ADVERTISEMENT

Ohmigoodness. Don’t even get us started with all the problems in women’s clothing. If you ever stroll through the aisles of female fashion, you’ll know what nuisances I’m talking about: from the fact that a lot of fashion is plainly non-functional, to a lack of clothing for women with big busts, the absence of pockets, inconsistent sizing, and pink tax, to name just a few.

So no wonder when someone asked women “What’s something about clothing that irritates you?” they had too many things to get off their chest. Let’s see some of the most eye-opening responses right below, which will surely change the way you think about clothing marketed for women, which is often nowhere near as pretty as the ads would like us to believe.

Have yet another annoying thing to add to this list? Make sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section!

#1

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Buttons over my prodigious breasts that never stay closed, collars on shirts, leggings that ride down, things that claim to not roll, but ALWAYS do, fussy extraneous details (stop putting button tabs on sleeves. Just no.),bras with lots of fkn lace details. Give us real, comfortable, sturdy bras, not fluff for the male gaze, Jean's that fit you bum, but leave a 10in gap at the waist. Why?

trai-chic , jackmac34 Report

Bored Panda reached out to Redditor u/TheRightEquilibrium and author of this thread on r/AskWomen who got women sharing what things about womenswear they dislike the most. The Redditor told us that he’s actually starting his own clothing brand and he needed to get a feel on how people view clothes.

“I also wanted to make the brand known in different communities so that way they get to know me and I can create my own community from the connections I’m making,” said u/TheRightEquilibrium. “The question itself came super late at night kinda randomly now that I think about it, I had asked multiple subreddits the same question hoping to get a broader range of answers and r/AskWomen was the most engaging.”

The author was very surprised with the great number of responses on the sub, “because I got very little to no replies on other subreddits, especially ones that are centered around fashion.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#3

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing See through shirts. Seriously, I hate that so many shirts in women’s clothing are thin or nearly sheer. I don’t enjoy having to put a tank top under my shirts or having my bra show through.

Panthera_leo22 , ermakovasve Report

Add photo comments
POST
gclayton025 avatar
Satirical Duchess
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the fact that I have one "boys" school shirt and the rest "girls" and the "boys" shirt the thread count is higher and the opacity is twice as much on "boys" SCHOOL shirts- I would like to emphasise- SCHOOL. GIRLS 4-16. HAVE TO WEAR SEE-THROUGH SHIRTS. EVERY DAY. AND SCHOOLS WONDER WHY THEY HAVE A HARASSMENT PROBLEM.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Inconsistent sizing. Sh**ty fabric. Over-priced.

Kemokiro , pixabay Report

Add photo comments
POST
mizadelem avatar
bluemom2017 avatar
Pamela Blue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At one point, I had clothes in my closet ranging from size 7 to size 14! (This is years ago, before they dropped the sizing numbers to silly 0s.)

Load More Replies...
chuckycheezburger avatar
Chucky Cheezburger
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This isnt a problem for women only. The only clothes I can buy with confidence that they will fit are socks, and underwear.

stacyh avatar
stacyh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But effed up sizing does tend to be more of a woman issue. Men’s clothing (pants at least) is typically measured by waist and height, whereas a woman’s size can vary store to store, because there is no standard size 6 or 14. The stores can make those sizes whatever measurements they’d like. But I do hope you’re able to find a wider variety of clothing you’re confident in! Men should feel good when they dress too.

Load More Replies...
desmet-kristof avatar
Kristof De Smet
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sh**ty fabric. I mean, T-shirts, you can literally see through them sometimes.

ohitson avatar
James Mills
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that happens with mens clothing too. especially if you're above an XL

jack_bonner80 avatar
ThePracticalSarcastic
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

im a guy and i agree because i have this problem too...Jeans brand X = size 28. Jeans brand Y = 32. Jeans brand X different cut = 34....WTAF!

corinemcmillan avatar
Artoonist Corine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am 5ft tall (well in shoes..) Trying to find Petite sizes is hard enough, then you add the inconsistent sizing with that and I NEVER have any luck. I have jeans ranging from size 10-18 and I have not lost or gained weight. Grrr

james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omg yes, the inconsistencies in sizes is atrocious. Go in one shop I'm one size, go into another and I'm 3 sizes bigger or 2 sizes smaller etc even though all the tags say the same size.

