What Size Am I Even?
Rethinking Women's Sizing in Australia
I’ve spent more time than I care to admit trying to refine the size guide for by Audrey & Grace. Not because I got the measurements wrong — but because understanding them, and peoples bodies matters.
When you create clothing for real people, for real bodies, fit isn’t just a technical consideration — it’s emotional. It’s about self-worth, comfort, and the small-but-significant message clothes can send. My message is you are just right. My sizing will not cater to everyone because we are not all made from the same template, but I hope it comes close. It is also why I love it when customers reach out for fit advise and made to measure options.
In the future, I hope to expand my size range and create different styles for different body types.
Why I Had to Start Making My Own Clothes
Part of the reason I started by Audrey & Grace was because, for most of my life, clothes just didn’t fit me. I’m a wee bit short, with a small waist, curvier hips and booty, and post-dancer thighs. I struggled to find pieces that fit all of me — so I began making them myself, with the help and guidance of my mum.
That desire — to tailor clothing to real, unique, individual bodies — is something that has given me the drive to do what I do.
The (Outdated) History of Australian Sizing
Here’s something not many people realise: Australia once had official sizing standards, but they were largely scrapped in 2007. The reason? They were deemed irrelevant for modern women, in other words, they simply didn't represent real bodies anymore.
Those standards were based on data gathered by an underwear manufacturer in the 1920s. A few updates followed, including a Women’s Weekly reader survey and minor tweaks in the 1990s. But none of these captured the breadth, diversity, and evolution of today’s variety of women’s bodies (and possibly not even back then, either).
Now, there’s no national standard. Each brand makes its own sizing system, often based on its ideal customer, design intent, or marketing strategy. And that leads us to another major issue: vanity sizing!
The Problem With Vanity Sizing
Many mainstream brands quietly scale down their sizing to flatter customers. That “size 10” dress might actually measure closer to a 12 or 14. It feels good at the register — but long-term, it feeds insecurity and confusion.
Vanity sizing isn’t just misleading; it’s manipulative. It centres fashion around shrinking our bodies, instead of honouring them. It’s particularly frustrating for those shopping online, or trying to support ethical brands where sizing is often more accurate — and sometimes, more confronting.
A Quick Tip for Measuring Without a Tape
Don’t have a dressmaker’s tape on hand? No worries. Use a piece of string, ribbon, or even a phone charger cord(if you're desperate). Wrap it around the area you're measuring, mark the length, then lay it flat against a ruler or tradie’s tape measure to get your measurement.
It’s low-tech, but it works — and it can means you don't get left out if you don't have the right tools!.
What Ethical Fashion Needs to Do Better
If ethical fashion is going to walk its talk, it has to start with truth-telling. About labour. About materials. And about fit.
At by Audrey & Grace we offer sizes 6 to 22. We don’t pad our numbers, and we don’t believe in squeezing bodies into outdated standards. We use high-quality fabrics, carefully considered grading, and we design with tailoring and timelessness in mind.
But we also know even that isn’t always enough. That’s why we offer fit advice, custom adjustments, and above all, kindness. We don't always get it right, but the more you ask, the closer we get.
Should We Drop the Numbers Altogether?
It’s worth asking: do the numbers even serve us anymore?
What if, instead of labelling garments as “Size 12,” we used real body measurements — like Bust 95 / Waist 77 / Hip 103? Would it be less emotionally loaded? More empowering? Or just more complicated?
There are no easy answers, but there are better questions. And I think it’s time more of us started asking them.
This Isn’t Just About Clothes
Sizing is about identity. About how we see ourselves — and how we’re seen. When fashion makes you feel like you don’t belong, that your body is wrong, it’s not just a bad fit — it’s a missed opportunity for care.
So, to the women who have stood in change rooms wondering why nothing fits: I see you.
And I promise, at by Audrey & Grace, we’ll keep designing with you in mind.
Want to find your fit? View our updated size guide here or contact us for tailored sizing advice.
Let’s keep asking better questions. And building a better way forward, together.
