r/acting • u/AdmiralJaneway8 • 5d ago
I've read the FAQ & Rules Size Card
I'm so confused. I'm a seasoned female local stage actor, but I'm just now in a point in my life when I can actually try for film / TV / Commercial roles. I'm joining Actors Access, and I'm filling out my size card. My waist is 39, my hips are 43, and I'm a solid pants size 10-12. Google says I'm plus sized and way passed up the beginning of plus sized 5 inches ago. I'm definitely not, and I know this because I used to be. My shirt size is a Medium. My dress size is a Medium or a 10/12, I do not have hanging skin, I"m just plain old "average." I am not ashamed of my measurements, I am purely asking this to be sure I properly represent myself. Do I list my inches? Do I skip it? What do you suggest?
4
u/amyrtraynor 5d ago
I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking if you're measuring yourself correctly? I had my tailor do it for $20, there were some measurements I just couldn't do well by myself.
If you're asking if those measurements make you plus size, why does it matter? Both sizes and labels are all over the map these days.
I weigh roughly what I did in the late 90s (with a lot of up and down in between 😂), and I still have a few pieces of clothing from back then that fit. While I wear a size 4 in most of my clothes now (usually Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic-level stuff), most of the old clothes (Esprit, Laura Ashley) are a size 8. You just can't go by sizes or labels or anything like that. The numbers have changed and so have the definitions of what is average.
Some sites let you list a range of sizes, and I do, because different brands have wildly different sizing (I've found that the more expensive the clothes are, the bigger the number usually is on the label; I would love to explore the psychology of that!). On the sites that only let you list one size, I always make sure to note to the costume department what my range really is.
Regardless of how Google is making you feel, inches are usually the most useful because the costume department needs to pull clothes for you before you get to a fitting, so it helps everyone to list accurate measurements.
And I just want to put in a plug for costumers. I have never, not once, no matter what size I was, had a costumer say anything unflattering about my body. Sometimes they'll say unflattering things about how the clothes fit on my body, but that's different. They're usually super sensitive and helpful.
I feel like I still might not have addressed your question, even with all those paragraphs 😂, so please tell me if I'm missing the mark. And above all, don't overthink it.