Women's Measurement Guide

Women's sizing tips

On the Overstock.com Apparel Size Guides, measurements are given to let you know which sizes to choose. However, if you aren't sure how to find your measurements, then those guides won't help you know how to buy women's clothing. This measurement guide will show you where to measure and what to look for when you are online shopping, so you will know how to buy women's clothes that fit.

Before you begin, you'll need:

• A flexible (cloth or plastic) measuring tape
• Someone to help you
• A paper and pencil (so you won't need to remember your measurements)

For accurate measurements, make sure to measure over bare skin or your underwear. Some people prefer measuring clothes that fit them well over measuring themselves, but this may not be as precise.

Where you need to measure

While very few women actually have 36-24-36 measurements, the three numbers are a good reminder of where you need to measure yourself for clothes. These are the points where a woman's body usually curves in and out the most.

Once you have these three numbers, use the Overstock.com Apparel Size Guides to see how they translate into the sizes that are given for women's clothing.

Bust

• Let your arms hang naturally at your sides.
• Have someone measure you with the measuring tape parallel to the ground.
• Have your friend measure under your underarms, around your back and over the fullest part of your bust.
• Make sure the measuring tape is snug but not tight.

Waist

• Bend over to one side to find the spot where your waist naturally creases.
• Measure this spot; it should be right under your navel.
• Keep the measuring tape parallel to the floor and snug against your skin, but don't pull it tight.

Hip

• Stand up straight with your feet together.
• Have a friend measure over your hips and rear, around the fullest part.
• Make sure to keep the measuring tape parallel to the floor.

Classifications of women's clothing sizes

Are you confused by the different departments of women's clothing? Have you shopped in one department only to see that the name has changed? Here are the names and sizes for different departments so you will know how to buy women's clothing that is appropriate for you.

• Juniors': Juniors' clothing is sized for the smaller figures of young women. Likewise, the styles are often those favored by girls. Juniors' clothing is designated separately from older women's clothing by sizes with odd numbers.
• Women's: Previously referred to as "ladies' sizes," women's clothing sizes are the even-numbered sizes starting at zero and ranging to 14. These sizes are given to clothing for women who are taller than 5'4" and whose measurements are smaller than 39-31-42.
• Petites': Petite clothing is for women who are 5'4" and shorter. "Petite" only refers to height, so petite sizes range the same way that women's sizes do (with even numbers), and may even include some plus sizes.
• Plus Sizes: What has been referred to as "women's sizes" is now commonly known as plus size. Plus size clothing refers to women of any height who have measurements larger than 39-31-42. These sizes have even numbers starting at 14 and going up.

Women's clothing won't always fit--but don't give up!

Most women have experienced the frustration of trying on clothes and not having everything fit as expected. While men's clothing has measurements giving different dimensions, women's clothing has sizes with just one number. That one number assumes that all women have hips that are 10 to 11 inches bigger than their waists, and we all know that this is not always true. But that doesn't mean you should give up on fashion and start wearing muumuus all the time! Here are a few tips for working with the sizing system to find clothes that fit.

• Tailors aren't just for men. Men are familiar with having suits custom-tailored, and you will want to find a tailor, too, especially if your body doesn't match the standard clothing sizes. When you save so much buying your clothes on Overstock.com, it won't hurt to spend a little bit more to have them sized exactly for you.
• Find clothes that accentuate the positive. Let the styles you wear show off your body features that you like. For example, are you a medium in the bust and hips but an extra-large in the waist? Try choosing clothing styles that aren't meant to fit tightly around the waist, so the measurements aren't as big of a concern.
• Read customer reviews. We ask every customer to review the products they buy here on Overstock.com, and sometimes these reviews can be very helpful. If a number of women have said an item of clothing runs small, you will most likely want to heed their advice and order a size larger. When we have many of these comments, we'll even add a size warning to our product description.
• Read the accessories buying guide. Overstock.com provides buying guides for many of its items, so you will have the information you need to make an informed decision. Our women's accessories buying guide will help you find the right sizes so everything you wear will fit well.
• Allow for shrinkage. If an item is 100 percent cotton, it will most likely shrink when you wash it. Unless the item is described as "pre-washed" (like some jeans) then you may want to order a size larger to accommodate shrinking.
• Use the Overstock.com Apparel Size Guides to convert the numbers. One item says it's a medium and another says it's an 8. What do you do? Check out the chart and you'll see that those are the same size, and you'll see how those sizes relate to the measurements you took. We'll do our best to let you know when the clothing fit larger or smaller than the measurements listed.
• It's not about the number. Don't let the numbers on the sizes bring you down. Looking great in clothes isn't about a number on a tag; it's about how the proportions work for you. When you choose clothing that is appropriate for your age and body type, you'll always look like a million bucks (without spending that much, of course).

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