I recently went shopping with a friend for women's clothing.

[ThomCat]

She needed a suit for job interviews.

:wtf:

Why can't the tops and bottoms of suits be purchased separately? How many women are the same size on the top and bottom? If a woman is a different size on the top and bottom do they really expect her to buy the suit twice to get one top and one bottom that fit?

:grr:

And why can't women's clothing be sized in inches like men's clothing?

No guess at what this size means with this brand or this designer. This number of inches is always going to be this number of inches.

Women pay so much money for clothing, I just don't understand why there hasn't been an armed revolt against this horrible system.

[fizzgig]

1. trust me, i've thought about burning down a number of stores because of that

i remember how excited i was when they started selling bikini tops and bottoms separately.

shopping for clothes sometimes makes me feel like i am the only woman shaped like i am even though i'm pretty average.

[HopeHoops]

2. Take both sets up to the counter and simply say,...

... "My ass likes this suit but my tits like this suit. They can't agree so I'm afraid I can't purchase either."

They'll probably work something out.

[ThomCat]

7. Does that really work?

:shrug:

The two women I was with didn't ask. They were both pretty certain that there was no way to mix and match. You just had to search until you found a suit that fit.

[HopeHoops]

9. If they want the sale, it will work.

I have a friend with two different shoe sizes, left and right that is. He's done this since we were in high school. They'll sell the mixed pair and use the other two for display items. In the case of suit parts, they'll just re-price them as singles (at something that's probably slightly higher than half the suit price) and mark them as "clearance".

The worst they can say is "no", but it the likely response is "I'll have to talk to the manager" and an "okay" a few minutes later.

[gmoney]

40. they could be somewhat sneaky and unethical...

and just switch the parts that fit onto one hanger and nonchalantly go to the register and pay for the suit.

[gmoney]

41. they could be somewhat sneaky and unethical...

and just switch the parts that fit onto one hanger and nonchalantly go to the register and pay for the suit.

[Quantess]

42. I think that would depend on where you shop.

And how and who you ask.
And how much you intend to pay.

I have never tried it myself. I have a feeling most places would say no, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

[MissMillie]

3. I actually was able to buy a swim suit w/ separate top and bottom

which was great

I think the clothing industry thinks we'd be embarrassed to buy clothing according to our actual measurements, but I would rather be offended than have to deal with the circus mirrors and terrible lighting of a fitting room.



I'm going to mail you your Xmas present tomorrow... are you in your new home?

[ThomCat]

8. Yes, I am in the new place.

:)

:hug:

I would hope that women would rather find clothing easily that fits well instead of worrying about being embarrassed about seeing a number on a tag. It's not as if that number is going to be announced. :P

[supernova]

4. Welcome to our world!

:P :-)

Yeah, it's a pain. It's why I have separates and two suits that really don't fit me that well. :P

[ThomCat]

10. I know from former coworkers

that tailored women's suits cost a hell of a lot more than comparable men's suits. :wow:

So even that doesn't seem to be a good option unless you're making a hell of a lot of money.

:(

Women definitely have the better choice in fabrics, styles and colors. Men's clothing is boring. But at it fits, and compared to women's clothing it's relatively cheap.

[latebloomer]

26. It's so right, men's clothes are boring!

I've gone suit-shopping with my husband, and he wants to know my opinion. I'm like, "It's all black, blue, or gray, and it all looks the same- I don't know!" (snore)

[Captain Hilts]

32. Women have more polyester in clothes. More natural fabrics in men's clothes. nt

[SeattleGirl]

5. See my thread for women's clothing nightmares:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8803080&mesg_id=8803080

[ThomCat]

11. Yes, buying clothing sized in inches instead of mysterious sizes

would solve that problem.

Of course, when everything is sized in two inch increments you sometimes still have a problem if you are right in the middle. But it looked like the difference between some women's sizes is a hell of a lot bigger than a 2 inch increment.

[SeattleGirl]

20. Yep.

Swear to dog, they do it to drive us crazy!

[Fleshdancer]

6. THANK YOU!

I've been ranting about this for years. :grr:

[ThomCat]

13. If someone opened a boutique, where everything was checked and measured

and then relabeled by actual size in inches instead of the manufacturer's sizing systems, I wonder if that boutique could get a following and change the way women shop for clothing?

If you could go in and go to a rack of items in your exact measurement and know that it would fit regardless of what size the manufacturer said it was, would enough women go for that to make it worth the cost to the boutique?

:shrug:

[LoveMyCali]

37. There are actually a lot of women

who would rather not think of what their sizes are in actual inches. I know it gives me a little self-image boost when I shop at one of the stores where I'm magically a size smaller.
It's called vanity sizing and it works, if you tell us we're smaller than we thought we were we'll buy two.

[Enrique]

12. Don't get me started!

[ThomCat]

15. Is that her signature line in her comedy routine?

:)

If she's funny, who is she?

[Enrique]

16. Molly Shannon as "Jeanie Darcy"

:-)

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/jeanie-darcy-at-st-josephs-hospital/2851/

[old mark]

14. TC: You ought to see women's shoes - made of junk, cost a fortune,

out of style next month.

I have a pair of cowboy boots that I got over 15 years ago and had re-built, and they will outlast me!

mark

[ThomCat]

17. It seems like there are a lot of classic styles in women's shoes.

If women stick to those classic styles, and pay for well made shoes in those styles, they can last a long time. But there are so many tens of thousands of styles, and so many that are deliberately cheap and disposable, that shopping for shoes must be a mind boggling experience for women. I can't imagine having to match my shoes to every outfit, or season, or style, or mood.

I have two pairs of well-made shoes, one pair of sneakers, and one pair of sandals. Guys definitely have it lucky here too.

