I hate this sort of sizing.
Why? Because I have worn a 15 misses and an 18 womans. Both pairs of jeans are in my closet right now and fit me equally well, actually the misses fits slightly better. How does that work? Especially if misses is usually sized smaller than womans?
Because there’s absolutely no standardization whatsoever between clothing manufacturers.
I currently have everything from a misses 10 to a womans 16 in my closet. All pieces (tops/bottoms/jackets/skirts) fit equally well.
Thank God they don’t put clothing sizes on tombstones 
VCNJ~
It’s because he doesn’t adhere to any single standard of beauty, I’d say. When olivesmarch4th said “I’m 5’2’’ and a size 12, very hippy and busty”, I thought she sounded like a hottie. When Flutterby said " I’m tall (6’1)… with a ‘peasants build’", I thought she sounded like a hottie too. Women come in a magnificent variety of beautiful forms, and just because your husband thinks someone who looks nothing like you is sexy doesn’t preclude him from thinking you’re hot stuff, too. I prefer women who are decidedly curvy, but I can still appreciate an attractive waifish sort too.
That, in my eyes, is the biggest crime of the fashion industry and women’s magazines – promoting a very narrow view of beauty.
The weird thing for me is…she looks off in that photo. Not unattractive, just odd, because I’m not used to seeing "super"models or people who make money being pretty looking that healthy. Not fat by any means, just regular-person normal.
She looks ‘off’ to me, but not because of her build. It’s the shiny makeup and the scary thin eyebrows that do it: they look horribly fake. But those are easily and inexpensively corrected. Her build is delicious. She could be a lot plumper and look equally good. 
mrklutz, you have such a fair and reasonable POV, and probably a lucky and confident wife at home. Too bad your post can’t be condensed and slipped into one million or so fortune cookies. Have you considered a newsletter?
No one should rely on tabloid magazines to be an authority on physical attractiveness- those mags are equally unkind to the very thin famous as well. And progress won’t be made as long as women are throwing hateful descriptors in the other direction- calling a thin woman a stick or complaining about seeing bones is just as nasty as using the word waddle. Every woman’s self image would be improved if the general public would just be a little nicer.
Sometimes my fingers get a little … quick - you know I’ma fast typer…adn somtimes i mispell thngs and dont evin no it. Thanks CAL
I’ve pretty much given up on women’s fashion; one brand’s 10-12 is another brand’s 16. Heck, some places seem proud of the fact that their jeans are cut a size smaller in the waist than in the hips…I blame sizing like that for the “muffin top” phenomenon. I’ve started buying pants and shorts in the men’s department. They’re a surprisingly nice fit, and I don’t have to worry about the waist being so low that my underpants are exposed. And besides being able to select the length, men’s pants also feature pockets, something that seems to be an afterthought on women’s pants. Now I can carry things larger than a gum wrapper!
I think Tyra looks good, by the way. I’ve actually gained a bit of respect for her now for publicly bucking the “skeletal waif” ideal.
Well, in this instance the media just might be the responsible party. I’ve read about TV casting agents and such calling size 6 women “cows.” I have a feeling they just MIGHT have something to with the problem.
[hijack]
I’m 6’ tall and for most of my adult life, I have had to buy men’s jeans to get the length. And then I visit the States and guess what? LONG women’s jeans! YAYAYAYAYAY! The pair i am wearing today, I NEED to wear heels with! No more looking like I’m waiting for a flash flood![/hijack]
On topic:
I have been as large as an Australian size 22 (US size 18-20) to my current size of Australian size 10-12 (US size 8-10). When I was a bigger girl, I was amazed at some of the attention that I got from men. Who generally did like my curves.
Most, not all, but most of the negative comments I received were from other women. I think a lot of this feedback is attributed to what the popular culture sees as beautiful through magazines and movies.
I decided to lose the weight because I hurt myself very badly in a fall and the amount of time it took me to heal worried the hell out of me. I was 28 and it took 4 months to recover. I could sense death by 35
But I lost weight not from any pressure on the outside, more a quality of life point of view (and this is only how I felt, I’m not projecting this onto anyone else). I wanted to do things like ride a bike and swim and run (and apparently do all those things that people do in tampon commercial :dubious: )
I think Tyra looks great in the beach pics. She looks healthy. She’s glowing. She’s got wonderfully shaped arms and a nice tummy and shoulders. It’s sad when society’s ideals encourage people towards an unhealthy norm. I have a friend who’s eldest daughter is in a performing arts school. At 13 a number of her friends are already developing bulimia to keep the bodies of younger girls for dancing.
I’ve seen that one on the Metro here, and it’s a freaky ad. Her arms look wrong - I think it’s been airbrushed to death.
I love the Dove “real beauty” campaign too.
No offense meant or, I hope, taken.
But when I read it, I got this really weird mental image.
(and you had to type the “B” twice)
(And notice that I didn’t even mention Hal)
(Until now.)
I think this little video is interesting, and telling.
Thank you! I was just searching for that one to post. It’s a really really good example of exactly the unrealistic ideals girls strive for.
A long time ago I used to work for a “Lads” magazine, and the amount of photoshopping of women - who are already considered very sexy and beautiful - was amazing. I saw thighs toned down, hair thickened, hair removed, once, a bellybutton replaced (because the model in question had an outty, not an inny) and a whole bunch of other things!
And COOL, too. My daughter’s reaction was: “that’s insane.”
That’s a good point. I once knew a girl who was overweight and not very attractive. We all thought that if she lost the weight, she’d be pretty. Well, over the summer, she lost a ton of weight. And? It didn’t make any difference in her face. I don’t know what the deal was with her, but she had a really unfortunate face, and it stayed that way. She also did not change her hair, her wardrobe, or her attitude. So she was still unattractive.
But that’s where we differ. It does matter, to me, because it’s my body and I finish what I start. I lost 25 pounds, but I’m not done getting in shape. I will get a flat stomach and firm thighs, for me. At work, I don’t say, “The files are pretty much in order and that’s good enough.” In the kitchen, I don’t say, “There are some crumbs on the floor but that’s good enough.” And I’m not going to say, “My stomach is still squishy, but that’s good enough.” I will fit in to the purple jeans. Not tomorrow, but soon.
Ah. All this time, I had been working under a definition of “media” that went something like the dictionary’s definition, a word meaning roughing “a means of mass communication”. I see we’re using the less common definition of “everyone involved in and slightly connected to these various forms of media, up to and including some guy blogging from his basement who calls Tyra Banks ‘Thigh-ra’”. Now I understand where these views on “The Eeeeevil Media” are coming from.
Out of curiosity, which form of “media” was responsible for foot binding and the neck-ring-stretching thing?
Well, you totally dodged MY question… what do YOU think causes this?
Of course no offense taken - you are my favorite Author on Gorgon’s… Any new releases lately?
Last week I saw a bit of news in Spanish newspapers that even my mother had to agree will be a good thing. IF it happens, IF the next government doesn’t send it to hell, IF…
The guv’mint and the biggest clothing brands have signed an agreement to standardize women’s clothing. It’s supposed to take like 5 years (we’ll have at least one national election in that time), but dangit it would be so nice, being able to tell the saleswoman “I need a 42” instead of holding up your arms and saying “dunnow, you tell me!”, to get anything between a 36 (36? MY ASS, 36! Or, rather, not ever) and a… 52? Cristo Jesús, what have I done to deserve a 52… the store across the street says I’m a 44…