You don’t have to be tall or curvy to understand the struggle of finding the right clothing fit (though it definitely doesn’t make things easier!) Even with brands like ours out there making sure our tall and plus size women’s clothing covers every kind of gorgeous, it’s hard to do our job when the whole women’s size system is busted.
No, really – it’s a thing! If you’ve ever done a double take at your reflection in the dressing room – and let’s be real, we all have – you can thank a 1930s government project designed to save companies money by creating a standardized sizing system. While manufacturers could now cheaply crank out skirts and dresses in a few basic sizes, shoppers ended up paying in sweat, tears, and frustration as they tried on clothing modeled on a very narrow sample of women.
Then, more recently, the standards were pretty much thrown out the window. Yay! Right?
Wrong… Say hello to the era of “vanity sizing.”
What’s Vanity Sizing?
You’ve probably experienced the whack system of vanity sizing. Basically, once the companies had the freedom to abandon the standards, they could slap smaller and smaller numbers on clothes without changing their physical sizes – not only buying in to the false belief that smaller is always better, but also frustrating shoppers who end up with five different sizes in their closet. We ladies have gone from one-size-fits-all to every-size-fits-some: we have all of the options, and none of them make sense.
So what does this mean for us tall and curvy babes? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. You may have to break out the tape measure, but get ready to take sizing into your own hands so you can get to know your body and make that little number on the tag work for you, not the other way around. Below, check out our guide to sizing every part of your beautiful body.
Knowing Your Measurements
It can be hard to see what numbered sizing systems – think 0, 6, 10, etc. – have to do with actual measurements. Nowadays, especially, what does a size 10 even mean?
This is where knowing your measurements comes in! The best plus size and tall women’s clothing brands make sure to include size guides comparing their numbering systems to measurements. If you know your measurements, you can use them to get a more accurate picture of whether that size 10 will fit the way you expect.
Tops and Dresses
The main “numbers” that go into your tops and dress sizes are the measurements of your bust and waist, as well as – especially if you’re under 5’3” or over 5’8” – your height.
To measure your bust, wrap a soft tape measure around the widest part of your chest (yes – just like measuring for bra size!), making sure not to pull too tight. Record the number closest to where the end of the tape measure (i.e., 0 inches) meets the rest.
Measure your natural waist in the same way, wrapping the tape measure around the narrowest part of your body, or about 0.5” to 1” above your belly button. You may want to also grab your hip size, measured in the same way as bust and waist but letting the tape measure sit around the widest part of your hips/butt (about 6” to 9” below your natural waist).
Jeans and Pants
For jeans and pants size, you’ll need your waist measurement (for high waisted styles) and your hip measurement (if you prefer a lower rise).
Of course, the main thing to know when it comes to pants is how long your legs are. This measurement is known as the inseam, or the measure of the inside of your leg from the top of your inner thigh to the bottom of your ankle. You may need help from a friend (or boo!) to measure this.
Tall and Curvy Babes
Alloy Apparel’s tall women’s clothing fits women 5’9” and above, offering pants and jeans with up to 39” inseams to perfectly cover your long legs while taking into account torso length for tops and dresses. We also make sure our women’s plus size clothing includes fresh, fierce trends in waist sizes from 36” to 46” and hip sizes from 46” to 56”.
The world doesn’t make it easy for us ladies, but with a little empowerment, women’s clothing size doesn’t have to be complicated. And at Alloy Apparel, we make sure the process is just as simple for tall women’s and plus size women’s clothing – because no matter the number on the tape measure, we’ve got gorgeous covered.
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