bluemom2017 avatar
Pamela Blue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is what you get when manufacturers send everything to China to be made, and the fabric is cheap and nasty, and the sewing is cheap and nasty. Therefore, the price is cheap and nasty, but the stuff doesn't fit or look good either. Even expensive higher-range clothing is now being manufactured in China. Let's face it - they own us.

kellyempie avatar
Kel Ly
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Womens' clothing would be better quality if women didn't insist on following the latest stupid trends. Holes in jeans, cold shoulders, THONGS, painful shoes, crop tops, asymmetrical cardigans, sleeves with thumbholes, skinny jeans, too tight everything. This is why designers concentrate on the dumb stuff and not the quality of fabric. Also, women want to buy multiple items every year because they need constant change. So that means they're also unwilling to pay much per item - hence lower quality. And women are also scared of seeing their actual hip and waist sizes - that's why we end up with all these inconsistent "sizes". So a lot of this is due to consumer stupidity. If you really want to change the industry, start a boycott and don't buy ANY clothing for two years. Believe me, every woman in America would survive. But the industry would have to change. And then if someone makes classic, better quality clothing - BUY IT.

ispeakcatanese avatar
ispeak catanese
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ohhh, shitty fabric! I live in the tropics and 90% of what's on sale is mostly polyester! Drives me bananas.

idrow avatar
Id row
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, all of this. I just pulled out a shirt I bought a couple months ago and haven't worn yet. There are rot holes all over it and is not repairable. Never had that happen before.

lorrie_rothstein avatar
Lorrie Rothstein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah I don't like when clothing sizes are different from European and American sizing. That happens in primark

clarsax7 avatar
DelvianBlue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here's my story: I went jeans shopping and finally found a pair of jeans that actually fit! I went back and picked out a couple more pairs from the same stack - same brand, size, cut, style, etc. I tried them on. Neither pair fit.

zipperzaza avatar
Zaza
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have shirts sizes s going up to 3xl in my closet, they are all the exact right size for me. My jeans vary 3 sizes and my dresses also vary 5 or 6 sizes. I have never ever in my life heard of a single man that had multiple sized clothing

khmielnitzky avatar
NK
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should be a law! Consistent sizing charts for ALL companies!

edc_82 avatar
Lola
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a simple rule, I don’t buy any T-shirts that are not 100% cotton. Stop trying to sell me that fake viscose garbage.

paulina_krasinska avatar
Paulina
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I literally dealt with this yesterday: two leather jackets, same store, same style, same size (European M). One fits me fine, the other I can't even zipper! Wtf

veraxtactus avatar
Pamda Panda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wear a medium most places and almost tore a sports bra in half one time trying to get it on. Never buy things online. Ugh.

magnadar avatar
magnadar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How can clothes from any low-pay-land from the east be overprized?

franziska-birk avatar
Francis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes! i have this one jeans that i love dearly because it is 3 (!!) sizes smaller than all my other pants! BEST FEELING EVER

stienbabe avatar
Becky Samuel
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And this shallow way of thinking is why sizes continue to creep and vanity sizing is a thing.

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Moreover, u/TheRightEquilibrium has noticed just how much more vocal the women are about their problems with clothing. “And they actually seemed to care about the subject,” he said. “I really needed the women’s perspective on this subject because I would’ve never realized how much women struggle with size inconsistencies, having ZERO pockets on pants/skirts, shirts being tacky or crop tops being ill-fitting.”

The Redditor said that “without this information, I would’ve been continuing the same problems that already exist within women’s fashion and I believe the brand would be worse off this way; however, now I know exactly what the issues are and I can help solve and create solutions to those problems.”

ADVERTISEMENT
#5

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Quite literally: scratchy tags. I also don't know why certain kinds of itchy wool clothing are still made.

Zeiserl , Marcus Urbenz Report

Add photo comments
POST
franziska-birk avatar
Francis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

or super long tags? i have a shirt that had 5 tags in side-seams and each was like 6cm (almost 2") long. wtf?!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#6

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Plus size clothes that have too much decoration on them. I don't want to look like a garden.

MissAngela21 , renepfster Report

Add photo comments
POST
james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There should be a variety. I prefer patterned clothes coz they camouflage the bulges much more. All my wobbly bits stand out more in solid colours.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#7

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Unnecessary details on women’s clothing and accessories eg awkward cut-outs, tacky looking non-functional zips and buttons, random “quirky” words on a t-shirt, ugly frills, handbag chains that look out of place… the list goes on! I just want a plain jumper, not a cropped one that has “good vibezzz” in bubble writing on it. Also… we want pockets!

avocado_peach , piro4d Report

“Being a guy, I don’t experience most of the problems that women do, but I do have a wife and I notice she prefers to wear my clothing more than her own, not because she misses me, and mostly due to the fact that it is more comfortable and open.”

u/TheRightEquilibrium also said that while shopping, his “wife looks at both sections for clothes but only the men’s for shirts or hoodies, maybe sometimes sweats. She’s not a fan of crop tops, jeans, or dresses; they're just uncomfortable.”

