ARTICLE TOOLS

E-mail story

Comments

Printer friendly version

iPod friendly version

Share This

Text Size: A A A A

Chattanooga: Numbers in women's clothing vary from designer to designer

By: Karen Nazor Hill
(Contact)

Included in this article

Suzanne Bishop

Suzanne Bishop said she wears a “true” size 14. But when shopping for new clothes, sizes that fit her can range from 10 to 16.

She knows firsthand that women become confused and frustrated when shopping for clothes that fit. She said she sees it in customers shopping at her store, Frankie & Julian’s, a women’s fashion boutique on Frazier Avenue.

“About half the lines in my store run small,” she said, explaining that a true size 8 could be marked size 4 or 6. “As crazy as it sounds, the higher-end the fashion is, the smaller the size is. You’d think it would be the opposite for vanity’s sake, but it’s not the case. Every vendor/designer cuts differently and each has a ‘fit model’ that’s not a standard size.”

Several years ago, [TC]2, a not-for-profit research company, conducted a survey called SizeUSA, involving about 12,000 people living in America, to determine measurements for garment specifications. The data was gathered as a basis for made-to-measure clothing.

Textile consultant Martha Attaway said in an earlier interview with this newspaper that stores such as J.C. Penney, Brooks Brothers, Lands’ End and the Textile/Clothing Technology Corp. were among manufacturers awaiting the results.

“Yes, there’s a scale, but few designers use it,” Ms. Bishop said. “I worked for a designer in New York City who handmade her own designs on a dress form. She didn’t function on a standard size. If she considered the form to be a 2, whether or not it really was, the next size up would be her creation of a size 4.”

The frustration of sizing has lead many women to start making their own clothes.

Marjorie Korb, manager of Hancock Fabrics in Chattanooga, said a lot of people are sewing these days, some out of frustration over random sizing in off-the-rack clothing.

“Many women who come into the store say they’re sewing because they don’t like to wear ready-to-made clothing because of sizing discrepancies,” Ms. Korb said. “But I tell them to be aware that pattern sizes differ as well. You can wear a size 12 in one line of patterns and wear a size 14 in another line. We recommend that people look at the measurement charts on the patterns rather than the sizes.”

The sizing woes makes it difficult for many to order clothing online, Ms. Bishop said.

“Just be sure to check the site’s measuring charts before your order — if they have a measuring chart,” she said. “But I’ve learned that a couple of the manufacturers, Banana Republic and J. Crew, use standard sizing. And, if anything, the sizes may be a little generous. For example, if you wear a size 12, a size 12 at Banana Republic may be a tad big, but a 10 would probably be too small.”

Finding standard sizing in the average department store or boutique is rare, Ms. Bishop said.

“The average shopper doesn’t have a clue whether a garment will fit unless they try it on. When a new line comes into my store, I have my employees try the clothes on to see if the sizes run small or big,” she said. “When customers try on the clothes, I’ll tell them beforehand that it runs small or big. It’s our job to be knowledgeable about our lines.”

The bottom line, Ms. Bishop said, is to wear what fits, regardless of what the tag says the size is.

“If you look good in the fashion, you’re happy,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what size.”

Comments