It seems like the average waist size is between 25 and 27 inches. But mine is 31 inches yet I fit into S/M tops and size 6 bottoms when on sizing charts it says I should be wearing L/XL and 10-12? All this sizing stuff confuses me LOL.

Could I just be big boned? Or is it maybe vanity sizing?

And on a sidenote, how do you reduce inches in your waist besides the obvious "lose more fat"? Any way to get the "hourglass" waist where it goes in at the sides?

It's definitely vanity sizing & most pants now are low rise & therefore aren't really accurate. If you have small hips you can fit into a much smaller size than you could if high waists ever came back.

Around my belly button I'm 28 1/2 inches, around the smallest part of my waist I'm 26 inches. I'm confused where to measure my waist. I don't know what is considered average but I don't think I'm above average.

I do not think that 25-27 inches is the average American waist size. Isn't the average American woman something like a size 12??

Originally Posted by iluvhandbags

I do not think that 25-27 inches is the average American waist size. Isn't the average American woman something like a size 12??

Yea, I'm pretty sure the average size for the American woman is a 12! Isn't that something like a 36" waist? It's definitely NOT 27"-29"; if it were, the average woman would be about a size 6!

I think a size 12 is around a 32 waist. I'd put the average waist size between 29 and 33 inches.

where exactly do you measure your hips? Around the your butt, or above the butt?

Measure your waist around the narrowest part- bellybutton measurement is for jeans. Measure hips around the butt unless they specify high hip.

So anyway- the average waist size is growing as several people alluded to but if you don't have excess fat in that area then it is more likely a case of inherited body shape- you know the apples and pears thing right? Maybe you are just an apple. Apparently apples have a larger amount of testosterone in their bodies and pears are higher in estrogen and that decides where fat is going to be stored in your body.
One theory could be that more apples are producing little crabapples and the pears are not reproducing as much.

I think I read that the average waist size is like 31 or 32". The average woman is a 12-14, so that makes sense...

The really weird thing is that I don't look too big. I'm also 5'8" (5'9" on a good day LOL) so that could maybe have an input.

Originally Posted by kbell

It's definitely vanity sizing & most pants now are low rise & therefore aren't really accurate. If you have small hips you can fit into a much smaller size than you could if high waists ever came back.

Yeah, I don't really understand sizing for low-rise jeans... They number them according to waist size but they sit way below the waist on your hips which is completely different size!

I didn't know you measure for pants at the belly button! I go between 26.5 and 28 waist but my hips are huge at 42 so pants shopping is a NIGHTMARE.

I dunno what the average would be, women are shaped sooooo differently from one another!

Yes this is very confusing lol
But I can never really tell what I should be ideally, because of my height.
Very confusing.

Some people can be tiny and just not have a very defined waist. My mom is a lot like that, she is slim/fit but she feels she looks bigger because her waist isn't really tiny/defined. Just genetics I guess?

I think finding pants based on waist size is incredibly difficult. I have a 22 inch waist and 33.5 inch hips, but I wear a size 25 or 26 in jeans and in the AG Stilt's that are damaged washes I have to wear a 27. I'm 5'9 also.

My mother in law is super tiny 5'4 and maybe 100 pounds if she's soaking wet, but she's really chesty and her waist is actually just about the same size as her hips which is 29 inches.

I think it all varies from person to person so much that it would be extremely hard to find an average size.