Monday Musings – Sizing Charts & Animal Print
Happy Monday ladies. I’m a big fan of one-and-done dressing because it’s so easy. That means a jumpsuit or a dress for me and I haven’t found too many jumpsuits that feel effortless to wear 🙂 There’s that whole restroom issue as well as bending over and having the rise remind you it’s an issue.
A dress, on the other hand, is easy peasy but many feel too dressy for my lifestyle so I’m always happy to discover one that’s casual.
As always, you can click the red text for more info and to shop the item.
I spotted this super casual knit dress in Target last week and decided it was perfect for a casual day. In an era when many retailers are cutting back their size options, I’m always delighted to find a retailer who isn’t! This dress comes in 3 colors, in womens and womens plus size XS-4X.
That sizing is wonderful for several reasons. It’s not called, regular and plus which might imply a plus size is not regular which could not be further from the truth. At least 70% of women wear a size 14 or above which gets classified as a plus… shouldn’t those sizes be classified as regular?
SIZING CHARTS
This brings me to one of the things on my mind this week…sizing and the labels that are put on women by clothing brands. As fun as it can be to try on and buy new clothes, it’s frustrating to have confusing size labels and categories. Women come in all shapes and sizes and no one size it better than the other. I try on a lot of clothes and I’m often puzzled by the way different sizes are categorized.
And what the heck is “misses”? Is that as opposed to Mrs? Then we can go down the rabbit hole of comparing one brand size chart to another. We know there is no standard or parity between brands.
The subject of vanity sizing is an entire post on its own. Suffice to say, we’re all victims of it whether we think we are or not. Zipping up a pair of jeans labeled 8 shouldn’t make us feel any happier than zipping up a pair labeled a 12…but they seem to. Brands know this and they play to women’s insecurity by vanity sizing. Their bottom line is money, not the joy and confidence of the women buying their clothes. My tiny rant is over, but it’s an important conversation.
My necklace is old as the hills and has a silver metal medallion. My earrings have a gold metal finish. They flow because they’re both labradorites. Mixing metals should be done at your pleasure so please ignore all rules thrown at you.
ANIMAL PRINT
I use animal print in all shades as a neutral. It’s one of the few prints I do wear. I started to ponder why some women love it and some never wear it. It’s a personal preference of course, but why?
Some women feel strong, stylish, and powerful wearing animal print. Others find it trashy, tasteless, and low class. Is there a right or wrong answer? Of course not. It’s called personal choice and I encourage you to express yours with delight… whichever side of the faux pelt you come down on.
I’ve been wearing and loving these Rothy’s flats since my daughter and I discovered these during a shopping trip in 2019. I brought mine to Vancouver this week and she picked me up at the airport wearing hers. For me, animal print is both timeless and easy so I always keep an eye out for fun accessories to add to my collection.
Here are a few cool-toned animal prints that crossed my radar this week-
What are your thoughts on sizing? If this topic interests you, please pin this post to Pinterest so other women can join our conversation.
Thanks for reading and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
I hear you about the sizing issues. I really need xs in everything and most brands don’t even come in that size. It’s harder then ever to find petites also. I love all things leopard!
Dear Jennifer,
I absolutely love your postings ….I hear
all the ladies frustrations with sizing !!
Look forward everyday to read what you say and what you’re wearing.
I don’t know, I don’t really care about the number on the label. It just gives me a general idea of what size I am. Sometimes it’s M or 10/12, sometimes a medium is 12/14 at another store. Sometimes I am a large as a 12. But I have to say, vanity or not, I love it that I wear a 0.5 at Chico’s! It is what it is and doesn’t bother me, although I agree, at times it is frustrating.
I love animal prints! I have them in all different scales in tops, dressed and shoes! I think they’re attractive and fun.
I love your outfit today; especially the shoes. Love the cool tone tops you show too…thanks for that. I’m catching up from yesterday.
So long as we know what size fits…:) Have a great day, Nancy
I don’t like to wear animal prints not because I think they’re trashy, but because I’m a conservative dresser, and they seem showy and ostentatious to me.
Knowing why and being true to yourself is the easiest way to dress with confidence. Bravo, Janet
I’m with you on the sizing rant. ‘Their bottom line is money, not the joy and confidence of the women buying their clothes. ‘ Have you noticed that the more expensive the outfit the smaller the size you take? Why does Chico have to have regular sizes in brackets after their weird sizing? Is it so you can say you wear a 1.5 rather than a 10? Why can they make men’s clothing fit different shapes and sizes and label them as such ( ie shirts with sleeve lengths and collar sizes). Even for little boys they have regular and husky.
Enjoy your posts! Always good tips and points!!
Over the past year or so, I have gained weight — mostly in my mid-section, and now have a terrible time finding the right fit in my clothing. My size range is all over the place — size 10 to size 14. It depends on the brand which is totally frustrating. Pants are the worst. If I can’t try on in-person (which was pretty much the case during 2020) I’ll shop online only to the places that offer free shipping/returns. I haven’t shopped Nordstrom … think that might be a good place!!!
I do love animal print — it’s fun and stylish to me. However, I’m careful not to go overboard.
Love that dress — it’s so cute paired with the jean jacket. I’m a frequent Target shopper and plan to look for that dress!!!
I shop at Nordstrom a lot because their customer service is amazing, the selection is awesome and shipping is always free!
Love animal prints! May I ask which size is the Target dress you are wearing? About to order. Thanks!
I am wearing a small
I especially get aggravated when I want to purchase different colors of the same pants, and each color fits differently! WHY?!?
YES! That makes no sense at all but happens to me too
I’ve been told the dye reacts differently on the cloth, making some a tighter fit. I used to work for Talbots and that is what they told us.
@Namcy: Because they are industrial manufactured. In other words even the same colour of pant will have size variation as fabric is ‘stacked’ when cutting, so due to progression the ones on the bottom for example are larger than those above them, but seam lines remain the same. -Brenda-
Exactly! Has nothing to do with the color of the fabric!
The whole size/weight thing drives me nuts. Did you know 30% of people who have a normal BMI are unhealthy? And those considered overweight may have healthy numbers.
As a society we should be looking at our individual health numbers like BP, cholesterol and glucose no matter our weight!
I’m healthy and a size 10.
I agree, Dot. BP, glucose levels, thyroid numbers, and cholesterol are much more important!
I’m with your follower Janice with the Nordstrom comment. I wanted to try jeans from other makers and had to order different sizes. The free return policy was used a few times to get my size right. Vanity sizing is a problem for me too. I know the sizing is messed with because I wore a 2 when I was 20. I’m 64 now. Bodies change. But they fit?
Animal prints are ok for accessories on me but tops are a problem. My face looks drab next to the shades of warm browns/tans. Some are a little too “golden” which is not a good color near my fair cool /skin. The cobra patterns are OK in black/white/gray.
Sizing is also an issue for me. I too have a large bustline, so I am now buying Plus size 1X or 2X . The shoulders are often to large for my frame. I wear size 16 slacks. I have a 30” inseam so I need to purchase slacks with longer legs. Most slacks and jeans don’t come in long or tall. When I do find longer legs, the slacks must be hemmed. I hem my own slacks because my grandmother taught me to sew 50 years ago. Clothes shopping can be really frustrating!
I’m glad I learned to sew because I often need to alter the length of sleeves, skirts, and pants.