Vanity Sizing?

This article by the Associated Press looks into the phenomenon of "vanity sizing" - namely, how variable and arbitrary the sizing can be from designer to designer.  For instance, though I am confident that I'd wear a 14 in Gucci (were it available!), I usually wear a 12 in Armani.  I even have a few items in my closet that are size 10.  And it's true, wearing the size 10 offers a certain satisfaction.  Finding a roomy size 10, is so much more exciting than struggling to fit into a tiny size 14. And fighting for the opportunity to wear a tiny size 14 seems almost insane. 

Even seasoned shoppers get lured in to buy when they discover that they wear a smaller size (even if they have not lost weight).  Suze Yalof Schwartz, executive editor-at-large for Glamour magazine, noted in the article,  “It can make you feel fantastic,” she says. “It’s like stepping on a scale. It can make your day. Or, it can ruin your day.”

And that feeling, of course, will directly impact whether you make the purchase.

Maybe Gucci should loosen up its sizes a bit, so that size 8s can fit into size 6 dresses, and size 14s can finally get something to wear.  Then again, this change might mean Gucci sells clothes at the expense of bags.