When Did Women Stop Having Waists?

A burning question has been etched in my mind lately:

When did clothing companies stop designing for REAL women's bodies???

I know, I'm deep like that.  But let me just start this little rant with the fact that I have spent almost $150 in the past 2 months having my clothes tailored.  That's $150 I no longer get to spend on groceries.  I sure hope Thanksgiving produces lots and lot of leftovers...

I am a very averaged sized girl--5'3 and a size 4.  My body is proportional, i.e. my bottom half matches my top half just fine.  I even got all techie and posted a picture so you can see for yourself.  However, I can't find one damn thing that fits!  I have been blessed/cursed with a "woman's shape," i.e. I have breasts and hips and a small waist LIKE A NORMAL WOMAN.  Apparently, this makes me ineligible for 90% of the clothing on today's racks.  

I recently bought the cutest little suit--black tweed with tiny hints of bright colors, fitted skirt with big buttons, and the most darling little swing jacket with 3/4 sleeves.  It screams "wear me to interviews at non-profits!!!"  I love it.  However, it was a large part of that $150 tailoring bill.  Some women would have just passed on the little suit, claiming it didn't fit (C. is like this--if it doesn't fit off the rack she won't buy it.  C. is also shaped like those girls on ANTM).  What bothers me is that the suit DID fit, minus the fact that the waist was as wide as the hemline.  I hope you're thinking, "WTF?" because I certainly did.  In fact, EVERY SINGLE SUIT I tried on had the same problem.  And it wasn't that I was looking at cheap suits.  We're talking lawyer-sized budget (with a little help from Mom) priced ensembles for my first year of big-girl work.  For the past few years, almost every pair of pants, skirts, or especially dresses I've tried on have been the same size from bust to hips--straight.  Now how many women are actually shaped like a deck of cards?!  I would love to know how much money I've spent in the past year alone getting pants/skirts/dresses nipped in at the waist (we won't even go into hemming...).

However, any time I try on a vintage dress or skirt, it almost always fits perfectly.  It's nipped at the waist but allows room for my bosom and hips.  Vintage dresses are generally well-proportioned for my shape.  I've always said that I was born 50 years too late, and maybe this is the proof in the pudding.  Have women's bodies changed shape over the decades?  Or are designers just getting lazy and selling the same stuff they slap on their models?  Why can't I find ONE DRESS that is fitted at the waist???

I can only draw 2 conclusions from my little rant:

1. I'm so glad my mom just bought a nice sewing machine so she can start doing the dirty work!

2. Clothing companies only want to design for the "tall-skinnies."  My shape is "out" and boy-like bodies are in.  For women. 

Not trying to enact systemic change in the fashion industry, just try to blow off some steam and find some good work attire.  I have always been proud of my curves, and I've never had complaints from the fellas.  I wish designers would take a survey of what real women are shaped like and design for the rest of us.