Confused by jeans sizes?
What does W32 actually mean? If you get your hands on a pair of vintage jeans from the early ’90s or earlier, you’ll notice that the size printed on the back label matches the actual number of inches the waistband measures on a tape measure.
So, what happened?
In the late ’90s, low-rise jeans became the trend. Tube tops were in, and the flat stomach (which not everyone had) was meant to be shown off. The waistband had to sit low enough to reveal a bit of belly-button bling.
Up four sizes just because the waistband sits lower on the hips?
Brands realized they couldn’t launch a lower-rise model and at the same time ask women with wide hips and narrow waists to size up four or five sizes. So, the size label stayed the same — even though the waistband was now several inches larger.
What happened to the sizing system?
It became inconsistent — and no longer had much to do with the tape measure. Go here to reasd our measure guide.
