According to a recent study done by the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, the average size dress for an American woman is now between 16 and 18.
This number is up from several years ago when the average size was 14. In other countries, the average woman’s size may be different.
Who should read this article?
People from all over the world would benefit from this piece. Nobody is left off the size charts, and women are the most frequent buyers of clothes.
However, many apparel websites also feature clothes and attire for men and children. This article is also meant for people of all sizes and shapes.
Although it focuses on women in America, it can apply to many individuals.
Is size 10 considered small for a woman?
Actually, by today’s standards, a size ten is at the larger end of medium.
Typically, the dresses’ chests measure between 35 1/2 to 37 1/2 inches, the waist is from 27 to 28 inches, and the hips are from 38 to 39 inches.
This is for an average American woman. Later on, this article takes a look at women in countries other than America. Although it may surprise you, there is a size difference.
What about a woman’s size 14?
As of late November 2021, size 14 was considered average for a woman, whether someone is talking about a dress, a top, or pants.
Changes in the way people live their lives as well as the typical diet and fitness regimens may account for the increase in the average woman’s size of between 16 and 18.
What about the average shoe size for a woman?
The average shoe size for women is between 8.5 and 9.0. It may behoove people to know that a woman’s foot size is also larger now than it used to be.
The weights amongst people as well as their heights are larger than ever too.
Again, one has to wonder if people really are bigger now than there were in past decades. Perhaps more people are taking notice now than ever before.
Where is this change most apparent?
The changes in average sizes are most apparent in the way today’s women shop online for clothing. To those ladies who pay attention, the larger sizes of many attractive garments sell out much quicker than the smaller sizes.
This includes bras, panties, and other undergarments a lady would wear. For women who need these larger sizes, this is a very frustrating trend.
What used to be the average dress size for an American woman?
In the late 1960s, the clothing size for a small American woman was a 9. The medium was a 13, while the large was anything over a size 16.
It is important to note that average-sized clothing for men has also increased. So, fear not ladies, you are not alone.
What is the reason for the increase in sizes?
Are people generally larger today than in years past? Are clothing manufacturers now making clothes smaller? Is it some combination of factors?
These questions all have answers that remain unsolved. Perhaps soon we shall all discover the true reasons for the dramatic size shift.
Have sizes increased in other countries too or just in the United States? Let’s take a look.
What size of clothing does the average female wear in Asia?
This is the most important region in which to examine this question. That is because a lot of online clothing boutiques now originate in China.
Often, clothing that is made in China runs about two sizes smaller than clothing made in North America.
Thankfully, most of these boutiques have size comparison charts for each article of clothing a person wants to purchase.
That tends to take the mystery out of shopping on these websites.
What about the average clothing size in the United Kingdom and Europe?
In the United Kingdom, the answer is a size 16. In Europe, it is 44 (the European configuration for clothing sizes.)
As of early 2020, larger women in these regions were complaining that their markets were underserved. In mid-2022 there has been somewhat of an answer to this problem.
The same clothing companies that originate in China show the UK size comparison in the item charts.
The charts also show the precise measurements for each size of clothing. This makes it much easier to determine what sizes are correctly reported.
What is the average shirt size for a man?
A small shirt is 35 to 37 in the chest and 29 to 31 in the waist. For a medium shirt, the measurements are 38 to 40 in the chest and 32 to 34 in the waist.
Larger sizes are of course bigger in both body areas of a man. Remember, there are also very small men in the world.
For them, the chest and waist sizes are smaller than what we told you a small was.
What is the average shoe size for a man?
The average shoe size for men is currently 10 1/2. Naturally, the shoe size varies depending on the height and weight of the individual.
Again, these numbers are up considerably from a few decades ago. In general shoe size of a man (or a woman) is not related to his health.
It stands to reason that if he is a big man, he will wear larger-sized shoes than others.
What is the average hat size for a person?
For a woman, it is 7 1/4 while a man’s measures approximately 7 8/8.
A woman’s head will measure 21 7/8 inches and a man’s head would come in at a larger number than that.
Generally, a hat size wouldn’t differ as much over the years as the rest of the person’s body. The exception would be going from a juvenile to an adult.
One more exception can be going from a middle-aged person to a senior citizen. In that case, the hat size might shrink.
What about the wrist size for an average person?
Why would someone need to know this? In case they are buying a watch, a bracelet, or a wristband. When someone has a 6-inch wrist, that is considered small.
An average wrist is 7 or 8 inches. Anything above 8 inches is said to be large.
There are both women and men who are big-boned. Their wrist size could be quite a bit bigger than that.
What size ring does the average person wear?
This statistic can be a little deceiving. The reason for that is sometimes people wear rings on other fingers besides their specific ring finger.
A typical size for a woman on her ring finger is a 6, while that of a man comes in at 8 1/2.
This is another gray area because it depends on the size of the individual. A petite woman is going to have petite fingers. So, they likely will take a size 4 ring.
Whereas a large man takes a much larger ring. Makes sense, right?
What is a person’s best bet for purchasing apparel and accessories?
The best thing to do is buy them online. Why? Because nowadays, as we stated earlier, most websites contain charts on how to determine your size.
For instance, if you have a large bust line or chest, these charts will tell you what size item will fit you.
What about a brick-and-mortar store?
If that is your preference, you should select a store that has professionals on hand to take your measurements and guide you to the correct fitting items.
A discount and/or a big-box store is not likely to have such a person on staff.
You would probably need to figure out your own measurements prior to visiting that store.
