Confused about your clothing size? The fashion sizing system may not be for you after all. Here’s how to understand your clothing size and reclaim your confidence.
Let’s be honest, trying on clothes in a fitting room can really test your patience. You walk in with five dresses, all supposedly your clothing size, and walk out wondering if your body changed overnight. One glides on effortlessly, another refuses to zip, and a third fits your waist but not your hips. You’re not imagining it. Fashion sizing is the culprit.
The truth is, the modern clothing system was never designed to fit everyone. It was built around a narrow, outdated idea of what a “standard” body should look like, and that rarely reflects the way all bodies curve, move, and exist in the real world.
Why fashion’s sizing system feels like a guessing game
Before mass production, clothes were made-to-measure. A tailor took your exact measurements and made garments that fit you. Tailors measured, pinned, and adjusted until every seam hugged your shape. When the ready-to-wear industry expanded in the 20th century, brands needed a method to produce clothing that could fit “most people”, leading to the development of standard sizing. However, those standards were based on a limited range of body types; mainly slim, white and Western, and they haven’t evolved much after that. As a result, the system we still use today doesn’t reflect the wide diversity of real body types around the world. So when you see sizes like 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12, know that they were created for simplicity, not accuracy.
What do number sizes even mean?
Although these sizes seem straightforward, they get tricky. A US size 4 translates to a UK size 8, which is roughly a European 36. On paper, it all seems precise until you try the clothes on. Across brands, those numbers start to lose their meaning.
Even with these conversions, a “size 6” in one label might fit like an “8” or shrink to a “4” in another. That’s because every brand builds its garments using different fit models. This is usually a prototype body, representing their idea of the “ideal” customer. If your body doesn’t mirror that model’s proportions — perhaps you have fuller hips, a shorter torso, or a smaller waist— the clothes will never quite sit the way you think they should. So no, it’s not your body, it’s the system.
Fashion loves to speak the language of inclusivity, but clothing sizing doesn’t reflect this. Most brands still rely on outdated body data built around narrow, straight proportions, ignoring the countless women whose bodies curve in different, beautiful ways.
Even in plus-size fashion, the problem persists. Many patterns simply scale up from smaller templates, and designers give little thought to how fuller hips, thighs, or busts actually change the structure of a garment. The result is pieces that look inclusive on paper but feel uncomfortable in real life. Because, irrespective of how it’s labelled, one formula can not possibly fit everybody.
Read also: For plus-size people, they don’t tend to understand our body – Ufa Dania
The curvaceous body and fashion sizing
For African women, the gap between standard sizing and reality is even wider. Our bodies often celebrate curves, fuller hips, defined waists and thicker thighs, yet most clothing patterns aren’t built with that body frame in mind.
Take me, for instance. I’m a typical UK size 10 but with a fuller bust, and finding a dress that fits straight off the rack feels like a miracle. Most times, I end up sizing up just so it fits across my chest, then I have the dress sent to a tailor for adjustments. It’s a constant dance between what fits technically and what feels right on my body. The message this sends, subtly but constantly, is that my body is somehow “off-size.”
When global fashion ignores curvaceous proportions, it does more than create ill-fitting clothes. It reinforces the idea that some bodies are “standard” while others are “difficult.” However, our bodies were never the problem; they’re simply the proof that beauty and proportion exist far beyond a single pattern or size chart.
How do you actually understand your clothing size?
Until fashion fully catches up, here’s how to take control of your own fit journey:
Know your measurements
Your bust, waist, and hip measurements in inches are far more reliable than size tags. Keep them handy when shopping. Some brands also allow you to send in your precise measurements.
Compare size charts, don’t assume
Check each brand’s chart before buying. The same number can mean something completely different; it changes from one store to another.
Look for brands that fit your shape, not just your size
Some African and diaspora designers like Andrea Iyamah, Hanifa, Bawsty and Tongoro, intentionally design for curvier, more diverse body shapes.
Stop apologising to the mirror
When something doesn’t fit, don’t blame your body. The clothing failed you, not the other way around.
The new fashion standard: real bodies, real fit
In truth, the future of fashion should look more like us — bold, diverse, unapologetic. African women have always redefined beauty through shape, colour, and presence. Our bodies deserve to be celebrated and not resized to fit outdated moulds. As African and global designers continue to redefine what “standard” means, we move closer to a world where clothes celebrate every form they’re draped over.
This is what real inclusivity looks like: not only offering bigger sizes, but designing with different shapes, proportions, and cultures in mind. Because true style isn’t about size. It’s about fit and how you feel in your own skin.
Try having a different mindset the next time you’re in a fitting room. If a dress won’t slip past your hips or your bust feels trapped in a size that’s “supposed” to fit, it’s probably not about weight gain. You simply encountered another flaw in a system built for someone else. Your body doesn’t need to shrink to fit the clothes. The clothes need to evolve to fit you.
Read more: Is there real inclusivity in fashion — or just a marketing strategy?
