Powder Shopper: Sizing Me Up

Is outerwear shopping as scary as bathing suit shopping? I hope not! So why are we sometimes a size small in one brand and a size large in another?

Well you should be happy to know that your butt isn't getting larger (hopefully). The problem is that different brands size differently. Some brands use juniors sizing and others use misses sizing and even within one type of sizing there's variations in fits.

Obviously the best thing to do is go try it on. However if you want to know beforehand or are doing some online shopping, the secret is in the sizing charts. It helps if you know your measurments or have a tape measure handy. Then take your measurements and  find out where you fit in the chart.

I went out on the web to find some size charts. The first one is from Roxy.  As you can see their size numbers are odd - indicating this is juniors sizing. Roxy waist sizes range from 22" to 31".  The next chart is from Betty Rides. I think the height/weight is a little weird, but you can see their waist sizes range from 23" - 36". 

The third chart is for Burton and they have the largest waist sizes going from 28"-38". I have not included the Burton White Collection chart, but this range is junior sizes. For the pants they don't use S/M/L; they actually use size numbers from 0-11 like you'd find in streetwear. White Collection waist sizes range from 25"-31". This would be similar to Roxy sizing. The last chart is from The North Face and their waist sizes go from 24.5" to 34".

I looked at many websites and couldn't find any size charts on more than half of them. I think this is a major oversight by these brands.

Besides the sizing you also need to consider fit. Some brands' fits are baggier than others so even if you are the same size in two brands it might fit totally differently on you.  Burton has taken this to a new level by offering three fits within their line: slim, signature, and team.The team fit is longer and baggier. I tried a Team Fit Burton Cherish Jacket on at the Burton Soho Store, and I could definitely see the difference from the Signature and Slim fit pieces.

The moral of this story is to be a smart shopper. Try things on - and if you can't do that or find a size chart then make sure the store has a good return policy. Look for sites that have reviews and sizing charts for the brands they carry. I know dogfunk.com has charts for every brand they carry - even for brands that don't have charts on their own websites. Lastly, ask around. Just on this site we've got thousands of women who've probably tried on tons of different brands. Post a question on our forum and I'm sure you'll get some answers.

Happy Shopping!