1. Which factors are clothing marketers using to influence consumers? Ask five female and five male friends how much the size labeled on clothing influences their behavior. Write a brief report of your findings.
2. Should manufacturers be allowed to pick whatever measurements they want and attach any size number they want to them? Should the government or business set standardized sizes?
What does an "8" mean to you? Well, if you are a female, then it means a lot, especially if you really are a "12"-size, that is. Marketers know that, too, and the trend is for larger sizes to be labeled with smaller numbers. Sizing was standardized in the 1940s and 1950s when women started purchasing mass- produced clothing. But sizes fluctuated in the following decades and the Department of Commerce abandoned sizing standardization in 1983. Now, the size number can mean anything the marketer wants it to mean. Marketers know that a size-12 woman who finds out she can fit into an 8 will get a self-esteem boost and likely purchase more. This practice, known as "vanity sizing," has the potential to pay off big for clothing manufacturers. With 34 percent of adults in the United States overweight and another 40 percent obese, that adds up to a sizable market potential. Plus-sized clothing designer Torrid caters to the full-sized woman with sizes ranging from 0-5, where a size 4 is actually a size 26. If a large number on the size label really bothers you, stick to the more expensive brands-they tend to be the ones using vanity sizing most.