Vintage Inspired Autumn Shoes
September 5, 2011A Week in the Life of Hair
September 9, 2011I started the campaign for clearer clothes sizing back in May.
It proved to be a little more controversial than I expected at the time. It’s worth noting that what I DON’T want is for all brands to cut their clothes to fit a standard body size. What I want is for them to be clear and honest about the size they cut for, so that when we’re stood in the shop picking out sizes it can actually have some meaning.
Currently it feels like total guess-work. In M&S I might wear a size 10 skirt, that’s because they cut their clothes with wider hips, so my small waist and wide hips will fit that skirt. In Topshop, where they cut their hips narrower in relation to the waist I might find myself in a size 14, but how do I know where to start when stood in store?
If you haven’t seen the original campaign post then check it out here, it’s worth reading through the comments as well!
I’ll confess to not having gone much further with the campaign since I wrote the original post, mostly due to lack of time. I somehow seem to barely have time to keep up with my emails most days, what with writing for 2 sites, managing the social media profiles for them (read: gossiping on twitter!) organising events and all the other assorted things I do to keep my virtual head above water.
Thankfully Emily at Sugar and Spice has leapt in and done one of the things that I never had time to do and put together a cut and paste letter to send to your local MP.
In fact, you don’t even have to write a letter. All you have to do is visit Write To Them and enter your postcode. Chose your local MPs name, and then copy and paste the following text into the box. Feel free to edit it if there are other things you’d like to add, this is just a nice easy start point for you!
I am writing to you as one of your constituents and to draw your attention to a campaign that I feel you should be aware of.
The Campaign for Clearer Clothes Sizing calls for clothes stores to be made to put the measurements they use to cut their patterns on the labels of their clothes. They should also be made to publish their size charts online in a clearly marked location (not hidden in the customer service section) and have a link to it from every garment they sell.
It is a universally acknowledged fact that clothes sizes differ hugely between clothing stores and whilst this can be frustrating it is also helpful given that no two women have the same shape body and therefore the clothes from one shop may fit one woman whilst those from another, another woman.
However, unclear sizes lead to frustrated and confused customers who ultimately will not buy the clothes. Customers that never go into the stores because they don’t know that they actually cut clothes that would better fit their non-average bodies are a customer lost. So it is in fact in the interest of these shops to be clearer about their procedures.
My purpose in writing therefore is to ask you to consider joining the Campaign for Clearer Clothes Sizing and to help to bring about the change that is needed.
You can find out more about the Campaign here: https://lipsticklettucelycra.co.uk/2011/05/25/campaign-for-clearer-sizing/
Thank you for your consideration.
You can still write your own posts to get the word out there about how clarity in sizing affects real people. It isn’t just a frivolous fashion issue, it’s one that affects self-esteem from the very point that we start buying clothes and has even more implications for those that aren’t physically able to try on clothes in shops.
I have created a badge that you can add to your sidebar or blog posts to show that you support the campaign.
You can just copy and paste the HTML code from here
Have a look at the blog posts others have written on the campaign for clearer sizing, and if you write one yourself then make sure you let me know and I will add it to the list on the original post. The longer that list gets the more voices there are for change!
The Girl With The Star Spangled Heart
Perditas Pursuits
Shump Diaries
Bonne Vie
Susan’s Diary
Rarely Wears Lipstick
All About the Boys
Helen Highwater
Mon Polka Dot Cheri
Miss Matilda Dreams
My Orange Stilettos
What Katie Did
Sugar and Spice
3 Comments
it’s an excellent campaign. As you know I sew from vintage and modern patterns and measurements don’t match up to clothes sizing in the shops. I know that people who sew for a living have this problem when sewing for clients, they fit into a 16 in a shop, but can be up to a size 22 in sewing pattern sizing, it’s not a comfortable situation.
I personally think they should just get rid of the sizing numbers and put measurements on clothes, like for a top 38 bust, 30 waist, at least you would definitely know if it would fit then!
Good campaign. And I can’t believe that ad for Lane Bryant. Amazing, isn’t it?
There was an article in yesterday’s Sydney Morning Herald (one of the most read daily papers in Australia) on how different stores have different sizing (often called Vanity Sizing) and how men’s clothing stores are now getting in on the act.
It’s a good campaign, and I think it should extend to online clothing stores as well (I’m sure many reading this post will have found themselvse in the situation where they have bought a stunning dress online in what they thought was their size only to discover it’s about 3 sizes too small or too big).