I was reading the other day that the average size in Australia is a 16. Who'd have thunk it? If you listen to the media and shit, you would think the average was around a size 10. Like when you see size charts, an average is around a size 12 and a 16 is normally an XL.

The article also said how most plus size models are a size 12-14, ie. that they are smaller than the average Australian woman. I hate that anyway. If you are selling plus size clothing, then get a frigging meaty model. They don't have to be a size 26 but at least a size 18 would be more realistic.

Shoppers want to see what the clothes will look like on them and you can't tell that by looking at an outfit that has been pinned in to fit a size 12 (cos the plus sizes don't come less than a 14).

It really shits me, especially with mail order catalogues, that they don't say what size the model is. I mean, if you knew that then you'd know if the clothes made her look thinner, fatter, whatever.

The whole concept of clothes sizing is insane anyway. You'd think that the idea of sizes is to standardise fittings, making it easier to shop but no way. If you are buying clothes made in some Asian sweat shop, they tend to be smaller fitting. Sometimes I wonder what these women think when they sit there all day running up size 26 dresses for us Westerns. It must be incredibly odd, to the point of being beyond conception, to think that people are that big when you are living in that kind of poverty.

Then you get the "flattery" sizes. The "oh wow, I fit into a size 12 when really I'm a size 18" sizing designed to part you from your money.

I hate it. I hate never knowing what size I'll take or if I'm getting fatter or thinner because the sizes vary so much. You'd think it would be a simple thing to stick to a standard size range so why don't manufacturers do it?