This woman tried on 2 pairs of jeans in the same size to prove that clothing labels are total B.S.

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September 22, 2017 1:16 PM

"Do not define yourself by a number."

We all know clothing sizes often vary wildly, and one South African blogger recently demonstrated just how true that is with a mind-blowing new Instagram post.

Body-positivity activist Mira Hirsch shared two side-by-side photos of herself in a dressing room. In one photo, she is trying on a pair of maroon jeans that clearly do not fit. In the second photo, she is in a mint pair that fit perfectly.

“DO NOT DEFINE YOURSELF BY A NUMBER!" she begins her caption. "[I] was looking for a pair of pants and found both of these in the same size in different sections of the store,” she writes. “The maroon pair had a label saying ‘New Fit’ and the mint pair had nothing. Both were my size yet one pair couldn't even close and the other pair was a little loose?”

Mira goes on to explain that experiences like this used to make her "dread" shopping and often left her feeling bad about herself.

“Stop trying to fit into the ‘ideal size’!” the 18-year-old urges her followers. “Wear clothes that you feel funky in! . . who the hell cares if it's a few sizes bigger or smaller than what you normally wear. . . take back your power and wear whatever size and style you desire . . . love the skin you're in!”

Mira’s followers went wild for the post, applauding her for calling attention to this problem that plagues the fashion industry. “I'm sick of companies that do this,” one commenter wrote. “A size 8 should UNIVERSALLY be an 8. And a 10 a 10. There should be a universal "law" that gives measurements to an 8 and that's what all companies and brands etc have to make. You can go from one store to another and be three or four different sizes and it sucks. I hope your post brings more light to this.”

Mira's post is yet another reminder that paying attention to the numerical size you wear can be super misleading. Late last year, Deena Shoemaker’s Facebook post went viral after she shared photos of herself trying on bottoms that ranged from size 5 to 12, that all fit her perfectly. And British model Sonny Turner got major attention in June when she shared the fit challenges she had while shopping for a bathing suit. The plus-size model shared photos of herself trying on suits, only to find that none of them supported her breasts or covered her butt, even though they were marked as her size.

Instead of focusing on a number, let's remember to choose clothes that make us look and feel our best. Because odds are, the number on the tag is total B.S.

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