[fizzgig]

18. i very rarely buy women's shoes

i've got a few nice pairs for special occasions, but that's it. i've had the same pair of work boots for about ten years now and they're holding up fine. hell, i had a pair of chuck taylors last me about seven years.

[Captain Hilts]

33. Same here. Men's shoes are better made and wide enough to fit my little toes. nt

[Left Is Write]

19. I haven't bought a suit in a long time, and I did okay with skirt suits, but

pant suits never work. If the jacket fits, the pants are always too big. And it isn't really that I'm such disparate sizes on top and bottom either!

[ThomCat]

25. Ah, didn't you know that women aren't allowed to have shoulders.

:P

From the pictures you've posted you definitely do not look out of proportion. I would have expected that you would have a pretty easy time finding clothing to fit. :shrug:

[Left Is Write]

27. I don't feel disproportionate -

but my hips are on the narrow side, and are narrower than the width of my shoulders.

[Captain Hilts]

35. No, you can't have shoulders. Sorry. Leave them at home! That's a BIG problem for me. nt

[RebelOne]

21. Most suits have the pants and jackets sold separately.

At least, that's been my experience. I can buy the pants in one size and then buy the jacket or top in another size.

[ThomCat]

24. That's awesome! I wish we had been able to find any store

here in NYC (in an affordable price range) that sold women's suits that way. :(

I figured Macy's, of all stores, would be a good place to look. They bill themselves as the worlds biggest department store after all. And then we spread out from there. No such luck.

[Chan790]

39. Not looking in the right places:

Macy's: Only if you go out to a normal Macy's and not 34th St./Herald Sq. No lie, the big Macy's is on average about 20% more expensive for identical items as the White Plains or King's Plaza Macy's stores. It tends to also be significantly more upscale than the normal Macy's stores, almost exclusively big-name designer labels; those labels don't sell suit separates because...well...they don't have to. Unless you're a 2, 4 or gasp...a 6, DKNY, Ferragamo or Versace would rather you not wear their clothes as they want to be thought of as exclusive...if every housefrau can afford to wear Fendi or can find Etro in their size, it ceases to be "exclusive" and thus luxurious. It's the same reason that Rock and Republic, Structure and Naked and Famous don't make men's jeans in any size larger than a 32" waist. It pisses me off to no end to find something I like when shopping, only to discover it doesn't come in my size because I'm a great deal taller than 5'10" and larger than 160lbs.

Sears sells women's suit separates, it's part of the everyday merchandise selection, a carryover from the merge with K-Mart. Many items in Sears carry K-Mart tags. Also, we're cheap and the clothes are actually really nice...at least in the men's department, I rarely browse the women's department so I have no idea what the sales stock in women's wear looks like label-wise.

Disclosure: Chan790 works for Sears in a commissioned sales position selling treadmill, tractors and specialty tools, and holds stock options...any business garnered does directly benefit me as a stockholder and indirectly by making my Sears (in Flatbush. Cross-streets: Beverly and Bedford, one block off Flatbush) more profitable.

[marzipanni]

22. If you know anyone who has slightly different sized feet

There is a website to find mismatched shoe sizes. A couple of decades ago my mom's cousin got hammertoes and had surgery on one foot because that foot was 1/2 size smaller so she clenched her toes to hold the too-big shoe on her foot. Someone told her about a service like this, but this internet version would make it more efficient. The guy on the video says Nordstrom offers this service, too.
http://www.oddshoefinder.com/

It is odd that women who wear suits to work can't buy them measured to fit, the same way men do!

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

23. Womens sizes are ridiculous

I am anywhere from a size 0-4 in jeans. 0 for Abercrombie, 2 for Gap, 4 for Lucky.

Shirts are a worse crap shoot. Anywhere from x-small to large. I don't understand how I could possibly be a large in any shirt since I'm all of 5'1" and 97lbs.

[skygazer]

28. Is that how men's suits are sold? Separately?

:wow:

And you guys can pee standing up. :grr:

[Chan790]

43. Cheap suits are often sold as suit separates...

good suits are generally sized large as they're meant to be altered to wear correctly.

[flvegan]

29. They don't make any women's clothing in my size.

:cry:

[LeftyMom]

38. Sure they do. It all just says "Property of East German Ladies Swim Team"

;)

[AwakeAtLast]

30. If that confuses you, don't even ask about bra sizing

You have to have a Math degree to get it right, I think! ;)

[Captain Hilts]

31. They want to keep women in the store as long as possible to increase impluse purchases.

Standardized, clear sizes would mean folks running in and out.

And it wouldn't be difficult to make skirts alterable as men's pants are.

[Brigid]

34. Try the Lands' End catalog.

They sell some 2-piece swimsuits separately, and lots of jackets and skirts and dress pants too.

www.landsend.com

[jmm]

36. Some people love small numbers-

I posted this on my facebook page recently and the first reply I got was my little cousin joking that Europeans are huge-



I use to work in retail and it was sad watching some women admit they were buying clothes they know didn't fit well but were getting anyways since so they could say they were wearing a smaller size than they were use to.

In addition to the small number issue I think it comes down to taking advantage of women simply because they get away with it. Yeah our bodies are all different but men aren't exactly the same. There is no legitimate excuse for the lack of standardization with women's clothes.

[datasuspect]

44. i thought you meant YOU were shopping for womens clothing

sometimes i like to feel frilly

[quakerboy]

45. No joke

the womens sizing system is F'd up.

[Sanity Claws]

46. Many manufacturers sell separates

They may not be top of the line but several middle line manufacturers sell suit jackets, pants, and skirts as separates. Examples include Anne Klein, Ann Taylor, and Jones New York. I know because that's how I buy them. Also, by selling these items separately, the purchaser can decide whether she wants a pants suit or a skirt suit.
I think your friend just went to the wrong department at the store.