Popular USA Retailers 2023 Size charts for womens and plus sizes.
I have collected current size charts of Popular USA retailers to compare and create a basic standard size chart in order to reassess Vintage modern equivalent sizing.
Because vanity sizing is ever changing it makes selling vintage items and trying to help buyers shop more complicated. Over time you have to adjust your sizing categories to suit modern sizing standards. I created this list for myself and hopefully some of you will find it helpful as well.
WALMART:
KHOLS:
Torrid :
Size charts from Old navy, Macy's, Walmart, Khols, Torrid as of 2023
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I had previous posted a size chart from J.crew in 2012. Below you can compare to the 2023 size chart.
2023:
2012:
As you can see there have been slight increases in some sizes. Small and middle sizes have barely changed but there has been a several inch increase in the plus size group as well as a larger size range that was not included in the chart in 2012, though they may have had larger sizes available im not sure.
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This chart on Vanity sizing shows measurement changes from 1958- 2011,
A rough update for 2023 using the size chart averages above.
Some info graphics on the subject that were interesting, showing how sizes vary greatly even in the same time frame.
“The number of people who are in a new size is pretty staggering,” Chip Bergh, CEO of Levi’s, told the Associated Press in an interview. “Some people gained weight during the pandemic, and many people lost weight. But both on the men’s side of the business and women’s side. More than 25% of consumers have a new size today.” June 2021
''One small study of 269 subjects found their lifestyle shifts translated into a gain of 1.5 lbs each month. In a recent survey of about 3,000 US adults by the American Psychological Association, 42% of respondents reported undesired weight gain. The average amount of weight put on was 29 lbs. The survey also found 18% of respondents saying they lost more weight than they wanted, with the average loss coming in at 26 lbs.'' https://qz.com/2017879/levis-ceo-says-a-quarter-of-all-shoppers-are-wearing-a-new-size
Most of the info about Vanity sizing stops around 2012, though I suspect sometime between 2020-2023 sizes again increased based on my own shopping experiences and customer comments. I think it makes sense as well with the increased push to online shopping, peoples lives/weights changing and styles becoming looser/baggier. Some people may not have noticed the shift and are now used to the roomier fits. This is making size charts less helpful as they do not include the added ease in the garments.
For example, more people will be able to wear a roomy ''size L '' If they see the size chart as being a bust 39.5'' when the item actually measures say 46'' they will go on thinking that a bust 39.5'' is their size, when in reality it may be 42'' or 44''. They aren't actually checking their actual measurements, and retailers don't tell us what the finished garment measurements are.
There has been a big change in modern fashion/fits/sizing in the last few years and i think we in the Vintage world are starting to see that change in the way people are shopping for vintage. The question is how to do we adjust and help customers find those vintage jems.
Let me know your thoughts!
