Vanity sizing: generational edition

And now, an occasional update to my perseveration with what many consumers describe as "vanity sizing" this being the generational edition. For those new to these parts, you may be unaware that I think "vanity sizing" is either non-existent or attributable to myriad causes (links to arguments at close). I'll briefly summarize my objections as size increases are closer to sizing evolution; a rational response to a given manufacturer's target customer that has nothing to do with vanity. My favorite and most simplistic example being that of ballerina dancers versus western wear consumers. A ballerina shopping at Shepler's would be erroneous in believing western apparel is vanity sized if it's larger than the average dancer's leotard because he/she is not the profile customer. Et Cetera.

An idea that ocurred to me after looking over the Japanese sizing surveys is that if vanity sizing existed, then older Japanese could likewise claim that apparel today is vanity sized -owing to their frame of reference. However, this would be untrue because (as I've said before), sizing is designed for the median consumer buying clothes. Here in the U.S. as in Japan, that's mostly younger people; older people spend less on clothes. As the average person has gotten larger, as will the measures that constitute the sizes across the size spread. Therefore, as younger people in the US are heavier than we were twenty or thirty years ago when we were their age, it only stands to reason that the measures than constitute median sizes will increase. That's why if your weight has remained static and you're in your forties, you'll wear a size or two smaller than you did twenty years ago. And it's only going to get worse (hence the creation of size 0); obesity in the young is at an all time high. As sizes reflect the median of the average clothes purchaser, it only makes sense that size dimensions will continue to evolve.

These generational differences are illustrated in the extreme in Japan. Older people alive today, endured severe food shortages during World War 2, the nutritional deficiencies stunting their growth. The average heights of men aged 65-79 is 5'4.5" - 5'3.75". For women aged 65-79, their heights are 4'10" to just under 5'. However, owing to improved nutrition in the post war era, average Japanese height increased by three inches. Note that is "average" height increase. Average includes the height measures of older people too, dragging down the dramatic height gains among the young. Examining the data of only young people under the age of eighteen, height increases are closer to 5", not the "average" 3". Japan is also interesting for examination because it is a homogeneous society. We're comparing apples to apples rather than the apples to oranges of a population characterized by immigration.