When is a number not a number?

[crfriend]

The article suggested very tall or plus sized (I have also seen the word "zaftig" online). Has anybody had any experience with this?

"Zaftig", when speaking of the size of women (as opposed to womens' sizes) usually refers to either "fleshy" or "rotund" body-shapes (to use polite terms). Generally speaking, to properly qualify as "zaftig", unless somebody is trying to be deliberately insulting, would likely imply a 3- or a 4-X "size", possibly on a "petite" frame.

[Zorba]

I'm in a size 14-16 - except when I'm in a 20W...

In person shopping is much easier - I can hold the skirt up to my waist - if I can touch my sides directly above my hipbones, the skirt will fit.

[skirtilator]

Chinese vendors usually provide a size chart with the measurements. That unfortunately doesn't mean, that a perfect fit is guaranteed. My recent A-line skirt feels comfy and like tailor made while standing, but if I slightly bend over, the back slides up. The back is quite short while sitting on it. Even though I measured a 103cm waistline and I got a 106cm waist line, it feels like fitting quite nicely. There is no elastic waistband envolved.

[skirtingtheissue]

In the past I have found a particular brand/style/(official)size of jeans; then keep going back to the same to buy replacements. Same with other garments.

It is not always that easy! I've tried that (for women's jeans and long sleeve shirts) and found that manufacturers discontinue models or change specs as fashions change. So if you really like a garment, go back and get some duplicates pretty quickly.

[partlyscot]

I can relate to a lot of what has been said so far. Particularly as I sometimes have the task of tidying the women's changing rooms, and re-hanging all - those - different - sizes!

There is also another factor. One continues to grow through ones life. Feet are good example. Many people have ended up wearing the wrong size of shoes, because they assume once an adult, the size shouldn't change. Unfortunately, they do continue to get bigger, and to "spread out"

What usually happens that one keeps the same shoe size, and the s - l - o - w creep up in size, results in the foot being re-shaped to fit. As I have been spending much more time trying on shoes, and having access to many more shoes at low price, I have found that I actually wear about a size and half bigger than I thought.

The growth in other areas is also obvious, and is a cause for some regret, though I suspect if I had tried on skirts when younger, they wouldn't have hung anything like as well as they do now. (it helps to have hips that are at least a little wider than waist)