Chart shows shocking change in clothing sizes (2024)

FAQs

Why are clothing sizes getting smaller? ›

The rise of so-called vanity sizing has rendered most labels meaningless. As Americans have grown physically larger, brands have shifted their metrics to make shoppers feel skinnier—so much so that a women's size 12 in 1958 is now a size 6.

If you add 6 to your current modern day dress size that's what you'll probably fit in a 1950s/1960s dress. When you're aware of this fact it's much less scary to see the size on the inside of a dress that 'look like it will fit'.

One only has to hold up a size 16 dress from the 1950s to know that it's not a big garment in the slightest. In all likelihood, it will best fit a modern women who wears anything from a (North American) size four to a size eight or ten, depending on her personal measurements.

Different brand, different sizing

There's also the fact that sizing can be difficult to standardize as clothing itself isn't standard; some garments are meant to be oversized, others more tight fitting. Vanity sizing also adds to the confusion and is largely responsible for size discrepancies over the years.

Vanity sizing refers to a practice that companies used to increase sales. As many women desired to fit into smaller sizes, they would be more apt to purchase from a company that allowed them to do so. So, some companies changed a size 12 to a size 8 and a size 6 to a size 2. You get the idea.

Why Do My Clothes Fit Tighter? Your clothes could be hugging your body a bit more closely for a variety of reasons. Muscle growth is one, especially if you've been hitting the gym hard. But other factors might include general weight gain, bloating, or even a laundry mishap.

"The 1950s survey was taken immediately after the Second World War and rationing obviously had an influence. But their undergarments also make a difference. The fashion was for corsets which nipped in the waist," she explained.

The average woman in the 50s had a 27.5-inch waist and her bra size was 34B; in 2017, women's waists are 34 inches and they wear a 36DD bra. Other differences: Women in 2017 are almost 20 pounds heavier (154 vs. 136 pounds) and wear larger-size clothing (size 14 today vs.

Then, the average waist size was 37.4 inches . By comparison, the average height of a U.S. woman is 63.6 inches, or 5 feet 3 inches. The average weight for women is around 170 pounds. With these measurements, the typical American woman wears a large to extra large pant size, or between a size 18 and 20.

US size 12–14 is usually considered “Large” and some brands do start “plus sizes” at 12. However, “plus sizes” usually begin at 14 or 16 (Which I believe is a misnomer; in reality, 12–16 sizes are actually pretty average.)

What weight is a size 6 woman? ›

So although people have, generally, got bigger over the past 50 years, size numbers have got smaller: data from the Washington Post in 2015 found a US size 8 dress (a UK 12) to be nearly the equivalent of a US 16 (UK 20) in 1958.

Small sizes take over the runway because of the sample size designers use when creating clothes. According to the Philadelphia agent, this cuts down the cost of production as less fabric means less money.

Always go up

Never ever squeeze into something that is too small, even if you are “going to lose the weight”. Always buy bigger. If you are in between sizes, the bigger size shouldn't be too-too big. A little bit of extra material never hurt anyone.

What causes clothes to shrink? Agitation and high temperatures in the washing and drying cycles can distort fabric and cause clothes to shrink. Washing fabrics, such as cotton, linen or wool, too vigorously can cause the fibers to tighten together and yield a shrunken garment.

In the context of clothing sizes, a U.S. size 6 is generally considered to be within the range of what is often regarded as an average or medium size for women in the United States.

On average, women probably had maybe 5 every day dresses and maybe 3 “church” dresses and one or two pairs of dress shoes. They probably owned a couple of pairs of casual shoes and only a few tops and pants and a couple of purses.

T-shirts have become thinner in recent years as less cotton is used. I've long preferred clothes made of cotton.