
THE FASHION TECH BRIEFING
Why oh why is getting my size right such a guessing game?
Newsletter #39 | Read time • 3 mins
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How is it that in this day and age, with all of the technology available, we have not been able to standardise sizing so that a size Large is a Large wherever I shop?
In one store, I’m a medium, in another I’m a large and in another I’m an extra-large and sometimes even different sizes within the same brand. I know that I’m not the only one to experience this. Surely it should be possible to buy clothing in my size in any shop. Surely technology can solve this?

The issue of sizing has various causes. In 1958, the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the US put forth a set of even numbers 8 through 38 to represent overall size and a set of letters (T, R, S) and symbols (+, —) to represent height and girth, respectively, based on a study that took 59 distinct measurements of 15,000 women. Brands were advised to make their clothes accordingly. This study quickly became obsolete as body shape evolved and manufacturers sourced from different factories to make their products, all in the name of speed & fast fashion. No law obliges anyone to stick to consistent measurements for a size. I am sure most of us have experienced the frustration when trying to find the right size that fits and this has only intensified with ecommerce.
To add to this confusion, vanity & exclusivity sizing have emerged as trends. Some purposely cut their clothes larger in order for customers to feel they fit into a smaller clothing size - to make them feel good. On the flip side, there’s exclusivity sizing where aspirational brands size their clothing smaller, thereby encouraging only smaller or slimmer people to wear their clothes. Anyone who doesn't fit into these artificially limited size ranges often ends up feeling like they're at fault — too big, inadequate, or even body-shamed. This approach is neither inclusive nor fair…
The consequence: people are confused, often buying and then returning lots of clothing. incorrect sizing or fit was the top reason for returns (93%). Returns can be as high as 50% for garments such as jeans & dresses. Returns have been the profit drag to retailers growing online businesses and an environmental drain.
Returning items has a knock-on effect which involves registering the return, taking it to the post office, or making a trip back to the store. This all adds up, not just in time or energy but also, importantly, in cost and in the carbon impact it has. To process one return costs £12.88. This excludes any landfill and re-merchandising. The carbon footprint of a return can be as high as 4.2 kg of carbon if the garment is taken back into the store. The cost of handling these returns is sometimes so high that it is cheaper to simply send returned clothing to landfill rather than re-stock it.
It's time this was solved once and for all....Don't you think?
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PS. When you are ready to dive into some AI-powered fashion tech, please do check out our AI Sizing, AI Listing and reach out for a chat. We offer a 1 month free trial for our AI Sizing Solution.
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