I think that vanity sizing is hard to avoid, so I expect it. And the answer to what small people wear is xxs.

I think the vanity sizing practice is ridiculous with workout wear. One of the reasons I like some brands is that I can stick to their metric and know how my body size is doing. It is frustrating to know I am not in the size I was in two years ago, but it is reality and helps me work on getting back to that size. I like reality.

I don't really see why workout clothing needs vanity sizing, especially when people assume things about people who end up having to wear xxs.

I can't stand vanity sizing of any kind because I never know what size to buy. Usually I buy smalls, but sometimes even the smalls are too big! So then I have to look for "extra small" and those usually fit. It's such a pain in the butt to have to try on workout clothes before you buy them. At least I can usually buy a sports bra with no problem, but I agree...vanity sizing should just stop. I wish they'd just measure them by waist and hip size or whatever so everyone can just buy whatever size they are.

Lately I've been having an IMPOSSIBLE time buying clothes. I'm 5'2 and 100 pounds and NOTHING fits me because even the smallest sizes are too big on me. What am I supposed to do? Shop at kids stores? Really. And not to mention the fact that all the tops and dresses these days look like flowy tents so it looks like I'm wearing a sack in everything! Argh!

ugh, yes! it is so aggravating. Especially so when the sizes change even within one line of clothes. Is it so hard to be consistent? I definitely want it to mean something when I buy a smaller size!

Lo Lo...I feel your pain. Except, I get it worse: the stores that do have the xxs things, well, they NEVER come in a 35 inch inseam, unless special ordered.

I think its sickening how i was a 1/2 in the already large-sized express back in the day and now, the 0s swim on me as if they were made for someone who's a size 6. I say we boycott clothing companies that do this because they're not helping with the "Be happy with your size" thing when there are citizens who are a healthy weight, but we can't find anything to wear.

I'm not a small and I still hate it. I'd love to be able to order clothing online, but unfortunately it's not possible because an 8 means this to one brand and something completely different to another. Why can't it be clear cut? Like shoe sizes??? Or bra sizes. Sheesh.

...not saying that 105 is a good weight on everybody...but like fit said, even if you're a cool 135 and 5'6" (she didn't use those exacts), its much much healthier than being happy at 436 and 5'6" (again, not to be offensive to anybody...thats why I used a super-grossly overweight weight).

LoLo, you and I are in the same miserable boat. The suggestion to wear a size XXS if you're petite is mostly unreasonable because most clothing manufacturers don't carry clothes with that designation. I wonder if this partly explains the obesity epidemic in this country, because perhaps there are women who've put on some pounds and would rather believe the tags on their clothes than the number on the scale.

the last few pairs of workout pants i've bought/tried on have all been smalls, but i'm not fooled. i am pear-shaped and while i'm small on top i know i'm a solid medium on bottom. i wish sizes were standard, because i hate trying things on!

ha. this IS getting ridiculous. I started shopping at Nike Kids. It's cheaper too! And better sales...

Wow... talk about peddling backwards. So dumb.

craziness! I had to buy an XS top when I bought my my exercise clothes a few months ago. I am NOT an XS! And they didn't have anything smaller! what do the people who are XS buy? What really bugs me though is that they have like a billion size 10s and like four size 4p and maybe one or two size 2p and 0p. What are little people supposed to buy????

It's getting ridiculous. At first I was all like "ooo, I must have lost weight." Then I realized that I didn't, and now I too have to haul a huge pile into the dressing room since I can no longer figure out what size I wear. Just make things a standard size!!! I can handle being a size "larger" than I am now if it means that I'll at least have some clear idea of what that size is.

Back when I was at my thinnest (like, ribs showing) I tried on a 1950s dress that I could barely zip up. The label said it was a 10! So much for the "Marilyn Monroe was a size 14" argument--that would be like a 4 today. With regular clothes, I find that the more "high-fashion" something is, the less likely they are to stroke your ego with faux sizing. Ergo, I'm a 2/XS in Banana Republic, but I'm a 6/M in Marc Jacobs.

I've noticed this. I just bought a Nike drifit top Saturday that was labeled a large but was pretty small on me, I wear a medium.

Really small people either stop shopping at those stores or else shop in the kids section.
I know I have that huge problem

so it sounds like if I lose the weight I want to, I won't be able to find workout clothes. but seriously, the fact that I am generally a M but in workout clothes am a small, doesn't make me feel better about myself.

It doesn't bother me. I can feel the blubber (or lack thereof) whether or not my clothes label says XL or XXS. I go by that.

