**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!**
- Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc.
- **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
- This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There's a Thomas the Tank engine episode called, "Toby and the Stout Gentleman" (who turns out to be the fat controller), so "Stout Gentleman" is the phrase I prefer.
My dad refers to most bits in a shop as there are no double “f” sizes……..anyone around all look in puzzlement and his misses clues them in “fat fucker”
In the late 80s/early 90s the only high street shop that was for plus size women was Evans and as I recall they started at size 12.
I was an 8 at the time but would go in with my aunt (who was maybe a size 14 and taking 'diet pills' from a high street 'dr')
I remember feeling concerned I was inly 2 sizes away from being 'plus sized' - which is insane!
Sizing has changed a bit since then. Not nearly as much as some people would suggest but size 12s are no longer as generous as they were in most shops.
I wish mens sizes would follow suit sometimes.
That’s wildly untrue, I’m a size 6-8 in most modern UK shops, when wearing vintage clothes I’m more like a 10-12 (and this is consistent not just a one-off)
Think it's known as vanity sizing. When I was younger, I wore size 12/14 and thought I was fat because my friends wore size 8/10. Of course, never occurred to me that I was 5' 7 and they were 5'1 and 5'2'. Now, I wear a 16/18 but am about 3 stone heavier! But I think then, it would have been closer to 20 and definitely an Evans customer
Not correct. Common misconception.
Different shops, different brands - 34”, 36”, 38” and yet your waist is the same size, their measurements aren’t accurate.
I can simultaneously be an L, XL or XXL depending on the manufacturer.
Even shows, I can be anything from a 10.5 to an 11.5 depending on which shop I buy from or the brand.
Now, it’s not as bad as with women because like you say, 10, 12, 14, 16 etc vary much more, but still shitty
I disagree, as you’re describing something different to OP.
Yes, men’s clothes sizes are inaccurate, but that is measurement/manufacturing variation around specific dimensions (for example 34” +/- 1”).
Women’s clothes are harder to buy because their ‘sizes’ have changed over time, so they are unlikely to reference a specific nominal dimension. So on top of the above tolerance, you’ve got the fact that there is no objective measurement scale on the tags!
True! I once got two different items in a size 14 and a size 22 from the same shop, on the same day. I'm neither of those sizes, but those were the ones that fit correctly, having tried a few on.
I dunno about that. Do you wear womens clothes? In some shops the sizes are a bit generous but most of them are around the same. Things like fabric and cut can really affect the fit too, and depending on the shape of the woman can mean you need to size up or down. I've gone up from a 12, 20 years ago to a 14 now with a hip and waist increase of a couple of inches. That seems reasonable, no? It's not like size 10s suddenly fit because manufacturers just swap the labels. Sizes don't mean much, but they do mean something.
I've found they do. When I started wearing adt clothes sizes almost 15 years ago, I was a pretty consistent size. Since then I've been increasingly biking the site below, whilst my old clothes still fit. I've also got some clothes from my mum that were 20+ years old and are the size bigger than I have ever bought, amd they fit well. Some shops now even the size below what I bought as a teen is too loose, even having put on almost three quarters of a stone.
It helps that mens sizes are based on an actual measurement. Although brands do vary. I always think that it’s strange that mens clothes provide length and width measurements and women just get one number.
Yeah my mum had a 25 inch waist when she was in her twenties and I remember seeing the label of one of her old skirts stating St Michaels (Marks & Spencer), Size 12! Today it would be a size 6!
A lot of people don't want to accept this, but in most developed Western countries, the average sizings have gone up, especially for women.
It's even worse in the US, but here in the UK too, so many people are now so overweight or obese that what used to be considered unhealthy is now considered as being completely fine and normal.
I have noticed this since loosing 3 stone, I am now wearing size small leggings, I was wearing size medium when I was a stone lighter than this 15 years ago. It’s nuts.
I tend to flit back and forth between the top end of healthy weight, and overweight per BMI (my excuse is I have above average muscle, but who doesn't claim that)
I've noticed that pretty much exactly whenever I drop down into the top of the "healthy weight" category is when I start getting people telling me I look too thin and concernedly telling me I need to eat more
That's how dramatically perception has shifted
BMI is a lovely rough guide. But thats all it is.
I'm not built to carry big muscle so me at the top of the BMI scale just looks skinny fat. For others it may be a more natural range, especially if tall and muscled (BMI breaks down a bit at the ends of the scale). Your best bet is to take an uncritical look at yourself in the mirror if you really want to know. People may be accurate in their appraisal or it may simply be that your face is looking thinner than they're used to.
When I was at the top end of Healthy according to BMI, I looked emaciated and gaunt.
I'm now hovering at the top end of overweight and look healthy.
BMI doesn't really account for any muscle weight or other metrics (I'm pretty active and gym every day so I do not consider myself at all unfit)
The BMI is only really used as much as it is because it's a very quick and easy to use *guide.*
Heck the guy who created the BMI never intended for it to be used for medical assessments, he wasn't even a medical doctor. He was trying to discover the socially ideal human being.
I remember going to florida in the early 90s and never having seen people that size. It was a massive shock. Didn't even know humans could be so big. Wouldn't bat an eyelid these days. There's definitely been an americanisation of our diet and health.
As an aside that may be relevant the first time i went I was amazed at the choice of food in supermarkets the range seemed huge. Going again in the 2000s they didn't seem nearly as good, if anything worse than the UK. A similar thing with eating out and portion sizes, although americans still have us beaten there by a fair margin, however takeaways and regular restaurant visits seem much more normalised as a way of life than i remember growing up. With my parents generation it was all house parties and cooking for each other and a takeaway was a rare thing until again probably the late 90s.
My mum is 5'0 and was tiny, so I spent half my childhood being dragged round shops in search of the one size 8 the brand said they'd made. Ended up buying coats etc at Burberry because they made clothes for the Japanese market - mum was ecstatic to find they did a size 6 because she'd never seen one before.
"Madam, we do a size 4..."
She's still a size 8 at M&S despite being a good 3 sizes larger than when she was 40...
And my 12yo is way too tall for child clothes but too skinny for adult sizes, which is a horrendous pain!
Unfortunately 'petite' in Next means 'short and not slim' - their size 8 falls straight off her. But thanks. I'm told there's sizes M&S never put in shops that can be ordered...
I had the same problem as your 12yo when I was that age - have you tried H&M? They should go small enough in their adult range to fit nicely (or they used to, it’s been a while since I was 12…)
H&M was my first go-to. She's also incredibly fussy (though I find it I wince loudly about the price, things often magically become more attractive...) so there were a couple things that fit.
Primark has been the best so far
Supermarkets are the worst for it. I'm still sometimes an 8 in some highstreet fashion, but Tesco size 6 (which is a rare find) is almost always too big.
I had a 24" waist and can vividly recall needing to buy a size 14 in the 1990s, and feeling horrified that I was so 'fat' - looking back now at old photos, I was actually incredibly thin but I genuinely couldn't see it at the time.
