weight lingerie from a company that claims and touts theirs clothing to be *ALL INCLUSIVE* . It's Victoria's Secret all over again
I love love love love love how you just went straight to the topic at the beginning
This has added a new level to my rage for clothing sizing because even thought my measurements mean i’m have an “hourglass” figure,, because i’m a very short and overall small person shopping feeling impossible because their small sizing feels built for someone without any kind of curve so some garments without give simply don’t fit
Sizing is why I’m 24 and feel like I never had a chance to learn how to dress stylishly like everyone else seemed to. I’m too big for “regular” clothes (Free People, H&M, Forever 21, Urban Outfitters), but not the body type considered for Torrid. So I end up having to try an insane amount of clothes until I find one pair of jeans that fit and a nice sweater or tee shirt. Nothing makes you feel more like an idiot than standing next to a cute girl wearing a crochet crop top and mini skirt while I’m in jean shorts and my old Star Wars tee shirt. Torrid and ModCloth’s existing is fantastic for someone bigger like me, but they’re so expensive and I’m still so limited. I love vintage looks, but I can NEVER find nice pieces in thrift or nice inspo pieces. I just wish I could find what styles look nice, but I just end up feeling like my body has automatically timed me out of getting to be in fashion.
Totally relate to this - this is actually a real phenomenon and it's an industry issue! When Mina was talking about anything past DD/E bras needing a pattern reset, this is true about clothes that go from 12 to 14, which is roughly where plus sizes start (some stores the threshold might be 14/16). The reason nothing fits you, me, or other people with our sizing, is because there is a missing size between plus and straight sizes due to pattern resets. We have the proportions of *both* straight and plus size bodies so it's very difficult to make a pattern that caters to us. The result is we're either left out completely, or left to sift through the already few straight size stores that carry ~XLs in even fewer styles. I remember one of my fav influencers Katie Sturino used to be in the same sizing range and she called her blog "12ish style" because she wasn't quite plus and wasn't quite straight sized.
I feel weird for saying this but shein has amazing and cheap plus size clothing. They are pretty good quality too
@@gillian7662 This is me, too! I'm currently about a US 16/18, and I'm in that reset gap. I can kind of fit some straight sizes if they go up to a XL or XXL, and kind of fit plus sizes if they're 1X (rarely 2X depending on the cut), but none of it is really right! Plus sizes usually think I should be taller and have bigger boobs than a 36D if I'm this big in the hips, but straight sizes think I should have smaller everything else to go with my bust! It's frustrating.
the beginning of these videos are so interesting like barely a minute in and i’m already hooked it’s honestly a talent being able to do that well done
Thanks so much for creating this video. It’s so true that body image is a lifelong struggle in our culture. (40 year veteran here - I started being ashamed of my legs in the 3rd grade!) Healing vibes going out to everyone who is hurt by the fashion industry. I’m glad things are changing!!
This woman has taught me more than what my teacher ever taught me about all this stuff!! Thank you Mina!! 💕
Also, I think this speaks to a bigger issue of how low the minimum wage in this country and how people buy from fast fashion instead of ethical business because they just can't afford it. At the end of the day the system is to blame and not the individual.
It’s a two-way street. People get used to expecting 15 pieces for $150, even if they only end up wearing a couple of them. and think that 2 pieces for $150 is a rip-off, even if they end up wearing both of them. Quite often in comments sections, people talk about being poor and loving how many pieces they can get. Our society emphasizes quantity of pieces over quality and sustainability. I’m not poor (not anymore, though I used to be homeless), yet I have a few skirts and a handful of tops I’ll cycle through during the winter, and a couple dresses, a skirt, and a few tops in the summer. I don’t abide by the bullshit thinking that we shouldn’t wear the same thing two days in a row. If I like something and it’s clean, I’ll wear it five days in a row. We have got to get away from the mentality of more pieces being better as well as the mentality of not wearing the same things two days in a row.
Underrated comment.
