BigMamaBird Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 My brother is getting married and we just love his fiance. She's wonderful! They asked Dh and I to be in the wedding so we've both buckled down and are working really hard on losing weight. I'm down 31 lbs. since they asked and while I probably could stand to easily lose another 50 lbs., I had been feeling really good about the results of my hard work so far. That is until this weekend when we went and tried on Bridesmaid dresses. Holy cow!! I'm down to a 16 in dresses and pants and was feeling pretty awesome about it. Soon to be SIL chose a lovely dress and the lady at the shop took measurements. It turns out in the world of bridal fashions, a normal person's 16 translates into a size 22!! I realize that clothing sizes are just arbitrary numbers that have absolutely no bearing on my self worth or who I am as a human, but that stung. I'm a big girl, I've got my (apparently extra large) panties back on, and am going to keep plugging away at what is obviously working. But geesh. You think designers could figure this nonsense out! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 It was even worse as a bride! Same crazy sizing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanabug Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 No kidding! I remember shopping for my junior prom dress. I found the perfect one, but it said size 11 so I wasn't even going to try it on, knowing that it would be huge on my size 5 teenage body. My mom convinced me it could probably be altered so I tried it on and was completely mortified when it fit like a glove! Lana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 The reason is that in industries where they still do a lot of custom work, they may use pattern sizes. Off the rack retail and department stores have over the course of decades deflated their size numbers--what was a 16 in the 1950's was smaller than what is a 16 now. Pattern sizes did not follow this trend, so run 4-6 sizes smaller for the number. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 My brother is getting married and we just love his fiance. She's wonderful! They asked Dh and I to be in the wedding so we've both buckled down and are working really hard on losing weight. I'm down 31 lbs. since they asked and while I probably could stand to easily lose another 50 lbs., I had been feeling really good about the results of my hard work so far. That is until this weekend when we went and tried on Bridesmaid dresses. Holy cow!! I'm down to a 16 in dresses and pants and was feeling pretty awesome about it. Soon to be SIL chose a lovely dress and the lady at the shop took measurements. It turns out in the world of bridal fashions, a normal person's 16 translates into a size 22!! I realize that clothing sizes are just arbitrary numbers that have absolutely no bearing on my self worth or who I am as a human, but that stung. I'm a big girl, I've got my (apparently extra large) panties back on, and am going to keep plugging away at what is obviously working. But geesh. You think designers could figure this nonsense out! 31 pounds is spectacular! Don't let the stupid sizing rain on your parade! Losing weight is hard and you are rocking it :)! 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 31 pounds is spectacular! Don't let the stupid sizing rain on your parade! Losing weight is hard and you are rocking it :)! I agree! Congrats on losing 31 pounds! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 (edited) It's really nuts. I had one bridesmaid who had fairly recently given birth. There were no dresses that she could wear, none. It was ridiculous. So my bridesmaids were wearing light blue, and she was my best friend from college, could not bear to leave her out. She offered to make herself a dress in that color, but I asked her instead to pick a coordinating color, buy a lovely dress to wear, and do a Bible reading instead of being a straight up bridesmaid. I had another friend I did that with as well. It worked out great because I had 6 friends for the wedding party and DH was hardpressed to come up with 4 (2 were my brothers.) But I was shocked at how limited the bridesmaid dress sizes were. Edited April 19, 2016 by Carol in Cal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 It was even worse as a bride! Same crazy sizing. I had the opposite experience. I was a size 8 or so when I got married. The wedding gown I bought was a size 4. I have never before or never since fit a size 4...but for those few shining hours.... :p :D 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Congrats on the weight loss. That is a major achievement. The bridesmaid measurements are a big old scam, imo. I remember back in the day having them measure me and telling me yhey needed to order a size 3x larger than what I usually wore. When I challenged it, I was told it was because of my bust size. Needless to say it required massive alterations when it came in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Bridal shops area on the last places that still carry clothes that fit my daughter! I love the wide range of sizes. When 22=16 in regular stores it generally means that bridal sizes 2-6 fail to exist. I say more sizes FTW! Who cares what the number is? I want choices. One prom season there wasn't a dingle dress in our entire mall that fit my daughter. We went yo a bridal boutique and could choose between 10-12 in the store and they could order more. