Shop sizing is weird - yes you H&M

[Pantone363]

I've just spent 10 minutes fighting my way out of a dress I nearly had to cut off. Cannot breath in it. It's a size 10, I'm 5ft 6 and 8st 8lbs why the fuck doesn't it fit . Size 8 in top shop is fine

Shouldn't there be a standard agreed on measurement across all sizes and shops?

[Pantone363]

Are H&M messing around with their sizes?

[CoconutMushroom]

I think they've always been a bit odd to the point where I never ever shop there, haven't done so for yrs. It's simply too much hassle.

[WhatWouldFlopDo]

I'm a good 2 to 4 sizes bigger in H&M than I am anywhere else. I don't care what size I am but I'd like to be the same across all shops.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

H&m are bizarre full stop. My local one is like a hellish jumble sale.

Their buyers must get the stock from lots of different suppliers with wildly different sizing parameters and then put their own labels in, so the sizing isn't standard across the range and varies crazily.

[Pantone363]

Agree ^

[Pantone363]

Size 10 dress is way too small

Yet S size belt is massive and DP need to put a new hole in it

New look are generous sizing, Topshop seems normal. All Saints is small sizing but you don't need to worry about that because it all falls apart in the wash anyway

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

All saints piss me off. Overpriced rags.

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

Don't get me wrong, I'll pay that sort of money for decent quality, nice fit, washes/dries/irons well but AS just isn't that.

[HelenF350]

H&M sizes are ridiculous, especially the tops. I'm a 12 almost everywhere yet struggle with a 16 in H&M unless it's stretchy!

[Pantone363]

DP bought me a top from AS last month (I say top it could be a dress?) I still haven't quite figured how to get it on. Washed it once and it looks like a dishcloth

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

I like their leather though (all saints)

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

helen, you're amongst friends. Stupid H&M. It's like they pick size labels at random out of a hat and just sew them into the first garment that comes to hand.

[Pantone363]

Squeezy, was just about to say that! Their jackets are lovely and V hard wearing. Handbags are nice too

[SueGeneris]

I'm exact same height and weight as you op and have the same problem, while at the same time an 8 in Next or Monsoon is just right.

And I'm sure I'm not an 8!

[SueGeneris]

Ps what colour IS pantone 363?

[SqueezyCheeseWeasel]

high fives pantone

[Pantone363]

Grass green

I'm not an 8 either and I don't want to try clothes on in the shop..does ANYONE still try clothes on in the actual shop?

[Melonfool]

I also stopped bothering with H&M for sizing and quality reasons. Ironically, the menswear is OK and both dp and dss get quite a bit there.

[GinBunny]

I was going to start a thread tonight saying the same! Not H&M specifically. I've been wearing M&S for the last few years, not because I particularly like them but because at size 18 and petite yeah I know, a contradiction, just short but they fit. I've lost 2 stone and am back on the high street and haven't a clue what size I am!
I've got 2 dresses from Phase 8 - one a 14 (snug) and one a 12 (perfect). A size 2 top from Ted Baker - perfect. The matching dress, even a size 4 was way too tiny. A size XS top from Gap - a bit loose but looks nice, but I'm too big to fit into any of their standard t-shirts.

[JaceLancs]

Don't get me started!
I ordered a Mary portas at HOF dress in a size 14 which I collected today
After trying their how to work out your correct fit (in most shops I'm a 14-16)
Collected it tried it on was huge - ended up swapping it for a size 10, whilst I was in the store tried on some other things from same range, bought another dress in a size 18 which was tight enough to need control underwear, a blouse in size 20, and a jacket in S
That's why I rarely buy online
M + S is just as bad I can be anywhere between a 10 and a 22!!!!!!!!

[Glitteryfrog]

Gap and H&M are at the extremes.
I walked into h+m wearing size 8 trousers from gap, had to buy a size 14 skirt.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

In H&M their size L is a 14-16 (signs on the rails)
I buy an L and it's fine (I'm a 38" bust but horrible bloaty belly so I don't buy trousers there or anything waist fitting)

I must have the odd shaped body that they cater for

[Melonfool]

I ordered some M&S jeans online, I'm normally a 12, I have some size 12 M&S jeans which are if anything a bit big, the jeans I ordered I can't really get past my thighs. It's so bloody irritating. Men don't have this problem.

Reading the bra threads, it occurs to me they should get rid of the daft cup sizes and just size bras like men's jeans - a band size and a boob size, so your bra would be a 34/40 or something, no cup letter. (and what the hell is it with AA being smaller than A, no double B or C, and DD being bigger than D?).

Same with clothes, just give us the bloody measurements.

[MrsBertMacklin]

H&M's manufacturing is crap, which doesn't help. I stopped going in the day I took two size 14 trousers off the rail and when laid on top of each other, there was over an inch difference between the waists.

[Mintyy]

Yes. I had a thread on here about a pair of dungarees I picked up for my 13 year old size 8 daughter. I was guessing the size as I looked at them, thought they looked about right for her, checked the label ... size 16!!!

I took them to the till and said "I think these have been mis-labelled" and the woman serving said "sometimes they just come up small" . What a fucking stupid thing to say!

I suggested, in my thread, that a H&M shop assistant should be able to tell the difference between a size 8 garment and a size 16 garment, but the nest of vipers disagreed with me.