features@ihuxf.UUCP (aMAZon) (10/28/85)
> Well, the discussion started out talking about dress shirts (the sort > you'd wear with a tie). Those generally come with separately specified > collar and sleeve sizes. Let's bring this back to net.women by > noting how unfair it is that women's clothes use single component > sizes while men's generally have two component sizes... > -- > scott preece > gould/csd - urbana > ihnp4!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!preece About the only way a woman can now get something that fits exactly right everywhere is a) to be born a perfect model size or b) have everything custom-made to fit. It's amazing how much better someone can look when she's wearing something made for her proportions. It's a revelation to have something made after a lifetime of ready-to-wear. Furthermore, when buying suits, Marshall Field's (a fairly well-known store in the Chicago area), male customers would get the alterations free. Women had to pay per alteration. Field's was threatened with a lawsuit, and now everyone has to pay for everything done. Has anyone ever made sense of the difference in sizing between misses, juniors, petites, women? I mean, it's really odd when you have sizes 6,8,10,12,14,16,18,40,42,44... (one wonders what happened to 20-38!) It would be so much simpler if we could buy stuff *by measurement*, say, of length and width. -- aMAZon @ AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL; ihnp4!ihuxf!features *open to possibilities*
hrs@homxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) (10/29/85)
Sizing problems occur in both men's and women's clothes. There are just too many variables. The assumption now seems to be that men are perfectly cilindrical and women hyperbolic. If I buy a suit, which goes by jacket size (actually the chest circumference) to get the jacket to fit, the pants are often too tight, either at the waist or hips. The latter seems to be related to whether the European or American variant on the cilinder are used, i.e. cone or inverted cone respectively. For women there seem to be three models, junior, misses, and women. The sizes for the first two seems to be a series ofinterleaved integers, not referring to a particular body measurement. Women's sizes apparently use the cilindrical model. Perhaps we should go back to the toga, one size fits all. Herman Silbiger ihnp4!homxb!hrs
cheryl@lasspvax.UUCP (Cheryl Stewart) (10/30/85)
>If I buy a suit, which goes by jacket size (actually the >chest circumference) to get the jacket to fit, the pants >are often too tight, either at the waist or hips. The latter >seems to be related to whether the European or American Which is EXACTLY why skirts are so great! Once you find the jacket that looks the best on you, the skirt is BOUND to fit, and if it doesn't, skirts are TRIVIAL to take in or hem. Now a fitted jacket is a drag to get fitted. But everybody knows how tacky fitted jackets can be, especially when they don't really fit. But then, for women anyway, the most formal suits have straight lines, and no lapel (a la Coco Chanel). The easier a style is to fit, the more fitting it will look. I have a hell of a time finding jeans to fit, and man-style shirts to fit. I have no problem whatever getting suits & blouses off the rack. I have a "lumpy" body -- not a "model" body. Chanel suits make me look like a female version of the perfect man: " ...filthy rich, able to fuck 12 hours a day, with a lifetime supply of cocaine, and GETS roses every day..." Cheryl Stewart
booter@lll-crg.ARpA (Elaine Richards) (10/30/85)
My way of dealing with oddly sized women's clothing is to go to the store and raid the men's department. Men's size small sweaters have arms that are long enough and shoulders narrow enough. Men's jeans come with a nice long long inseam (34"). Men's shirts? Fine. A friend gave me half a dozen because the sleeves were too short and some were too small around the middle.Men's sneakers are nice and wide around the toes. It is nicer to the ego to get size six sneakers that feel comfortable than size nine "for ladies". Skirts are easy. Forget sizes. Go for pockets. Gentlemen, feel free to raid the ladies' dept. Tell them booter said it was OK. E *****
jcp@osiris.UUCP (Jody Patilla) (11/02/85)
> >If I buy a suit, which goes by jacket size (actually the > >chest circumference) to get the jacket to fit, the pants > >are often too tight, either at the waist or hips. The latter > >seems to be related to whether the European or American > > Which is EXACTLY why skirts are so great! Once you find the > jacket that looks the best on you, the skirt is BOUND to fit, > and if it doesn't, skirts are TRIVIAL to take in or hem. > Not so, I fear. I wear a size 12 or a 14 jacket and a size 6 or 8 skirt (even tho, mind you, the top and bottom measurements are symetrical!) Taking 3 or 4 inches in on a skirt can often ruin the lines of it , especially if it has pleats, tucks and/ir side pockets (and who wants a skirt with no pockets ?). I like to wear suits in the winter, but I don't buy any unless I can get the jacket and skirt in separate sizes, or else I make my own. -- jcpatilla