Sizing for clothing brands is often different. The size I wear in one brand often changes by one, or sometimes two sizes within a brand or among different brands.  Some brands seem to run small, others run true to size, and some run huge! This can make it challenging to shop online because I can’t try an item on for size.

Clothing sites often have reviews, videos of models wearing the item, and a spot to find your true fit.  This can be helpful, however, I find that most of my favorite items are items that I have actually bought in a store. I often try to stick to my tried and true brands like Rebecca Taylor, Paige jeans, Madewell, Bailey 44, Vince and Parker.  Typically, their sizing is consistent for the items that I buy which certainly makes it easier to buy items online without trying them on.

Currently, I am enrolled in Parsons Online Fashion Certificate program. One of our assignments was to try on various clothing by different clothing brands from a department store and compare the difference in sizing.  This activity was a lot of fun and confirmed my issue with sizing.

The only department store that didn’t require a 45 minute drive from my town was TJ Maxx. TJ Maxx has an amazing contemporary brands section and certainly has a variety of brands.  I chose to try on items by Hudson, Free People, Cloth & Stone and Blank NYC.

 

I tried on two pairs of Hudson jeans in different styles and in two different sizes.  Typically I am a size 26 or 27 in other brands, although I had never tried the Hudson line before. I decided to grab a size 27 and a size 26 in each style. The black pair that I tried on was a low rise flare jeans in a size 27. It ran so small! While the length was too long and it was roomy in the leg, I couldn’t even button them! I would have had to go up at least one size in this style. The straight jeans with the red stripe in the same brand was a size 26. It fit slightly large, yet was comfy and I could have made them work!

There were three items that I tried on from Free People: a dress, an oversized plaid shirt and a floral top.  The dress fit perfectly in a size XS although I am typically a size S. The oversized plaid shirt in size S was enormous! It fit like an XL. The floral top in size S fit true to size and fit me well.  Free People sizing was all over the place!

Blank NYC is a brand that I have been loving lately! They have some of the most amazing jackets especially for Fall. I decided to try the exact same style in different colors, and I tried on both jackets in a size S. The black jacket fit perfectly, while the red jacket was slightly tight in the arms and shoulders.  It was so interesting that these pieces were nearly the same and fit so differently!

Another part of my Parson’s assignment was to try on several of the same item on in the same size. I chose to try on a few of the same Cloth & Stone plaid button downs in size S. I found that some of the Cloth & Stone button downs ran wider while others ran narrower.  I also found the length to vary, as the length on some of the shirts were longer than on others.

I learned a tremendous amount from this experience. I decided that it is best to shop in a store for items if you can, especially jeans, due to the variation in sizing among and within a brand.  If shopping in an actual store isn’t possible, find an online retailer with an easy return policy. That way you can quickly exchange or return an item that didn’t fit you right. I hope you have enjoyed my commentary on clothing brand sizing. What are your thoughts as to why clothing brand sizing is so different? Do you prefer to shop online for clothing or at a store?