I just go for being firm & ignore the labels. It's not like I wear my clothes inside out (at least I hope I don't! LOL).

berrypeachy...what about us tiny people with super long legs? I'm too tall to be a kid...lol...

I can't even shop juniors pants b/c of my damn inseam.

vanity sizing is just another all to clear sign that our society is increasingly getting fatter! I am a petite person just under 5 ft and I have gained quite abit of weight over the past year.

I refuse to let myself go! I am not not looking to be perfect, just feel good in my skin again and feel good about my body.

When I shop I can't find anything in my size. ( rightnow I weAR A 4 OR 5. I used to wear 0-1. ) It really upsets me when there are women out there who really believe they are a size 4 or or 0 or smaller than what they really are.

This issue has gone way beyond "vanity" reasons no pun intended. It has become a severe health issue in our society. Not only does this affect adults but children as well.

If Vanitys izing goes on much longer the denial rate of our population will get even worse!

I totally agree. This is so irritating - I'd shop in the kids department, but I'm tall. Some brands make their clothes so big that the smallest size still won't fit.

It's SO true that sometimes XXS isn't an option. Many brands and stores don't carry that size. Not to mention that if they do, they're usually all sold out and all the big sizes are left! It drives me crazy that H&M's smallest size is a 4 (size 2 in SOME items), and it never fits. And I agree 100% that America's Obesity Epidemic may have something to do with delusional women who are clearly overweight and buying reasonably small sizes.

I'm with Lo Lo - I'm 4'11 and things have become rather challenging over the last couple of years. I can hardly find clothes that fit me since H&M doesn't have sizes 4 for a lot of things. I won't even mention Gap's XS tops that are knee-length on me.

Oooh I hate this. NY & Co is one of the worst offenders - I buy their small button-down shirts when I'm a large everywhere else (because of my bust and where they place the stupid buttons...)

I mentioned this to a sales clerk and she said `doesn't it feel good to buy a small, though?' Not when it's not right and I'm going to go up 2 sizes when I walk into the next store.

I used to work in the fashion industry and I have quite a soapbox when it comes to sizing. It's not that setting standards for the industry would be impossible, it's that the industry is so very non-progressive in general - just plain stuck-in-a-rut operationally. Strange for an industry that is responsible for the constantly changing style-scene. There is one woman trying to create a standard: http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120526696495628087.html.

A hint that makes shopping a smidge less ardous: take all your measurements (bust, waist, hip, inseam, neck, etc.) and write them down on a business card and keep it in your wallet. Keep a measuring tape in your purse and when sorting through clothes on a rack just whip it out and measure the garment at any of those points - if they match or come close to your measurements take it to the dressing room. If they're way off, move to the next size down or up and do the same.

your not overracting. I agree with you 100%, it doesnt make me feel better, if anything it makes me mad because I know what their doing. I hate the fact that some manufacturers actually beleive that ppl are that stupid to fall for their tricks.

Its annoying, each store has its only sizing law!!! If Im a size 4/5 normally then why am I wearing a size 0 at Old Navy, size 2 at the Gap and a size 8 at H&M! Confuse me?

ladychaos, I am so with you on this one. I never think of myself as being that tiny, until I don't fit into clothes anywhere. I recently went into GAP, and there size 1 pants were too big! I used to wear their 1's 10 years ago and they would be tight... and I am the same size now! I am thin and tall, with a 35" inseam as well... I can wear many stores petite sizes, as long as they aren't long pants or long sleeved shirts... and kids sizes are always too short. I like Ann Taylor LOFT, because they carry a lot of small sizes... 0 and 00, and they carry xxs in many styles too.

This is why I learned to do basic tailoring. Off-the rack clothing never fits me correctly (my waist is much smaller than my hips or chest- so I'm different sizes top, bottom and middle). Dresses I'll have professionally tailored, but if its just workout clothes I do it myself.

It's annoying for sure. My wedding dress was a size 10. In upscale clothing, I'm a 6P. In mid-priced clothing, I'm a 4P. Sometimes at Old Navy I'm an XS. Garr...

who cares? i assume that every brand of clothing is a different real size, so i try everything on and cut the labels when i get home.

i don't chart progress by my size, but by my increased endurance and strength.

jdeprima: that is an interesting argument. I argue the opposite. That people who shop at target, etc. don't really care and more upperscale lines would like to flatter their customer.

Ex) I'm L at Target, XS at Express, a size 7 in BonTon jeans, and a size 2 in Se7en jeans.

