Fun fact (I haven't researched this to know if it is actually a fact, but it makes sense to me): many people base their assumptions of humans historical sizes by considering the clothing sizes left in thrift shops or steamer trunks, but consider that in order for those pieces to survive the test of time, they can't have been worn very often or the "people juice" would over time have completely degraded the fabrics. So pieces that were worn, were worn to death and don't exist anymore for us to see. Perhaps that's why smaller sized stuff lives when larger sized stuff doesn't. My 6 sizes smaller wedding dress is still packaged in the back of my closet, but the stuff I wear now, I can't even morally put in a donation bin because by the time I'm done with it, it's DONE. So basing our opinions about the "ever growing" size of people as compared to the tiny clothing found from the past is likely completely inaccurate.
Also, "Ladies" in the 1500s were 13 years old and didn't have boobs yet in a lot of cases. How many historical garments exist that belonged to wet nurses?
Now..about trying to find a bra that fits, doesn’t ride up (my personal pet peeve) and doesn’t have to be ripped off the very second you get home… When you’ve reached the stage of really sagging, it’s just impossible.
Such great perspective - particularly love the history! . One counterintuitive point it raises is that this is also the reason it’s good that sizing is NOT standard. Most folks assume life would be better if all bra or clothing manufacturers used the exact same measurements for their clothes - finally, you’d be the same size everywhere!
But in fact the result is that a minuscule fraction of people would fit everywhere and the rest of us would fit nowhere. In the case of bras: sure there might be consistent circumference measurements - but if every bra assumed the same breast shape, height, squashiness etc, then there would no possibility to find a brand that happens to work well for YOU. Same as with garments: ok so a size 18 is now x at bust, y at waist and z at the hip. Either you fit that… or you don’t. But if another brand uses z at the waist maybe that fits YOU. Or maybe another one generally has a broader shoulder you need. Frustrating as it is, the variety provides opportunity for you to strike gold - or at least something that fits you somewhat better. One caveat: there’s no excuse for a 5XL having a 42” hip. Variety in measurements and proportions, sure, but don’t be absurdly misleading in a bid to falsely claim inclusivity.
What designers CAN do is consistently communicate the body types and proportions they’re designing for, including what we in the sewing world call “finished garment measurements”: not “what size” you should wear on your body measurements but the ACTUAL size of the garment.
Yes, I see what you mean — the more standard the clothing sizes, the fewer of us they would fit.
Clearly (and honestly) communicating the actual measurements of clothing would be great, but on the consumer side, we gotta learn how to measure ourselves without judgment and free ourselves from the sense that those numbers (or clothing sizes, or weight, for that matter), MEANS anything about us. Easier said than done, of course.
Indeed. Plus education on how to actually measure yourself accurately which isn’t a particularly common skill. But finally being able to order clothes online that fit could make it worth it!
Fun fact (I haven't researched this to know if it is actually a fact, but it makes sense to me): many people base their assumptions of humans historical sizes by considering the clothing sizes left in thrift shops or steamer trunks, but consider that in order for those pieces to survive the test of time, they can't have been worn very often or the "people juice" would over time have completely degraded the fabrics. So pieces that were worn, were worn to death and don't exist anymore for us to see. Perhaps that's why smaller sized stuff lives when larger sized stuff doesn't. My 6 sizes smaller wedding dress is still packaged in the back of my closet, but the stuff I wear now, I can't even morally put in a donation bin because by the time I'm done with it, it's DONE. So basing our opinions about the "ever growing" size of people as compared to the tiny clothing found from the past is likely completely inaccurate.
Also, "Ladies" in the 1500s were 13 years old and didn't have boobs yet in a lot of cases. How many historical garments exist that belonged to wet nurses?
Now..about trying to find a bra that fits, doesn’t ride up (my personal pet peeve) and doesn’t have to be ripped off the very second you get home… When you’ve reached the stage of really sagging, it’s just impossible.
Such great perspective - particularly love the history! . One counterintuitive point it raises is that this is also the reason it’s good that sizing is NOT standard. Most folks assume life would be better if all bra or clothing manufacturers used the exact same measurements for their clothes - finally, you’d be the same size everywhere!
But in fact the result is that a minuscule fraction of people would fit everywhere and the rest of us would fit nowhere. In the case of bras: sure there might be consistent circumference measurements - but if every bra assumed the same breast shape, height, squashiness etc, then there would no possibility to find a brand that happens to work well for YOU. Same as with garments: ok so a size 18 is now x at bust, y at waist and z at the hip. Either you fit that… or you don’t. But if another brand uses z at the waist maybe that fits YOU. Or maybe another one generally has a broader shoulder you need. Frustrating as it is, the variety provides opportunity for you to strike gold - or at least something that fits you somewhat better. One caveat: there’s no excuse for a 5XL having a 42” hip. Variety in measurements and proportions, sure, but don’t be absurdly misleading in a bid to falsely claim inclusivity.
What designers CAN do is consistently communicate the body types and proportions they’re designing for, including what we in the sewing world call “finished garment measurements”: not “what size” you should wear on your body measurements but the ACTUAL size of the garment.
Yes, I see what you mean — the more standard the clothing sizes, the fewer of us they would fit.
Clearly (and honestly) communicating the actual measurements of clothing would be great, but on the consumer side, we gotta learn how to measure ourselves without judgment and free ourselves from the sense that those numbers (or clothing sizes, or weight, for that matter), MEANS anything about us. Easier said than done, of course.
Indeed. Plus education on how to actually measure yourself accurately which isn’t a particularly common skill. But finally being able to order clothes online that fit could make it worth it!