Assuming a familiar size, the same medium worn from a dozen other brands, will fit correctly when ordering activewear online is one of the most common causes of returns, since activewear sizing varies more between brands than almost any other clothing category, driven by differences in stretch fabric and target fit.

Why Shoppers Default to a Familiar Size

The habit: ordering the size that’s fit correctly before feeling like the safe, time-saving default, especially for a category bought as frequently as activewear, which skips the extra step of checking each brand’s specific measurements.

Why Activewear Sizing Varies So Much More Than Other Categories

The underlying cause: stretch fabric content and intended fit, compressive versus relaxed, differing significantly between activewear brands, which means a size medium built for a snug, compressive fit and one built for a relaxed fit can correspond to genuinely different body measurements.

Why This Leads to So Many Returns Specifically in Online Shopping

The compounding factor: without the ability to try before buying, an incorrect size assumption doesn’t get caught until the package arrives, and activewear’s stretch fabric can make a wrong size look deceptively close to fitting in a mirror photo without actually performing correctly during movement.

How to Actually Size Correctly When Buying Online

The practical method: measuring bust, waist, and hips directly and checking them against that specific brand’s size chart every time, rather than defaulting to a remembered size, since even returning to a previously purchased brand can involve chart updates between collections, and the frame (activewear sizing varies more between brands than almost any category — checking actual measurements against each brand’s chart is what actually prevents online fit mistakes.)

Assuming a familiar size, the same medium worn from a dozen other brands, will fit correctly when ordering activewear online is one of the most common causes of returns, since stretch fabric content and intended fit, compressive versus relaxed, differ significantly between activewear brands, meaning a size medium built for a snug fit and one built for a relaxed fit can correspond to genuinely different body measurements. Without the ability to try before buying, an incorrect size assumption doesn’t get caught until the package arrives, and activewear’s stretch fabric can make a wrong size look deceptively close to fitting in a mirror photo without actually performing correctly during movement. Measuring bust, waist, and hips directly and checking them against that specific brand’s size chart every time, rather than defaulting to a remembered size, is what actually prevents online fit mistakes.

See It in Motion

Seen here: High Waist Bootcut Yoga Pants — shop it on bubblelime.com