The Clothes are getting bigger...

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a show on TV about how in response to the growing obesity in America, the clothes were getting bigger per given size. The show concentrated on women's clothing and said that in a lot of cases, today's size 2 is the same size as a size 5 a number of years ago. Well I think the same is true for men's clothing. Fifteen years ago, I nearly always took a large for a men's shirt size. These days, despite being maybe ten pounds heavier, I nearly always take a medium as I now tend to swim in most of the larges. For outerwear, I still prefer a large but generally speaking a medium shirt seems to fit me like a large did a number of years ago. Anybody else experience this? Actually I like places like LLbean where you can order shirts in neck and sleeve size as they tend to fit me more consistantly from shirt to shirt.

geepondy,

Funny that you mentioned this. I too wore a large and find myself now in a medium with no appreciable weight gain or loss. If manufacturers are increasing the sizes relative to the label it is a sad statement about our culture.

vanity sizing

This trend started long ago. I have a size M Patagonia canvas shirt from the 1970s, that is smaller than the same shirt in size S purchased in the 80s.

Rudi said:

This trend started long ago. I have a size M Patagonia canvas shirt from the 1970s, that is smaller than the same shirt in size S purchased in the 80s.

Click to expand...

Maybe it shrunk... or we're all getting taller!

"XL" has always just about covered it all for me..

right now I'm wearing some of the most comfy pants ever due to hybrid belt/hidden elastic bands design. it makes sense; the belt size is fixed so must always be a bit too tight or loose, with the elastic the pants always hug the waist and the belt keeps 'em from falling down too easily.. and what's more there's a little pocket inside the pocket! another great idea, this could be the beginning of even more pockets inside my pockets..unfortunately not made in US, another sad commentary, I guess..

It's not just clothes.

Recently I've been looking for new towels for the first time in about 15 years. The old bath towels I want to replace are about 40 inches long and were purchased at a local department store. The smallest bath towels I've been able to find now are 50 inches long, and most are 52 - 54 inches long. The labels proudly say that they are "oversized" but there don't seem to be any "normal size" bath towels anymore.

I'm thinking the towels have gotten bigger because most people have more surface area to dry.

New Orleans specified wider seats in their next contract for new city busses -- it's more like a generalized form factor creep.

Ive found the cuts vary by manufacture and vendor, but seems the sizes are the same.

Ive came and went from xl in 6th grade. I am hovering about 2-3x 18 1/2 neck shirts. Its not my guy or neck, but my arms that are busting out the cuffs.

For me, it's been pretty consistent. Some manufacturers T-shirts or polos run on the larger size. Like some Nauticas or Greg Norman...I usually bought XL but I picked some up without trying them on and I felt like some kid in an oversized shirt.

As for the wife, she's now having to go into the Jr's dept to find clothes because size 0-2 are large. She suspects that they are sizing things down to compensate for the growing buyers.

So the sizes are just to fool ourselves? That is sad.

I wish the movie theaters would make the seats wider. Same goes for the amusement parks. Or at least have a fat section.

Ever been to the Abercrombie store? They are absolutely not joining in with this trend. I was a given an Abercrombie shirt which did not fit, so I returned it for store credit. Well, let me tell you, I don't fit in anything they sell in that store. I am overweight, but I'm not huge. I mean, the XLs at everything other place fit ok. Some fit a little tight, and some fit a little large, but at Abercrombie, they're all skin tight. Anyway, right now I'm buying size 36 or 38 for my pants and shorts, hopefully this trend of clothing sizes getting bigger will prevent me from ever buying a size 40.

If clothes are getting bigger, then why are the interiors of sedans getting smaller? I'm 6'4" and I really notice the newer cars have less room then 10 years ago.

Trashman, that brings up another point. I dare any guy to measure his waist with a tape measure and see how that corresponds to the jean size. My measured waist size is two inches bigger then my pants size and my gut is not overhanging.

no, no, I dont think so... You see I've been wearing the same sized pants for a while now, but they continue to get tighter, not looser! :laughing: