By Ed Avis
Do you sometimes find that an XL costume from Brand A is way different from an XL costume from Brand B? If so, you’ve got a lot of company: An NCA survey in July revealed that 90 percent of members notice size inconsistencies among costumes from different manufacturers!
And that’s not all: 45 percent of respondents to the survey said they find inconsistencies WITHIN some manufacturers’ own sizes. In other words, an XL in one costume from Brand A is significantly different from an XL of another costume by the same brand.
Inconsistencies in sizing are a problem that has existed for many years, and there are complicated factors at play. For more details on why this problem exists, click here to read an article by Wendy Goldstein about the history of costume sizing.
Larger Sizes Needed
Another problem that the NCA survey revealed is that not enough costumes come in sizes bigger than XL. The fact is that Americans are bigger than we were one or two generations ago, but the costume industry has not kept up.
One of the survey questions asked, “What sizes in particular do you find difficult to source?” The reply: 97 percent said XXL or larger.
“Even those who offer 3X, 4X, or larger, they're not the traditional sizing and usually no bigger than a traditional XL,” one respondent wrote. “Very frustrating when they don't give measurements in inches to go with the number of Xs in the costume size.”
There are financial consequences to this problem. Thirty-five percent of respondents said that customers regularly leave the store unhappy because they couldn’t find the size they needed, and 65 percent of respondents said that occasionally happens. Zero respondents said that never happens!
“Most vendors have SOME styles in larger sizes, but not all styles are offered in larger adult or kids. We end up having 1/4 of the options available vs a bigger selection in the smaller/normal sizes,” another respondent wrote.
Can We Solve the Problem?
As you will read in Wendy Goldstein’s article that accompanies this article, sizing is a complicated situation without an easy answer. However, if it’s possible, the NCA would like to help. If you are interested in this topic – whether you are a costume shop owner/manager or a costume vendor -- please click here to join a special interest group where we will discuss potential solutions.