I have figured out the mystery of pant sizes!
Okay, so according to overstock.com and many other websites I looked at a U.S. size ten corresponds to a 36.5 inch bust, a 28 inch waist, and 39 inch hips. Now, I currently wear a size ten, and I mean I wear it well. :D But, I certainly do not have a 28 inch waist. Thing is, I do have 39 inch hips and a 36.5 inch bust. So, my theory is pant sizes are more about the hips than the waist. Oh, and one pant size smaller is one inch smaller in all those areas.
size 8: 27 inch waist, 38 inch hips
size 6: 26 inch waist, 37 inch hips
size 4: 25 inch waist, 36 inch hips
size 2: 24 inch waist, 35 inch hips
What do you think?
Well, I have a 28 inch waist and 31 inch hips and wear a size 2 - my bust is non-exisistent but I guess that doesn't count in pants!! ROFL
It will still be a mystery forever more, honestly. It has to do with what size standard you are dealing with (European vs North American) and then designers will often change them for "glamor" sizes. Usually, if you pay more you can move from an 8 to a 4 -- so money really can buy happiness. 
Here is a quick link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothing_sizes
I suspect you're right (to the OP). I have 36" hips and a 30" waist and comfortably wear size 6 pants. Whenever I look at size charts, if I went by my waist measurement, I'd need something like 6 sizes bigger than I actually wear (e.g. size 12 instead of size 6). And I do not have a muffin top so I'm not squeezing myself into pants that are too small.
I don't know. I think it depends on body type and shape as well. I am 36...25.5 or 26 and 38 or 39 or so. I can fit a US 6 but sometimes I need an 8, like if it is skinny jeans. The hip measuremeant I think comes mostly from my thighs, they are finally fading though. If I get something that gives me leg room, it falls down at the waist which I hate. I would rather it be a little tight on my thighs and butt (depending on what it is) than for my undies to show. I can fit a size 6 dress, as long as it has a little leg room.
The brand name really makes a difference. I went shopping yesterday because my jeans were literally falling apart, and I know I have to lose 10 more pounds to fit into the couple of pairs of skinny jeans I have at home.
Now understand the jeans falling apart are size 12. The skinny jeans are size 10 All Levi's.
I went shopping, and didn't want to spend much, so ended up buying Lee's instead of Levi's. I tried the 12, and they were falling off of me. I ended up buying 10s and almost wished I had gone with the 8s because the 10s did not shrink when I washed them.
FWIW, I have 39-40 inch hips.
Well, if you are buying high-waist pants I guess you would use waist measurement, but the vast majority these days are low-rise. Takes one measurement out of the equation!
I have 35 inch hips and I do not wear a size 2 well haha.
i'd say this is about right, i have a 26in waist and 36in hips and i wear a UK size 10, US size 6
I have 35 inch hips and I have to wear a size 5 :(
Original Post by dabrock:
...designers will often change them for "glamor" sizes. Usually, if you pay more you can move from an 8 to a 4 -- so money really can buy happiness.
My mother used to tell me story about her mother-in-law (my grandma). She used to buy her clothes for a gift that fit well, but they were size 12 and my grandma insisted she was a size 10, so she said they were too big and wouldn't wear them. So one time my mom took a size 10 label from one of her blouses, and sewed it into a size 12 blouse and gave it to my grandma. It fit perfectly! And since she thought it was a size 10, she loved it!
It all seems a bit silly to me. Wear whatever fits. Nobody is going to see the tag but you. If you have short hair and are worried it will stick out, cut out the tag!
Oh and my 3 favorite places to shop for cloths: Ross, Target and Kohls. Skip the "vanity size" cost and buy a bigger size, and spend the money you save on a manicure or a hair cut.
I don't know....The jeans I have on now are size 26 from Guess, but yesterday I had on size 0 (regular) from Express.
i've always had the opposite experience! i find that pricier clothes are sized much smaller. an old navy size 6 is way bigger than a marciano size 6, for example.
then again, i suppose sizing can also depend a lot on the brand's target. costa blanca, urban behaviour (which i believe is owned by the same company as costa, actually) and forever21's original line, which are geared towards very young women, seem to be sized smaller than, say, jacob or club monaco.
my two cents. :)
huh, this is an interesting concept....for me, i have a 22 in. waste and 33 in. hips (which i hate lol), i wear a size zero, and my bust is pretty much less than a 32...so i'm not sure how it applys lol
I wear a 6 mostly, have 27" waist and 37" hips. BUT, it depends on maker - I also have 8's and 10's and they fit, too. I wish there was a true standard that all makers followed.
Original Post by chriscykwan:
i've always had the opposite experience! i find that pricier clothes are sized much smaller. an old navy size 6 is way bigger than a marciano size 6, for example.
then again, i suppose sizing can also depend a lot on the brand's target. costa blanca, urban behaviour (which i believe is owned by the same company as costa, actually) and forever21's original line, which are geared towards very young women, seem to be sized smaller than, say, jacob or club monaco.
my two cents. :)
I agree Old Navy sizes are weird!
I have about a 32" waist, 41" hips, 39" bust
female, 19, 170lbs, 6' tall. I'm always told I'm very proportionate and strong looking for my height(which I try to resist taking as a thinly veiled "your fat"...)
I wear all the size 10's I have comfortably, across: Ross, Aeropostale, Old Navy, Forever 21. I tend not to shop very high end, as long as what I wear is comfortable and not a fashion don't, it doesn't have to get better than that.
But, overall in pants I have literally anywhere from stuff labeled 6(WTF) to stuff labeled 12/13. @___@
And the last time I was even an Old Navy 8, was when I starved myself and drastically slashed calories. So even THAT'S probably going to end up being a stretch @_@_@_@
