A Note About Vintage Clothing Sizing
Vintage Clothing Sizing
or When is a size 12, not a 12?
When it‘s vintage
Confused about vintage clothing sizing? Today’s sizes have very little correlation to clothing size labels from past decades. Over the past 20+ years, designers and manufacturers have fed our egos by making standard size numbers smaller and smaller. Back in the 1960s, there was no size 0. The smallest size usually was a 6. Thus the legend of Marilyn Monroe wearing a size 12. Plus, today’s men and women are fitter, taller, and have much more muscle tone than people of earlier eras. Even undergarments make a difference. Today’s woman isn’t corseted, girdled, or wearing a stiff bra. So even the thinnest among us sometimes have trouble wearing vintage clothes.
When shopping for vintage clothing at MadgesHatbox look at the “measured flat” sizing in each vintage clothing listing. This means the garment was laid out flat on a table and the measurements were taken from side to side. To compare, pull a like piece from your closet. Lay it flat on a table and measure across the front at the shoulders, bust, waist, and hips. The bust measurement is taken directly under the armpit. It’s also a good idea to measure your sleeve length from the end of the shoulder to the wrist.
Keep these measurements handy and to be safe, make sure you are buying from a reputable shop like MadgesHatbox that accepts returns. If you have specific questions we are here to help. Send us an email, or text/call us at 404 850-1757. We are happy to help.