Clothing Sizes

I have previously had a bit of a rant about sizing, particular in shoes, but now it’s clothing sizes that are bugging me. On Thursday last week I went to Next and tried on 2 skirts both in a size 12. Neither would do up. I hate when this happens, you feel fat, disheartened with shopping, etc, especially as I used to wear size 12 in Next. However, I’m beginning to suspect that the problem isn’t me, it’s them! No, that’s not me trying to make myself feel better about any weight I may have gained: today I am wearing a skirt from Next in a size 12 that I bought about a year ago, and it’s so loose it spins round! Is that me gaining weight? I don’t think so! Last night I was reading the September issue of Elle (UK edition) and there was an article on the very subject of sizing. The author mentions that Topshop and M&S do regular size surveys and change things accordingly, meaning you could be a 12 one month and a 14 the next month (is it just me, or is that not going to give you an incentive to shop there, knowing that your size could increase from one month to the next even though your own clothes still fit you?!). Cosmopolitan (I think it was) did something similar and provided a handy ‘cut out & keep’ guide to the relative sizes in various stores, which I of course have lost! So where does that leave all of us? Well, it seems the only way is to try before you buy, unless you have shops handy enough to make returns all the time.