Vintage Sizing

[Lady Day]

As long as there's social cachet to be had in boasting of wearing smaller and smaller sizes, there'll be vanity sizing. It has nothing to do with the process of how clothes are designed or made, and everything to do with modern cultural standards. As long as they think it's what women want, it's what women will get.

The whole question of whether people are bigger than they used to be is an interesting one. I know that when the theatre where I work was being renovated, they had to remove every third seat -- because modern people take up much more space than people did when the place was built in 1923. So even if people aren't *bigger* overall on the average, I'd suspect they're *wider*.

So true and JBDs remark on the foundation garment, true and true. People were use to being a bit 'constrained', be it a snug seat, or a foundation garment. Now everything has to be 'roomy'. Hence the seat expansion of the last decade.

LD

 

[Kimberly]

I have been thinking of getting a waist cincher but have never worn a foundation garment before and am kind of afraid to. I guess I can be uncomfortable for the sake of fashion. Heck, I do it w/ my shoes.

I have been holding off though saying I will take up pilates again instread but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[goldwyn girl]

I completely agree with this, and because of this trend, I have a terrible time finding modern clothing (I find that the waists are too generous for my body type--finding pants is a horrible experience.) I will say that vintage clothing was designed to be worn over foundation garments--for example, one reason that many 1950s dresses seem so small through the waist is that women were wearing corsolets and waist cinchers to achieve the tiny waistlines desired then. This is one factor contributing to the sizing discrepancies between vintage clothing and what is on the racks today.

I will also add that there seems to be a real trend equating hourglass figures with being ‘plus’ sized, when in actuality, one can have an hourglass figure (bust and hips of equal size, waistline narrow) at any size. It is also possible to be voluptuous at any size, but I often find that many love to use this term only when describing someone with more ample curves. So, because many vintage dresses are cut for the more desired, curvy figures of the day (fuller through the bust and hips, as well as the waist in some eras), sellers may automatically equate this with being plus-sized (the desired figure of today is quite boyish—almost a more athletic version of what was popular in the 1920s—with narrow hips and wider waist the mold for clothing lines.)

I consider myself to be of average size today (6) and actually have better luck finding vintage clothing.

I read recently, can't remember where, that "voluptuous" equals "fat"
Well in that case I'll just be fat, my waist is 12 inches smaller than my bust and hips which are the same size. A nightmare for modern clothing, perfect for vintage garments. Voluptuous girls unite..........hehe.................

 

[pretty faythe]

>>And finally are we ever going to come to some sort of uniform sizing for woman's clothes? <<<
Magic 8 Ball says not likely. lol

 

[Lady Day]

I have been thinking of getting a waist cincher but have never worn a foundation garment before and am kind of afraid to. I guess I can be uncomfortable for the sake of fashion. Heck, I do it w/ my shoes.

I have been holding off though saying I will take up pilates again instread but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

There are some great undergarment threads here . I too am having this delema. Ive worn undergarments, but the right combo Im having trouble deciding. Im leaning toward a long line bra and a girdle. Yeah, but thats for a nother thread, sorry ladies

LD

 

[Kimberly]

What I don't understand is how the heck were the busts so tiny??

There are so many pretties that I look at on eBay and then I see the measurements and my exictment fades. I have a 27 inch waist and could probably get it to 26 with a cincher and moderate sized hips so I always am ok there but the busts are usually 34 in the 26 inch category. If you go to a 28 inch waist the bust is usually too big. It is very frustrating.

I thought women in the 40's and 50's were curvey, but you sure can't tell by the bust sizes on many of the dresses and suits I see.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

I just got a beautiful dress in the mail today labeled "Size 16 Plus Size." Sheesh!

 

[Eleanor Marie]

I'm glad..

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets disheartened about sizing. I would have to be permanently starved to get to any size in single figures - UK or US!

I have given up looking for vintage stuff, especially on ebay as none of it will go near me. My measurements are 40-43 -49 and I have enough trouble finding modern sizes to fit?! :rage:

I need to find some excellent corsolettes...............

 

[pigeon toe]

What I don't understand is how the heck were the busts so tiny??

There are so many pretties that I look at on eBay and then I see the measurements and my exictment fades. I have a 27 inch waist and could probably get it to 26 with a cincher and moderate sized hips so I always am ok there but the busts are usually 34 in the 26 inch category. If you go to a 28 inch waist the bust is usually too big. It is very frustrating.

I thought women in the 40's and 50's were curvey, but you sure can't tell by the bust sizes on many of the dresses and suits I see.

Oh gosh, I have the weirdest problem with bust sizes. I'm lucky because my measurements are exactly 33/34-26-36, which is a vintage size 14, I think. So I'm lucky on one hand, because a lot of dresses come in those sizes. However, they aren't all made for petite gals with short waists like me! So no matter how small the bust is, usually the waist hits me in the wrong spot, so the bust is super duper big. It sucks to have to get everything tailored!

