Same Size, Different Fit: Why I Can’t Buy Clothes Without Trying Them On
Posted by: Catherine Strawn
Filed in:
style
1:40PM, Wednesday October 14th 2009
I have often regretted not buying more than one pair of a beloved style of jeans, or the same shoe in brown as well as black. Because sometimes, when you find something good, it’s good to have a backup so you can wear your favorites all the time without worrying about them falling apart. So, lately I’ve been buying the same thing twice. Only it hasn’t been working out for me.
Two weeks ago, I finally found a pair of skinny-ish jeans that worked on me—a feat, to be sure (Madewell ‘37s, if you’re on the hunt). On the way to the register, I picked up a pair in black since I liked the dark denim ones I had tried on so much. But when I got home, I couldn’t even get the black pair on, let alone zip and button them. Even though the label on the jeans said they were the same size, the dark blue ones fit and the black ones did not.
This happened to me with a dress I ordered on Gilt Groupe recently, too. I bought one in a navy blue silk and the same one in a plaid silk because I couldn’t decide which one to buy and wanted to see them in person. Yet, despite being the same style dress in the same size, only the navy one looked good. The plaid one seemed oversized and bunchy in places.
How can this be? Well, in the case of the jeans, I asked at the store, and they told me their black jeans fit a lot smaller than the other washes. This is probably a case of the fabric being slightly different since the black ones aren’t an indigo-dyed denim. As for the dresses, I think the busy pattern draws attention to areas the dark navy camouflages.
I’ve learned an important lesson from these experiences: If you want to buy a backup—or the same item in multiple patterns—try everything on. Just because two articles of clothing are supposed to be the same size doesn’t mean they’ll both fit or look the same. Has this ever happened to you?
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Happytobeme
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:03 pm: [report]
This happened to me just recently with khaki pants (for work,and on sale!). They looked great so I grabbed the navy and the green, well i got home and the navy ones did not go over my thighs and the green ones did not even have to be buttoned to get up, I double checked the size and yes they were the same! Also has happened with items found in stores but not in the color or my size, so I order online and no luck.
lea322
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:04 pm: [report]
Another problem is that some items have been tried on multiple times, which has caused them to stretch out a little.
saramarie
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:06 pm: [report]
I think some of it also has to do with the machines that cut the fabrics, when they’re cute, etc. i rely on “defects” with jeans and pants…since i have a long inseam, i’ll have to try on about 10 pairs of the exact sylte, cut, size and wash jean to find that there’s one that was cut 2” longer than the others and fits me perfectly!
cattgirl813
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:08 pm: [report]
This happens to me all the time. I’ve bought all sorts of clothes, shoes, even bras and have encountered this problem. In my experience, I’ve notice that the darker or most saturated color will usually be the item that has the size variance - usually smaller. I’ve also noticed that jeans will have sizing issues more often than anything else. My most recent issue has been with tights. I bought three different colors of the same brand - red, purple, and heather gray - and the red completely split on the rear seam. The others are fine. It’s frustrating, but it is what it is until there’s some sort of sizing uniformity established in women’s clothing.
amandabear
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:17 pm: [report]
So true, and SO annoying.
Penelope09
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:31 pm: [report]
I’m generally a 6 in jeans, and usually I’ll grab a 4, 6, and 8 just to be sure. Sometimes the 4 and 6 are too small and the 8 is too big, and I’ll grab another 6 of the EXACT SAME PAIR and it’ll fit fine.
writergirl
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:40 pm: [report]
The only clothes I can buy without trying on is Ralph Lauren “Lauren” stuff. It fits perfectly every time. Everything else, I have to try on.
katnohat
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:47 pm: [report]
The problem lies in the way clothes are mass produced. The fabric is stacked on top of one another and then cut, resulting in size variations . The ones on top are truer to size. As the cutter goes down the stack of fabric, there will be size variations. The only way to avoid this would be to hand cut each pair seperatly, which would send everything through the roof pricewise.
C.Munro
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:49 pm: [report]
I notice this most often with bluejeans. As a guy, I positively loathe trying on clothes. I just want to look at the label, grab a couple pairs in my size, pay up and get out of the store as quickly as possible. Nothing doing. Not only do I have to try that first pair, I have to try on every pair. Ugh.
T-shirts, on the other hand, tend to be remarkably consistent. I wonder why.
sweetsdjc
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 01:55 pm: [report]
Quite true @katnohat.
My mom used to own a clothing boutique. She would buy clothes and make a few items for the store. Apparently “sizes” are allowed to vary by about 1-1.5”, so they dont really work too hard to make sure everything is cut exactly the size it should be. Boo :(
As a girl with some decent hips and thighs, this is not ok!
Raugiel
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 02:11 pm: [report]
This has happened to me too! Most frequently with the blue vs black jeans.
River
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 03:11 pm: [report]
I used to sell those jeans everyone is complaining about! It’s true; the darker/brighter colours are normally smaller than normal jeans. Why, you ask? Well, to create the coloured denim, the regular denim was bleached, then coloured (black, red, royal blue, etc.), and washed multiple times to set the colour. This results in two things: shrinkage due to the extra washing/drying, and a slightly less forgiving stretch. While all the denim was a 2% stretch, the coloured ones were quite a bit more rigid, probably due to the bleaching/any other chemical processes to create those must-have jewel tones for last fall.
The least forgiving? White, black, bleached/faded, and coloured. Best stretch fits? Dark denim (think ink-rinse), true blue (a bright denim blue), and medium blue (standard blue jeans).
marykerry
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 03:49 pm: [report]
What bothers me the most is when I go to Old Navy or someplace like that, a store that just carries one brand. I’ll try on a small button up shirt and be swimming in it, but have to go with an XL T-shirt and that might still be a little small. I often wonder who they are making the clothes for. You really cannot rely on the size you think you are anywhere. When I shop for my boyfriend, I always get him 32/32 pants and medium shirts, no matter the store/style. I’m short and need petite or short or ankle length or whatever the store is calling it that day, and I’ll grab the entire stack of pants to find the shortest pair that has the knee in the right place, then I always have to get that even more shortened anyway.
lauren49
wrote on October 14 2009 @ 04:12 pm: [report]
@ marykerry:
YES! I hate shopping at Old Navy because their sizes are not consistent. Sometimes XS is still too big but in other shirts I have to buy a M or L. And I never buy pants there because they are always too short! Shopping can be very frustrating!
impoddity
wrote on October 15 2009 @ 09:20 pm: [report]
I hate that Old Navy and the Gap have different sizes. They’re essentially the same company. I really have half a mind to take a few sewing classes and make my own clothes. >__<
fairywithoutwings
wrote on October 17 2009 @ 04:24 pm: [report]
I always have the same problem with sizing… especially with jeans! always a complete disaster… I recently bought a lovely pair of jeans for £8 in Primark (according to my american friend, it’s the equivalent of Target, but a bit cheaper again!)... I went back a week later to get a black pair of the same style, as the grey ones were so ridiculously comfortable. As they were the same style, I didn’t try them on in the store, so when I got home and tried them on, I was incredibly annoyed to find that not only were they smaller round the waist, but they were lower-fitting on the hips as well. nightmare. :(