How fashion’s erratic sizing is fuelling a clothing waste crisis

With most returned clothing going straight to landfill, discrepancies between sizes also negatively challenge our sense of self. “Yes I want to scream x,” tweeted freelance football producer Becky Taylor-Gill, alongside a photo of a pair of size 42 jeans stuck just above her knees. On the floor next to her: another pair of size 42 jeans she already owns from the very same shop that fit her perfectly. Turns out plenty of other people want to scream about it, too. The issue has sparked endless TikToks, Tweets and Instagram posts, as people call out brands for their inconsistent sizing. “I own jeans that are a size eight, and I own jeans that are a size 14,” says Mille Ditlev Schmidt.