Psychological sizing

While the majority of American women are 5’7” and below, the fashion industry prefers to use 5’8” models.  And according to California State University at San Bernardino Professor of Business Marketing Victoria Seitz there is actually no standardized sizing in the fashion industry.  

Over the years, sizes have been getting larger,“ she said. What used to be a size 10 is now a 6. The more expensive the item, the larger the size is as well. Many people believe that they fit in smaller size in better garment. This is called psychological sizing. 

And in Australia, fashion houses have expanded the waistline of an average size 12 so much it can fit a woman considered obese under Australian guidelines. Where a size 12 used to be quite svelte and not overweight, these days someone who is a size 12 is highly likely to be overweight according Michael Moore from the Public Health Association of Australia.

People expect a size 12 to be normal, but pushing up the sizes may be filling women with a false sense of security. While there is an Australian standard for children's clothes sizes, none exists for adults. So it seems designers and clothing manufacturers use sizing as a marketing tool. Recently, a shopper who ranged from a size 14 at one fashion outlet to a size 10 at another and back to a 14 at a well-known designer.