I was gratified to read the responses to yesterday’s quiz. First out of the chute with the answer I was looking for was Alison -followed by others (yeah!)- who said

The difference between an XS and an S is the same as the difference between an XXL and an XXXL. The increments should be greater in the larger sizes.

I wasn’t expecting this specifically but was pleased that several people mentioned that the grade was the same for girth and length; the sizing chart seemed like a cursory fast-fix solution. Several also mentioned people don’t grow linearly. Just think, it’d be dandy if they did or could. Even better if you got to pick. I’d prefer three more inches of height with those 20 pounds I gained since I got married.

Regarding too many sizes; I don’t think the range of sizes was an issue had the jackets been graded properly considering the fit and the size break (not really a break but you know what I mean) one would have expected at the XL. Sure, in a perfect world, the XXL-3XL might have needed its own pattern but I don’t know that two sizes could justify the effort and expense considering there’s so many unknowns (market, price points etc). That said, the sizing probably should have been capped at XXL at the outside (in my opinion). 3XL was pushing it. I’m guessing this company focuses on commodities. Still, particularly for commodities, I can’t see that the XL, XXL or 3XL would really have fit the bodies those sizes represent for those price points. They’d run small.

I think some people didn’t realize the measures were in metric so that may have skewed responses although the general pattern was clear.

For a refresher on why the grade shouldn’t be the same from size to size, see pgs 171-172 of my book with particular emphasis on figures 5.65 and 5.66 on page 172.