A couple of weeks ago we were back-to-school shopping for our kids, and when looking at shoes we were concerned because my older son was outgrowing his size 13’s … meaning he was looking at the world of special orders, high prices and terrible selections. But as we discovered, the brand he owned tended to run small so he was able to grab a size 13 in another brand and was all set!
Of course, we have all run into this before – one brand fits differently in different areas than another brand, so according to our various body shapes we tailor our shopping habits to certain stores and brands. Sometimes we find a sale or a cool looking new item and try it on in our size, only to find it is too small or too large. This leads to elation or dismay based on which direction it indicates our body is headed.
To some extent we understand this – certain brands build for certain body types. My older son loves Zumies and a style of pants called ‘Skeletor’ … I would never in my life have fit into something with that name! They are built for skinny and straight bodied kids and worn tight. Other pants are made to be worn very baggy, still others are a ‘normal fit’ … whatever THAT is! But as a recent informal survey on men’s casual dress pants done by Esquire, it appears that the sizing system is completely subjective – even in an area that should be straightforward and objective: waist size!
From the article:
The mind-screw of broken pride aside — like Humpty Dumpty, it cannot be put back together, now that you know the truth — down-waisting is genuine cause for concern. A recent report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that men with larger waists were twice at risk of death compared with their smaller-waist peers. Men whose waists measured 47 inches or larger were twice as likely to die. Yet, most men only know their waist size by their pants — so if those pants are up to five inches smaller than the reality, some men may be wrongly dismissing health dangers.
Have you had ‘wake up call’ moments in clothes sizing? What have you found that works or doesn’t work for you? Do you see this as an issue of self-esteem versus potential hazardous health issues as the author indicates?
Source: Esquire via Consumerist
Vanity Sizing: You're Not Thinner / Fatter … Your New Pants are …: Sometimes we find a sale or a cool looking ne… http://bit.ly/biHKgN