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Hi, I'm Daniela. Welcome to my personal lair on the Internet. This is where I write about storytelling, activism, technology and pop culture. Sometimes I post videos. I update my lair when the mood strikes me. Follow me on Twitter for daily updates (@dcap).

Vanity Sizing * The Gap is a House of Lies.

Are women really so insecure that we need to pretend we are several sizes smaller than we actually are?

Due to a combination of poor time management, being in the middle of moving, and working late hours, I was forced to stop by the Times Square Gap this morning to purchase some pants.

Earlier I had gone to a local tourist trap jeans warehouse, where I purchased a pair of slightly tight fitting size 3 Levis. I am a 5ft4 young woman who has recently put on a little weight, and so I am probably like 125-128 lbs. In 2005 I fit into a 3, and I was a scary bony skeleton. I am much more attractive as a 4/5. So I knew something was up, but couldn’t be sure.

…Until I visited the Gap. Then I knew, something was definitely afoot.

I tried on a pair of black pants, marked size 4. I took them into the dressing room with me and found myself going for a swim. They were giganto.

Rather than flatter myself, I decided to investigate. I asked the dressing room attendant for a size 2, which I knew (except in bizarro land) would most definitely not fit my behind.

She brings me this supposed size 2, which lo and behold fits me like a glove.

LIES!

I am not a 2. I don’t want to be a 2. If I could fit into a real 2, I would be completely unhealthy looking. As I’ve said, I enjoy my appearance in a (normal) size 4, so this 2 business was a total sham.

So to reiterate – The Gap’s current size 2 is really more like a large size 5. So now, besides their wares making me look like an appletini swigging douche bag, they are trying to lure me into some sort of weird false sense of security – as if fitting into a “2” makes me hotter.

Screw that, I would rather be a little chunk with my dignity intact, than proudly parading around like some idiot with a size two plastered all over my butt.

vanity sizing

1 comment

  • Ju

    1. This is nothing new. Vanity sizing is a
    hallmark of American mass-produced clothing lines.
    See Wikipedia for more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanity_sizing

    2. Shopping at the Gap for clothes is like
    shopping at the gas station convenience mart
    for groceries. You might find something you
    can use, but it’s not really the first (or
    second, or even third) choice you were after.

    3. Skirts > pants. But this is just my personal
    bias.

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