“Why don’t clothes fit me?” Here are 84 reasons

Have you ever wondered “why don’t clothes fit me”? Or bought clothes that were your size but still didn’t fit? It happens (even though it seems like this should be straightforward enough), and here’s why…

Your body has hundreds of precise measurements that are nowhere to be found on your average clothing size chart. When it comes to how your clothing fits, you have somatic preferences (some conscious, some unconscious) about all of them.

When it feels like a piece of clothing is clinging, or catching, or pulling, or pinching – but it’s your size – something is usually off in one of these other measurements. 

Typical body and clothing measurements: 

There are typically 3-4 body measurements on the size chart you see when you’re shopping online. They are: 

1. Bust or Chest
2. Waist
3. Hips
4. Height

Other clothing and body measurements (aka 84 answers to “Why don’t clothes fit me”)

So here they are 84 other body measurements and places your clothing can fit incorrectly or uncomfortably. 

1. Neck circumference
2. Neck length
3. Neckline drop 
4. Shoulder to shoulder width
5. Shoulder slope
6. Armscye circumference
7. Armscye angle
8. Arm length shoulder to wrist with a straight elbow
9. Arm length shoulder to wrist with a bent elbow
10. Shoulder to elbow length
11. Elbow to wrist length
12. Angle of forearm slope
13. Bicep circumference
14. Elbow circumference
15. Forearm circumference
16. Wrist circumference
17. Upper bust / chest circumference
18. Bust / chest circumference
19. Under bust / chest circumference
20. Front bust / chest to top of shoulder length
21. Back bust / chest to top of shoulder length
22. Waist circumference
23. High hip circumference
24. Hip circumference 
25. Low hip circumference
26. Neck to waist length along front
27. Neck to waist length along back
28. Underbust to waist length
29. Waist to hip length
30. Front rise 
31. Back rise
32. Front waist to knee length
33. Front waist to ankle length
34. Front waist to floor length
35. Back waist to knee length while standing
36. Back waist to ankle length while standing
37. Back waist to floor length while standing
38. Back waist to knee length while seated
39. Back waist to ankle length while seated
40. Back waist to floor length while seated 
41. Waist circumference and hip circumference difference
42. Hip to knee length
43. Hip to ankle length while standing
44. Hip to ankle length while seated
45. Knee to ankle length
46. Knee to floor length
47. Inseam
48. Outseam
49. Upper thigh circumference
50. Lower thigh circumference 
51. Knee circumference
52. Full calf circumference
53. Under calf circumference
54. Ankle circumference
55. Angle of calf
56. Foot length heel to toe
57. Foot length ankle to toe along bottom of foot
58. Foot length ankle to along top of foot
59. Foot arch angle
60. Foot circumference along arch
61. Ball of foot circumference
62. Toe length big toe
63. Toe length little toe
64. Angle of toes
65. Head circumference
66. Length from ear to ear over head
67. Length from ear to ear under chin
68. Forehead to back of neck length
69. Wrist to knuckles length
70. Wrist to fingertips length
71. Knuckles to fingertips length
72. Wrist to nail tip length
73. Knuckles to nail tip length
74. Finger circumference at first knuckle 
75. Finger circumference at finger tip
76. Wrist to thumb knuckle length
77. Wrist to thumb tip length
78. Knuckle to thumb tip length
79. Wrist to thumbnail tip length
80. Knuckle to thumbnail tip length
81. First knuckle on first finger to thumb webbing length
82. Thumb angle
83. Distance between thumb tip and pinky tip with relaxed hands
84. Distance between thumb tip and pinky tip with hands stretched

So what?

Some of these measurements are used on a wide variety of garments. Practically everything that touches the upper body utilizes some combination of bust, waist, and hip measurements. Some like the arm measurements are only used in garments that have sleeves. 

Others are only used for specialty items. For example: head measurements for hats and hoods, foot measurements for socks, shoes, and tights, and endless hand measurements for gloves. 

All of these are very important measurements when it comes to having clothes that fit you. But you won’t find them listed in a product description. 

When the sleeves of your sweater slide down your forearm no matter how many times you pull them back up, there’s too large a difference between the sweater’s wrist measurement and your forearm circumference.

When you have to adjust your jeans every time you stand up, something is not fitting right in the waist, hips, rise, thighs, measurements. 

If you can never find jeans that fit both your hips and your waist, it’s because there’s a mismatch between your (perfect as it is) body type, measurements & proportions and the body type, measurements & proportions the brand is designing to. 

What to do…

Even the simplest silhouettes have dozens of measurements that are nowhere to be found on the consumer facing measurement chart.

This is why clothes often don’t fit even when they should be our size. 

It is also why custom clothes fit so well and why tailoring is so important (and should be in your clothing budget). They take these measurements and details into consideration, and use your body as the fit model for your closet.

When you find your holy grail jeans, it’s because your body is very close in all these little details to their fit model’s body. Pro tip: buy the jeans.

Unless you love sewing and altering your clothes, or take everything to a tailor out of default. It’s generally easier to make clothes designed for your body fit your style, than to make clothes designed for your style fit your body.

The next time you ask yourself “Why don’t clothes fit me?” Or the next time someone asks you “why can’t you just buy clothes that fit?” 

You can respond with “my body is a custom job and was not designed to contort into limited sizing.” (Or some other buffer phrase.)