What happened to clothing sizes?

[palitoy]

Some background on this.

I've always been an XL, a large sometimes fits but I like breathing. I've been good these past few months and combined with job stress, most of my clothes kind of hang off me now. I decided it was time to maybe gas some older clothes and get up to date.

Problem was, no XL shirts fit me anymore, I mean it was a good two inches away to buttoning some of them up. I kept thinking I was in the boys section but after three stores I realized that I am now a XXL in this weird world. Seriously I could rip most of the XL shirts in half like Doc Savage.

I'm thinner, more toned but now I'm wearing a size that I absolutely used to swim in. Did I miss something?

[Iron Mego]

Odd, because the trend is to go the other way with "vanity" sizing.

[drquest]

XL here too, but I'm seeing the same thing. Even with the same brand of shirts... I wear a lot of polo type shirts, and I'll pick up a same brand, same style of a shirt I might have a few of I bought before and XL is tight.....

I guess I'll have to start buying my shirts at Wal-Mart from now on. I'm a Medium there

[Earth 2 Chris]

Yeah, I haven't noticed that in these parts. I've slimmed down a bit too, and XLs are really comfy now. Larges are always a bit snug in the shoulders in T-shirts, polos, etc.

Like Iron Mego said, there seems to be a trend to "disguise" weight, since everyone in the US is now fat. Maybe you Canadians are just fitter than us, so they are going smaller?

Chris

[Mikey]

Sizes vary greatly between different sellers and manufacturers nowadays.

Example, i'm a XXL in a K-Mart shirt and a XXXL in a Walmart one.

K-mart slogan --- K-mart, the stores that make fat guys feel better

[palitoy]

Like Iron Mego said, there seems to be a trend to "disguise" weight, since everyone in the US is now fat. Maybe you Canadians are just fitter than us, so they are going smaller?

I was kind of expecting that trend.

I wasn't shocked at the first store, it was possibly just shy of my age bracket and kind of expensive but by the third store (old Navy) I started wondering.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I have found the same thing in recent years with large size no longer fitting right and having to go XL. tshirts from Target are really sized small. a large men's shirt fits my teenage daughter perfectly and she is not overweight or anything

[starsky]

i just noticed that as well and thought i was going crazy and no one would believe me if i even mentioned it! i'm usually a large but now i'm bumped up to an XL! and XL is too big for me and the L size is too snug. ugh!!

[Gorn Captain]

Last time my wife and I were in the US, we had to get "small" sizes, even though we're "medium" in Europe.

[jwyblejr]

With me,I always have problems with the sleeves. For the longest time I wore a Large. Had to move to XL because the sleeves were too tight on my arms. And my arms aren't that big.

[MegoSteve]

I think there is a trend toward more fitted shirts these days. You really have to check the labels between classic/regular fit, slim fit, and fitted (sometimes called tailored fit). Some brands are fitted or slim by default.

I've lost a little over 35 pounds over the past several months, and I'm having the exact opposite experience as you, Brian. I went from an XL shirt to a medium, and a lot of mediums just hang off me; some brands (like Izod at JCPenney) seem to take vanity sizing to an extreme. I find myself having to try everything on before buying it, which is something I've always hated to do. It's pretty frustrating to have no clue what your size is anymore, but I have to admit it's also kind of a thrill to be able to get into a 15-1/2 fitted dress shirt that I bought on a whim and have it look good after struggling to button the top button on a 17 regular four months ago.

[palitoy]

Ah-hah! I think this is the issue, thanks Steve.

[MegoSteve]

No problem. I think a lot of the time, the clothes that are geared to "young men" are also slim/athletic/fitted/tailored by default, too. That might be the issue. After slowly having to replace my wardrobe, I'm realizing that sizing is pretty much a joke, so don't get too hung up on what size you happen to wear unless you have to buy from the Haystacks Calhoun collection.

[megoat]

Yeah, slim fit is definitely a thing. I can't wear t-shirts made by American Apparel. They are cut for slim twenty somethings--not old men with a beer gut!

[palitoy]

Yeah, slim fit is definitely a thing. I can't wear t-shirts made by American Apparel. They are cut for slim twenty somethings--not old men with a beer gut!

Heh, I'm wearing an XXL Slim fit, it's my "Saturday Dad" shirt to be worn over my concert shirt of choice.