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Congratulations on losing the weight! That is a great accomplishment. I was in a wedding where the bride chose the color, but the ladies could pick the dresses. I loved being a part of that wedding. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewber Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Congrats on losing the weight! That is awesome!! I get hung up on sizes too - it's so silly. but I get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 My brother is getting married and we just love his fiance. She's wonderful! They asked Dh and I to be in the wedding so we've both buckled down and are working really hard on losing weight. I'm down 31 lbs. since they asked and while I probably could stand to easily lose another 50 lbs., I had been feeling really good about the results of my hard work so far. That is until this weekend when we went and tried on Bridesmaid dresses. Holy cow!! I'm down to a 16 in dresses and pants and was feeling pretty awesome about it. Soon to be SIL chose a lovely dress and the lady at the shop took measurements. It turns out in the world of bridal fashions, a normal person's 16 translates into a size 22!! I realize that clothing sizes are just arbitrary numbers that have absolutely no bearing on my self worth or who I am as a human, but that stung. I'm a big girl, I've got my (apparently extra large) panties back on, and am going to keep plugging away at what is obviously working. But geesh. You think designers could figure this nonsense out! WOW! I had no idea, not having been a bridesmaid in decades. I do remember the irritating lady asking me if I was there for my "custom fitting", which apparently is triple the price of a mere "hem". I indicated I only wanted the dress hemmed, at "hem" prices. But wow...can't believe they do that to brides or bridesmaids. That sounds crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Sizing is crazy. My hubby gets confused and ended up just eyeballing the fit when we looked at formal dresses for me. The same size in the same brand (e.g. BCBG Max Azria) can be different depending on the design. When I challenged it, I was told it was because of my bust size. Needless to say it required massive alterations when it came in. I'm almost flat chested. My bridal gowns were all tailor made since I am conical flask shape, narrow shoulders with big hips. Bridal and formal dressy wear shops tend to cater to the well endowed here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Congratulations on losing the weight! That is a great accomplishment. I was in a wedding where the bride chose the color, but the ladies could pick the dresses. I loved being a part of that wedding. Me, too and it was lovely. All three of us wore a flattering dress that cost extremely little. In my case, I'd gotten extremely lucky and had just purchased a dress for my 10-year H.S. reunion in the desired color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Congrats on the weight loss!!! In my experience they order you a dress 3 times larger than you wear and it costs major $$$ to have altered. I don't know why they insist on ordering dresses so oversized. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 I wonder if some of the brands were from other countries. A US 16 is about a UK 20 so could be they're an international brand marked with sizing from other countries. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Awesome on the weight loss. Don't let this derail you. Stay healthy, though. Please stay healthy. We ran into similar issues with my bridesmaids. The sizes did not match normal dress sizes by a long shot. Since everyone was coming from all over, including South America, it made it very challenging to get everyone into the correctly sized dress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Congrats on the weight loss!!! In my experience they order you a dress 3 times larger than you wear and it costs major $$$ to have altered. I don't know why they insist on ordering dresses so oversized. I forgot about that! But, I remember reading in several saving money while a bride books that they do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2read Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Actually, the 22 is normal and the 16 is U.S. vanity sizing. My mother sews and whenever I have her make me clothes I have to size up on the pattern several sizes above what I usually wear. The larger size is based on international standard measurements and the smaller size is a result of U.S. clothing retailers pandering to our vanity. Don't let it get to you, it's just a number. You are so much more than you dress size. