Small Is The New Large

I walk across the clothes aisle in the department stores.
I finally find something I like!
I hold it up against me! Size is perfect.
Look at the size tag- XL!

Anyone who looks at me would never say am an XL.
In the Americas,15 years ago, I shopped in the petite or kids section.
Yes childbirth, mommydom and age have made me gain 5 kgs but at 45 I'm fitter, fabber today than I ever was.
I would wear an XL yes, being the " its baggy, lets both fit in together" person!

When I sign up for races, I place an order for XL size event Tees,
sometimes going as far as to request a Men's XL and altering the length alone!!

What changed over the years.
What made the sizes go off the chart!  Size 0 is glorified, but that has become smaller than XS size.
When I place clothes purchased 10 years ago alongside clothes purchased now with same size tags, I notice the old Small is now equivalent to the new Large.

It is a good thing I have a very positive self image and do not worry about fitting clothes and labels.
But I do worry for people who do.
the pressure it puts on the young adults who are governed by the society and its fashion norms.  

I see the same trend in the Std X board exams.
Last year I realised scoring 90% marks were not difficult.
This year I understood scoring the same was easy.

Everyone you meet or hear about has a happy smile and proudly mention their final scores.
During the 80's the same ICSE board exams were considered a nightmare for many.
If you scored a 70 % you were considered good, anything above 80% you stood a good chance of being a school topper! 

Fast forward to May 2019!
Am yet to hear of any of my daughter's friends talk about an average below 85%
and my daughter the 10th grader, who struggled through her whole year, with no support - internal or external, managed to spend 3 months of the whole year working on the subjects, did not touch any of the subjects' exam guides, past question papers or every other passed down advice and scored a happy average. Which 5 years ago, would have been enough to be a school topper.
Today that is the new class average! 

The glorification of marks and the giving away of marks by the examination boards!
When did scoring a 99 % in languages become so common?
Are we all grooming perfectionists? 

The 90s used to be 80s
Sadly
Small is the new Large