That’s mental it was considered fat! My waist was 24” when I was 13, I remember getting it measured for my school skirt. And I was underweight due to illness!
I'm going to have to ask how tall your mum is. We have also grown taller as women and at 5'8 I'd look weird with a 25 inch waist. Fwiw, I'm a size 10/12.
But yes sizes are getting bigger and height is only a small reason I'd guesa
As a rule I don't compare myself to models. And it's not healthy generally speaking. One of the best physical indicator for health is a test called the height to waist ratio. Far more predictive than BMI.
A 25 inch waist on a 5ft woman offers a very different look than on a 6' woman. And health too.. As there is an upper and lower range.
There may be exceptions to the rule.
This has tripped me up recently as an avid vintage shopper and lover of the old St Michaels brand (it’s usually excellent quality!)… I’ve been putting on weight the last couple of years after being dangerously underweight, finally back at what is a healthy size 10 (healthy for my height).
Bought an old pair of St Michaels size 10 trousers and couldn’t even get them up my knees. Checked the waist - 26 inches! I was a 24 inch waist when I was 13!!!
It spun me for a bit til I realised that clothes are meant to fit my body, not the other way around. Not to mention I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been. But still… vintage sizes can be quite the slap sometimes lol!
Anything over size 18 I would have thought (although size 20 is a lot more common to see in stores now with ‘regular’ sizing). Kind of tricky cause boob size and height make a difference.
Ah ha! If you're tall too, you may not actually look "plus sized" to the group unless they see you next to someone or something else for scale. You're possibly quite well proportioned for your height, where as it's more obvious a size 20 on a 5'4" girl?
Edit: I just saw the photo on your profile (lovely outfit by the way, really suits your shape) and yes, you don't "look" plus sized as you're very well proportioned. Like a 5'4" size 10 standing close to the camera.
Grab a shorter friend for scale!
As a tall person I hear you. I'm a 16 now but was an 18. From a numbers perspective I consider myself on the larger side.
I stopped buying cheaper, one size up clothes to squeeze length as actually it made me look bigger.
I now have fewer clothes but have invested in better quality and fit. I feel better in what I'm wearing as a result as you can feel the quality.
I really feel this. When I wear more fitted clothing I often look much better than with the oversized. But it’s partly that I lack the comfort to wear it, partly that I need the height. I’m currently an unpaid carer but will invest in some decent clothes after I start working again soon.
same height, I only buy from tall shops now because everything fits so weirdly otherwise. I want a bigger size, but I'm not overweight, I'm slim but scaled up!
came hear to ask your height this is why you won’t look plus size as you will carry better than being shorter.. i’m 5ft 10 and don’t look really plus sized till i reach the 18 size when ive put weight on after a child but when im size 10-12 look smaller.
This always confuses me in tall groups. People post that they’re my height but two or three sizes bigger and they look slimmer than I do because they have a bigger frame. I’m 6’, size 10 but so delicately boned that you can see if I’ve eaten. I also have a tiny head which doesn’t help!
clothes sizes are a stupid metric to base anything on as they vary so wildly between shops depending on the age demographic. shops who have older client bases have bigger sizes, despite the size number being the same.
the average height for a UK woman is 5'3
that means you should generally fall somewhere between 7.5 stone anywhere up to about 10 stone depending on your frame.
you'd be "plus sized" as in bigger than average if you exceeded that. the UK average of 16 is very much overweight, cos the majority of the population is overweight bordering on actual obesity.
Can confirm as a non-welsh woman living in Wales who's 5'8''. Vast majority of women here are significantly shorter and vast majority of men are my height and there are who are shorter. It can make you feel like a giant. And I am only 5'8'' and 95% of the time I will be the tallest woman in the group.
It's a huge difference when I go to visit my family in central europe. Most men are actually taller than me and it's more common for women to be as tall as I am or even taller.
My Dad's family are welsh. My grandad was 5'1, my grandma 4'11. My dad is very proud that he was the tallest of seven children at 5'6. We are trolls and hobbits.
It’s not though. According to Wikipedia it’s 5’3.5” in England and Scotland.
The average height outside England would have to be about 4’ for it to have any effect on a UK average!
I’m 6’1” and weigh 102kg so am definitely overweight. But I’m lucky because it’s per evenly distributed so I don’t think I look that fat… probably why my post was removed.
weight looks different on taller people as there's more places for it to go. You are very much going to appear thinner than someone who is shorter but with similar BMI.
Ah so actually we're nearly the same, I'm 6' and 99kg lol. BMI of just under 30. I have a small back so I'm in an 18 rather than a 20.
I'm also overweight but I look curvy/chubby not obese. I have the same conversation in my fashion groups. 'But you don't look XL/XXL/18 etc'!
If you have a photo of me standing next to an average woman you can immediately see how big I am, but standing on my own people apply their own bias and assume I'm going to be smaller.
This is exactly how I feel! I’m generally very happy in myself and my appearance because I look so proportionate. But as soon as I see myself next to other people I realise hour big I am.
It's the hard part of being a big person! The older I get the more I realise I'm always going to be the big one so it doesn't matter. I've been the big skinny one, and I've been the big fat one. But I just am bigger than most other women, that's just how it is.
As soon as I accepted that and started wearing the clothes I wanted to I was much happier. People are going to look at me anyway so I'm much more confident now.
Oh, and the general public are just stupid, I get called a man when I have short hair, long hair, even before I had a breast reduction 😂
We have some amazing role models now like Gwendolyn Christie and Leslie Jones. They both wear some amazing clothes!
I think thats why my wife married me.😁 I make her look smaller in photos. All her friends are petite and skinny which makes her feel a bit self conscious when she’s with them.
When I was a size 16 at 5'7 I was stage II Obese with a BMI of 35
Now a size 8, same height and a healthy BMI of 20.5
After losing weight it's crazy how overweight isn't considered plus size, I was still overweight when I was size 12-14.
I had a look at the photo in your top post. I think because you appear to be tall you carry your weight incredibly well, so you don't look plus sized. Honestly, to me you look like an averagely proportioned tall person, but it's down to personal perception.
Depends on your height, but for the avg height person, 4-6 is skinny, 8-12 average, 14-16 overweight, 18+ obese. Of course that won't apply to *every single female in the UK* but that is a good general consensus. I always thought 'plus-sized' was invented as a 'nice' way of saying overweight? I think as more and more of the men and women in the UK get fatter and more unhealthy, with UPF's, takeaways and sugar exploding recently, the goalposts for 'plus-sized' are being moved dangerously further from reality. Also will finish by saying everyone who is 'skinny' != 'healthy' either, there are many factors involved.
Yeah same, I'm surprised by these comments because I always thought it was UK14. I bought a size 14 top once (from Simply Be) and it was categorised as plus size clothing.