ADVERTISEMENT

He continued: “It seems that most of women’s clothing is form-fitting at the waist or arm hole area, but the form the clothing is targeting isn’t a form 80% of women have. It’s like most clothing is aimed for the supermodel look and if you don’t have that type of figure, you’re outta luck, which is why I think most women prefer men’s clothing (mostly T-shirts) because they aren’t clingy/tight.”

#8

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Each black piece is a different shade of black.

khajiitidanceparty , Borodinova Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Pants need to come in more inseams than short, regular and tall. Men can get all sorts on inseams, why can’t women?

Also, shirts need to come in tall and short sizes too. I’m sick of the sleeves and torsos being too short.

RosyClearwater , Engin_Akyurt Report

#10

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing The crop top trend. I’m tired of looking for a shirt that actually covers my belly. I like cute shirts, but i don’t like how revealing they are.

Please_Help_potatoe , majestic_jasmine Report

Add photo comments
POST
angelina-black avatar
SentimentAndBadJokes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agreed! As a more modest person, I love cute clothing that makes me feel fashionable, but I'd like to be able to do that without showing half my stomach thanks.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

When asked which responses he found the most eye-opening, u/TheRightEquilibrium said: “There was a comment about how clothing for women isn’t to be comfortable but it’s made so the women can be looked at, which I agree with, which is super strange and kinda rude. Also, what’s up with the no pockets thing? Just add pockets! There are a few other things, but then I’ll just be ranting,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT
#11

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Branding. They ask customers to become walking billboards with giant their logos and unfortunately most buyers happily oblige.

electric_shocks , Rosesh Bhandari Report

Add photo comments
POST
catea_paulina avatar
Pau Tea
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exept for sports clothes which seem to all have some kind of logo on them, I refuse to wear anything casual that has the brand on it. So tacky.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#12

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing dresses where you can't wear a bra, like backless ones. They know big women will need to wear a bra, so why design a dress that we can't wear a bra!

hotpotato97531 , Armando Castillejos Report

Add photo comments
POST
saragregory0508 avatar
NsG
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing I wish sizes would be consistent across brands! I hate having to remember what size of jeans I wear at American Eagle and then again at Hollister.

ElysiumStyx , pexels Report

See Also on Bored Panda

We also talked to Carry Somers, the founder and global operations director at Fashion Revolution, who shared some very important insights on the flaws of womenswear, which turn out to be much bigger than simply the lack of pockets. “The global fashion industry relies upon the exploitation of natural resources and people working across its supply chain, producing more clothes than people need and manipulating them into overconsuming clothing at increasingly faster rates,” Carry said when asked about the current state of the clothing industry.

#14

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing When pants or shorts fit your legs but not your waist.

MaddyA2 , Mabel Amber Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#15

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Clothing for heavy physical work. I choose to buy mens clothing, because that was actually designed for hard work outside in all kinds of weather. The option for women was only designed to look sexy, too tight to properly move or lift or work.

Kitteh_Kate , voltamax Report

#16

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Athletic clothing is always bright colors or bizarre patterns. I love dark neutral colors, but they're so hard to find in woman's options. Men's gear doesn't fit me

Health_Hacks , Victoria_Borodinova Report

Add photo comments
POST
rweaver-boredpanda avatar
Johnny
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have the opposite problem - 99% of men's athletic gear is black, but I'd like brighter colors so I'm not so invisible on the biking/hiking trail at dusk or in the rain. I want cyclists to be able to see me, and as a cyclist, I *hate* people wearing all black at night... I don't want to blind people on the trail with my bright headlight, but also it's very hard to see someone dressed in head-to-toe black without my headlight on high.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

“Injustices are endemic because supply chains are fragmented and opaque, and because some people have great power while others have very little, and because the fashion industry rewards economic growth and profit above all else.”

Carry continued: “We also need to recognize the interdependence of human rights and the rights of nature, because garment workers’ right to a healthy environment depends on the health of our planet. With garment production predicted to grow by 81% by 2030, there is ever-growing demand for agricultural land to produce cotton, viscose, wool, rubber, and other natural fibers.”