It’s true but the system won’t change unless we do something. Blaming will only take is so far because the owners of the clothing markers makes a lot of money so they wouldn’t change the system as long as they wont earn anything by doing so
Also I do think that overconsumption, capitalistic idea of not repeating outfits and many other things contribute to theses issues. I just don't thinks okay to blame the a person who is poor and shaming them because they buy fast fashion items. But, not have people doing huge Shein huge to influence other people that it's a good idea to do overconsumption.
As someone who is an honest-to-God hourglass figure of the more "dangerous curves" variety, I can assure you that standard sizes don't fit us either. Anything that fits my bust/hips means my waist is swimming; if I get it to fit my waist, I don't have room for my bust/hips. I also have very muscular shoulders and back, so that adds another layer. These days I either make most of my own clothes or order them custom from eShakti.
It just goes to show that the modern fashion industry doesn’t care how “perfect” your body is, finding cute clothes that fit are impossible. I have a skinny pear shaped body and finding pants that fit are a journey, they’re either to big to fit around my hips and waist or their too damn tight and it feels like I’m being squeezed by a python.
I'm the opposite. When I was in high school and skinny jeans were everywhere, they'd be too tight in the waist and calves, but way too much room in the behind. Even now that I'm a bit more grown up and my body changed a little, I still have the same thing happen with certain styles. At least it's usually fairly easy to take in a waistband, where I'd have to buy something 2 or 3 sizes bigger and then try to take in the hips. I've been trying to make my own pants due to that, or frankly, I've been wearing a lot of unisex jogging pants with tie up waistbands.
Same here! I'm not sure if this is because the hourglass bodies of today are different from the hourglass bodies of the mid-20th centure or undergarments are different or if the system has always sucked. Anything that fits me in the shoulders is going to be way too small in the bust (and because I favor button up shirts, cause dreaded boob gaping) and anything that fits me in the bust is going to be huge in the shoulders and waist. The waist doesn't bother me as much because it's going to be tucked into high waisted jeans or trousers regardless, but I loathe the look of shoulders that are too wide to be a proper fit but not wide enough to look like an intentional dropped shoulder. It makes me feel frumpy. My usual solution is to buy something that fits me in the shoulder and waist and wear a sports bra that compresses my boobs, which is ... fine. But not ideal :( This kinda relates to what Mina said about bra sizes above DD. Curvy/busty figures are glamorized but also stigmatized and fetishized and clothes aren't actually made to fit them. Add to all this that I'm short waisted, which can cause fabric bunching at the waist, not fitting at the hips, and most "high rise" pants coming several inches short of my actual waist. I'm trying to teach my self sewing so I can alter clothes to actually fit me right!
As a trans dude who's shopped and worn women's clothes for most of my life and now shops and wears men's clothes, i am shocked at how much i put up with in terms of sizing and how much easier it is now
Like even in jeans, men's sizing clearly states the length and width , whereas in women's jeans, I've hardly ever seen that
I wear men's clothes 90% of the time. Sizing is straight up.
I love your content. Each video is so well researched and I'm so glad i just found you!! I own an online plus size vintage shop and have to measure and standardize each garment to my own sizing chart so people can accurately know what fits. I started it bc as a plus sized person I found it IMPOSSIBLE to buy vintage online. Without measurements a 24W could easily be a modern 6 haha. You really provide a lot of value and I just turned my notifications for your content on. It's very rare that I do that.
