Hi Louise!
I'm beginning to think that getting that mini-tape measure might be my next move...
The bra-sizing situation is a complete debacle - it's as if even the bra manufacturers have totally forgotten that the numbers are supposed to relate to measurements.
And the fact that the measuring methods advocated by the major providers (hang your heads in shame, Marks and Spencer!) turn everyone into an ill-fitted 34C or 36C kills me...
Popped back in to post these comments from
Fashion Era
which characteristically goes off on a bit of a tangent. I'm guessing Fashion-Era's Pauline knows what she's talking about, but alas, the basis for this summary is as mysterious as any other reference to sizing standardization I've seen.
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Sizing in vintage is a minefield.
50 years ago if a garment in UK was originally a size 34 it meant that it was a size 34 bust and size 36 hip. A review of standard sizing was brought in throughout the UK in the sixties. Dress patterns changed to sizes such as 12, 14, 16 etc. Clothes which went over a size 42 in the fifties and sixties were usually called outsize and extra outsize. This sizing was often seen on nightwear for some years after the introduction of British Standard Sizing. USA sizing is also different, so whatever country you are from check out sizing thoroughly.
Women were much slimmer in the 1950s or in earlier periods than now. You would never have seen a larger woman exposing her flesh 50 years ago in the way that an overweight teen girl might show her belly button stud in hipsters today with fat plunging over it. If you were fatter than the ideal you covered the fat up in alternative styles of a tent like or straight down shift like sack dress.
One reason for trying to keep the weight down was quite simply that it was very difficult to buy any fashionable garment over a size UK 14 in the main fashion shops and even then they were cut very skimpily. Some ranges did go up to a UK 16, but only very occasionally up to an 18. If they went up to a UK 18 they probably had lost the fashion edge.
An important factor with sizing is the physique. No one really pumped iron in the UK until late 70s. Going to the gym to workout was not usual. It was harder to put on weight from snack food then as Pizza was available in about one place in central London as I recall. The main snack bar of the era nationwide was Wimpy. A curry or steak on a Saturday night was the norm rather than deep fried snack food and the portion size even of a wimpy was much smaller. Also central heating was getting better, but still not everywhere, so people burned off more fat and walked more after an evening out. Taxis were only just taking off in the UK provinces for a night out.
In the UK the masses shopped at (some now defunct) nationwide chain stores such as C and A, Marks and Spencer, Richards, Wallis, Debenhams, Etams, Dorothy Perkins, The Cooperative Society, Neatawear, British Home Stores and Evans Outsizes. Large sizes were only really available in specialist areas within C and A Modes and Evans. Marks and Spencer (St. Michael) stopped many styles at a UK 14 or UK 16, but did do a limited range of some clothes to a UK 18. Evans was then very frumpy and where the desperate went just to get clothes to cover the body.
Small women often bought from junior departments within stores and got a cheaper item. Shops like Richards usually made the bulk of the high fashion range up to a UK size 14. They would sell some UK 16s in less trendy items and maybe have a limited number of UK 18s in very neutral items. Nothing above that size would be available there.
Wallis was a very stylish UK shop 1950-70s and they always sized generously so that a UK 14 was more generously cut like a 15 or size 16. Wallis actually bought Paris model Toiles and the rights to a garment pattern. They were the most stylish high street store of the era and captured the spirit of Paris combined with that of London giving a sharp edge to garments. Until about 1970 clothes did not particularly coordinate and you could spend hours just searching for a top or sweater to truly match a skirt bought in a chain store. Coordination was more likely in higher priced garments from companies like Berkertex and Windsmoor.
Department stores existed in every UK city or big town and they would stock items as boutiques within stores. Companies like Alexon, Windsmoor, Strelitz (Irish linen clothes), Jaeger, Dannimac, Weatherall, Aquascutum, Slimma, Polly Peck, Gor-Ray, Escada, Berkertex and Dereta were recognised good brand names for quality items from dresses, skirts, separates, suits to coats. Ranges like TopShop, River Island and Miss Selfridge were young in outlook.
In the UK, Next, Oui Set, Principles, Monsoon and Accessorize, Kookai, Karen Millen, Hobbs and Oasis are all post 1980 names. River Island was the updated replacement for the well know shops called Chelsea Girl which sounded passé. Other sources of clothing were the catalogue companies as diverse as Empire Stores, Kays. John Myers, Grattans and Oxendales. In the 50s and 70s Lane Bryant larger sizes were also available by catalogue.
Sizes were cut smaller then too and so a vintage 12 is not the same as a UK or USA or European Community 12 of 2003. Today buyers list sizes as plus sizes or queen size if they measure larger. If 50s they probably have labels like extra extra outsize inside them. For the same reason of lack of fashion variety women in the plus range either made their own clothes or had them hand crafted or custom made. Corsetry was popular for this reason alone and no women went without a girdle.
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so grateful as always!
