Sizing The Matter Up

Sizing clothes in general can lead to a vague sense of confusion and sizing vintage clothes in particular can leave us all an extra bit baffled. However, Frock&Roll is here (with hero cape and mask) with a guide to sizing vintage finds.

History Lesson

Ok, class, sit up and pay attention; there may be a test later. 

Going back to pre-World War II, before ready-made and off the peg fashion, measurements for clothes were conceived by the pattern makers. They used inches to measure and no-one has found another more accurate unit so they have stuck. A mathematical formula was put together based on the major landmarks on the body: the crown, C7 (base of the neck), bust, waist, hip, thigh, shin and feet. Having measured the body into 8 sections these were measured in increments of 7.5''. The formula (height / 8 = 7.5'' x 2) was applied to each woman, so a woman five feet tall was measured to be a 15. Unfortunately this only really worked for women whose height and weight were in proportion (though they did have half sizes). This measuring also only really worked for pattern makers themselves while nobody else had a Scooby what the numbers meant.

After the war with the increased popularity of ready-made clothes manufacturers worked on a scale to label clothes to make buying easier. This new scale took in many factors; mainly based on the manufacturing side of things such as fabric economy, shipping space and retail display. It wasn’t until 1982 when the industry attempted to create conformity in sizing with the British standard for clothing sizes. However, implementation of this has never been mandatory but only a guide. What has made sizing tricky is the general population’s growth up and out. So where size 10 has historically been taken as the average the manufacturers have had to adapt to the consumers’ height and weight gains while keeping 10 as the average. Other factors such as differences in sizes found in different locations (think China and then America) as well economic elements (better off people are generally found to be thinner) has meant different manufacturers are using different scales in order to stay in profit and get the most out of their fabric. It’s all these complicated factors that have lead to accusations of vanity sizing.

The story has been less complex for menswear as mens' clothes have generally been labelled by measurement, not by size. However, those that have been labelled as small, medium and large have all shifted as the population has got bigger.

Quite frankly it all gives one brainache. So while this blogger reaches for the cocktail shaker (strictly as a medicinal reviver you understand) take a gander at our guide to finding a perfect fit.

Getting the Measure of Things

First things first it’s essential to know your own measurements. For measuring your size you will need bust, waist and hips; but you can measure all sorts of things including your inside leg for trouser lengths (measure from the bottom of your crotch down your leg to about 1 – 1.5'' above the floor). For the main three:

Bust – With a bra on measure around the fullest part of your chest.

Waist – Measure at the smallest part of your waist, about 1'' above your belly button. You can also find your waist by bending to the side and finding where the crease is.

Hips – Stand with feet close together and measure at the fullest part of your hips, about 7- 8'' below your waist.

If you like your clothes a little roomy for added comfort; add an inch to your scientific findings.

Make Like a Girl Guide – Be Prepared

Of course you can’t beat trying on for finding a glove-like fit, but if you don’t have time the following may come in handy.

Reading the sizes on vintage clothes can be a dark art. Some people think that we need to add three sizes to those labelled on 50’s/60’s clothes to get the modern equivalent, three sizes for 70’s fashion and one for 80’s styling. To simplify it slightly you could use a general rule of thumb to add two-three sizes to the vintage labelled size to get the modern equivalent. The picture below shows a Simplicity pattern from 1953 for designs for size 16 two pieces. The bust is a 34'', waist is 28'' and the hips 37'' - making it a modern day size 10. So, if you’re looking at a dress in size 14 you may be actually looking at a modern 8/10. It sounds a bit drastic but it’s just a number.



You could commit to memory your stats or jot down your measurements and keep them with you in your emergency shopping survival kit bag (ESSKB) so you can do your own comparison with the desired clothes’ measurements.

It is also a jolly good tip to find space in the ESSKB for your trusty measuring-tape, then you can measure the clothes if you don’t have time to try on; so you’re going by an actual measurement rather than a guesstimate on the labelled size.  This can be especially useful if the item is hand-made as it may have been customised for an individual body shape.

Frock&Roll, with the help of hard-working Sheva (the sheep measuring-tape) labels all clothes with the average modern size to make things easier and this is roughly based on the following:

Modern size:	6	8	10	12	14	16	18
Bust	31	32	34	36	38	40	42
Waist	25	26	27	29	31	33	35
Hip	35	35	37	39	41	43	45

So, there you have it: a navigation to help you through the sizing maze.

To those with a golden ticket and who are at Goodwood Revival this weekend, have a good'un.

Love Frock&Roll