here's my opinion as someone who's been fat/plus sized my whole life: it is extremely hard mentally to be in a world where i'm considered "less than" for my size. i've always dreamed of fitting even into an extra large. i wanted to also go into the stores at the mall and be able to try on clothes with my friends and not have to say "i can't get this, none of this is in my size" whenever they catch me eyeing something and ask me if i wanted to get it. i've felt like everyone's looking at me, feeling so excluded my entire life for situations such as these - despite the fact there are many like myself going through the same issue. the lack of plus sized clothing that feels fashionable and fun and in styles that skinny/standard sizing people have is tremendously scarce when you are a fat person. if you love a certain type of fashion, you often can't find the clothing you want in your size if you're fat. you have to dig through the obscure depths of the internet, and ultimately arrive at the conclusion that you're probably going to have to buy from shein or try and find anything that will fit you at the thrift store because there's almost nothing affordable. even then, items at the thrift store for plus sized people aren't often flattering. you can't find the cute skirts and dressing that people who are in smaller sizes can. and it's really hard. this may be a first world problem in some ways, but it affects all of our self esteem and mindsets. we as a society have a mindset that we HAVE to be skinny. we HAVE to fit into these sizes. because being fat and being plus sized is so stigmatized and viewed as disgusting for so many people. there are many people who say they're fine with fat people and they don't think they're disgusting etc, but still do things that are fatphobic in nature. things like how people dont find fat people attractive, you only need to exercise if you're fat because you should want to be thin, etc. it feels horrible. it makes you feel unloved and unwanted by not just your loved ones - but by the entire world. i cannot tell anyone how much distress me, and so many other fellow fat people (or even thin because this affects us all) have gone through. so many dieting programs, fitness programs where you have to control what you eat and you can't eat the things you want or enjoy in order to fit these clothing that you want to express yourself with. to be able to think you look cute and casual and comfy in a baggy shirt and loose pair of shorts at home. because there's a huge thing with even when you wear the same thing as skinny people, it still feels wrong to people because of your size. it isn't the same to society. so many fat people, including myself, have struggled living our lives because of how debilitating these feelings are. here was my solution to some of these, or my internal conflict anyway: i decided to stop obsessively try and become skinny, or try at all. i decided i'm going to eat what i want to eat, when i'm hungry, until im full. i decided i'm going to do my best to love myself no matter what i look like, and to believe i am worthy of love and respect regardless of whatever societal standard they cook up. it's hard, and i struggle so much with it. even as i'm typing this, i feel hypocritical because i felt kind of called out when Mina talked about thinking about how i'd be when i'm skinny enough to fit this or that. because i have been, ironically enough, losing so much weight from trying to be confident in myself. but i've also been obsessively looking at clothes that i know won't fit me unless i lose so many pounds and get this surgery or that - i've been looking at myself in the mirror and contorting my body to try and think "i'm almost there". so this also kind of was a wake up call that i should probably talk to someone about it and improve my mindset. i've been thinking "it's okay as long as i'm still eating" but it's still affecting me. thank you mina. and thank you to anyone who reads this! i think that from now on, i really hope that people can understand that for the vast majority of the time, diet culture is NOT about healthy but about achieving an aesthetic you sacrifice your happiness to achieve. i promise you, you will not be satisfied cutting out brownies and cookies at christmas dinner to lose a few pounds, because you'll lose the happiness you get from those as well. try and be happy with what you eat, what you wear, and who you are regardless of your size and shape. because you're worthy of that. and overall, inclusive sizing should be possible. it isn't that it's super hard or isn't possible for these large brands -- they just don't want to.
Thank you for sharing, it’s really rough out there for different people in different ways. I hope you’re able to find a brand that does care to be inclusive 💜
@Rara Si most of the cost of manufacturing is in the labour, not the material. It's not the same as when you make clothes at home. It takes the same amount of labour generally to make a large size as it does a small- smaller sizes can actually be more fiddly to sew!
@Rara Si extra manufacturing costs can be pretty easily taken on by the company rather than passed onto the consumer, it's just that many big companies refuse to do so be because they want to cut corners. but if it's a smaller company that really can't afford to take on the costs themselves, it seems unfair to expect certain people to pay more for their clothes, because they're not making a higher income just because they're fat
I've had such a similar experience to yours, the dame struggles. But also I want to let you know that this is not a first world problem since poverty and obesity are very tightly linked
LITERALLY AGREED, RED MY MIND... so so tired of looking for clothes, finding them cute put knowing u wont fit and cant look cute like the skinny people who literally kinda have a privilege for that. I know it’s just clothes but it plays a huge role in self esteem, feeling cute
Almost 3 decades on this earth and no one has ever told me it's not my fault that I was never able to buy clothes at regular stores like every other person I know. I'm crying so much.
