My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

AIBU?

to think that children clothes sizes are ridiculous!!

46 replies

macdoodle · 15/12/2009 23:52

My DD1 is 8, she is tall and big framed, she has a healthy appetite , but is very active (swimming, trampolining, playing out, not a couch potato).
She is a healthy girl, with a solid build and a little roll of puppy fat round her tummy, and very early little breast bud developement.
She is NOT obese or even fat, her height and weight are on the 98th centile as they have been since she was born!

But bloody hell, clothes sizing is doing my head in, how is a age 8 supposed to fit all age 8's, her best friend is a tiny little thing but almost exactly the same age!

We bought a lovely pair of sparkly shorts in Asda for a xmas party today, age 10-11, she put them on this morning no way they would do up , very upset little girl, she wore something else.
I changed them at lunchtime, no sparkly shorts left, got a xmassy skirt age 11-12, nope this didnt do up either, cue very distressed little girl in tears because she is fat ! She really isnt, not just mummy saying so

Bloody hell, luckily best friend across road has a tiny 16 year old DD, who lent her a pair of satin shorts (adult size 8), and though a little big and baggy, did actually fit better than any of the childrens clothes!

Is it me?? AIBU?? Do I have a giant child?? She isnt obese, she is just big and well developed for age, where on earth do I buy her clothes (have been looking at New Look 915 teen range online)? She hates shopping with a passion and trying clothes on but am at a loss as to what we do now, without denting her poor fragile self esteem even more!

OP posts:
Report
macdoodle · 16/12/2009 00:00

I just put some recent photos on my profile in case anyone thinks she might be horrendously obese!

OP posts:
Report
pigletmania · 16/12/2009 00:11

Lovely photos Mac aww how cute, it is ridiculous. I got my 2.9 year old an angle outfit, had to get a 5-6 year old one from QS and it just about fit her. Like your dd she is not obese, actually very tall and slim. She also wears t shirts in 5-6 years as they offer decent coverag not showing her tummy in these cold times and hang better than the 3-4 year old ones she should be wearing. They do them so small, however some stores are more generous than others. I found H&M, Ladybird, and Debenhams to be generous in size, whereas some stores are quite small.

Report
LaurieFairyonthetreeeatscake · 16/12/2009 00:11

DD is 11 and a half and wearing size 8/10 adult clothes. She had a tiny tummy and breast buds last year but that has now dropped to her hips as she is obviously approaching puberty.

When she was just turned 10 is when she went into adult clothes as she suddenly shot up to 5ft 1". She now really only fits in the largest sizes in M&S and New Look childrens clothes (and Boden trousers as nice and long)

Its really common - some girls are developing much earlier.

Report
yummyyummyyummy · 16/12/2009 00:22

I think YAB a bit unreasonable. Obviously all 8 yos arent the same size .Your little girl would make 2 or my DD who is also 8, but what are manufacturers supposed to do to indicate the size of their clothes.

Report
expatinscotland · 16/12/2009 00:24

i have the opposite problem.

i have to buy most clothes in america for DD1 because they're all cut for overweight children here and she's a twiglet.

Report
TheCrackFox · 16/12/2009 00:28

I have to take DS1's clothes in for him. He is 8 yrs old but is as tall as a 10/11 yr old but everything is massive around the waist. It is annoying.

Report
IMoveTheStarsForNoOne · 16/12/2009 00:29

YANBU - DS is still in 12-18mo clothes, despite being tall. he's 92cm tall, and can;t find clothes to fit als=ready

he's not unusual in the slightest, but is wearing clothes ranging from 12-18mo, to 3-5 years. Not kidding.

Report
katnkittens · 16/12/2009 00:32

I have the same problem as the OP and expat.

My DS and DD2 are both tall and skinny. I struggle to buy clothes that fit length-wise but don't fall down. DS is 13 and around 5'8, I'm not sure of his waist size but I found some shorts he had been wearing aged 8-9 .

My poor dd1 is the fittest out of them all yet is shaped completely differently. She is shorter and has a tummy. She is 11 and mostly age 11/12 clothes are fine (next/asda etc) but I bought her some posh jeans from a dept store aged 12 and they wouldn't do up. She was so upset.

It's trial and error I guess. Poor DS lives in tracksuit bottoms as it's so hard to find jeans for him.

Report
IMoveTheStarsForNoOne · 16/12/2009 00:32

btw; he is 2yo and skinny.

nothing fits him

Report
bruffin · 16/12/2009 00:38

I don't actually get the point you are trying to make

Children clothes sizes are for an average size child of that age and usually quote a height. They are not supposed to fit all 8 year olds just an average 8 year old. My DD 12 is the same as LaurieFairie but probable more a 6/8 adult clothes and probably 14 year old clothes for height. My DD at the age of your dd had the opposite problems and most things were far too big round the
waist and would drop over her hips.

DS was always in clothes 2 years above his age because he was the size of an average child 2 years older. He is 14 now and 5'10 and in adult clothes.

Report
IMoveTheStarsForNoOne · 16/12/2009 00:43

bruffin - she is making the point that sizing is bollocks.]

DS is 2yo, on about the 80th line, but still in 12-18mo trews.

Report
pigletmania · 16/12/2009 00:46

My dd who is 2.9 can fit into 12-18 month skirts and dresses, but trousers, t shirts has to have them bigger as she is really tall like my beanpole dh.

Report
bruffin · 16/12/2009 00:58

But the sizing isn't bollocks for an average child is it. The clothing companies have got to start somewhere.If you have a child that is outside the average size then you just buy smaller of bigger sizes. As I said most of the clothes have heights on as a guide.

