Hi there! Auto here!

I've got a question for the ladies. I'm e-mailing a friend of a friend who I haven't met yet. She sounds wonderful on the screen. She wrote is a sort of bragging way, that she is a size 10. I have no idea what that means in real life. I know that is not considered a PLUS size, and I am pretty sure she is not a skinny stick. But other than that, I am not sure what it means.

Can anybody fill me in? She is about 5 1/2 feet tall and a size 10. What does that mean. Normal, few extra pounds, thin, big?

Why can't women size their clothing like men, in inches?

I know it's so hard with the size thing. I would say (depending on how snug she wears her clothes) that a size 10 is 135 to 145 lbs.

Hope that that helps in some way!

Dawn

A women you can look at & she'll fall over due to the force is a size 0, 2 or 4. A size 6 or 8 is what I would call slim or slender. Not a stick but probably somewhat shy of bigger curves. No JLo butt or Pamela Anderson breasts. Sizes 10 & 12 is probably what some think of as normal. These woman will likely have more curves, be somewhat softer. Size 14 is what I've heard is average for the American woman. You'll see a bit of fleshiness. Size 16 is obviously bigger then 18 starts the plus sizes.

This is something I've heard but don't know to be true: There are about 10 pounds difference between sizes.

well, i am 5ft6 and wear anywhere from an 8 to a 12 depending on the cut of the clothing but usually a 10. my boss is SHORT probably that lady's height and wears a 10. i think a size 10 might be kind of big for only 5 ft tall but it depends on how she carrys it. my boss is really small on top and bigger in the bottom area. at my height i am very curvy, no stick figure here! and proud of it. you can tell i am all woman lol. so... on a 5 and a half foot frame, 10 could be anything! sorry i am not much help... i would def say she probably weighs in the 150's or so if she is a 10 at that height.... you would have to see a pic is all i can say... every woman carries themselves differently. i excercise a lot so even when i weigh more than my "norm" i can still have a nice shape and wear smaller clothing than those at the same weight who don't work out.

geez, i have been NO HELP AT ALL HERE! LOL mlhb

Marilyn Monroe was about a 12. The average American woman is about a 14. My 15 yo daughter is 5'2, 105 lbs, and about a 2. Very well proportioned for her height though a bit slim. I am about 5'5" unless gravity has taken over. At about 135#, I would be about a 10 or 12. I wish!

We just can't seem to give you good answers here, can we?

I am a size 8, but I was also a size 8 15 years, 15 pounds and 2 kids ago, so women's sizes have changed over the past 25 years. There were NO size "0"'s when I was young.

cm

Maybe I should just ask for her measurments. It's old fashioned, but I can understand that. Of course, I will give her mine. 42 - 34 - 37

ask her measurements huh?? you don't know us women very well do ya? lol i don't go handing out my measurements to men.. haha i don't think they would give you an accurate picture either. you need to just see her. that's all i can say. mlhb

I'm 5'2, a size 0-2, and wouldn't fall over unless I was pushed :-)

I still have fat rolls and can pinch an inch or more in places. I used to have a big chest and still wore the same size unless I was buying a one-piece-something, like a dress. I am very curvy.

When someone says their size, it's very hard to judge what they look like. A size 10 on me would be a LOT different than a size 10 on someone who is 5'8 or even someone who is just shaped differently.

I would say that someone who is 5 1/2 ft and a size 10 is probably very fit. May *think* she could stand to lose a pound or two, but doesn't really need to.

Auto,

Two women of the same size may appear different because of their height and body shape.

I'm 5'7", curvy (as in chesty & some hips, but slender waist and legs) and I wear a size 4. I have muscle tone and curves, so I think that makes me look more like a size 6. So, a size 10 to me would seem healthy, but could be healthier.

I understand that the average size women in the US is something like a size 12, but the average person in the US is overweight.

All in all, I would say that a size 10 is attractive and healthy enough. I think you know enough about her size now to relax and concentrate on the rest of her traits. If you're really worried about it, why not ask for some pictures that show her from head to toe?