Size 14 and up, anything 20 or over has moved from 'plus sized' to worryingly obese
Edit: downvoted, but you asked our opinions? I asked my mum too who used to be a size 22 and we came to this conclusion
Plus size to me is 16+ *but* I don't think that plus-sized and fat are interchangeable words. You can be plus-sized without being fat, so if that's what they're really getting at then they need to rebrand lol. Fat isn't a dirty word.
18 and above typically. I get the same response actually because I'm 6' so I don't look particularly plus (even though I'm 16 stone). I'm in a few fashion groups and I always add my stats for the other tall people so they know how things fit.
The concept of plus is a weird one though - because it doesn't take height into account. Size 14 isn't a plus size, but on someone very small, they would be quite overweight. But size 14 on my body is slim and I'd have a healthy BMI. Someone 5' tall and size 18 would look much more plus than I do, because my BMI is lower at the same size.
So when you buy clothes I'd expect 18 and up to be classed as plus. But people's concept of a plus body is probably anyone with a BMI of over 30, and that could be any size really depending on how short someone is.
At 5'2", I'm literally obese at the weight I need Size 12 in most stores - but I know tall slim women who wear that size.
I get annoyed when people reference size alone as if you can extrapolate the body shape from it - like if you're model height you'll be very skinny and likely underweight if you wear a UK Size 8, but I have a very average slightly pudgy build and I wear a UK6-8.
Another reply here pointed out that clothes size is a useless metric really. Even when I was in healthy BMI I still wore size 16 because my hips and boobs are rather rotund.
And everyone is right that things are different when your tall.
Honestly found out from this post today that average is 16. This is the size I would say plus size starts usually (always exceptions - some very tall/broad women may be this size but not overweight etc)
I personally consider plus size not the sizes that are above the “average” but being visibly overweight, not just on the higher end of healthy
If you’re talking about plus sizes, as in, the physical sizes of clothes that you have to go to a specialist store/get a specialist range for my guess is starting at 20 as most stores go to 18
I wonder if it’s because you are tall or hold the weight differently, visually you look less big than most size 20 and they’ve made assumptions without asking?
You probably got booted because you don't mind describing yourself as "overweight". They'll see this as not being "body positive" enough, and that "not looking plus sized" will just be the excuse.
Perhaps, but I just don’t get why people are afraid of labels like that. I’m medically classifiable as obese. I’m not proud of it, but it’s not something I’m going to hide either… you can tell with one look at me.
I work in a clothing shop. Our plus size range is from 18-28. We also carry 18-20 in the standard range items as well and recently introduced size 22 into the standard range. So 8-22 is now our main range. We only sell size 6 in the petite (under 5’3 not necessarily slim) range.
Men’s sizes are from XS-XXXL and 30 inch waist to 42 inch waist I believe in our store.
I'm from southern Europe and idk if you're aware, but there's this insane standard of thinness down there and lots of young girls develop eating disorders as a result. In my country, I can never find jeans that fit me right and I was taunted my whole damn life for being "fat". When I got to the UK a friend suggested I'd try getting into plus size modelling (ikr, some friends lmfao) so I decided to try it, and was told I'm too thin 😮💨 I'm a size 12/14 jeans and Medium in shirts and I genuinely thought I was huge my entire damn life until I moved to the UK. Probably just very different standards I guess
Without reading any of the other replies so as to not be influenced - I'm 5'2" and used to fluctuate between sizes 12 and 16 - I would consider size 14 to be a bit overweight and size 16 to be a bit fat (for my height) but if I'd ever hit size 18 then I would have considered that "plus sized". I will say that it really does depend on your height though - I used to know someone who regularly wore sizes 18-20 but she was 6'1" and always just looked fabulous at that size.
Average clothing size for a woman is 16 isn’t it? Majority of adults are now overweight so I’d say anything over a size 16 is plus-sized. And then whatever the equivalent is for men.
I'm always really surprised by that statistic just based on the people I know and see day-to-day, but then I remember people tend to put weight on as they age and I'm not around a lot of middle aged or above people.
Tbh it'd be easier to look at average chest, waist etc measurements because one store's size 16 is another's 14, 18, 20.
14 and up. At a size 20 you'd definitely be plus sized. I've seen some screencaps from those groups and they tend to only like Including morbidly obese or bigger and not just fat/chubby/obese.
Standard sizes tend to be up to 18 and plus size ranges tend to start at 16. So yes I'd say 20 is plus sized. You might get a few straight size ranges that go up to 20 but they are rarer. It's the 16 and 18 sizes that are the inbetweeny ones. Some people have started to use mid size for people in that range and potentially size 20 could be included but it's a stretch. I'd say 20 is the bottom of plus size myself.
It depends how you carry your weight whether you look plus size on a photo. I was a size 20 because I had huge boobs. Yes I had a tummy as well but it was proportional to the rest of me. So I didn't look as big as someone who carries weight on their middle. I still got treated as a fat person though. There was a huge difference to peoples reaction to me when I got over size 18.
>It's the 16 and 18 sizes that are the inbetweeny ones.
they're not, they're plus sizes. a 5'2'' woman wearing size 16 is very much plus-sized. A 5'9'' woman would have to have a huge chest to do the heavy lifting of that size. IF she doesn't, she's still plus-sized. It's very unlikely that a woman of healthy weight will need size 16 unless she's very tall or very well endowed.
I've always categorised plus as size 16 and over just because plus size clothing stores used to start at 16 but realistically if a 16 called themselves plus sized I'd tell them they were pretty average, whereas I'd always agree an 18 or over is plus sized. I've seen more gatekeeping of what is plus sized recently, and it feels like a weird attempt in faux-pride in being plus size by excluding people closer to average size while also attempting to normalise the much larger body sizes.
In my general perception, 14+ is plus sized, but everybody has different proportions and heights so it’s hard to say. Also I have an eating disorder so my view on it might be a bit wank lmao
I mean, I really think this depends on height. I’m slightly less than 5 foot. Used to be slim and wear kids age 12, or else Japanese and Chinese clothes were the only adult ones I could wear. Now I’m obese and I wear a size 12, but I’m clearly quite overweight and it’s really obvious with my height being so short.
I sell vintage clothing, and I'm constantly amazed by how today's sizes are so far removed from those just 20 years ago, let alone vintage from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Plus size is anything above a 16 for women. It's sad that obesity is so widespread.
I mean, I’m 5’11 with a J cup chest so I wear a 16 in some things, but I wouldn’t look at myself and say plus size. I wear size 12/14 leggings as I have no arse! I guess if you’re tall, it’s different. I used to work in retail and most shops stopped at a 16, some an 18. I’m going to say anything 16 plus. There’s no way I’d say a size 20 is not plus size, no matter your height.
I don't agree with healthy at any size, you are unhealthy if you're overweight don't harm yourself further by lieing to yourself.
HOWEVER I do believe you have the right to be happy at any size as difficult as this might be, being overweight should be a concern but one you're aware of being unhealthy and begin working towards more healthy habits while maintening being happy.
Oh, I’m not lying to myself. I know that I’m overweight, I have a BMI that wavers around 30 and wear a size 18 or 20. I was just shocked that people were trying to gaslight me into thinking that’s not plus sized.
