That day I was wearing one of my old favorite shirts - a pin tucked denim shirt with a v-neck. It is comfy but it really is too big on me now, I was even wearing a t-shirt under it. It is a size 2X from Woman Within. The tops I was going to try on were knits and by eye I could tell I needed to try them in 3X.
Not one of those shirts fit. They were too tight, and not just at the hip, where I know I am larger than the average woman. (I have always had an "hourglass" figure - not busty but I have always had a small waist except now I carry more weight on my stomach and so the hip/stomach area is my hard to fit part.)
I wasn't looking for anything special, no occasion coming up demanding new clothes or anything. But I must admit to some chagrin that I have lost over 50 pounds and I can't fit into a size LARGER than the one I am wearing!
When I was a young woman, there were no size 0 or 1 clothes. I wore a beautiful size 12 dress to my Senior Ball. I still have it. My mom and sisters have borrowed it over the years because it is such a classic style. When my daughter needed a dress for an event and we didn't really want to spend money on yet another dress, I suggested she try it on just to see if she liked it enough to wear it.
At that time she was a serious athlete, very strong and fit and she wore size 8 clothes. She tried on my dress and it was too small. I was dumbfounded. It was my first introduction to how much manufacturers have changed the sizes over the years - vanity sizing they call it.
So my question is - if most women's sizes are cut bigger than they used to be...why are plus sizes being cut smaller? I know there are inconsistencies between designers and fabric types and all that, but has anyone else experienced this?