Strangely enough, while looking through the tags of my vintage clothes lately, I noticed a lot of them were "Teens" or "Juniors", but I still had to get them tailored!

 

[wowandflutter]

pigeon toe --

i empathize entirely! we're exactly the same size,
and i have similar short waisted problems as well !

i've resorted to 1930s lines because they often have a
higher waistline or skirts in general.
most of my 40s/50s vintage is "junior" sized as well.

 

[Kimberly]

Pigeon Toe, I always look for junior sized clothing because I know it will be shorter and fit me better. I am currently a 36 27 36 and for some reason it's not a good combo if you are looking for vintage clothing. It's my rib cage that kills me. I will try something on and get excited when I get it over my hips, my waist and then bam! Can't zip the darn thing up LOL.

The thing about 30's clothing I am most afraid of is how long the skirts and dresses are. If you are short sometimes longer skirts look as if you are drowning in them. I know there were petite women back then I am just curious how they looked in the 30's type garments.

 

[Lady Day]

Lets keep in mind ladies that a lot of the very small items were for pre teen girls. Then the misses were for girls JUST becoming women, still growing, so still small.

A lot of woman (not plus) sizes were a host of ranges, but were worn thus didnt live for us to squee over on eBay. Many plus size items were made at home, or custom made.

So lesson here, take a tape measure and go from that

Class over

LD

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Thank goodness for you tinies! No bidding wars there!

 

[Kimberly]

Excellent point Lady Day. Some of my favorite vintage items were hand sewn and I always feel lucky if it fits. I have to go and get one of those purse sized tape measures. Sometimes I hate trying things on and it would be so much simpler just to measure and buy if it fits.

 

[pigeon toe]

The thing about 30's clothing I am most afraid of is how long the skirts and dresses are. If you are short sometimes longer skirts look as if you are drowning in them. I know there were petite women back then I am just curious how they looked in the 30's type garments.

That's my fear too! I'm only 5'2" and desperately afraid of looking even shorter! The only 30's item I own was hand-made and actually the shortest dress I own, hitting right above my knee. I suppose I could always get things hemmed.

I have always wanted a gorgeous long 30's or 40's evening gown though, but I'm totally afraid I will look anything but elegant in it. I'm sure I'd look like a little girl playing dress up!

 

[wowandflutter]

i'm 5'1" so i almost always have to hem things of that era... but the general cut otherwise is usually really flattering so i dont mind the labor so much.

 

[Lady Day]

**merged threads**

Two threads on vintage sizing... Spring cleaning ladies


LD

 

[NicolettaRose]

sizing issues....

Each day, I am reminded more and more about why I love clothing from the 1930's and while I dislike shopping today. The store I go to for my shoes, Arthur Beren closed in Beverly Hills, and so I went into a regular department store and not only do they not carry my shoe size, the salesman they had stopped carrying narrows of all kinds.And I was like WHAT? where am I supposed to go now. The only shoes that I have ever gotton to fit completely correctly are a pair of 7AA's from the 1930's.

Then when going to find clothing, the same thing happens. A garment will say size 2, but its not actually a size two, its a size 6, and in stores where they carry high end clothing, they will only carry two sizes of something, a 4 and a 6. What's a gal supposed to do if you wears a 2 a 8 or a 10?

During college I worked in Banana Republic and Nordstrom and the absurdity of the sizing is out of control.

Its comforting to know a size 12 from the 1930's will always be a size 12, and every garment I have ever bought with this size tag, from this era fits like a dream. If only modern sizing was so easy to figure out!

 

[RetroModelSari]

I have problems with the sizing today myself. Some things are so strangely made. I have bought size S more than once lately cause everything else was so loose and blah and not fitting the way I want it - and I´m really not a small or tiny person. Every store has their own sizing it seems.

However some people on ebay confuse me just the same... I see a dress displayed in my size and when I request the meassurements it turns out they are either more tiny or way too big. I hate to allways nag them about meassurements, but they don´t allways write them t the discription.

 

[Lauren]

I have similar issues, especially with shoes. I wear a narrow and the only way I can get a modern shoe to fit is if it runs narrow or I have a ankle strap so it won't fall off! Forget those little strappy things! They would fall right off! I have a few pairs of modern shoes, but mostly vintage ones. Then again, I mostly live in sandals day to day anyway... [huh]

As far as sizing, it's well known fact in the garment industry that sizing varies. What happened is that the manufacturers descided to make the label on the clothing larger in order to boost the morale of women shoppers, since I believe the standard American size now is 10 (correct me if I'm mistaken). It is regrettable that there is not standard sizing on the tags (though designers still use standard size 8 dress forms, which are the equivalent to about a modern label size 2. Go figure). Within companies sizing often varies because of outsourcing. A company will have things made in China, India, Malaysia, etc, with the sizing being off because of production or sizing in that particular country.

If you're a smaller size, as I am, you may want to try out H&M or other European based clothing chains. I've had luck with them, Diesel, and Mango. They come in long lengths, and are smaller proportions than most American, and even British companies. Hope this helps!