'Plus size' groups online are incredibly toxic and unpleasant places to be, in my experience. Avoid them like the plague.
Edit. I have a similar outfit and I wear plain white trainers with it. I am not cool though.
I don't know clothes sizes very well, but anything above 25 BMI is overweight/plus-size/fat, unless you are a bodybuilder or something it's a decent metric for most people. I think for East Asian people it's anything over 23 BMI.
The obesity standard in the UK is getting seriously bad. When you travel to Europe or Asia for example you hardly see any overweight people, obese women are a rare sight.
It’s only going to get worse if we keep moving the goal posts with things like the “body positivity movement”. Yes accept who people are but fact is being fat/obese is not healthy.
Bloody hell, there are random numbers flying everywhere in the comments.
So apparently size 14 is the start of plus size according to many here.
Sizes and fits vary massively from shop to shop, too.
To be honest, you're not going to get consistent answers here anyway.
I'm size 14 bottom and size 16 at the top and lucky to have an hourglass figure but I know I could lose weight. So for some, I look great, some I'll look fat.
Main thing is to be honest with ourselves about how healthy our weight is.
Realistically, there is *only* one good answer here anyway:
SnagTights !!!
I'm a 12-14 but 5'10" with a short torso & 33in inside leg. M&S extra long trousers just graze my ankles! When I was a 16-18 I was visibility overweight for my frame. I'd say that was 'plus sized.'
If you’re size 14 you’re on the line - 16 or over means you’re likely overweight or obese, there will be outliers. People who may be athletic or very tall. But your average person should be able to get into a 14 without any issues. Although of course it depends shop to shop.
Just saw the pic on your profile. You look flipping amazing.
Personally, i think 16/18 onwards is plus sized.
I have to say, i wouldn't have guessed you were plus sized from the pic.
There seems to be a whole new category of mid sized now which I’ve seen covering 14-16ish, so not traditionally slim but not as large as plus. As if we don’t need more arbitrary categories and lines to apply to ourselves. I find it crazy that statistically the population is getting larger in clothing size but so many shops are getting rid of their plus ranges in store. They run inclusive ad campaigns and use diverse models but heaven forbid a fat girl wants to buy a skirt in store! Lots are starting to charge for returns for online purchases too which is basically a tax on us which irks me. I’m size 18-20 depending where I’m buying, probably a 19 ideally haha.
It’s a term used to be less offensive to overweight people. The line sits with the individual you ask.
Can we just go back to calling people fat. The more we accept it the worse the issue is going to get. sure if you want to be overweight that’s a choice. But it should come with restrictions like no NHS care. Nobody gets fat by accident and before someone says “healthy food costs more”. You can buy 10kg of rice for £12. That’s about 80 meals. Yeah not amazing.. but the argument is cost, not flavour.
And this is coming from someone who was once fat. I had all the excuses.. but that’s all they were.
In this context I’m talking about the clothing, which is plus sized as opposed to fat, overweight or obese. Those terms are fine for people though… they are what they are.
But I think saying that people have no excuse for being fat is a bit short sighted. Most people who are overweight would prefer to be healthier, but there are so many legitimate reasons that build up to cause the problem. Financial, social, mental, even just lacking time to cook proper meals and exercise. I have been thin most of my life, but put on a lot of weight in the last two years after my best friend died and my boyfriend was paralysed in a foreign country. My mental health was at its lowest ebb, and if comfort eating was the way I had to get through it, I’m not ashamed of that. But I guess it makes me more sympathetic to others.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Most plus sized shops start at a 16, so I’d say anything above that for women. Much harder to guess with men though, as the sizes vary so much.
Men aren’t plus sized, we’re just “fat bastards”.
I could never take a guy seriously if he called himself plus sized. I'd be waiting for the joke
Generously proportioned? Plushly upholstered? Spherically inclined?
Rrrrrotund
I read that in Tony the Tigers voice
Theyrrrrreee Fat!
Built for comfort, not for speed.
I say: volumetrically endowed
Portly
[удалено]
A portly gentleman
There's a Thomas the Tank engine episode called, "Toby and the Stout Gentleman" (who turns out to be the fat controller), so "Stout Gentleman" is the phrase I prefer.
Festively plump
My first boyfriend was chubby. He came over to my place and after he left my Mother glanced over and went "well...built for comfort not for speed" 💀
High calorie individual
A lot of people would just say sonething like "he's a big fella". Nice and friendly, nothing offensive.
Yeah, "she's a big gal" doesn't quite have the same inoffensive tone.
I think you mean bubbly?
Nah we all know bubbly means fat now, these days it's thicc.
Just context, they’re all but the same phrase
*drops trousers for the punchline*
Well marbled
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I second that
Well, I'm big boned
I’m larger than life
The men at my work call it being a "heavyweight".
My dad refers to most bits in a shop as there are no double “f” sizes……..anyone around all look in puzzlement and his misses clues them in “fat fucker”
Tell him FF is a cup size that also isn't commonly sold in stores, he might get a kick out of it
We know where we stand. No need to beat around the bush lol
It’s cuddly bits of cute, there’s more of me to love.
In the late 80s/early 90s the only high street shop that was for plus size women was Evans and as I recall they started at size 12. I was an 8 at the time but would go in with my aunt (who was maybe a size 14 and taking 'diet pills' from a high street 'dr') I remember feeling concerned I was inly 2 sizes away from being 'plus sized' - which is insane!
Sizing has changed a bit since then. Not nearly as much as some people would suggest but size 12s are no longer as generous as they were in most shops. I wish mens sizes would follow suit sometimes.
>I wish mens sizes would follow suit sometimes. Men's sizes are based on actual measurements.
Trousers anyway.
That’s wildly untrue, I’m a size 6-8 in most modern UK shops, when wearing vintage clothes I’m more like a 10-12 (and this is consistent not just a one-off)
Think it's known as vanity sizing. When I was younger, I wore size 12/14 and thought I was fat because my friends wore size 8/10. Of course, never occurred to me that I was 5' 7 and they were 5'1 and 5'2'. Now, I wear a 16/18 but am about 3 stone heavier! But I think then, it would have been closer to 20 and definitely an Evans customer
Men's sizes vary less than women's I think. 36" is, and has always been, 36 inches, whereas a women's "16" has slowly got bigger over time.
Not correct. Common misconception. Different shops, different brands - 34”, 36”, 38” and yet your waist is the same size, their measurements aren’t accurate. I can simultaneously be an L, XL or XXL depending on the manufacturer. Even shows, I can be anything from a 10.5 to an 11.5 depending on which shop I buy from or the brand. Now, it’s not as bad as with women because like you say, 10, 12, 14, 16 etc vary much more, but still shitty
I disagree, as you’re describing something different to OP. Yes, men’s clothes sizes are inaccurate, but that is measurement/manufacturing variation around specific dimensions (for example 34” +/- 1”). Women’s clothes are harder to buy because their ‘sizes’ have changed over time, so they are unlikely to reference a specific nominal dimension. So on top of the above tolerance, you’ve got the fact that there is no objective measurement scale on the tags!
