It Is The Clothes That Don't Fit it is Not the Women That Don't Fit The Clothes

We feel passionately that it is NOT the women that do not fit the clothes, it is actually the clothes that do not fit the Women. Only 8.2% of the UK population can easily find clothes to fit. *Kantar Sept 2022 We believe that for women over the age of 40 this percentage is lower.

The average size of women over the age of 40 varies depending on the country and the source of the statistics. We focus on the UK, but one thing for sure is that the more people we speak to from different Countries, we realise this is actually a global problem. In general, globally it is reported that the average size of women has been increasing over the years.

Women are healthier, taller and more robust than they have ever been. However, the media and what we see as an obsession with being thin in western culture, has really impacted the industry into fooling itself that they are providing the right product for customers. Has the fashion Industry truly embraced the statistics over media interpretation? We, at Rey House, do not think so.

In the United Kingdom, the average woman's size was a 12 in the 1960s. According to a report by the British Retail Consortium, the average size of women in the UK has increased to a 16 in 2019. In the United States, the average woman's size was a 12 in the 1960s.

According to a study by the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, the average size of women in the US has increased to a 16 in 2018.

In Australia, the average woman's size was a 12 in the 1960s. According to a report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average size of women in Australia has increased to a 14 in 2016.

This increase in average size can be attributed to a number of factors, including changes in diet and lifestyle, as well as an increased acceptance of a wider range of body types. This is why we have developed our Diamond shape Community

It's worth noting that the size of women's clothing has not changed proportionally with the average size of women. Many fashion brands still produce clothing that is not suitable for today's women. This is not about the plus size market. A size 14 is NOT a plus size. We have met hundreds of women that are fit, healthy, active and not carrying too much excess weight  and are a size 14, 16 & 18.

The problem is that the clothing industry has not changed with the demographic. There is a noticeable correlation with height and body size. We have met size 8 women with more body fat on them than some size 16 women. It is a fact that you are more likely to be a smaller size if you are shorter and more likely to be a bigger size if you are above average height. Sound obvious, but believe us the UK clothing industry does not truly deliver on this.

In conclusion, the average size of women over 40 has increased since the 1960s, this change can be attributed to a number of factors, including changes in diet and lifestyle, as well as an increased acceptance of a wider range of body types. However, the size of women's clothing has not changed proportionally with the average size of women. We have and are doing lots of development work to solve this very big problem. We are getting some very positive feedback and some great results. 

January 26, 2023 — Julia Reynolds

Related Articles

  • Scanning Event (Ingatestone ESSEX) 17th August 2023
    Scanning Event (Ingatestone ESSEX) 17th August 2023

    Do you want to be able to find clothes to fit you? If yes please sign up and join us on one of the largest and most comprehensive studies to take place this decade. Our state of the art scanner has ar

  • Do You Return Goods When They Do Not Fit?
    Do You Return Goods When They Do Not Fit?

    We recently ran a survey to discover how many people do not actually return goods that do not fit and in SALE times the returns that we send back as customers, are even less.

  • Scanning To Fit
    Scanning To Fit

    As of the 1st of June 2023 Rey House has started the most specific sizing project ever undertaken here in the UK. Yes there are lots of sizing projects that have gone before us and there are pockets o

Leave a comment