A few of you have asked me why it is, what with my constant Internetting, I don’t order more of my clothes online. Why do I sort through racks of scratch’n’dent clothes at Filene’s Basement when I could be sorting from the comfort of my own clicky mouse finger?
The answer? Size charts.
Faulty, ridiculous, confusing size charts that exist on a plane that does not intersect with earth reality.
No one would be foolhardy enough to guess her dress size when ordering from an unfamiliar site or designer, or to estimate it based on what is in her closet (Ha!), so most folks recommend you take your measurements and compare them to the often impossible to find handy-dandy size chart. Sadly, even if you’ve memorized the length of your index finger and the curvature of your inner ear, if the size chart is broke, you can’t fix it.
To wit, a Cautionary Tale.
If you are a regular reader, you know that I am an Ann Taylor Loft stan. Viva La Loft (and their coupons)! Thus, and even given my slowly decreasing weight, I have a pretty good idea of my size there (adjusted, of course, for how tailored the garment, and how stretchy the fabric).
For the record, I am using ATL as an example, but they are far, FAR from the worst offender in this regard.
To demonstrate the problem with size charts, I used this dress, ’cause it’s totally up my alley. Let’s pretend that I have never shopped at ATL before, and have decided to order online.
U-Neck Dress with Belt
On the day in question, my measurements (taken according to ATL’s instructions) were:
Let’s take a look at the size chart, shall we?
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The Pretty Year 