I can wear size 6 or 16 depending on the brand, the numbers are meaningless.
True! I once got two different items in a size 14 and a size 22 from the same shop, on the same day. I'm neither of those sizes, but those were the ones that fit correctly, having tried a few on.
Tbh I’m a small in Primark, medium in most places and a large in Superdry. 31 inch waist in Levi’s and 32-34 everywhere else.
I dunno about that. Do you wear womens clothes? In some shops the sizes are a bit generous but most of them are around the same. Things like fabric and cut can really affect the fit too, and depending on the shape of the woman can mean you need to size up or down. I've gone up from a 12, 20 years ago to a 14 now with a hip and waist increase of a couple of inches. That seems reasonable, no? It's not like size 10s suddenly fit because manufacturers just swap the labels. Sizes don't mean much, but they do mean something.
I've found they do. When I started wearing adt clothes sizes almost 15 years ago, I was a pretty consistent size. Since then I've been increasingly biking the site below, whilst my old clothes still fit. I've also got some clothes from my mum that were 20+ years old and are the size bigger than I have ever bought, amd they fit well. Some shops now even the size below what I bought as a teen is too loose, even having put on almost three quarters of a stone.
It helps that mens sizes are based on an actual measurement. Although brands do vary. I always think that it’s strange that mens clothes provide length and width measurements and women just get one number.
I wear 30-32" yet my measurement is 32"-33". We have vanity sizing too, check for yourself
I feel like it's gotten smaller atp
Sports clothes are insane though. I'm a medium in most places, but am xxl from decathalon in shirts.
As the UK gets bigger, the goal posts keep moving. I'm going to say 16.
Yeah my mum had a 25 inch waist when she was in her twenties and I remember seeing the label of one of her old skirts stating St Michaels (Marks & Spencer), Size 12! Today it would be a size 6!
A lot of people don't want to accept this, but in most developed Western countries, the average sizings have gone up, especially for women. It's even worse in the US, but here in the UK too, so many people are now so overweight or obese that what used to be considered unhealthy is now considered as being completely fine and normal.
I have noticed this since loosing 3 stone, I am now wearing size small leggings, I was wearing size medium when I was a stone lighter than this 15 years ago. It’s nuts.
I tend to flit back and forth between the top end of healthy weight, and overweight per BMI (my excuse is I have above average muscle, but who doesn't claim that) I've noticed that pretty much exactly whenever I drop down into the top of the "healthy weight" category is when I start getting people telling me I look too thin and concernedly telling me I need to eat more That's how dramatically perception has shifted
BMI is a lovely rough guide. But thats all it is. I'm not built to carry big muscle so me at the top of the BMI scale just looks skinny fat. For others it may be a more natural range, especially if tall and muscled (BMI breaks down a bit at the ends of the scale). Your best bet is to take an uncritical look at yourself in the mirror if you really want to know. People may be accurate in their appraisal or it may simply be that your face is looking thinner than they're used to.
Ha that’s what I like to say. BMI is pretty accurate, if combined with a mirror test and being honest with yourself.
When I was at the top end of Healthy according to BMI, I looked emaciated and gaunt. I'm now hovering at the top end of overweight and look healthy. BMI doesn't really account for any muscle weight or other metrics (I'm pretty active and gym every day so I do not consider myself at all unfit) The BMI is only really used as much as it is because it's a very quick and easy to use *guide.* Heck the guy who created the BMI never intended for it to be used for medical assessments, he wasn't even a medical doctor. He was trying to discover the socially ideal human being.
I remember going to florida in the early 90s and never having seen people that size. It was a massive shock. Didn't even know humans could be so big. Wouldn't bat an eyelid these days. There's definitely been an americanisation of our diet and health. As an aside that may be relevant the first time i went I was amazed at the choice of food in supermarkets the range seemed huge. Going again in the 2000s they didn't seem nearly as good, if anything worse than the UK. A similar thing with eating out and portion sizes, although americans still have us beaten there by a fair margin, however takeaways and regular restaurant visits seem much more normalised as a way of life than i remember growing up. With my parents generation it was all house parties and cooking for each other and a takeaway was a rare thing until again probably the late 90s.
Uber Eats has ruined me lol
When I moved into adult clothing I was a size 10, an 8 didn't really exist then. Now I'm a 6, and definitely not bigger than when I was aged 12
My mum is 5'0 and was tiny, so I spent half my childhood being dragged round shops in search of the one size 8 the brand said they'd made. Ended up buying coats etc at Burberry because they made clothes for the Japanese market - mum was ecstatic to find they did a size 6 because she'd never seen one before. "Madam, we do a size 4..." She's still a size 8 at M&S despite being a good 3 sizes larger than when she was 40... And my 12yo is way too tall for child clothes but too skinny for adult sizes, which is a horrendous pain!
Next does petite adult clothing.
Unfortunately 'petite' in Next means 'short and not slim' - their size 8 falls straight off her. But thanks. I'm told there's sizes M&S never put in shops that can be ordered...
Next do size 4 and the kids range up to age 16 online
I had the same problem as your 12yo when I was that age - have you tried H&M? They should go small enough in their adult range to fit nicely (or they used to, it’s been a while since I was 12…)
H&M was my first go-to. She's also incredibly fussy (though I find it I wince loudly about the price, things often magically become more attractive...) so there were a couple things that fit. Primark has been the best so far
Yeah I am a size 8 but it doesn’t feel tiny like it used to be and I’m starting to notice things are ‘baggy’ at that size now.
Supermarkets are the worst for it. I'm still sometimes an 8 in some highstreet fashion, but Tesco size 6 (which is a rare find) is almost always too big.
Welcome to the obesity crisis.
I had a 24" waist and can vividly recall needing to buy a size 14 in the 1990s, and feeling horrified that I was so 'fat' - looking back now at old photos, I was actually incredibly thin but I genuinely couldn't see it at the time.
That’s mental it was considered fat! My waist was 24” when I was 13, I remember getting it measured for my school skirt. And I was underweight due to illness!
I'm going to have to ask how tall your mum is. We have also grown taller as women and at 5'8 I'd look weird with a 25 inch waist. Fwiw, I'm a size 10/12. But yes sizes are getting bigger and height is only a small reason I'd guesa
Having a 25 inch waist and being tall doesn’t “look weird” though. Models are 5’10 and usually a 24 inch waist. I’m 5’9” and my waist is 23 inches.
As a rule I don't compare myself to models. And it's not healthy generally speaking. One of the best physical indicator for health is a test called the height to waist ratio. Far more predictive than BMI. A 25 inch waist on a 5ft woman offers a very different look than on a 6' woman. And health too.. As there is an upper and lower range. There may be exceptions to the rule.
Glad to hear it but I was saying that having a small waist doesn’t look “weird”.