Now that I read what people who should be the ones fitting into a size small said, I definitely do sympathize and think it's ridiculous when people can't even find clothing just so those of us who are bigger can pretend we're a smaller size. And I should say it doesn't make me feel thinner. It's just obvious that the brand gave bigger clothing a smaller number. I say we get rid of it for all clothing.

I have a really small frame (5'1 and 105 lbs) too and am annoyed that clothes just seams to get bigger and bigger, yet the labeled sizes remain the same. Except for some sports apparel companies that are now making xs, like Nike, I can't find a decent sports bra. And even Champion (from Target, for example) is too big in xs. It makes me wonder how stars like Nicole Richie have anything to wear at all!

I couldn't agree with you more! Of course I'd rather be a smaller size, but not because the company tricks me into it, but because I've worked for it. And I definitely don't think it's fair for the smaller girls.

sweetnglow - I often wonder the exact same thing!? I guess they have good tailors

I guess as far as work out clothes go, this is such a great practice. But otherwise, for like everyday clothes, I would not be complaining. I would much rather think that I fit into a size 6 or 8 instead of a 10 or 12, even if the sizes aren't accurate. Personally, I think if this bothers you, then you must be skinny b/c I don't see people who normally wear bigger sizes being upset about fitting into smaller sizes... thats just me.

I hate it too...because, like Fit said, it is a REAL pain in the ass have to bring as size 26, 27 and 28 size jeans into the dressign room with you!
I hate trying on clothes enough as it is, so havig to find my size is even suckier!

ladychaos, I actually feel you on that one. I have a huge problem finding jeans as well. Not to mention how I used to be able to find jeans that fit perfectly but now its a dig in every single store, I can't jsut buy and leave I have to try it on.
Gap's clothes have gotten bigger, their clothes used to fit just right now its XS and even then its a huge gamble. Or else go into stores like Hollister and Abercrombie to find clothes that are geared towards my size.

Yeah, it's annoying. I think I have a good idea of what size a shirt or the waist band of a pair of pants need to be in order to fit me though (based on the mental image I have of clothes I already own at home) so I just zip through the racks and find a shirt or a skirt that looks about the same size, regardless of what the label says. I think stores like Anthropologie are among the worst offenders of vanity sizing--I recently grabbed a tent-like shirt off the rack, only to realize that it was a size 0 on the label! I think most celebrities use tailors because I think the majority of female celebs are thinner than I am, and I need to get my "size 0" (eye roll) clothes taken in at a tailor sometimes.

I think it is stupid. A perfect example is when you see a 'healthy' person stating they are now a size 2 on tv meanwhile you are a 10 and you know darn well she is bigger than you. That is frustrating.

Vanity sizing really is getting out of control. I'm by no means the skinny minis that have posted above, but I've noticed my sizes haven't changed even though I'm sure I've gained weight, nothing big just I feel I'm up to a 6, but I'm still a 4 according to Express.

vanity sizing sucks. i can't get a stupid sportsbra to fit. i have to go to the children's section and im not TINY.

I hate vanity sizing as a person trying to drop some significant weight it gets very confusing. almost makes me want to not worry about losing the extra weight.

if i am "big" i would rather know

Ha, Lo Lo, I feel your pain...I'm only 100 lbs and 5'3" and I have such issues finding clothes that fit. Luckily for me, the inseam of shorts doesn't matter so I can wear girls' shorts and tee shirts. I also usually buy boys' khakis too...they're a TAD short, but they work. I think a lot of people like seeing that even though they're 10-20 lbs heavier than they used to be, they "still wear a size 8" or whatever. It's so dumb; you gained weight, you go up a size: deal with it.

An article on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_standard_clothing_size#Conversion_from_c...) I read, explained a lot about sizing. And the old standards. It shows in a chart that a current size 4, was a size 10 prior to 1980. Among the other size equivelants, it also shows how much they (the clothing companies) have changed the sizes over the last few decades.

I've lost a good amount of weight, and just used one companies jeans to "measure" besides the actual scale, and body measurements...since I know that the sizing is partly made to make me feel "better".

I get fooled by vanity sizing. I keep buying the same size or even have to go down a size (yay!) but then I come home and try on a pair of old jeans and they're too tight (boo!). Or I try on clothes at a place that has smaller clothes and end up depressed. So yeah. Vanity sizing really messes with my head.

I don't know if I've encountered this before, but I wear an XS or S, and I'd be pretty annoyed if these sizes were all too big for me in efforts to "fool" people. What would I wear?!

so true, i was buying sportsbra from adidas, and it was size 8, although i know i'm 10. yeap, it made me happy.