We’ve all been there. You’re out looking for a new pair of jeans and feeling confident about the task ahead. Sometimes jeans shopping can be an absolute nightmare, but after all those squats at the gym you can't wait to find the perfect pair to show off that brand new peach. Five minutes later though, your buzz has been thoroughly killed. After hitting the next few stores on the high street you realise that your sizing is all over the place. You head home with only one thought in mind, “is it me or the jeans?”Well, babes, let’s get one thing straight. It ain’t you.When it comes to clothes, there’s already so many decisions to be made…. style, store, designer, the list is endless really. When we go out for a little retail therapy, we shouldn't have to worry about sizing too. What’s a gal got to do around here to spend her money stress-free?So, why are clothes sizes seemingly soo different depending on where you shop? After a little digging around on ye-olde-internet, I think I’ve found some answers.Whilst there is a standardised Textiles and Clothing Legislation within the EU, which regulates areas such as fabric types and origin, it doesn’t actually cover issues related to sizing. That means that although there is generic information out there about body measurements and the clothes sizes they should equate to, brands aren’t actually forced to make their clothes according to this.Long story short, brands can size their clothes however they want to.But, there’s a bigger picture to think about here. On top of the fact that it’s hella annoying, inconsistency in clothes sizes can have a knock on effect on our self-esteem, especially for people who already struggle with body image and weight issues.Now, we all know that real beauty is on the inside. But that can be hard to remember if you’re in a downward spiral of self-confidence because you’ve been eating healthy and putting in the hours at the gym, only to find out that apparently you’re still the same clothes size you were 6 months ago. But, is that your actual size, or just your size at shop xyz?Over in the UK, retailers seem to be hard at work tackling this problem in the face of backlash from the public. 6 of the countries biggest fashion retailers have teamed together for a nationwide survey of body size and measurements with the aim to standardise sizing across their stores and create a database for other brands to refer to.That’s great news, if you’re living in the UK, but how can the rest of us solve this sizing problem once and for all?First things first, let’s take comfort in the fact that this is a problem for all of us, no matter what our ‘size’ is. Most importantly though, let’s stop defining our self confidence by a number. In the same way that we shouldn’t measure our self-worth against the number of likes on our latest Instagram post, we shouldn’t be stressing over the number on that little label in the back of our jeans.Next time you’re shopping, try not to focus on the sizes you’re picking up and more on the styles that suit you best. Who cares what the label says if you’re ass is looking peachy as hell and your body is ssssssnatched?In fact, let’s be done with labels altogether. Grab a pair of scissors and get snipping away. After all, what we can’t see, can’t hurt!Written by Jade Biggs.