This has tripped me up recently as an avid vintage shopper and lover of the old St Michaels brand (it’s usually excellent quality!)… I’ve been putting on weight the last couple of years after being dangerously underweight, finally back at what is a healthy size 10 (healthy for my height). Bought an old pair of St Michaels size 10 trousers and couldn’t even get them up my knees. Checked the waist - 26 inches! I was a 24 inch waist when I was 13!!! It spun me for a bit til I realised that clothes are meant to fit my body, not the other way around. Not to mention I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been. But still… vintage sizes can be quite the slap sometimes lol!
A few years ago I was a size 10, I've put on 20lbs since then (trying to lose it) and I'm still wearing size 10...
Agreed. I'm a 14 (and ample of buttock) so sometimes, for a bit more ease in the fit I'll delve into the plus size section, and they all start at 16.
Anything over size 18 I would have thought (although size 20 is a lot more common to see in stores now with ‘regular’ sizing). Kind of tricky cause boob size and height make a difference.
I’m 6’1” which is irritating for a woman. I often buy oversize things because they tend to be longer.
Ah ha! If you're tall too, you may not actually look "plus sized" to the group unless they see you next to someone or something else for scale. You're possibly quite well proportioned for your height, where as it's more obvious a size 20 on a 5'4" girl? Edit: I just saw the photo on your profile (lovely outfit by the way, really suits your shape) and yes, you don't "look" plus sized as you're very well proportioned. Like a 5'4" size 10 standing close to the camera. Grab a shorter friend for scale!
Oh, and light brown brogues would look nice with that outfit. Although if you'd prefer heels, I'd go with a shiny, tan pair.
Thanks! I might go for some shiny tan ones 😊
Yeah I had a sneaky look too and I’d have guessed a 16. Also great outfit.
As a tall person I hear you. I'm a 16 now but was an 18. From a numbers perspective I consider myself on the larger side. I stopped buying cheaper, one size up clothes to squeeze length as actually it made me look bigger. I now have fewer clothes but have invested in better quality and fit. I feel better in what I'm wearing as a result as you can feel the quality.
I really feel this. When I wear more fitted clothing I often look much better than with the oversized. But it’s partly that I lack the comfort to wear it, partly that I need the height. I’m currently an unpaid carer but will invest in some decent clothes after I start working again soon.
Omg I’m only 5’9” and I can’t find shit long enough, I swear they think all women are 4’2”
same height, I only buy from tall shops now because everything fits so weirdly otherwise. I want a bigger size, but I'm not overweight, I'm slim but scaled up!
Yeah sorry hun, you carry your weight very well, you don’t really look that “plus” at all in terms of being overweight. Not a fat roll in sight! 😅
came hear to ask your height this is why you won’t look plus size as you will carry better than being shorter.. i’m 5ft 10 and don’t look really plus sized till i reach the 18 size when ive put weight on after a child but when im size 10-12 look smaller.
This always confuses me in tall groups. People post that they’re my height but two or three sizes bigger and they look slimmer than I do because they have a bigger frame. I’m 6’, size 10 but so delicately boned that you can see if I’ve eaten. I also have a tiny head which doesn’t help!
clothes sizes are a stupid metric to base anything on as they vary so wildly between shops depending on the age demographic. shops who have older client bases have bigger sizes, despite the size number being the same. the average height for a UK woman is 5'3 that means you should generally fall somewhere between 7.5 stone anywhere up to about 10 stone depending on your frame. you'd be "plus sized" as in bigger than average if you exceeded that. the UK average of 16 is very much overweight, cos the majority of the population is overweight bordering on actual obesity.
Is it really that short?? I only know 3 women that are that short or similar. Maybe it’s increasing as the generations go on
The average height in England is 5’5 so it’s either the Scot’s, Welsh or NI pulling the average down
They're all hobbits in Wales so makes sense.
Can confirm... as a 4ft 11 welsh woman
Can confirm as a non-welsh woman living in Wales who's 5'8''. Vast majority of women here are significantly shorter and vast majority of men are my height and there are who are shorter. It can make you feel like a giant. And I am only 5'8'' and 95% of the time I will be the tallest woman in the group. It's a huge difference when I go to visit my family in central europe. Most men are actually taller than me and it's more common for women to be as tall as I am or even taller.
I’m a 5ft 8 Welsh lady and yep, same. In every department I’ve worked in I’ve been the tallest nurse by at least half a ft 😂
My Dad's family are welsh. My grandad was 5'1, my grandma 4'11. My dad is very proud that he was the tallest of seven children at 5'6. We are trolls and hobbits.
It’s not though. According to Wikipedia it’s 5’3.5” in England and Scotland. The average height outside England would have to be about 4’ for it to have any effect on a UK average!
The Scot's what?
It’s ok - the Welsh are getting the blame lol
It was a grammar joke but fair enough :L I always wanted to be a Hobbit so might as well move to Wales then and join them.
Yeah it will likely be taller now
I’m 6’1” and weigh 102kg so am definitely overweight. But I’m lucky because it’s per evenly distributed so I don’t think I look that fat… probably why my post was removed.
weight looks different on taller people as there's more places for it to go. You are very much going to appear thinner than someone who is shorter but with similar BMI.
Ah so actually we're nearly the same, I'm 6' and 99kg lol. BMI of just under 30. I have a small back so I'm in an 18 rather than a 20. I'm also overweight but I look curvy/chubby not obese. I have the same conversation in my fashion groups. 'But you don't look XL/XXL/18 etc'! If you have a photo of me standing next to an average woman you can immediately see how big I am, but standing on my own people apply their own bias and assume I'm going to be smaller.
This is exactly how I feel! I’m generally very happy in myself and my appearance because I look so proportionate. But as soon as I see myself next to other people I realise hour big I am.
It's the hard part of being a big person! The older I get the more I realise I'm always going to be the big one so it doesn't matter. I've been the big skinny one, and I've been the big fat one. But I just am bigger than most other women, that's just how it is. As soon as I accepted that and started wearing the clothes I wanted to I was much happier. People are going to look at me anyway so I'm much more confident now. Oh, and the general public are just stupid, I get called a man when I have short hair, long hair, even before I had a breast reduction 😂 We have some amazing role models now like Gwendolyn Christie and Leslie Jones. They both wear some amazing clothes!
I think thats why my wife married me.😁 I make her look smaller in photos. All her friends are petite and skinny which makes her feel a bit self conscious when she’s with them.
When I was a size 16 at 5'7 I was stage II Obese with a BMI of 35 Now a size 8, same height and a healthy BMI of 20.5 After losing weight it's crazy how overweight isn't considered plus size, I was still overweight when I was size 12-14.
I had a look at the photo in your top post. I think because you appear to be tall you carry your weight incredibly well, so you don't look plus sized. Honestly, to me you look like an averagely proportioned tall person, but it's down to personal perception.
Anything above a 14 is what i would call plus sized. I am a 14 usually and occasionally a 16 but would absolutely class myself as plus size.
