How we've worn history on our feet
Small-scale retailers are often able to deliver a more consistent approach to sizing, taking into account target customers and ensuring quality control during production. As an added benefit, many independent retailers welcome customer feedback on sizing issues.
The high-speed production involved in 'fast fashion' can lead to a lack of quality control when it comes to sizing, and a failure to take into account the drape of different fabrics can also come into play.
Fast fashion is notoriously unsustainable, and with many shoppers expecting to make returns when buying high street clothes online, it's bad news for the planet.
The standard sizes brought in to keep costs low during a boom in mass-produced catalog clothing bear little resemblance to sizes today. High street retailers now appear to play fast and loose with any attempts at a logical system.
In an ideal world, everybody would be able to switch to buying from small-scale, sustainable manufacturers who prioritize the needs of both their customers and the planet.
Adding to the problem, some stores use ‘vanity sizing,’ where sizes are generously proportioned to flatter buyers into thinking they wear a smaller size, and keep them coming back to the store for the feel-good factor.
Many shoppers pack up and return their unwanted items in good faith, expecting that they will be put back up for sale. But the process of putting returned items back into stock just isn't worth the cost for many brands.
If you find shopping for clothes a frustrating experience, you’re not alone. A lack of standardized sizing in 'fast fashion' stores makes it almost impossible to know what size to shop for from one shop to the next–or even from one clothing rail to the next, as sizes can vary wildly even within one store.
While standard sizes for women's clothing were originally developed based on measurement statistics gathered in the 1940s and 1950s, they didn't prove a good fit for much of the population, as there is no 'standard' human body.
The problem is particularly visible in women’s clothing, but it can be an issue in menswear and children's clothes, too. Even shoes and sneakers tend to fit differently from one range to another!
While some retailers want to flatter customers into shopping with them, other stores are keen to position themselves as catering to a young, svelte market. These retailers will typically make their sizes especially snug, and often don't even carry larger sizes.
The effect of sizing on self-esteem shouldn't be underestimated. Many people have an idea of their 'ideal' clothing size in their mind. If they try on the size and it's roomy, this can be a major confidence boost. But if it's way too small, self-esteem can take a real blow.
Although these apps are still in their infancy, some experts claim this could change the way people shop, and make for a less frustrating customer experience as well as cutting returns costs for retailers.
Many shoppers who find that they can't fit into an item in their 'true' size can become majorly demoralized, and often refuse to buy a larger size. It can be a major blow for people with body image issues.
Actually, there are several. Forward-thinking technology companies have been fast-developing apps that will use the camera to scan your body, create a 3D rendering, and use the data to provide advice on what size to buy at a range of stores.
Instead, these items of clothing often end up going straight to the landfill, creating a clothing monster of epic proportions, with carbon emissions to match.
International e-commerce returns rates shot up by 95% between 2014 and 2019, with sizing problems the number one reason for sending something back to the shop.
But budget and time constraints mean this 'ideal' solution isn't viable for many people, and the lure of snapping up fast fashions online is often too strong to resist–even if it means returning items that will end up in landfills.
With shopping on the high street becoming an arduous experience even before the pandemic, more and more fashion enthusiasts now do their shopping online. But without the option to try something on, the chances of something actually fitting are even lower than in a physical store.
Among the biggest irritants for shoppers is the fact that many stores seem to apply a radically different approach to sizing, from one item of clothing to another. Shoppers complain of buying a well-fitting pair of jeans in one color, then buying the same jeans, in the same size, in another color, and finding them far too small.
As retailers drift further and further away from a standardized system, shopping for everyday clothing items such as jeans has become more of a test of endurance than an enjoyable spot of retail therapy.
Shoppers everywhere have become increasingly vocal about their frustrations with the system (or a lack of a system), with many members of the public taking to TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to vent their feelings.
With a negative impact on retailers, consumers, and the planet, the issue of erratic sizing creates losers on all sides.
Some high street companies are taking note. H&M, for example, began trialing 'virtual fitting rooms' in 2021. Shoppers at a number of German stores can use an in-store body scanner to create a virtual avatar, on which to 'try on' clothes via an app.
For many online shoppers, the ability to return clothes easily, and get a full refund, is imperative–nobody wants to waste money on clothes that don't fit. In the UK, a 2018 report by Barclaycard suggested that almost half of the money spent on clothes by UK shoppers ended up being refunded.
Other innovations include apps that use smartphone sensors and gyroscopes to work out dimensions, and some retailers are starting to offer AR tools that provide an online idea of how clothes will look on different body types.
Changing the way sizing works could ultimately help reduce the horrific impact of fast fashion on the environment. According to a report from the United Nations Economic Commission, the clothing industry is responsible for 10% of the world's carbon emissions.
As much as it's true that there's no 'standard' human body shape or size, it's clear that the current model of high street sizing is failing on all fronts. With customers and environmental agencies calling for change, hopefully shoppers will soon have a less frustrating experience–and finally find jeans that fit!
Sources: (BBC) (Dazed)
See also: Luxury brands that no longer use fur
Helping customers 'try before they buy' could be beneficial for all concerned, with less disappointment for buyers and less returns getting lost in the landfill.
Trying to find clothes that actually fit? The struggle is real. That pair of jeans that's your perfect size in one store may be far too small in another, and sometimes sizes vary radically even from item to item within the same store. Not only is erratic clothing sizing a frustrating issue for shoppers, it's also having a heavy impact on the environment, with many returns ending up in the landfill.
What's a fashion fan to do? Click through the following gallery to find out why high street sizing is so problematic, and what, if anything, is being done about it.
Why high street fashion sizing is so problematic
Inconsistent sizing is frustrating for shoppers, and bad for the planet
FASHION Shopping
Trying to find clothes that actually fit? The struggle is real. That pair of jeans that's your perfect size in one store may be far too small in another, and sometimes sizes vary radically even from item to item within the same store. Not only is erratic clothing sizing a frustrating issue for shoppers, it's also having a heavy impact on the environment, with many returns ending up in the landfill.
What's a fashion fan to do? Click through the following gallery to find out why high street sizing is so problematic, and what, if anything, is being done about it.