It should be brought to the attention to every male, female, child, grandparent, and anyone in between that the sizing of any article of clothing is skewed, inconsistent, and ultimately wrong. This is what causes online shopping to be daunting. Shopping in stores is frustrating. The overall shopping experience is not enjoyable. It is impossible to think that a person can be a size 4 and a size 12 on the same day, in the same store and with the same brand. This is true, and I am proof of that!
Retail therapy is a terrible habit that my mother and I bond over. This past spring break, my beautiful, lovely friend and I went shopping so we could talk about how our semester was going over the sales rack. She and I have entirely different body shapes, but we usually find things for each other to wear. But this time was different. On that one day, I got cardigans in sizes small, large, and extra-large. They all fit the same way. In my closet currently, I have dresses that range from size 4 to size 12. I am a 5’ 5’’ girl of average proportions, and I could not tell you what size I am.
The problem stems from the labels of the sizes. Men’s clothing is generally measured in inches, whereas women’s clothing deals with the arbitrary sizes of 6 or 8 or 14. What is small? How can you generalize for the entire population which the clothing is marketed to? A large size is seen as a negative kind of word, but who can define what is large? Mary Alderete, Vice President for Women’s Global Marketing at Levi’s, said, “When we try on 10 pairs of jeans to buy one, the reason you feel bad is because you think something’s wrong with you.”
How you see yourself is such a huge part of how you feel about yourself. So many women tie their self-esteem to the size that is on the tag. With eating disorders at an all-time high and self-esteem at an all time low, who can disagree that something must be done?
Major malls are now implementing a device that assesses your physique, telling you the size you would be at specific stores in the mall. This machine could revolutionize the way shopping is done currently. Depending on the store, you could find your size immediately instead of trying on piece after piece to no avail. Though this does not solve the problem, this certainly would help the process. Stores must start to cater to the real woman who has no specific size, weight, or height. We are all beautifully and wonderfully made, petite and plus size alike. So until you figure out how to manage these crazy sizes, love yourselves and your bodies. Eat cookies, go for runs, nap often. I promise you are stunning, no matter what.