Sizing Insanity!

"What size are you?" My answer is, "It depends ..." There is a lack of sizing standardization across designers/companies and even within a single size for a particular brand. Read Newsweek's Susanna Schrobsdorff article overviewing the fashion industry's challenges keeping up with changing demographics and body types. An excerpt follows:

Don't assume that the contemporary woman is wearing a bigger size than her grandmother might have. "According to standard size measurements, that average 155 pound woman should be wearing a size 16, but thanks to vanity-sizing, she's probably buying a size 10 or 12," says Jim Lovejoy, the industry director for the SizeUSA survey. "Most companies aren't using the standard ASTM [American Society for Testing and Materials] sizes any more. Sizes have been creeping up a half inch at a time so that women can fit into smaller sizes and feel good about it." Think of vanity-sizing as self-delusion on a mass scale.

Know your measurements. Get sales assistance (if possible). Try on a lot of clothes. Don't let the actual size bother you; go for FIT!!! Know which designer's sizing fits you best. Use a seamstress to make necessary alterations. When you find a pair of pants that fit perfectly, buy 2 pairs! Any strategies on dealing with size confusion? Do men have vanity-sizing? Weigh in.