In the dystopian labyrinth that is a shopping mall, where every clothing shop holds promise and every garment beckons with its own allure, there lies a persistent thorn in the side of many women: inconsistent sizing.
We’ve all been there: You walk into a shop, confident in your measurements, only to find that a size 34 in one brand feels like a size 30 in another, and in yet another it’s a size 38. No, you haven’t gained (or lost) weight in the 100 steps it took you to get from one shop to the next. Like a toxic ex-boyfriend, the clothing industry is quite literally trying to gaslight you.
‘It’s a big problem I’ve encountered with brands,’ says model and corporate communications graduate Tracey Dingashe. ‘And that’s just on a personal level. When it comes to modelling, inconsistent sizing adds a whole other layer.’
As a stylist, Cherné Africa says she has the system figured out, but for the average shopper, inconsistent sizing makes the whole process time-consuming and frustrating. ‘You end up irritated by the system and ultimately don’t enjoy the shopping experience.’
For women trying to decipher what size is, inconsistent sizing is not just an inconvenience but also a societal mirror reflecting a deeper issue of unrealistic standards and misplaced priorities.
