Economics of vanity sizing

•For women's apparel, moderate brands measure larger than discount brands.•Brands that target young female consumers run smaller than their counterparts.•Size variation and expansion for women's apparel result from vanity sizing.•There exists little evidence of vanity sizing in men's or children's apparel.

This paper examines the size charts of 54 American apparel retailers. Evidence reveals that sizes are inflated for women's apparel brands with moderately higher prices. Very expensive designer brands measure significantly smaller than lower priced brands for women's apparel. Brands that target young adult female consumers measure significantly smaller than their counterparts that target relatively older consumers.Evidence indicates little, if any, vanity sizing in men's or children's apparel.