One Size Fits None

Bella Breakdown

It is often impossible to find clothes that fit and today’s sizes are a problem. Years ago, wealthy women had their clothes custom made and other women made their own. Ready-to-wear clothes didn’t become popular until the Depression when money was scarce.

Then, the post-war boom created a big industry for factory made clothes, which is when clothing sizes came to be.

The government tried to suggest a universal sizing standard, but it didn’t work because it was based exclusively on the bodies of white women.

They had to take into account the rising diversity in the country. As women’s weights grew over the years, retailers adjusted the sizes accordingly, to allow women to have a “desirable” size. Today, a certain size can vary amongst retailers by up to 3 inches.

Another issue that is slowly being corrected is that many stores did not carry any size higher than a 12. However, many designers are creating clothing lines for curvier women.

The fight to take back the fitting room continues!