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Teen Calls Out American Eagle For Inconsistent Clothing Sizes In Viral Facebook Post

What are women's clothing sizes even? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Shopping for clothing marketed to women is an impossible task. Pants with pockets are mythical creatures and tank tops that don't show bras are so rare they become urban legends in shopping malls.

Clothing retailers are especially guilty of "vanity sizing," which is the practice of inflating the size on a garment's label in spite of the actual measurements staying the same.

Missy Rogers, a 19-year-old swimming instructor from New Jersey, made a Facebook post taking clothing retailers to task for failing to regulate a universal size system, even within their own store.

In her post, Rogers compares two pairs of shorts she had purchased from American Eagle Outfitters. Missy had tried on a pair of maroon shorts in the store, and was dismayed to find her usual size could barely be pulled past her knees.

Although the shorts appear to be proportionately the same, their sizes are drastically different: one pair is a size four, the other a size 10.

"Having to go up to a size 10 made me question just how much weight I gained, but once I brought the shorts home and compared, I realized that size is literally just a number," Rogers wrote.

Since posting, her photo has been widely shared online, with over 74,000 shares on Facebook.

For Rogers, her shorts prove that one size does not fit all, and in fact can be the root for self-esteem issues for young women.

"If a size 10 is what a size 4 use to be, what message are you implying to younger girls?" Rogers asked. "In women's clothing, you can be a size 0 in one store and a size 12 in another. You can try on the same clothes in a different color and be another size."

In response to Rogers' post, American Eagle Outfitters sent a statement of support to TODAY.

"We agree fully with Missy that women are so much more than numbers, which is why we are so strongly committed to body positivity," Chad Kessler, the company's global brand president, said in the statement. "Like every retailer, we strive for consistency and clarity to help our customers make decisions. We've reached out to Missy to get her feedback on her shopping experience and look forward to engaging in a discussion around this important issue."

More and more people are speaking out about the ridiculousness of clothing sizes.

Comedian Amy Schumer blasted clothing stores for having no idea what to do with sizes above eight in an episode of her TV show, "Inside Amy Schumer."

Sizing is a problem frustrating men, too. One man wore his girlfriend's dress, to prove a point about how women's XXL clothing was perpetuating body shaming.

Historically, clothing for women was sized higher. Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12 (a size eight, by today's standards.)

The yo-yoing of women's clothing sizes can be traced back to the Great Depression. As European made-to-fit tailoring become passé, the demand and industrialization of mass fashion led the U.S. government to survey women's sizes. The study failed to catch success (which could be due to the study only interviewing white women, Slate reports).

Until clothing sizes become standardized, Rogers has a message for fellow women.

"Find clothes that make you feel confident, comfortable, beautiful, and most importantly yourself rather than worrying about the size," she wrote. "You are more than a number."

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