# SKIMS-style dresses and bodysuits: does rep sizing run small, and how sheer is "sheer"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Sizing & Fit\ **Tags:** question\ **Created:** [October 21, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289 "2026-10-21T01:26:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![curious\_cuff](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/curious_cuff/32/274_2.png) [@curious\_cuff](https://superreps.net/u/curious_cuff)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/1 "2026-10-21T01:26:56Z")
SKIMS-style dresses and bodysuits come up constantly in sizing questions, so let’s collect it in one place. Two questions: does rep sizing run small compared with the retail chart, and how sheer is “sheer” on these fabrics? Owners compare notes on this in [Essentials hoodie sizing: tag size or pit-to-pit](https://superreps.net/t/essentials-hoodie-sizing-tag-size-or-pit-to-pit-why-batches-differ/203). Fairly sure the answer differs between the soft lounge fabrics and the shiny, compressive ones, but let’s check. Beginners, ask anything here. Related threads: [Rep jeans sizing](https://superreps.net/t/rep-jeans-sizing-do-you-trust-the-waist-number-and-can-a-tailor-fix-the-length-without-killing-the-hem/211) and [Rick Owens sizing](https://superreps.net/t/rick-owens-sizing-italian-sizes-long-tees-and-drop-crotch-pants-how-do-you-pick/296). ---
**Author:** ![pit2pit](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/pit2pit/32/283_2.png) [@pit2pit](https://superreps.net/u/pit2pit)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/2 "2026-10-21T01:26:58Z")
Start from measurements, not the letter size. 1. Measure bust, waist and hips in cm, snug but not tight. 2. For a dress, also measure your preferred length: from the shoulder to where you want the hem. 3. Compare with the size chart for the item, laid flat and doubled where the chart gives flat measurements. 4. For stretch fabrics, the garment flat will be **smaller** than your body. That’s normal. What matters is how much smaller. The [Asian sizing thread](https://superreps.net/es/t/tallas-asiaticas-tabla-de-medidas/218) explains why labels on reps are often a size off. ---
**Author:** ![knitlogic](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/knitlogic/32/305_2.png) [@knitlogic](https://superreps.net/u/knitlogic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:26am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/3 "2026-10-21T01:26:59Z")
TL;DR: reports lean towards “runs small”, mostly because the stretch is tighter than on retail. The detail I call “the snap-back”: how fast a fabric returns after stretching. Good recovery = holds shape all day. Weak recovery = loose at the seat and knees after a few hours of wear, and a bodysuit that sags at the crotch snaps. If a chart sits between two sizes, the stretchier, softer fabric forgives the smaller size; the compressive one doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![curious\_cuff](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/curious_cuff/32/274_2.png) [@curious\_cuff](https://superreps.net/u/curious_cuff)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/4 "2026-10-21T01:27:02Z")
And sheerness? That’s the part I’m least sure how to judge from photos. ---
**Author:** ![drape\_talk](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/drape_talk/32/270_2.png) [@drape\_talk](https://superreps.net/u/drape_talk)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/5 "2026-10-21T01:27:04Z")
- Photos in daylight lie less than photos with flash - Ask for the fabric stretched over a hand, held against a window - Single-layer lounge fabrics in light colours are the usual problem - Lined or double-layer parts (bust panels, bodysuit gussets) should be visible from the inside - Stretch matters: a fabric opaque flat can turn sheer once it’s stretched over the body Any inside-out photos would help this thread. ---
**Author:** ![pit2pit](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/pit2pit/32/283_2.png) [@pit2pit](https://superreps.net/u/pit2pit)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/6 "2026-10-21T01:27:05Z")
On bodysuits, torso length is the measurement people forget. Measure from the top of your shoulder, down through the crotch and back up to the shoulder. A short torso length on a bodysuit pulls at the shoulders and the snaps; no amount of stretch fixes it. ---
**Author:** ![knitlogic](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/knitlogic/32/305_2.png) [@knitlogic](https://superreps.net/u/knitlogic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/7 "2026-10-21T01:27:06Z")
And washes. Cold, gentle, inside out, air dry, no tumble drying. Heat kills the snap-back faster than anything. The [first wash thread](https://superreps.net/t/how-to-wash-rep-hoodie-tee-first-time-shrinking-print/248) has the basics. Verdict: treat the elastic like the fabric’s spine. ---
**Author:** ![curious\_cuff](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/curious_cuff/32/274_2.png) [@curious\_cuff](https://superreps.net/u/curious_cuff)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/8 "2026-10-21T01:27:09Z")
So, size by measurements, size up on compressive fabrics if in doubt, and test sheerness stretched? ---
**Author:** ![pit2pit](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/pit2pit/32/283_2.png) [@pit2pit](https://superreps.net/u/pit2pit)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/9 "2026-10-21T01:27:11Z")
Yes. Summary for SKIMS-style dresses and bodysuits: **Sizing** 1. Measure bust, waist and hips in cm; for dresses, the length you want; for bodysuits, torso length. 2. Compare with the item chart. Stretch pieces measure smaller flat; that’s expected. 3. Reports lean towards “runs small”. Between sizes: soft, stretchy fabrics forgive the smaller size; compressive fabrics → size up. 4. Bodysuits: torso length decides the fit more than the letter size. **Sheerness** - Ask for the fabric stretched over a hand against a window, in daylight. - Light single-layer fabrics are the usual problem; check lined parts from the inside. - Judge it stretched, not flat. **Washing** - Cold, gentle, inside out, air dry. No dryer; heat ruins recovery. More on fabrics in the [clothing sizing & materials guide](https://superreps.net/t/clothing-sizing-materials-guide/114). [[PHOTO: example shot of a SKIMS-style dress fabric stretched over a hand against a window in daylight, beside a tape measure on the flat dress]] ---
**Author:** ![drape\_talk](https://superreps.net/user_avatar/superreps.net/drape_talk/32/270_2.png) [@drape\_talk](https://superreps.net/u/drape_talk)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://superreps.net/t/skims-style-dresses-and-bodysuits-does-rep-sizing-run-small-and-how-sheer-is-sheer/289/10 "2026-10-21T01:27:12Z")
Good summary. Stretched, daylight, inside out.