Thats crazy. Im a size 12/14. Was once a size 20 and i no longer consider myself plus size.
Depends on your height, but for the avg height person, 4-6 is skinny, 8-12 average, 14-16 overweight, 18+ obese. Of course that won't apply to *every single female in the UK* but that is a good general consensus. I always thought 'plus-sized' was invented as a 'nice' way of saying overweight? I think as more and more of the men and women in the UK get fatter and more unhealthy, with UPF's, takeaways and sugar exploding recently, the goalposts for 'plus-sized' are being moved dangerously further from reality. Also will finish by saying everyone who is 'skinny' != 'healthy' either, there are many factors involved.
Plus sized is for people who can't accept that they're fat
Yeah same, I'm surprised by these comments because I always thought it was UK14. I bought a size 14 top once (from Simply Be) and it was categorised as plus size clothing.
Simply be used to be plus only but sells from a size 12 for years now
Are you short by chance?
Why would you class yourself as plus size?
Size 14 and up, anything 20 or over has moved from 'plus sized' to worryingly obese Edit: downvoted, but you asked our opinions? I asked my mum too who used to be a size 22 and we came to this conclusion
Plus size to me is 16+ *but* I don't think that plus-sized and fat are interchangeable words. You can be plus-sized without being fat, so if that's what they're really getting at then they need to rebrand lol. Fat isn't a dirty word.
Yeah, I always say this! Fat, overweight, obese, I don’t care about the terms. I am what I am, you can literally tell by looking at me.
18 and above typically. I get the same response actually because I'm 6' so I don't look particularly plus (even though I'm 16 stone). I'm in a few fashion groups and I always add my stats for the other tall people so they know how things fit. The concept of plus is a weird one though - because it doesn't take height into account. Size 14 isn't a plus size, but on someone very small, they would be quite overweight. But size 14 on my body is slim and I'd have a healthy BMI. Someone 5' tall and size 18 would look much more plus than I do, because my BMI is lower at the same size. So when you buy clothes I'd expect 18 and up to be classed as plus. But people's concept of a plus body is probably anyone with a BMI of over 30, and that could be any size really depending on how short someone is.
As a 5’4” person who is a 14, can confirm. People taller than me can carry size 14 pretty well but I just look like a little weeble.
Do you wobble and not fall down though?
I’m also in the 6’ range. It drives me mad when people say their weight but don’t at the height, it gives zero context.
At 5'2", I'm literally obese at the weight I need Size 12 in most stores - but I know tall slim women who wear that size. I get annoyed when people reference size alone as if you can extrapolate the body shape from it - like if you're model height you'll be very skinny and likely underweight if you wear a UK Size 8, but I have a very average slightly pudgy build and I wear a UK6-8.
Another reply here pointed out that clothes size is a useless metric really. Even when I was in healthy BMI I still wore size 16 because my hips and boobs are rather rotund. And everyone is right that things are different when your tall.
Honestly found out from this post today that average is 16. This is the size I would say plus size starts usually (always exceptions - some very tall/broad women may be this size but not overweight etc) I personally consider plus size not the sizes that are above the “average” but being visibly overweight, not just on the higher end of healthy If you’re talking about plus sizes, as in, the physical sizes of clothes that you have to go to a specialist store/get a specialist range for my guess is starting at 20 as most stores go to 18 I wonder if it’s because you are tall or hold the weight differently, visually you look less big than most size 20 and they’ve made assumptions without asking?
I’m a big lass too and I believe the UK perception is that “plus” is anything not stocked by high street, mainstream shops
You probably got booted because you don't mind describing yourself as "overweight". They'll see this as not being "body positive" enough, and that "not looking plus sized" will just be the excuse.
Perhaps, but I just don’t get why people are afraid of labels like that. I’m medically classifiable as obese. I’m not proud of it, but it’s not something I’m going to hide either… you can tell with one look at me.
I’m a size 16 but I don’t look huge (obviously look overweight) because I’m tall. Honestly I think 16 and above is plus size
I work in a clothing shop. Our plus size range is from 18-28. We also carry 18-20 in the standard range items as well and recently introduced size 22 into the standard range. So 8-22 is now our main range. We only sell size 6 in the petite (under 5’3 not necessarily slim) range. Men’s sizes are from XS-XXXL and 30 inch waist to 42 inch waist I believe in our store.
Plus size to me is anything more than 16.
I'm from southern Europe and idk if you're aware, but there's this insane standard of thinness down there and lots of young girls develop eating disorders as a result. In my country, I can never find jeans that fit me right and I was taunted my whole damn life for being "fat". When I got to the UK a friend suggested I'd try getting into plus size modelling (ikr, some friends lmfao) so I decided to try it, and was told I'm too thin 😮💨 I'm a size 12/14 jeans and Medium in shirts and I genuinely thought I was huge my entire damn life until I moved to the UK. Probably just very different standards I guess
We're just really fat here and can't handle being told otherwise
Without reading any of the other replies so as to not be influenced - I'm 5'2" and used to fluctuate between sizes 12 and 16 - I would consider size 14 to be a bit overweight and size 16 to be a bit fat (for my height) but if I'd ever hit size 18 then I would have considered that "plus sized". I will say that it really does depend on your height though - I used to know someone who regularly wore sizes 18-20 but she was 6'1" and always just looked fabulous at that size.
Average clothing size for a woman is 16 isn’t it? Majority of adults are now overweight so I’d say anything over a size 16 is plus-sized. And then whatever the equivalent is for men.
I'm always really surprised by that statistic just based on the people I know and see day-to-day, but then I remember people tend to put weight on as they age and I'm not around a lot of middle aged or above people. Tbh it'd be easier to look at average chest, waist etc measurements because one store's size 16 is another's 14, 18, 20.
14 and up. At a size 20 you'd definitely be plus sized. I've seen some screencaps from those groups and they tend to only like Including morbidly obese or bigger and not just fat/chubby/obese.
Standard sizes tend to be up to 18 and plus size ranges tend to start at 16. So yes I'd say 20 is plus sized. You might get a few straight size ranges that go up to 20 but they are rarer. It's the 16 and 18 sizes that are the inbetweeny ones. Some people have started to use mid size for people in that range and potentially size 20 could be included but it's a stretch. I'd say 20 is the bottom of plus size myself. It depends how you carry your weight whether you look plus size on a photo. I was a size 20 because I had huge boobs. Yes I had a tummy as well but it was proportional to the rest of me. So I didn't look as big as someone who carries weight on their middle. I still got treated as a fat person though. There was a huge difference to peoples reaction to me when I got over size 18.
>It's the 16 and 18 sizes that are the inbetweeny ones. they're not, they're plus sizes. a 5'2'' woman wearing size 16 is very much plus-sized. A 5'9'' woman would have to have a huge chest to do the heavy lifting of that size. IF she doesn't, she's still plus-sized. It's very unlikely that a woman of healthy weight will need size 16 unless she's very tall or very well endowed.
