Clothes and the sizes they are supposed to be – comfort in general

I hate clothes shopping.  As my best friend ED and my fiancee, AH can attest to, clothes shopping and me do not mix.  I don’t feel comfortable wandering the racks of clothing and it’s usually panic attack inducing.  My idea of clothes shopping is “Honey, I’m running low on x,y,z can you get them for me?” Or alternatively, shopping online.  I won’t get looked at if I order from the men’s section and I won’t have to deal with some patronising sales assistant asking me if I need any help finding something cute.  That’s not to say I don’t buy from the women’s section.  I do.  I get the clothes I feel comfortable in, masculine or feminine and I live in the clothes that make me happy.

I ordered two pairs of jeans online, both from the women’s section of a website, both on sale (no returns), and for the two of them it cost me less that £10.00.  I was impressed with myself for the thrifty find and for the fact I remembered my size (ok so they are little long in the leg but that can be fixed with some sewing).  Today they arrived and I couldn’t wait to get home and try them on.  I’m running low on jeans and I was desperate for more.  This is when the problem hits.

These jeans are meant to be exactly the same size.  The same size as the ones I wore to work today (which admittedly are a little large, but I’m ok with that).  No.  One pair fits perfectly.  One is not even a size smaller than me.  It’s at least two sizes smaller.  There is no regulation in the industry when it comes to clothes sizing.  For a moment I understood what my feminine friends complain about when they go to the clothes shops and find that they have to buy a size up in the dress they desperately want.  It’s disheartening, horrible and it’s depressing.

When it comes to jeans, I tend to wear women’s jeans for comfort but I’m starting to think about trying the men’s jeans.  Starting to wonder if they too have the same sizing issues.  I’m pulling away from women’s t-shirts in an effort to be more comfortable and it’s working.  I do feel more comfortable and they give me more room to move.  It’s also freeing to not have my breasts being ogled because they are safely hidden under a nice baggy t-shirt (although once in a while I do like the more figure fitting clothing).

I want a size chart to not vary from shop to shop. I want a universal size chart.  Actually I want a global universal size chart that has to be adhered to.  It’s exhausting remembering that here in the UK I’m a size a but in the US when I go and see AH I’m a size b and when I’m in Europe I have to look at things in a size c.  I want to be able to say “If I order this online it will be the same size as the last pair I bought in store from another supplier.”  It shouldn’t be that hard to do.

In a world so obsessed with fashion, wouldn’t it make sense for all things to have a set chart?  Wouldn’t it make sense for every measurement of 28 or 30 inches to fall into the same clothes size instead of 4 different ones per measurement?

Dear fashion industry, please think about this.