The history of the women’s size chart is an interesting, and frustrating, journey (to say the least).
In the early 20th century, allll clothing was custom-made and there were no standardized sizes. Can you imagine having to go to a tailor for every single piece of clothing you owned? But during WWII, many women went to work in the factories… And what did they need? Uniforms.
As a result, the first standardized size charts were developed, with only three sizes available: small, medium, and large. This small first step helped make sure clothing was comfortable and fit properly (or at least as properly as possible with only three sizes).
After the war, the women’s fashion industry expanded its production, marketing, and sizing. They started using the term “misses” to describe a certain range of sizes (read: smaller sizes only). This range became the new standard sizing for all women’s clothing. The problem? These sizes were based on measurements taken from a small sample group of women, so they weren’t an accurate representation of actual sizes that American women would need (obviously… cue our *eye roll*).
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