Clothes sizes should be standardised across all shops to protect people’s mental health, according to an Irish makeup influencer.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, makeup artist and founder of True Beauty Makeup Aideen Kate said she has gotten a huge response since she first posted about the issue on Instagram.
She said women’s clothes sizes can mean completely different things shop-to-shop, which can be ‘quite damaging’ for anyone who is struggling with their self-image.
She said the variation is a “massive issue across the board for a lot of women”.
“Last week I went shopping and I tried on multiple pieces of clothing, all in the same size that I normally would be,” she said.
“Some things fit me perfectly and some things wouldn't even go near me.
“I just think it can be quite damaging and you leave feeling really bad about yourself.
“It's hard to know if it's you that's the problem or if it is the clothes – but I think over time I've realised that it's actually just the clothes.”
Response
Ms Kate said she has had a huge response since she first raised the issue.
“It's really opened up the conversation for so many women,” she said.
“They feel seen seeing someone talk about it because you can think that it's just you, you know?
“I think it would really help if everything was the same size – just for everyone's own mental health really.”
'You can end up spiralling'
She noted that it should not matter what size your clothes are, but warned that the fluctuation in sizes can still be demoralising for some women.
“Your size shouldn't define you, it doesn't really matter if you have to wear 12 or 16 or whatever it is, but I think, when you go into a shop and you have to wear something that's two to three sizes bigger, that can really play in your head.
“It might make you think, ‘Oh my God. I've gained weight, what have I done?’ and that can also lead to, you know, you can end up spiralling a little bit, so I just think it can be quite damaging.”
She said standardised sizing would make things easier for everyone – and would also cut down on the number of return sent back to shops each week.
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