more ongoing clothing sizing angst *sigh*

[lupinbunny]

i'm trying to design some stuff, so was looking up standard american sizing (i'm australian, but other than different numbers to mark the size, i think we use the same proportions) and... argh!
leaving aside the whole 'doesn't reflect modern women' issue... i'm confused by 'misses' and 'women's' sizing. to me, misses would be teenage girl sizing, but the actual sizing numbers and measurements are (approximately) those of adults, while the smallest 'women's' size would be swimming on me(38 inch bust... uh no)! so.... just to check... most american women wear clothing in misses sizing, right?

[homebunnyj]

Yah... women's really is more like plus size... fat sizes. I wear an 18/20.

Years ago, misses sizes were for a taller figure, and women's sizes were more short-waisted and larger-hipped. But they changed RTW sizes around 1990 and now I'm not sure of the differences. 

[Kaitlinnegan]

"Juniors" would be the teenage girl sizing.  I would think that aside from Misses and Women's sizing actually using different measurements (like an 18 and an 18W would be different), there might also be extra ease in Women's patterns, assuming (correctly or incorrectly) that plus sized figures don't want as tight of a fit.  I could be wrong, though.  I've found even misses patterns tend to have a lot of ease -- by my measurements I am between an 18 and a 20 (misses), but often a 16 fits me best.  Well, good luck!  It is rather confusing.

[homebunnyj]

There used to be a big diff between misses and women's. Unfortunately, the W designation is most commonly found in larger sizes. They are not proportioned the same as misses. I hate that, because the misses proportions were much better for me.

Junior sizes are basically a little smaller in the bust than misses, maybe a smidge smaller in the waist. They usually come in hipper styles than the misses do.

Young juniors are the reallly small early-teen sizes, for when you grow out of girls but don't yet fill out the junior/miss sizes.

This may help:  http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfm?page=section/fittips/meas_charts/EI_measchar.htm#junior

[Sorcha Griannon]

Junior sizing usually smaller in the bust and hips then misses' sizes.  Junior's are meant for early teens to, possibly, early 20's, but unfortunately, I see too many 40-50-somethings shopping in that section. 
Misses sizes are for your normal, average, sizes.  Womens, like others have stated, are for us big women.

Sorcha

[lupinbunny]

right. coz here the 'junior' section of the shop would be called the 'misses' section... as in, to designate the place with younger styled clothing.

just frustratingly misleading names.

[i.am.flowerchild]

lupinbunny,

Australia and US don't have the same sizing guide.  Our Australian Size 10 is more equivalent to a US Size 4.

UK sizes are closer to ours than the US ones.

[mmd32]

lupinbunny,

Australia and US don't have the same sizing guide.  Our Australian Size 10 is more equivalent to a US Size 4.

UK sizes are closer to ours than the US ones.

I'm American, and when I come to Australia, I just shop for the next size up. In the States, I would wear 10, so in Australia, I get twelve.

Juniors in the States is like the sizing in Supre in Australia...for young people, with not completely developed figures. Women's in the States are for plus sizes...built along the more generous lines. Most people do shop in the Miss's section, if they are average size.

[talmina]

lupinbunny,

Australia and US don't have the same sizing guide.  Our Australian Size 10 is more equivalent to a US Size 4.

UK sizes are closer to ours than the US ones.

I thought Lupinbunny was saying that our sizes are proportionally the same as US sizes of different numbers, there was definately an acknowledgement of a different numbering system there.  But yes, UK sizes are a pretty close match from what I can work out.