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 (edited) Yes. Vanity sizing. It's frustrating for those of us who can buy a vintage 1950 dress or well made dress in a size 6 or 4, to not be even IN sizes at the mall because people want the smaller number to feel better about themselves. Clothes companies have slowly been doing this to where we now have a size 000 on the shelf. It's ridiculous. I'd much rather have a system similar to men's wear. Edited April 19, 2016 by HomeAgain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 It is very frustrating. Most formal dress designers use a traditional sizing system. It actually makes more sense than the alternative mall 'vanity sizing'. There a a few dress designers who have jumped on the vanity sizing bandwagon and that messes it up even further. Stores in the US use a stupid vanity sizing that makes shopping at the mall seem great! But anytime you order something from a more traditional designer, you have to adjust due to the difference. Bridal and bridesmaid dresses are often ordered a bit bigger than needed because you can't typically add fabric and have the dress look good, but you can take it away. Yep, alterations cost a bit of money, but that is part of the luxury of ordering through a catalog or dress shop. You have done amazing things and no little tag on a dress can change that. DD17 has clothes in her closet that are anywhere from a double-zero (Ambercrombie shorts) to an 8 (high end fitted jacket). She is very thin and has simple curves. Her clothes are not bought oversize to accommodate a large bust, or other feature. The different manufacturers just vary that much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 (edited) Yes, I was depressed trying on mother of the groom dresses last year. (Same size as you) But-- once I got over it and loved the dress despite the size, I felt like a princess that night and got tons of compliments. I'm sure you'll do the same--and more since you've lost weight!! Congratulations on your weight loss! Focus on feeling wonderful in the new dress! Edited April 19, 2016 by Tina 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Bridal shop sizes are complete fiction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Clothing size is just a number. It doesn't change what your body size actually is. Congratulations on the weight loss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalytic Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Threads like this make me very thankful for my justice of the peace wedding... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Congrats on the weight loss! You'll look fabulous no matter what the number says. I'm 39 weeks pregnant and have to order a bridesmaid dress for a wedding 3 months from now. I have NO IDEA what size to order, and this doesn't help. I think I'll just order extra big and hope I have more alterations than not. And then to figure out how to nurse in it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhanaBee Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Congratulations on the weight loss!! I still have nightmares over the last bridesmaid dress I wore. I love my sister-in-law, but she picked out the most snooty store in her area in which to find our bridesmaid dresses. AND all the rest of her bridesmaids were these skinny little minnies with no waist and no bust. Enter moi. 6 months postpartum and still nursing about every 5 hours. Add that to the fact that my bOOks are on the well-endowed size anyway *cough*. Everyone else gets the skinny dresses. Shop lady looks at me {and by "looks at me" I really mean she focused in on a very specific part of my body] and says, "My......you are a BIG girl, aren't you?!?!" I was feeling pretty good about myself up until that point. I mean.....I had found my waist again. *That* was quite the accomplishment! Sis-in-Law saw the look on my face and said, "She's just had a baby and is still nursing her...." Shop Lady: "I should say so!" Let us draw a curtain over the rest of our visit. The numbers on those dresses mean NOTHING!! I think current sizing practices are a crock and hate having to try on every single item I buy,. Even if I just bought the same pair of jean in the same size a year ago - apparently things change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I had a similar situation and they sized me so much bigger than my normal size. When I got the dress in though, I had to have so much taken out of it. Just keep that in mind too if you haven't gotten it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Actually, the 22 is normal and the 16 is U.S. vanity sizing. My mother sews and whenever I have her make me clothes I have to size up on the pattern several sizes above what I usually wear. The larger size is based on international standard measurements and the smaller size is a result of U.S. clothing retailers pandering to our vanity. Don't let it get to you, it's just a number. You are so much more than you dress size. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk This is what is going on. Pull up a sewing pattern and compare your measurements to it. I was wearing a size 12 in stores at one point and that was an 18 in patterns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted April 21, 2016 Author Share Posted April 21, 2016 On the opposite side of the spectrum is my Dd. She's 10 and will be the flower girl/junior bridesmaid. Her measurements had her in a size 4T! She's skinny but tall so we HAD to order a larger size simply to get the dress down past her fanny! We got a size 8 and the sizing chart shows a 6" difference in chest measurements. I'm going to be taking that dress in big time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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