Body of Evidence: The Trouble with Clothing Fit by Maryland Institute College of Art

Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with women about their clothing shopping experiences. It’s clear that we all have stories to share about how shopping for clothes impacts our feelings about our bodies. This project dives deep into the data on how real women fit (or don’t fit) into clothing size charts, highlighting the importance of sharing our experiences and reclaiming our power from unrealistic beauty standards.

Using clean, clear graphics in an engaging scrollytelling format, I guide readers through the basics of size charts, the unique body proportions of women, and the challenges we face navigating a system that fails to account for the diversity of real bodies. This project isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the human stories behind them.

When I embarked on this journey, I knew the data collection and analysis would be manual and deeply personal. What I didn’t anticipate were the monumental conversations and connections I would make with people passionate about this topic. These interactions taught me valuable lessons in understanding and self-acceptance.

By sharing our stories and talking about where and how we shop, we can create a community that celebrates individuality and makes the shopping experience more enjoyable for everyone. Let’s transform the way we shop for clothes, one story at a time!

When I initially decided to dig into this topic, I knew a lot of the data collection and analysis was going to be manual and potentially very personal, so I embarked on a journey of my own. I couldn’t have imagined how monumental the conversations I would have and the connections I would make with people passionate about this topic would resulted in my own lessons in understanding and self-acceptance.