If you have a big (or small child) it's not the manufacturers fault.

DD was average height until she got to 10 when she shot up. She fitted into clothes for her age group until then,except they were big on the waist. I tended to buy la redoute and vertbaudet because they had elastic/buttons in the waists.

Report
NormalityBites · 16/12/2009 01:28

But it is total bollocks - because no shop is the same, there is no standard, and when you have a perfectly average child in a size smaller from one shop, a size bigger from another shop, how to heck are you meant to know what size to buy? I only have the one DD so far - who is three and big for her age but spanning clothes sizes from 9-12 months to 5-6 years - which should be physically impossible! Clothes sizes should at the very least fit the height and weight range that they suggest on the tag. I bought a top in 3-4y and trousers in 3-4y from the same shop on the same day, each claiming to fit a 104cm/40lb child - and the trousers look like shorts, and the top shows midriff on a child of that exact stature. How does that make sense? Yes, go on height and weight, not age. But I have a 3 year old who next to a 6 year old looks 3 - how can they wear the same size clothes? Same with the OP, her DD is 8, and next to a 16yo she looks 8 - how can she wear the same size clothes?

So OP, YANBU!

Report
bruffin · 16/12/2009 01:36

But the OP isn't getting upset because clothes sizes varies form shop to shop. She is getting upset because her DD is very big for her age and clothes don't fit.

Report
AitchTwoToTangOh · 16/12/2009 01:39

i think you just have to learn to judge it, tbh, or take a waist measurement and a tape when you go out shopping without her, and then cut off the labels, tbh.

Report
TLESinChristmasStockings · 16/12/2009 01:43

YANBU
I have an 11yr old ds who is in 13-14 clothes ok he has had a growth spurt.

I also have a 2 yr old ds who is in 4-5yr clothes. he is not HUGE tall yes but you can see his ribs ewwwww lol. he weighs 36lbs+

Report
Jamieandhismagictorch · 16/12/2009 06:17

Agree with bruffin

My DS1 is small for his age so he takes a size down

Report
macdoodle · 16/12/2009 07:18

wow lots of replies My OP I guess was that the age sizing is totally pointless, I do measure her waist/hips/length/chest, and it doesnt actually fit with any size whatsoever, she grows so quickly that what fitted her one day may not the next!

And in the same shop age 10 etc may fit in one outfit but not another, and from shop to shop they are all different, it just seems pointless to me, I am a size 16 and though they can vary, I know roughly if I buy a 16 it will fit me (on the whole)!

She has always been big (on the 98th centile) so I am used to buying 2 sizes bigger from birth, but with no consistency whatsoever, if a age 10-11 didnt fit, surely I should expect the next size up to, if anything it was smaller!

She is just going to come with me and try stuff on (oh joy) will be fun with DD2 in tow

OP posts:
Report
macdoodle · 16/12/2009 07:20

And I'm not annoyed because she's bigger, my best friend DD (same age but tiny) has same problem the other way, everything too small and falls down.
How on earth do you know what size to buy ?

OP posts:
Report
MrFibble · 16/12/2009 07:20

Sizing clothes according to age is just plain daft so YANBU. They should be done according to height.

Report
newpup · 16/12/2009 07:29

I agree with Bruffin, although I do sympathise with you macdoodle. The manufacturers have to start somewhere and so the fit is for an average child in each age range.

Of course many children are not average and so you need to shop for bigger or smaller clothes. I can not see what the clothes shops can do about that.

Having said that my DDs are easy to shop for, one is average height and build and one is tall and very slim so not too much of a problem. I am sure I would find it frustrating to have to work harder to find clothes for them!

By the way, your Dd is lovely!

Report

Newsletters you might like

Discover Exclusive Savings!

Sign up to our Money Saver newsletter now and receive exclusive deals and hot tips on where to find the biggest online bargains, tailored just for Mumsnetters.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Parent-Approved Gems Await!

Subscribe to our weekly Swears By newsletter and receive handpicked recommendations for parents, by parents, every Sunday.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

BlauerWeihnachtsengel · 16/12/2009 07:40

I agree Mr Fibble. I've never understood why sizing is according to age in the UK. My dcs have NEVER in 11 years been in the 'right' age size - always too large or too small according to whether they've just had a growth spurt. In continental Europe it goes purely by size in centimetres, which is a bit more reliable. Doesn't H+M clothing have the centimetre size on as well?

But then you still have the problem of big-boned versus delicately built children of the same height. It's a pity you don't have C+A in the UK any more. They have a nice range of trousers/jeans for girls with a larger build (made wider around the waist and hips than standard clothing).

We have the opposite problem (dd2 has been under the 10th percentile since birth, and is clearly meant to be that way), and the solution is a large belt collection.

Report
mistletoekisses · 16/12/2009 07:42

OP - you have my sympathies, but YABU.

As others have pointed out; the manufacturers have to start somewhere. DS who is 2.3 is still in 18-24 month clothes and the trousers need to have a tie at the waist otherwise they are still too loose!

My advice would be to find some shops/ ranges that you know fit your DD's shape and buy the appropriate sized ranges from them.

If I buy from Gap, I tend to think the sizes are spot on for DS, so buy the right age group. Asda/ Tesco - buy one age range down.

Report
JingleAllTheWay · 16/12/2009 07:54

Our DD is 12 and the same height as me, and we are having real problems buying her stuff, because while her body is certainly changing she is not yet the shape of a woman. She needed new jeans, and any adult size were the wrong shape. Fortunately H&M do an age 12 - 13, 13 - 14, and even an age 14+ which were just right.

Have you tried H&M ?

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.