Jo Harris shows us how to measure correctly

We’ve had a shock at the Hebden Bridge WI.  Jo Harris was a fabulous speaker and her revelations on the sizing secrets of the fashion industry were fascinating, but the part where we got out the measuring tapes and compared our bodies to the British standards… well, there was uproar.  The majority of us were a considerably bigger size than we liked to think.

Those smiles didn’t last long

Jo warned us we’d be surprised.  She’s spent many years lecturing in fashion and then costume at the University of Huddersfield, so she’s seen it all before with her students.  We just weren’t prepared for a fundamental element of our identity, our dress size, to be dissected so thoroughly.  Whether small, large or perfectly average my female friends have a constant level of awareness about their bodies which informs so much about their life from their health to what clothes they’re going to thrown on.  The members of Hebden Bridge WI had to scrutinise this vital element and now we’re feeling a little fragile.

Given a bit of time maybe we’ll get together and work out our average size.  We’ll leave it for a bit though as we’re currently busy seeking a place called denial.