23 Oct Fashion’s Vanity Sizing is Shrinking My Soul!

Vanity Sizing Gone Wild: The Shopping Struggles to Find Fashion That Fits

Listen, I’m all for the recent fashion revolution. You know, the one that’s finally embracing women’s bodies in all their curvy glory? For years, we’ve seen an increasing representation of fuller figures, and it’s about time. The fashion world has come around to the fact that not every woman fits into a single mold, and now, walking into a store, you can actually see real-life sizes reflected in the merchandise. Bravo! Now, what about us in the “half-body” population? Where’s our moment in the sun?

That’s right. I’m talking about us petite ladies who’ve been left to fend for ourselves in the wild world of shopping. We’re the ones who struggle to find something to wear that doesn’t come from the kids’ section, where Minnie Mouse reigns supreme. And when you hit my age (40+), fashion becomes a bit more complex. You can’t just throw on any old thing and expect it to work. No, you need something with better tailoring to help you look half as bad as you once did in your 20s.

Don’t get me wrong, being small does have its advantages. I can squeeze through a door that’s only a quarter of the way open. If I accidentally lock myself out of the house, I can probably slip through a window without much trouble. And, if it came to it, I could totally pass between someone’s legs in a game of touch football, though I would need to stretch afterward. But for all the blessings of a small frame, there’s one glaring issue: Where the heck is the sexy clothing for us?

I swear, my journey with clothing since I moved to the U.S. 12 years ago is like something out of an absurd comedy. Picture this: In 2012, I was rocking a size 0, or XS, no problem. Then came 2019, and suddenly, I was a size 00, XXS, because—drumroll, please—vanity sizing. And here we are in 2023, and I’ve apparently shrunk again, because now I’m expected to fit into XXXS, 000, or whatever ridiculous size the fashion industry has cooked up. In jeans, I’ve gone from a size 24 to a 23, and I PROMISE you, I have not lost a single pound. In fact, my body is less tight and athletic than it was in 2012. I have the extra blubber and softened edges that age and metabolism like to throw at you as a lovely parting gift. So why am I getting smaller on the size chart?

Here’s a tip, fashion industry: Vanity sizing is not fooling anyone. You can slap whatever number you want on my clothes, but it doesn’t change the fact that my body is aging like everyone else’s. If anything, I need clothes that are better tailored to help me hide or at least control this ever-expanding softness. And yet, here we are, with sizes shrinking into oblivion, leaving me to drown in frustration.

But, you know, one thing I am grateful for is ankle-length pants. Ankle-length for you, sure. But for me? Perfect! My version of “ankle-length” is what’s cropped for everyone else, which means I can finally avoid the dreaded trip to the tailor to get my pants shortened. So, there’s that tiny win in this absurd clothing journey.

Let’s get back to the real issue, though: I can’t find clothes in the U.S. that fit. The selection is atrocious for someone of my size. I’m small, yes, but I’d still like to dress like a grown woman, thank you very much. Why should I have to go around dressed like a 9-year-old or squeeze into poorly fitted clothes just because most stores now consider a 0 to be the equivalent of what used to be a 2-4?

I’m here to advocate for more XXXS clothing! Give me something that fits my tiny, aging body and still lets me feel like a million bucks. Or, you know what? Better yet, someone just buy me tickets to Europe twice a year. I’m still a size 36 there, and the clothes actually fit without me feeling like I should be in an episode of Little People, Big Style. And let’s be real—traveling to Europe to buy clothes sounds way better than sifting through the scraps of vanity sizing here in the States.

But in all seriousness, vanity sizing is a lie. It doesn’t make anyone feel better about their body. If anything, it creates a weird disconnect. You aren’t slimmer because your size says you are. Your body is still your body, and it’s great as it is. But when we keep changing the numbers on the clothes to make everyone feel smaller, all we’re really doing is shifting the problem. People are the size they are, and there’s no shame in that! The number on your tag doesn’t define you, but constantly moving the goalposts on sizing sure can make shopping a nightmare.

Here’s the kicker: size acceptance and changing the sizing chart to “make everyone feel better” are at odds with each other. You can’t preach body positivity while simultaneously shrinking the sizes to create the illusion of skinniness. It’s hypocritical! Saying you wear a size 2 when you used to be a 4 doesn’t change your body. It just changes your mindset—and probably not for the better. Suddenly, you feel like you’ve gotten smaller and you start justifying that extra slice of pizza. Trust me, I’ve been there.

So, here’s my plea: Let’s stop with the vanity sizing. Let’s embrace reality. I promise you, we’ll all be better off when we’re wearing clothes that fit, no matter what the number on the label says. And for goodness’ sake, fashion industry, throw us petites a bone. We deserve to look stylish, too!

Check out this Reddit on vanity sizing – I am not crazy or at least not too crazy

Tracking vanity sizing over the years

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