There is almost no reality-based standard by which clothing is sized and labeled. It's easy to see in guys' jeans, but as the New York Times shows in an eye-opening graphic, women have it much, much worse.
The Times does suggest a ray of hope inside the maelstrom of (somewhat intentional) confusion. There's a movement afoot to create standards for sizing, and one firm, MyBestFit, is slowly rolling out a full body scanner to provide sizing guidance across all brands. In the meantime, merchandise returns will continue to be a big part of clothing retail, and charts like the Times' can only try to provide a little guidance.
Got any sizing tips, or horror stories, of your own to share? Let's hear them in the comments.
Am I a Size 4? 8? 10? Tackling a Crazy Quilt of Sizing [NYTimes.com]