#17

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing My problem is in bottoms. I can either fit them to my waist and they are too tight around my thighs or I can go up a size and they are comfortable around my thighs but too big around my waist. If I wear a belt then they bunch up funny around my crotch area.

--Athena-- , Jason Leung Report

#18

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing I wish more companies would tell you the height of their models on their websites. The amount of dresses I've bought that show as being knee length, so I've thought it would probably come to mid thigh on me, and I've bought it and it doesn't even cover my crotch! It's like the models must be 5' or something. Shein tell you the height of their models and it makes it so much easier to know how long it will be for me. And as others have said, inconsistent sizing.

hotpotato97531 , hutchrock Report

Add photo comments
POST
tigerlilly_richardson avatar
Julie Richardson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish more companies would just tell you how long the dang dress is!! The ruler was designed for a reason people, use it.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Most pants are ankle length. Can I just have some normal freaking pants? Why are crop tops expensive if it’s less material? Same with shorts. Why did my shorts cost the same as my pants?! Why is athletic wear so tacky? I’m finding a lot of tops are short. I have a short torso so it’s not a good look. Shirts that aren’t tagless.

summertimecinnamon Report

Add photo comments
POST
misstiwari92 avatar
BetterBitterButter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't like wearing ankle length pants too but these days it's becoming hard and hard to find non ankle length pants (especially jeans).

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

It’s no secret that the clothing industry is one of the biggest pollutants of microplastics and microfibers, both plastic and cellulosic-based, on our planet. Not only are they “hugely damaging to the marine environment and wildlife, but they are also impacting human health through the chemicals they harbor that leach into the surrounding environment, including air, water, food, or body tissues.”

“The textile industry uses over 15,000 different chemicals during the manufacturing process. Currently, we have little way of knowing what chemicals are, or aren’t, allowed into our clothing. Fertility rates are decreasing 1% a year globally due to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, with the average person in their 20s having the fertility their grandmother had in their 40s,” Carry said about the grim reality of fast fashion.

Carry concluded that those at Fashion Revolution believe that “the fashion industry’s problems are bigger than any one company’s actions, and bigger than just the fast fashion sector. It’s systemic failure. This is why we are actively working to avoid binary arguments and bring a higher degree of nuance to these conversations."

#20

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Bras and swimwear without pads.

Clothes with fake pockets

Cheap fabric. Fabric that needs to be ironed.

Stuff that doesn't fit even though you bought the same size.

Finding good fitting pants is a struggle for me. I have IBS and hate tight fitting pants. It needs to sit a bit loose on my tummy. But if it is comfortable around my tummy it's too loose on my butt. Leggings are great, but I can't always wear leggings, especially at work.

That clothes for oversized women are always so damn ugly and unflattering. Luckily I have a great body and don't need to shop oversized clothing. But no one can tell me that those women are happy with the choices they have. Just because they are overweight doesn't mean that they don't have any taste. What the hell are all those ugly patterns?!

witchelina , stevepb Report

Add photo comments
POST
ikbenrhea avatar
Rhea
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Bras and swimwear without pads..." Other way around please! Nothing is as gross as getting out of the water and having to walk around with those soggy pads in your bikini top. Also; I get that some people want an extra layer between their boobs and the world, I however don't like to wear all that extra stuffing around my body. People have to accept what other people choose to wear, whether those are bras with or without padding :)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#21

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Them stretching out after 2 uses.

Sad-Topic3267 , stocksnap Report

#22

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Women's graphic tees being so tacky

feminamagicae , Brooke Cagle Report

Add photo comments
POST
jen_hunt_9250 avatar
Alethia Nyx
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes!! Particularly band t's, so often bands put a different design on their women's fit shirts and when they do its always crappier. I want the same shirt design as men, I just would like to have some that aren't oversized because I have to buy men's to get the good design!!!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing I wish there would be clothing for curvy people. I’m in between an XXS and a M.

Imuik , congerdesign Report

Add photo comments
POST
juliajuhas avatar
JuJu
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Blouses for different cup sizes, so you don't kill your client with your button in a meeting because you have to take a deep breath

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

24 Of The Most Irritating Things About Women's Clothing Also I noticed that shops often offer less variety in certain products like padded bike shorts because apparently women don't want to wear them

khajiitidanceparty , Chen Mizrach Report

See Also on Bored Panda