KEY POINTS:
Annoyed by finding the perfect-sized garment, only to discover that another item in the same size at the same shop is far too small?
You're not alone. Two-thirds of customers surveyed by clothing alterations chain LookSmart said they owned clothing in different sizes, and half said sizing variations made them feel frustrated, depressed - or fat.
LookSmart managing director Abraham Hatoum blamed the problem on a lack of standardised sizing between countries and brands.
LookSmart has been campaigning for consistent sizing since surveying 2300 of its Australasian customers, 500 of whom were from New Zealand.
Mr Hatoum said inconsistent sizing was demoralising to shoppers, many of whom were unwilling to change sizes for emotional reasons.
"A size tag is more than a number _ it relates to how people see themselves."
Mannequin designer Ben Purdy, of Purform Mannequins, said clothing size was such a grey area it was easier to work in measurements.
He sells clothing-display mannequins in five countries, to chains including Hallensteins and Glassons.
"Everyone has a different view," he said. "I'll take a mannequin to a retailer and she'll tell me what size she thinks it is, based on her measurements. Often it's not what we thought it was from our measurements."
Mr Hatoum advised ignoring size and buying for a good fit. Clothing made in China tended to be smaller than other countries, while Australasia, Europe, Britain and United States all had different sizing systems.
Fashion Industry New Zealand executive officer Mapihi Opai said sizes varied between styles and brands because designers and clothing suppliers targeted specific groups of customers, making clothes to fit a particular shape and size. On the whole, designer labels targeted smaller customers while mass-market stores had more generous sizes, she said. Fabric differences would also affect what size you could fit.
Until 1988, New Zealand used a set of standard recommended measurements for children's, men's and women's clothing. But the standards were scrapped after 15 years because they were out of date.
Ms Opai said bringing back standard sizing would not necessarily help shoppers. "Some people argue that if we standardised sizing you would be able to pick something off the rack that fits. But we all know not everyone is mannequin-shaped."
However, the survey showed size tags were dear to New Zealand shoppers _ more important than brand and price for many.
Forty-one per cent of New Zealand customers said they would avoid a brand that was a smaller make than usual, compared with 35 per cent of Australian customers. Forty-five per cent said they would go to a more expensive store if it allowed them to wear their desired size, and 43 per cent said they would not go up a size to buy a garment they liked.
Ms Opai said our fixation with numbers was "obscure" given that clothing size was not printed on the outside of the garment.
She advised shopping around to find brands and designers that made clothes for your shape. "There are designers out there designing for all different shapes. We've never had this much range before," she said.
"If you put something on and it fits well, you're going to look a lot better."
Mr Purdy said clothing sizes were getting roomier over time as people got bigger. "[Clothing makers] bring the sizes down to make people feel better and sell more clothes."
But the confidence boost was all an illusion. "The size just depends on what number they stick on the label."
