I'm sure by now, most people have read the Facebook post made by Benjamin Cooper talking about the experience he had while he was helping his girlfriend clean out her closet. He realized that a lot of the clothes that she was getting rid of was a size XL. After trying the clothes on for himself, he realized that the clothes fit him.
This is the picture that Benjamin Cooper posted on his personal Facebook.
As you can see, Benjamin isn't what you would call "extra large" guy. So why is his girlfriend considered it?
In a society where body shaming is alive and thriving, these clothing sizes are only society's right hand man. So not only are women being told they're "large" by people around them, they're being told by their clothing size tag as well.
Men's sizes are simplistic. Jean sizes equal the waist measurement. It's straight to the point. I remember when I first realized men's sizes were different from women's and I immediately wondered why they weren't the same. A tape measurement would be so straight forward and to the point compared to the vague idea of what size I might be. Clothing companies have been adjusting their clothing sizes for years. Famous Marilyn Monroe had a 34 inch waist and wore a size 12 back then. A size 12 is a completely different measurement now. Society's view of beauty in women is always changing. In 1950, a curvy woman once held the ideal body type, but as time went on, society's standard for a women's waist got smaller and smaller. As a result, clothing companies have changed the numbers on the tags in order to pressure women to feel larger and work to be smaller. It's an attack on women's' psyche.
I believe that if clothing companies only used inches to define their sizes instead of small, medium, large, extra large and so on, women would have an easier time finding clothes that fit them instead of trying to place themselves in an arbitrary number size that vastly differs between all clothing companies. Women could wear a size 5 at one store, and a size 8 in another.
Also, I believe that this would help those struggling with their weight and image because they would no longer have to feel ashamed or embarrassed for trying on clothes and having to put them back if the sizes were just straight forward. With an imperial measurement system for women's clothes would mean an inch is an inch. There is no wiggle room there. There is no vagueness.
Imperial measurement sizes should be used for women's clothing, just like men's.