5'7" and a size 4 nev?? IN MY DREAMS! must be nice.... as i go and put on my size 10's..... sniff sniff... boo hoo...

lol
mlhb

I find this curious. Most women I know would love to be a size 6. Even if they look good at a 10 for their body structure, few will brag about being a size 10 unless they have recently been much larger.

mlhb -- trust me, I look much larger than that - more like a 8 on a very narrow (very small-boned) frame (ie., there's some extra weight there)! lol

I have a good friend who is in fantastic shape, she wears a 8, but she definitely looks two sizes smaller than I do. The point is that body shape and bone structure makes a big difference.

My bone structure seems so small that even my doctor comments on how I have "no rib cage" and no shoulders, so it's not ideal.

All that being said, there is a wide range of what I consider to be beautiful bodies and I'm trying to just focus on getting healthier. It's tough because I feel like even after a couple years since the divorce I'm still rebuilding parts of my life-- my health, my career, my (own) home, my social life, but I've made huge progress on all fronts after my whole life turned upside down. I'm happy and content, yet motivated to keep improving. Well ... guess I'm babbling today.

I think a size 10 online is a size 14 IRL. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Dobie, many people on line do misrepresent themselves. The other night I went out with a man who said he was a few LBS over weight but I considered him larger than that. Not that I mind, I'm not that particular about weight. I'm more interested in how men care for themselves & this man was active.

I don't understand why someone would misrepresent themselves. If you're trying to meet people & your picture is 10 years old or you've put on an extra 30 pounds be upfront about it. I'd much rather see someone for the first time & recognize them or think they look better than their picture than the other way around.

I'm not very photogenic but my picture online does look like me & I say that. The first time a met one VERY sweet man the first words he said to me were "oh, you're beautiful". What a love.

Sizes have changed immensely from that time. I have some vintage clothes from that era and a size 18 equates to a size 10, so a size 12 for Marilyn would likely be a size 4 now.

I know at a size 10 I look thin. I am tall, with thin legs and ahem (top heavy), so with a size 10 I turn heads.
My most recent stint at size ten was just after X left - I miss that size (but not the stress that brought it).

I remember reading where manufacturer's have renumbered the sizes due to increased size of women. But, I digress.

Thanks for the info. What it comes down to is the whole package as people have tried to say. A 'fit' size 12 will look better than an out of shape size 8, in my opinion.

I still think women should allow manufactures to use simple inches to show sizes. But, what do I know?

I have had some men online ask my bra size! How crude can you get? I have a full length photo up on the site, so it's not like they can't get a general idea of my shape.

Finally, I decided instead of being so insulted by the question, I would laugh at it! (to myself) Depending on the situation I would sometimes have a comeback like "Well, first you tell me what the length and diameter of your "manhood" is, flaccid and erect." I'm sure there are perverts who would answer with pride, but so far it seems to have thrown many into a quandry! Most would seem flustered and say they didn't know. One guy wrote back and said he decided to go measure himself after that! Seriously!! He was concerned about "measuring up" (my pun not his!) Those fellows got dropped like hot cakes!

My thought is implicit in what's been said already, I think, but perhaps it's worth being made explicit...

Different women have different shapes. Some are "designed" to be thin when healthy and fit, while others are genetically wired to be stocky. While it is sometimes possible with a lot of effort to mold one's body into something outside of one's genetic predisposition, in my opinion fit and healthy within the context of one's genetic program tends to look best.

What size a woman wears doesn't tell me anything I'm interested in, unless we're talking being seriously overweight. I'm a lot more interested in her attitude - although honestly, if she's overweight and not unhappy about it, my interest isn't likely to be too great.

I don't think it's unreasonable for me to expect a woman I'm interested in to have standards regarding herself which are in line with the standards I have regarding myself.

I am 5'4, 112 and I am a junior size 5/6 - women's size 4.

5 ft 1/2 inches and a size 10, is what I would call a "full" lady for that height. I am guessing she is pushing 140.

As a suggestion auto go to victoria secret website, and check out a size chart, it will tell you what a petite(5 ft 1/2 inches is petite height) vs. taller womans measurements will run approximately for a size 10. Maybe that will help? Clothing is a pain, I think I'd rather see size numbers vs. measurments like men's clothing do LOL..