I love your take and opinion about immediately letting go of clothes that no longer fit and trying to live in the moment
i discovered your chanel yesterday and i just can't stop listening to you even if the topic doesn't interest me that much lol you make it interesting ! :)
As some who is mid-size as well as lives in the UK standard sizing is an ABSOLUTE myth. I've gone from a medium to 4XL depending on the shop. It's not that my body has changed dramatically in size it's the lack of reliability from clothing stores
So, my husband likes to listen whenever I watch your new vids. This time, he was like “wait, you guys don’t have number sizes?!” For the first time, I leaned that men’s clothing is literally the actual measurements?! I told him that I have to look up sizes for different stores and his mind was blown away!! 😩
I think it could be cause measurements can be triggering for people with ed and a large chunk of people diagnosed with ed are women ( idk if men are less likely to be diagnosed or because of societal pressure women have it more
Most men's numbers are also not accurate (see jean chart from the video)
Just found your channel and literally can't stop watching it! You girl ROCK so smart and unique content! 😍
Thanks for this video! I’m a patternmaker in the fashion industry, I appreciate that you acknowledged that adding sizes takes time, money and effort! Even in the fashion industry there are very few people that understand sizing (and that there’s no magic “clothes button” that creates a perfectly fitting garment)! The nuance you didn’t mention is that, yes there are numeric sizes for women (2-4-6-8) but we also sometimes have body measurement sizing (aka size 27 trousers). Men, outside of casual wear buy their clothing based on measurements (like a size 36 jacket), not a size (like size 4), which is a nice way to keep sizing consistent across brands and allow for better fit for the consumer and reduce returns. I’m all for getting rid of numeric sizing and just go with body measurements for size for all genders, I think this will help a lot. The other issue not really discussed here is variety in stature (overall height, waist placement, inseam) and body proportions (waist-hip-bust or chest ratio). Two people who both are the same height and weight may still have very different body shapes (for instance, one may have a long torso, the other a short torso. One might have a wider stance, one a smaller waist etc etc). Al of these things greatly affect how clothes, particularly fitted clothes, fit us. I’m hopeful that in the future, new technology like body scanning can help create more accurate clothing for people… however, we aren’t there yet! Until then, my best advice is to know your measurements, shop high quality clothes & fabrics , and find a good tailor who can alter your clothes to fit YOU.
Men's sizing does still have some vanity sizing. My boyfriend says he's fit 3 different sizes in the same style of shorts, none of them were his accurate measurements. And the body shape is the challenge for both of us, so I like to make things when I can. I also like making styles that are gathered at the top for casual stuff, then it's easier to fit and I have more room for error if I make a mistake. Or just more room for pockets. I always add pockets.
I'm crying, as someone who's been slipping in and out of my ed for years this just made me feel so much better and understood. Thank you so much Mina
Really glad you talked about how unhealthy it is to hold onto clothes that don’t fit you anymore! In 2020 and some of 2021, I was working 2 jobs where I was on my feet running around all day long (in retail and in a warehouse packing orders). I was working 55-65 hours a week where I was moving and on my feet that entire time, maybe sitting for an hour each shift if I was lucky. Also because of this, I only had time to eat 2 meals a day max (some days were just 1 and maybe an unhealthy snack). All this to say that when I started working my current office job, I gained some weight. I was DRASTICALLY less active since I was spending all my time sitting at a desk now and (most importantly) I was actually eating multiple full meals a day for the first time in a year. It’s taken me months to finally let go of the clothes that don’t fit me anymore. I know that I’m so much happier and healthier than I was a year ago, but it was still hard to feel that way when I looked in my closet and just saw clothes that I still loved but couldn’t fit into anymore.
this is my favorite channel ever. My mom is in clothing businesswoman (idk how to say it) but we see your videos together and we discuss about fashion throughout history and she explains things and each of use learns something new
I’m 5.3” a healthy weight and most companies don’t even make clothes small enough to fit. It makes me feel shame for my size even though I am curvy, muscular, fit and a healthy weight . Bras I have to buy whatever one the happen to have in 28” because I’m small boned and curvy. Most lingerie stores don’t even make bras that fit me.
i just wanna say, i've been waiting for someone to talk about this topic in-depth and i love this video.