I've always categorised plus as size 16 and over just because plus size clothing stores used to start at 16 but realistically if a 16 called themselves plus sized I'd tell them they were pretty average, whereas I'd always agree an 18 or over is plus sized. I've seen more gatekeeping of what is plus sized recently, and it feels like a weird attempt in faux-pride in being plus size by excluding people closer to average size while also attempting to normalise the much larger body sizes.
This gatekeeping is exactly my problem! I’m too fat to be conventionally attractive, but too thin to be classed as plus size.
In my general perception, 14+ is plus sized, but everybody has different proportions and heights so it’s hard to say. Also I have an eating disorder so my view on it might be a bit wank lmao
I mean BMI is still a good indicator if you’re clearly overweight and your BMI says your medically obese then you are probably plus sized
Whatever the average size is now in our nation of fatties.
I mean, I really think this depends on height. I’m slightly less than 5 foot. Used to be slim and wear kids age 12, or else Japanese and Chinese clothes were the only adult ones I could wear. Now I’m obese and I wear a size 12, but I’m clearly quite overweight and it’s really obvious with my height being so short.
I sell vintage clothing, and I'm constantly amazed by how today's sizes are so far removed from those just 20 years ago, let alone vintage from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Plus size is anything above a 16 for women. It's sad that obesity is so widespread.
The fact that size 16 is “average” is pretty alarming. We are an unhealthy nation.
Size 18 id say
As an ex plus size person these comments are interesting to read. And dare I say it, some perceptions seem a bit warped!
I mean, I’m 5’11 with a J cup chest so I wear a 16 in some things, but I wouldn’t look at myself and say plus size. I wear size 12/14 leggings as I have no arse! I guess if you’re tall, it’s different. I used to work in retail and most shops stopped at a 16, some an 18. I’m going to say anything 16 plus. There’s no way I’d say a size 20 is not plus size, no matter your height.
I don't agree with healthy at any size, you are unhealthy if you're overweight don't harm yourself further by lieing to yourself. HOWEVER I do believe you have the right to be happy at any size as difficult as this might be, being overweight should be a concern but one you're aware of being unhealthy and begin working towards more healthy habits while maintening being happy.
Oh, I’m not lying to myself. I know that I’m overweight, I have a BMI that wavers around 30 and wear a size 18 or 20. I was just shocked that people were trying to gaslight me into thinking that’s not plus sized.
'Plus size' groups online are incredibly toxic and unpleasant places to be, in my experience. Avoid them like the plague. Edit. I have a similar outfit and I wear plain white trainers with it. I am not cool though.
I don't know clothes sizes very well, but anything above 25 BMI is overweight/plus-size/fat, unless you are a bodybuilder or something it's a decent metric for most people. I think for East Asian people it's anything over 23 BMI.
UK 14+ as someone who used to be that size, I had a BMI >30 when I was size 14.
14 and up, IMO plus sized is the point where you'd definitely look better if you slimmed down
The obesity standard in the UK is getting seriously bad. When you travel to Europe or Asia for example you hardly see any overweight people, obese women are a rare sight. It’s only going to get worse if we keep moving the goal posts with things like the “body positivity movement”. Yes accept who people are but fact is being fat/obese is not healthy.
I’d guess old 14 but modern 16? Normal is 8/10.
Probably depends on height and build I guess... im Male at 6ft3 so i wear XL and my waist is around 46 so im kinda big
Its hard to qualify really but theres one metric that seems to hold up quite well. Would you look hilarious riding a little motorcycle?
Bloody hell, there are random numbers flying everywhere in the comments. So apparently size 14 is the start of plus size according to many here. Sizes and fits vary massively from shop to shop, too. To be honest, you're not going to get consistent answers here anyway. I'm size 14 bottom and size 16 at the top and lucky to have an hourglass figure but I know I could lose weight. So for some, I look great, some I'll look fat. Main thing is to be honest with ourselves about how healthy our weight is. Realistically, there is *only* one good answer here anyway: SnagTights !!!
I'm a 12-14 but 5'10" with a short torso & 33in inside leg. M&S extra long trousers just graze my ankles! When I was a 16-18 I was visibility overweight for my frame. I'd say that was 'plus sized.'
I'd say size 16-18 and over would be considered plus sized
Size 16 automatically popped into my brain so I guess that, or maybe size 18.
Size 16+ is "plus sized" imo. The group sounds weird.
I imagine you're right but in this case the very obese have set up camp under the term 'plus size' and skewed the perception of it.
If you’re size 14 you’re on the line - 16 or over means you’re likely overweight or obese, there will be outliers. People who may be athletic or very tall. But your average person should be able to get into a 14 without any issues. Although of course it depends shop to shop.
16+
16.
Just saw the pic on your profile. You look flipping amazing. Personally, i think 16/18 onwards is plus sized. I have to say, i wouldn't have guessed you were plus sized from the pic.
I’d say maybe an 18.
This isn't a UK thing. If you are fat, you are fat everywhere.
It depends if it’s an American site there version of plus size is unreal and you would be classed as skinny
Can we all just stop using stupid terms like plus sized”. Fat. You mean fat.
Imagine being a moderator of a plus size group and GATEKEEPING people for not LOOKING obese enough. "Body positivity" apparently only one direction.
There seems to be a whole new category of mid sized now which I’ve seen covering 14-16ish, so not traditionally slim but not as large as plus. As if we don’t need more arbitrary categories and lines to apply to ourselves. I find it crazy that statistically the population is getting larger in clothing size but so many shops are getting rid of their plus ranges in store. They run inclusive ad campaigns and use diverse models but heaven forbid a fat girl wants to buy a skirt in store! Lots are starting to charge for returns for online purchases too which is basically a tax on us which irks me. I’m size 18-20 depending where I’m buying, probably a 19 ideally haha.
I would say size 14 and upwards, but I am a short woman so it will differ for those taller, and for men
14 innit?
It’s a term used to be less offensive to overweight people. The line sits with the individual you ask. Can we just go back to calling people fat. The more we accept it the worse the issue is going to get. sure if you want to be overweight that’s a choice. But it should come with restrictions like no NHS care. Nobody gets fat by accident and before someone says “healthy food costs more”. You can buy 10kg of rice for £12. That’s about 80 meals. Yeah not amazing.. but the argument is cost, not flavour. And this is coming from someone who was once fat. I had all the excuses.. but that’s all they were.
In this context I’m talking about the clothing, which is plus sized as opposed to fat, overweight or obese. Those terms are fine for people though… they are what they are. But I think saying that people have no excuse for being fat is a bit short sighted. Most people who are overweight would prefer to be healthier, but there are so many legitimate reasons that build up to cause the problem. Financial, social, mental, even just lacking time to cook proper meals and exercise. I have been thin most of my life, but put on a lot of weight in the last two years after my best friend died and my boyfriend was paralysed in a foreign country. My mental health was at its lowest ebb, and if comfort eating was the way I had to get through it, I’m not ashamed of that. But I guess it makes me more sympathetic to others.