Question: Why are clothes sizes so erratic and can they be fixed?

Why is clothing sizing so inconsistent, and can it be fixed? This entry maps the explanations — that retailers simply apply inconsistent standards, and that 'vanity sizing' deliberately distorts the numbers on the label.

Position 1 of 2

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Clothes sizes are different because retailers are inconsistent

This position explains erratic sizing as the absence of a binding standard: each retailer grades its range against its own fit model and supplier tolerances, so the same labelled size describes different measurements from one brand to the next.

There is no binding standard, so each brand sizes against its own fit model
Variation inside a single brand points to process rather than persuasion

Position 2 of 2

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Clothes sizes seem different because of vanity sizing

This position explains the inconsistency as vanity sizing: retailers attach smaller numbers to larger garments because a flattering label helps the sale, so a given size number comes to describe a progressively larger body.

A smaller number on the label helps the sale, so labels drift downward
The drift runs one way, which inconsistency alone would not produce