Pants - waist sizing question

Yes, petite sizes run smaller in both length and width. But I’ve also had pants vary in size based on color 😡 or year I bought them. I have a black pair from NY&Co that I loved and they got faded after a few years so I bought a replacement pair and the new pair were almost two inches narrower in the waist. Women’s clothing sizes are an exercise in frustration.

OMG, so much this! So much depends on what the material is that they’re made of, even which factory/country they’re manufactured in. I’ve bought a half dozen pairs of jeans at the same time from Costco, same brand, same style, same size just different colors. A third fit, another third were baggy and the last third wouldn’t even zip. I’ve learned that if I want to buy black jeans (or dark wash or really any color other than standard denim blue), I have to size up because that fabric is different. It’s so bizarre.

I’ve had the same thing happen with knit shirts from Kohl’s. All the same size and brand just slightly different styles (crew neck vs. v neck) or different colors. Turns out they come from different factories in different countries and some are better than others. 

And my DD wonders why I always want her to try stuff on in person in a store before ordering things online. It’s to save myself the aggravation of having to return things later!

Women’s clothes sizing is all over the place, even within the same company. I do need to try on stuff before buying.

As for petite clothing, yes the overall cut is smaller to fit proportionally for a smaller stature women. Even tops might be slightly narrower than a regular size. Even though I am petite, regular tops fit me better in the shoulder area. But then the length is often too long. So one or the other. Petite pants are often too tight in the leg area for my liking, but the length is perfect. They should make women’s pant sizing just like men’s sizing - waist and length, rather a 4, 6, 8, etc.

It really varies on the company. Usually if you look at the size chart, the petite measurements will be a little smaller. Some pants are just labeled “short” and those seem to just be shorter in length rather than shorter rise (which is annoying—looking at you American eagle. They have extra short lengths which is great, but the rise is not proportional. Most people who wear extra short probably don’t want an 11 or 12 inch rise.

I was poking around the petite section at Talbots one day and the salesperson told me to expect to go up one size in petite. All I know is that I have to try on every piece of clothing I buy, because as you all have said, women's clothing sizing is a free for all.

The other day I went to Kohl’s and picked up 2 pairs of jeans, size 12, different styles. Looking at the waist it was obvious that the waist was not a size 12 waist, an 8 at most. But since I was trying other stuff I did attempt to put them on and the didn’t make it up my thighs.

Back in the 90s while shopping for a formal event, I was told by a saleswoman at a Dillard's that to get the hem length right, I could try the petite version in a size up. A standard 8 fit at the time but was about 4" too long and would have needed to be altered but of course, being last minute (hey, I didn't get dx ADHD for another 20 years), didn't have the time. I tried on a petite size 10 and it was perfect.