Recently, I was checking into H&M‘s website to take a peek at the new fall/winter arrivals and noticed something curious – a note on the front page alerting shoppers that their size chart has changed.
I’ve been a professional bargain hunter for 10 years now, and it is super rare to see a brand change their size chart. We’ve been shopping H&M since before they went online, and this size chart change might make them even more accessible than before.
Basically, if you’ve always needed to go up a size or two when shopping at H&M, those days may be over for you. H&M has adjusted their size chart to fit more closely with North American (read: larger) sizes. For example, if you previously wore a large at H&M, you’ll now likely wear a size medium, etc. This includes H&M’s XXS-XXL size range as well as their 0-10/12-24 size ranges across the USA, UK, and other select regions.
What about the smallest sizes, you might ask? H&M, for the first time, has added a size 0 to their size options. Previously, their smallest size in women’s clothes was a 2, but with the shift, a size 0 was in order.
Dress with Ruffled Collar, $34.99 | Biker Joggers, $24.99
Why the sudden change? Well, it might not be as sudden as it seems.
H&M sprung into action. After all, this Swedish powerhouse brand was often criticized for its “smaller sizes,” and that becomes especially problematic when H&M stores are physically located by other clothing shops with more standardized sizing.
A revamp was inevitable, and due to a “technical error” in April 2018, customers started to notice sizing change alerts on the hang tags of certain jersey garments a little earlier than planned. Now, the transformation has been completely for months, and customers have been buying garments with the new sizing since June.
Some people call this practice “vanity sizing,” which means giving smaller size names to larger size dimensions in an attempt to flatter the customer into buying more clothes. But the brand-sanctioned reason for the change is much more globally-minded.
H&M changed their size chart in an effort to regulate women’s sizing across the industry. After all, most women have a 3-size range of clothing they can fit into because every retailer or manufacturer has their own size chart. It’s super annoying to have to remember which sizes you wear and which stores – especially when you see your male friends simply look up their damn measurements and check out. Meanwhile, we’re squeezing into a dress three sizes larger than normal and barely zipping it up. As far as I’m concerned, any efforts to standardize women’s clothing sizes across the fashion industry is a step I support.
SEE THE NEW H&M SIZE CHART HERE
What do you think of this big switch? Are you more likely to shop there now that sizes are becoming more standardized?