Is it just me or are clothes sizes a mystery to others as well?

After some years of living out of my once very over bought wardrobe I decided it was time to buy a few nice items again. I went on a big clothes buying spree when I hit size 10 (4 years ago) and I overdid it - my wardrobe seriously overflows to this day. So I decided no more - wear it and be done with the clothes syndrome hangover that began the day I walked into monsoon 6 years ago after I lost most of my weight & almost everything fitted me!

But I was too tempted. Mainly because at the carboot last weekend this lady had a rack full of my type of gear (for a change!). I’m not into high street fashion although it looks lovely on some people.  I like my gear understated because I often wear extreme jewellery - big hunks of silver & stone. And I have a belt fetish borne out of the days when I had no waist to speak of, just a huge sheet of fat all around me. These accessories seldom look good on fiddly cuts and patterns. I still like tunics although I have learned that these need very simple fitted cutting to look good on me. Anything pleated or rouched rapidly swamps & enlarges me. Quite odd as these used to slim me down, or so I thought.  I also sometimes like body hugging tops - again simple ones…wearing them confidently did take me a couple of years as when I was large I only ever wore loose tops to try to hide myself in them.

So there she was with  East, older monsoon (not sure I like the new stuff much tbh, although occasionally they still make a nice thing or two), lots of pre-take over ghost, kew -  all beautiful linens and fabrics, almost new condition - who could resist! I began my justifying process - ‘well, it’s probably time I sort out my wardrobe and e-bay some gear to the other ‘artsy farts’ out there’ - ‘at these prices I’ll never find such a good deal again!’ - ‘if I sell off some of my older clothes it will easily pay for this lot’…. :oops:   :lol:

Plus it’s cheap as chips and all of it size 10. Perfect I thought as I bought a veritable black bag full of the stuff…knowing full well I have no space in my wardrobe at all…nada, not even enough for one extra top let alone a bag full of clothes…    :-)

Back home I tried on the trousers and they are all loose. I can still wear them thank goodness, but an 8 might have fitted me better. What’s going on?  I could have sworn I was a size 10.   :-|

Either sizes have got slightly larger since I last bought things - or I have got smaller and am still suffering from my body darned image dysmorphia thingie. Sheesh, I hate thinking I am over it and then finding that might not be the whole  truth…  :-?

Anyway - I have this week cut out for me as I sift and sort clothing for Africa. To add to it all my daughter has left about 4 black bags of her clothing here which she did not want anymore so I have got to sort that out too. I’m a bit fearful I will find things in her pile I love as well!  :roll: I’m going to have to be tough & strong and just get it off to our charity shops as fast as possible!  :-)