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For years we’ve heard the stat that the average American woman wears a size 14, but with an equal number of stories running about our nation’s obesity epidemic, it should come as no surprise that that size has now risen to a 16-18.
The update comes from the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education which determined that size 14 figure was based on 10-year-old data, NY Mag pointed out. In comparing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with ASTM-I dress size classifications,Washington State University researchers determined:
“[C]ontrary to popular assumptions, the average American woman’s (AAW’s) clothing size is larger than anticipated. The AAW wears between a Misses size 16–18, which corresponds to a Women’s Plus size 20W, with greater distinctions found when considering race and ethnicity.”
The study authors recommend Misses and Plus-size clothing standards be updated as a result to ensure better fit — and less returns — but we also imagine this new stat will spark great discussion about Americans’ expanding waist lines and what should be done about that as well.
