How do sizes work

So a lot of you mention what size you are in posts, and I want to know how to figure out what size I would call myself...

With my favorite pair of jeans, I wear a 9-10, but with GAP jeans, I'm a 6-8..... panties are a 7, and tops I buy are usually a medium....  Does that mean that I'm a "10"?  Or would I be an "8"?  or...?

How do you guys figure out what size you would be?

To be honest, if it "fits" it's your size.

I can wear anything from a 14 to a 10..

All Brands are different.

haven't you heard? There is no way to really know your true size. Seriously, the makers of women's clothing are seriously screwed up. I KNOW my 0s today were a 4 twenty years ago. And some of my 0's today are different than the 0's I may buy tomorrow. It is all a big conspiracy to keep us going back for more.

Louise.

Oh yeah, I know all brands are different, that's why I was saying how my sizes vary depending on that.

What I was asking is a lot of people say, for example, "I want to go from a size 8 to a size 6", and I wanted to know how they figured what size they were so that I could figure out mine and just have another way to quantify my weight loss... I guess I like to obsess over numbers :)

I personally have not done this, but wouldn't just taking your measurements (arms, chest, stomach, waist, hips & thighs) and keeping track of that be better than by going by what size your clothes are?

I've done that... just was wanting to know how other people seem to know a solid size they are at

Nevermind though then--I'll just go by inches and lbs

I think what we're doing is just guestimating an average of the sizes we tend to be. i.e.: I'm a 0 occasionally, a 2 sometimes, and a 4 sometimes. So I'm a 2-4, basically. If I lost weight and that range went down, I'd be an 0-1.

It's all nonsense, though. I remember when I was a sophomore in HS. I was about the size I am now, if not a bit smaller, and I was a 6.

Two years ago I wore an 18 - last summer I could fit comfortably into an 8 quit smoking and had to go back to my size 14s 9 months ago - I haven't lost any pounds but due to excercising I can now wear size 10s again.  I want to be able to get back into those 8's I wore before.

I think if you can wear an 8 in most brands then that's your size.  It does seem that stores that are only for clothing tend to run smaller sizes than say a Walmart or Target.  I think I read on this board before that manufacturers do this on purpose so women think Oh my god I can wear an 8 and then buy more.

Yes, brands are all differents and they do try to make you think you are smaller some times. If you can, try some jeans or pants that are labelled by inches, 34, 32, 30... Those are USUALY accurate. Or else, try something in a given brand, then stick with the same brand and style so you know if you got down a size or not.

The fashion industry has gone mad.  They keep changing the sizes to make the number lower to pander to the needs of women who like to brag they wear size 0, which used to be size 6 years ago.  Now there is X small and XX small, which used to be about size 2 and 4.  It drives me nuts.  I wish I could buy pants sized like men's by waist and inseam measurment and shirts by neck and sleeve measurment, only in feminine styles. How the heck hard would that be?  Of course then we have our silly sisters who try to fit their size 8 feet into size 7 shoes because they are vain.  They'd have a fit if they had to tell somebody their true measurements.

Sizes do vary drastically sometimes I can wear sizes 11-16!!!!

I just call myself a size 14 to keep it even

gosh i hate different brands....i could be a size 6 in abercrombie/american eagle and like a 9-10 at hollister, like a 4-6 at Gap. ect ect

FYI: 9-10 sizes are "junior" numbers... 6-8 sizes are "missy" numbers... they're cut differently... and just to make things crazy, in "missy" sizes right now I'd be a 6...but in "petite" sizes I'm an 8

don't go by sizes as much as how it looks on you... I picked up a beautiful European slim wool skirt (when I was at my thinnest) and it was a size 12!!!!  but that time I was wearing a petite size 4 ... LOL