I’m just curious about this. Whenever one of the local department stores is having a sale, they’ll usually say something about what they’ve got for juniors and misses.
Is it a reference to size or body shape? Or does it mean that they are marketing to women in specific age groups?
Some of each, actually. Junior pants usually have a lower rise than Misses, for instance, and Juniors are usually marketed toward teenage girls. Misses have a more generous cut, and are where you find business casual and more dressy styles.
Juniors is, I believe, a combination of age-group targetting and body shape. It’s meant for the teen age group. Generally, a girl in that age range is a bit slimmer than the clothing in the “womens” department allows for.
Misses, I think, is similar, but meant for a “more mature” age range.
(This is why I’m jealous of men; your clothing seems so simple!)
Juniors are made in odd sizes (3, 5, 7, etc.) and Misses are made in even sizes (4, 6, 8, etc.). Juniors are made for shorter, slimmer, less busty females (teenagers) and Misses are made for a slightly taller, more mature figure. Fabric stores usually have sewing pattern books, and in the pattern books one can find examples of size ranges, with the “typical” figure for each size depicted.
Women’s sizes are also even numbered, and are made for figures that are even fuller than Misses. Women’s Petite are designed for full figures, but are proportioned for a shorter wearer.
I’m not even going to get into child and unisex sizes.
Both.
“Juniors” is usually targeted at teens, “Misses” targeted at adults. So the styles for juniors tend to be younger and more hyper trendy.
Also, the clothes are cut slightly differently. A Juniors size 8 (for a certain manufacturer) will be different than the same manufacturer’s Misses size 8 (gravity happens). Of course, given that a size 8 by manufacturer A will be different than a size 8 by manufacturer B, the ads are more about the styles that are going on sale.