There is something very sneaky and sinister going on in the fashion world and I think I'm the last to figure it out. Designers are lying to women … and we’re loving every minute of it!
A fashion designer’s latest salvo in the customer experience area is called Vanity Sizing.
A number of years ago a new size was introduced to unsuspecting consumers … Size 0. We all know the Size 0 lady: no hips, no waist, and certainly no pecan pie has ever touched her lips. She’s not even a lady, but some pre-pubescent “woman-girl” who likes designer duds.
The first time I knew there was a Size 0 in stores was when I was trying on some clothes at Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street a little while back. I was desperately in need of a pair of funky jeans and was in the change room trying to squeeze myself into a very tight pair of Burberry pants. Just as I was inhaling as deeply as I could to pull up the zipper, a lady in the next change room yelled out to the sales associate, “This Size 2 is too big. Can you please bring me a zero?” I was so disturbed that I felt like running to the nearest Harvey’s and shoving a great big Angus Burger down her throat.
And then I realized the Burberry jeans had slid quite nicely over my J.Lo thighs. “I’m a Size 6!” I almost shouted at the lady next door. “I’ve never been a Size 6 in jeans.” I was on such a high that I ended up trying on Calvin Klein pants, a Ralph Lauren jacket, and a Donna Karan blouse, with my sizes ranging anywhere from 4 to 6! “This is amazing!” I thought. “Either I’m losing weight or my flab is shifting!”
Sadly, I knew the jig was up when I walked into the Betsey Johnson shop in Yorkville and managed to get into a Size 2 frilly camisole. The last time I was a Size 2 … I was two years old. Something was amiss.
And then it finally hit me. I’m not getting any thinner. Rather, designers are getting shifty with their sizing and giving us gals the biggest ego boost ever in return for brand loyalty. Designers have figured out how to get a positive brand experience from consumers simply by dressing that Rubenesque Size 14 gal into a Size 10 dress. If you’re a classic Size 8 (the average woman’s size), you’ll be dipping into a Size 6 or 4 easily these days. And it’s not just my conspiracy theory mentality. Every woman I know is talking about this new “thin” phenomenon and a number of press around this subject.
A fashion designer’s latest salvo in the customer experience area is called Vanity Sizing.
A number of years ago a new size was introduced to unsuspecting consumers … Size 0. We all know the Size 0 lady: no hips, no waist, and certainly no pecan pie has ever touched her lips. She’s not even a lady, but some pre-pubescent “woman-girl” who likes designer duds.
The first time I knew there was a Size 0 in stores was when I was trying on some clothes at Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street a little while back. I was desperately in need of a pair of funky jeans and was in the change room trying to squeeze myself into a very tight pair of Burberry pants. Just as I was inhaling as deeply as I could to pull up the zipper, a lady in the next change room yelled out to the sales associate, “This Size 2 is too big. Can you please bring me a zero?” I was so disturbed that I felt like running to the nearest Harvey’s and shoving a great big Angus Burger down her throat.
And then I realized the Burberry jeans had slid quite nicely over my J.Lo thighs. “I’m a Size 6!” I almost shouted at the lady next door. “I’ve never been a Size 6 in jeans.” I was on such a high that I ended up trying on Calvin Klein pants, a Ralph Lauren jacket, and a Donna Karan blouse, with my sizes ranging anywhere from 4 to 6! “This is amazing!” I thought. “Either I’m losing weight or my flab is shifting!”
Sadly, I knew the jig was up when I walked into the Betsey Johnson shop in Yorkville and managed to get into a Size 2 frilly camisole. The last time I was a Size 2 … I was two years old. Something was amiss.
And then it finally hit me. I’m not getting any thinner. Rather, designers are getting shifty with their sizing and giving us gals the biggest ego boost ever in return for brand loyalty. Designers have figured out how to get a positive brand experience from consumers simply by dressing that Rubenesque Size 14 gal into a Size 10 dress. If you’re a classic Size 8 (the average woman’s size), you’ll be dipping into a Size 6 or 4 easily these days. And it’s not just my conspiracy theory mentality. Every woman I know is talking about this new “thin” phenomenon and a number of press around this subject.
So how is this even possible? Well, with the mass introduction of Size 0, which essentially is a Size 2, all of the clothes we are trying on now have moved down a notch or two to accommodate making the twos feel like zeros. And, of course, they’re adding Lycra to everything from bras to jeans to evening gowns making it so much easier to slide into our teensy-sized clothes. Lycra seems to be everywhere – hey, I think there’s even a hint of it in my furniture polish!
Suffice to say, designers are having a field day with the female mind by helping them buy into the slim myth. The good news is that there’s really no harm being done here. It’s a win-win for everyone: designers get repeat business and women get size bragging rights.
Now if only those designer price tags would downsize, too…!
