You think of yourself a 12, but may somewhere else a 10 or a 14?! How is that possible?
Retailers and designers want to make you feel better about yourself by putting a smaller size on the label than the true size. This inconsistency of sizing is a well used method to sell more clothes and to create loyalty and to keep you coming back to them. Unfortunately - we the shoppers- have accepted the haggling and negotiating in sizing into our shopping experience. That means we- the shopper- prefer to shop obviously where we are a size smaller than we actually are and try to avoid the places to shop with the sizes we are in real life. We let us "be conned", because we want to be conned in order to make us feel better about ourselves. So, it has nothing to do being blinded by not knowing we accept the lie willingly as long as it close to the truth. But if you are at a sudden 2 sizes smaller in a shop than you are normally you - the shopper- will start to get suspicious and will think instead that they have a problem in sizing, tailoring and knowing the customer. As a result you start to stay away from these shops, because you feel they are not serious about clothes and their target audience.
Designer labels are choosing as well using different sizing, but the reason is a different one to the High Street.
The reason is simply that Designers want only to see thin people wearing their clothes. It is their way of keeping bigger people out of their shop, because big people wearing your clothes is not good for their brand’s image.
So, why do get stores and designers away with this inconsistency in sizing? Simply because clothing sizes in the UK has never and still is not standardized.There is so far no universal sizing system existing, so retailers, designers and the High Street are at liberty to do the sizes they want.
The problem with unifying the sizing is that even people with identical measurements may have completely different body shapes, scales and proportions and therefore different requirements from your clothing line. So, retailers argue they need to have an idealised shopper in the same way as designers have their "muse" who inspire them to create their next collection or who they want to wear the collection.
Right now a size is not representative of a measurement of body but merely it reflects the average of a certain demographic of their ideal shopper or target audience.
This relationship between size and demographic is the reason why certain sizes e.g. 12 at Jigsaw/ M & S is bigger - they are aiming for taller/ older customers than e.g. 12 at Zara, Massimo Dutti, Mango who's core customers are younger, shorter and more petite in build.
The factor making you feel good of being a smaller size is an effective sales technique of the Retailers and Shops in order to sell more clothes- because the "making feel good factor has a strong emotional impact if you buy the garment or not"!
For more information, please contact on michaela@joyofcolor.com or on 0780 313 9755
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