Would you keep it a secret if you went up a clothing size?
Women across the country are using clothing and lingerie as an incentive to lose weight, according to new research.
The survey from Bluebella found that 48% had bought an item too small so they had to lose weight in order to wear it. And even one in ten had bought clothing up to three sizes too small as extra encouragement to drastically lose weight.
It’s not just losing weight that’s an issue either, as the majority of women wouldn’t admit to their friends if they had gone up a dress size; even preferring to shop alone so no one knows about their size secret.
Bluebella founder Emily Bendell said: "Women often buy the wrong size due to not being recently measured or they might be hoping they will slim down to a smaller size - and the huge variations in standard sizes from brand to brand have undoubtedly caused confusion with shoppers. The thing is - size is just a number! The sexiest thing about wearing a beautifully fitting set of lingerie is actually the confidence it gives you - it really doesn't matter what is says in the label!”
Retailers have reported that 'Size Denial' is one of the biggest reasons behind the return of unwanted clothes. Women either over-optimistically buy clothes which they will never fit into or friends flatter them by buying items which are too small because they are too embarrassed to buy their real size.
One of the reasons for 'Size Denial' is because of uncertainty about the real size of clothes or lingerie - with one brand's size 8 being another's size 10. More than half those polled said they found variations in sizes according to where they shopped. Only 1% of those surveyed think that all sizes are the same. And 83% are calling for government action, with specific guidelines specifying sizes so shoppers know exactly what they’re buying.