It's not a dress size that is fat, it's a person. Dress size is neutral. US dress size 8 is a waist of 27 inches and hips of 38. If you happen to have a large bust compared to waist and hips, or large hips, dresses that fit your bust size won't fit your hips and vice versa.
A women's size 8 is not considered plus size, it is considered middle size. Middle sizes are size 6–12. They are the cutoff point for petite and plus size. A plus size person is size 14 and beyond.
This is what might politely be called the chubby category, with body mass indexes (a measure of weight for height) of 25 to 30. A woman, for instance, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs between 146 and 175 pounds.
“Straight” sizes refer to sizes small through large for women, or sizes 0-14. Straight sizes are more commonly found in U.S. retailers than extended and plus sizes, though it's more and more common for an average adult woman to fall into the plus size range.
I found a chart at a site called “stitchfix” that says that Size 8 is the same as “medium”, and women anywhere from under 5 feet tall to over 6 feet tall, and from 120 pounds to 160 pounds can fit in a Size 8 garment. It's crazy! What size would a woman who weighs 180-200 lbs. wear?
The majority of the men (nearly 86% of them) preferred a woman with a dress size 14 to 16. Only 10% said they prefer women between the size 8 and 10, and 4.2% of them said they prefer women sizes 20 or over.
"A size 12 used to be quite svelte and not overweight but, nowadays, someone who is a size 12 is highly likely to be overweight," the Public Health Association of Australia told the Herald Sun.
chubby (comparative chubbier, superlative chubbiest) Of a person: slightly overweight, somewhat fat, and hence plump, rounded, and soft. quotations ▼synonyms ▲ Synonyms: chunky, plump, podgy, tubby. Obviously the chubby child was eating too much. Of a body part: containing a moderate amount of fat.
For example, if your measurements were 36-inch bust, 28-inch waist, and 38-inch hips, you'd fall into the “M” or medium size and US Womens Size 8.
As an average, a Medium is likely to be a around a size 12. Generally a Small will be an AU 8-10 and a Large an AU 14-16. An Extra Small is likely to be a size 6, with an Extra Large likely to be a size 18.
Sizing in Australia is not synchronous with the US; plus-size garments are considered to be size 16 and upward, which is the equivalent of a US size 12.
In standard women's clothing sizes, Size 10 is considered “Medium”. A woman who is 4′ 10″ or less and wears size 10 Petite clothing would likely be considered overweight.
According to a study by the University of Texas, the ideal female body is 1.68 meters tall and the relationship between bust, weight and waist and hips measure 99 x 63 x 91 cm.
The specific proportions of 36–24–36 inches (90-60-90 centimeters) have frequently been given as the "hourglass" proportions for women since at least the 1960s (these measurements are, for example, the title of a hit instrumental by The Shadows).
It's commonly reported the average Australian woman wears a size 14-16 and has for many years provided a benchmark for the largest size considered 'normal'.
French size 40 in women's clothing is equivalent to an American size Medium (M) and numerical size 8.