To ask those of you who wear sizes 4-6 to talk to me about professional work clothes?

[hellokittymania]

Where do you shop? How do you find nice things? I shop at uniqlo and that's it really, for work things.

[Somanyshoes]

I wear DVF wrap dresses mostly, very comfortable but pretty smart. Also, DVF wrap tops. Gap can be good for skinny capri pants, but their sizes are quite big, so have to get 00. I live overseas, we do have DVF shops here and Harvey Nic's and Bloomie's, but I also buy from the UK on-line from net-a-porter or matchesfashion.com. You can also get some good deals on theoutnet.com which is a discount site for net-a-porter.

[PixieMiss]

I can get some suitable things from Miss Selfridge though less so recently. I use ASOS a lot too.

I am a size 4.

[doughnutobssession]

Primark now do a size 4 which is good for basic cardis and things, newlook do a petite section if you are under 5ft3 (kids clothes are also good I wear age 12 and am 5ft2/3) topshop do a 4, miss Selfridge also do a 4. ASOS do a uk 2 in some lines.

[insan1tyscartching]

Dd wears lots of shift dresses (she likes the tartan checked patterns), flower print skater dress styles and wrap dresses from New Look, Miss Selfridge and Top shop. She gets basic cardigans from H&M (sometimes children's sizes).She tends not to wear separates as they make her appear even smaller. She's 5 foot 2 and a size 4 to 6.

[SomethingBorrowed]

Banana Republic, petite range. Or even regular range, size 0.
Really nice clothes, very good for work.

[hellokittymania]

somanyshoes, will those websites deliver to SE Asia or is it mostly Europe/US?

I will ask at Primark, I nearly went to one today

[Mikethenight2good]

Oasis do lovely dresses, but I have to order online.

[goldangel]

Whistles and Reiss do size 4 and size 6.

[spydie]

Reiss usually, but also find some nice dresses in Mango that are very flattering for work.

[pigeondujour]

Almost exclusively asos but I buy some brand stuff on there e.g. Miss Selfridge. Have a v cute dress of theirs on for work right now.

[Westfacing]

Genuine question - I'm very old.

How can a woman in the UK be a size 4? My best friend, who is very stylish, is short and weighs about 7.5 stone, you can see her ribcage, but even she wears an 8.

Is it vanity sizing?

[Somanyshoes]

Hellokitty, Yes they do, I live in the Middle East and usually receive my deliveries within 48 hours of ordering as they send by DHL Express.

WestFacing, I don't think it is, I'm 5'5" and UK sizes 6 and 8 are way too big (on my lower half). I don't look skinny, but everyone has a different build.

[insan1tyscartching]

Dd is 5 foot 2 and weighs 6 stone 10 so wears a 4 or 6.Her perfect size is a child's size age 12 to 13. I wouldn't say for dd it's down to vanity sizing she is genuinely tiny. She prefers it when she is a little heavier as she feels she looks better at size 6 and they are easier to find but she has to make a real effort to gain and maintain her weight.

[hellokittymania]

Not vanity sizing at all . I am 33 but often get confused for a teenager and I am under six Stone ! I have always been that way .

[Westfacing]

Maybe vanity sizing is only for us bigger girls.

As a teen I was 10 stone and a size 16, and now many decades later I'm 10 stone and size 12!

[pigeondujour]

I wear anything from a 4 to a 10. Depends on the shop, the garment, and my weight at any given time (seems to change daily). I think it depends on what age certain brands are designed for. Topshop and Zara stuff is TINY, Whistles stuff is massive, ime.

[highinthesky]

^^ Did you suddenly gain a few inches in height before you were 20?

[highinthesky]

^^Westfacing

[Westfacing]

No highinthesky - I was 5'2' mid-teens and same height now; obviously shape changes over the years but still basically the same apple look.

I personally think clothes have become bigger in relation to supposed label size - I can't even remember there being sizes below 8 in the 70s, but then I was never looking at that end of the rails!

[Birdsbeesandtrees]

Because I don't weigh anywhere near 7.5 stone west

Topshop is ok. Asos is good - it goes down to a 2 now.

I find whistles a little large even at a 4. But primary now do a 4 although it's not tiny it's ok.

A lot of the time I have stuff taken in.

[hellokittymania]

Westfacing whenever I meet somebody and say I wish I could wear bigger sizes or I wish I looked a bit older they all say they wish the opposite so I try and be content with how I am . I can still get into places with children's tickets and ride the carousel without people questioning me .

I was standing next to my employee in a photo though and people asked me if she was my mom . She was 10 years younger than me !

[Astoria7974]

You're lucky you're petite. My sister is 5 6 and a size 4. She isn't thin per se but really lean. Her only option is H&M, Mango, or really expensive European brands. The expensive designer brands from the UK usually employ vanity sizing so even when they say it's a 6 it's closer to an 8.

[Westfacing]

Yes you do look very young kitty - make the most of it!

[Astoria7974]

Westfacing - just donated a whole heap of vintage 70s clothing in size 16. So it was definitely available.

[Westfacing]

Astoria I know there were 16s - that was my size!

I was saying I don't remember size 8s in the 70s.