Vanity sizing, we've all heard it, and yet some of us don't truly know the concept of it. Sure you might use it in the right context but that doesn't meant that others know exactly what it means. This comes about because many of the manufacturers of vintage clothing continually do this and it's been going on since 1937. So it's nothing new but still, it should be discussed in reference to EVERY article of clothing. In the 1930's a woman with a bust size of 32 was deemed as a size 14 dress! These days we know that to be a size 2 so you can see how everything's changed to accommodate society's ways of thinking about themselves.There are two terms we're going to discuss here: Vanity Sizing and True-to-Size.
Vanity Sizing: When an pair of pants or jeans measure larger than the tagged size, this is vanity sizing. The purpose of this was because the population was getting larger but society didn't want to buy clothes that would make them feel /bigger/ so companies began to vanity size their products. Typically a pair of trousers will measure 2" larger than tagged (this is the standard), buckleback pants will measure 4" larger than tagged (because they are meant to be worn /over/ your regular clothes), and jeans will be 2-3" larger than tagged depending on the type; such as shrink-to-fit, sanforized, or unsanforized.
True-to-Size: When a tagged bottom measures exactly what the tag states. A 32 waist jean will actually measure 32 inches in the waist with a slight dip. Very few manufacturers will make any item that is true-to-size, not these days anyway as everything is simply reproductions of old styles. However one brand that does stick to this tradition is Levi's Vintage Clothing, not to be confused with regular Levi's, and Naked and Famous. The LVC line of clothing sticks to their roots from olden times as well as washes and distressing that look authentic. Naked and Famous is a brand from Canada, their sizing is also true-to-size with some of their jeans being slightly smaller.
Now that you know the difference, choosing the right size from the company should be much easier. Pass the knowledge around because it'll make you seem like a Guru to your friends. We all know that's impressive! For the most part, all clothing produced in the modern day is vanity sized, with a few exceptions and finding those exceptions can take some time but we know that LVC and Naked and Famous are two of them for starters.
Vanity Sizing: When an pair of pants or jeans measure larger than the tagged size, this is vanity sizing. The purpose of this was because the population was getting larger but society didn't want to buy clothes that would make them feel /bigger/ so companies began to vanity size their products. Typically a pair of trousers will measure 2" larger than tagged (this is the standard), buckleback pants will measure 4" larger than tagged (because they are meant to be worn /over/ your regular clothes), and jeans will be 2-3" larger than tagged depending on the type; such as shrink-to-fit, sanforized, or unsanforized.
True-to-Size: When a tagged bottom measures exactly what the tag states. A 32 waist jean will actually measure 32 inches in the waist with a slight dip. Very few manufacturers will make any item that is true-to-size, not these days anyway as everything is simply reproductions of old styles. However one brand that does stick to this tradition is Levi's Vintage Clothing, not to be confused with regular Levi's, and Naked and Famous. The LVC line of clothing sticks to their roots from olden times as well as washes and distressing that look authentic. Naked and Famous is a brand from Canada, their sizing is also true-to-size with some of their jeans being slightly smaller.
Now that you know the difference, choosing the right size from the company should be much easier. Pass the knowledge around because it'll make you seem like a Guru to your friends. We all know that's impressive! For the most part, all clothing produced in the modern day is vanity sized, with a few exceptions and finding those exceptions can take some time but we know that LVC and Naked and Famous are two of them for starters.