Decoding women's clothing sizes

Shopping for clothes is often confusing because sizing charts are not consistent across brands

- Amanda Chai

When it comes to buying clothes online, do you really know your size? Why is it that you could be a size S based on the sizing chart of one brand, yet an M in another?

In a survey conducted by The Straits Times of 105 women, 81.9 per cent said they do not buy the same clothing size at every brand. About 58.1 per cent did not know their bust, waist and hip measurements.

Common fit challenges that respondents faced when shopping online included struggling with pant legs that were too long (43 per cent) and struggling with tops that were too tight at the bust (39 per cent). Almost half said they "sometimes" get the size right from using size charts online.

Local retailers that ST spoke to say there is no easy answer to address these perennial pain points - just as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to clothing.

In its latest interactive feature (str.sg/viz-sizes), ST attempts to demystify the confusing world of women's clothing sizes.

HISTORY OF SIZING CHARTS

Globally, the birth of the first rudimentary size charts can be traced back to the early 1900s, as a direct result of wartime activity.

Military needs during World War I created a demand for mass-produced clothing and accelerated the development of sizing systems, as soldiers were measured en masse. These systems were adapted by retailers for commercial use, although inconsistencies remained and they failed to capture the diversity of body shapes and sizes.

While men's clothing - developed based on a single chest measurement - was first to become industrialised, womenswear, with its breadth of styles and silhouettes, took longer to catch on.

Widely influenced by the West, Singapore, too, faced these fit challenges when transitioning to a ready-to-wear society. Contrary to popular belief, the nation was once the regional hub of fashion activity, with a rich garment-manufacturing past.