AIBU to think that clothes shopping in person as a plus sized woman is now impossible?

Shops can't stock multiple items in low-selling sizes; there isn't the space or profit margin. Your size probably represent a very small percentage of the revenue and the store has to put its stock, which costs money, where the £s are. It's ironic that you complained that you can't shop "like a normal person". What would you do if it was your business?

It is sadly the norm. Shops seem to stock the bare minimum of anything now. Which is a bit daft because many people will not go home and order on the internet. I often don’t. The nuisance of having items delivered or returning things puts me off. Unless I am really confident of a particular brand and how it will fit me I don’t.

And I also agree they don’t seem to grasp that if they have run out of a certain size in store perhaps they are popular and get some more in ?

If your larger ladies are buying up stock never mind your image of size 6 and 6ft tall, cater for your actual customers.

They are a bit hooked on their image and a bit dim. A successful business doesn’t ask itself what money it has made. It asks itself what money it could have made but missed out on.

My local M&S doesnt stock below a 10. I need 8 or 6. I think smaller stores just carry the mid sizes rather than sizes at either extreme.

Because by doing it he’s helping to perpetuate it I suppose, and for the reasons set out by the pp I think it’s a crap way to buy clothes and I don’t want it to be the norm. But whether or not I’m reasonable for being slightly annoyed by my DH doing something is really getting off the subject of the thread, although I’ve answered your question anyway.

People dont necessarily like shopping online but they're forced to it as I said right at the start of the thread, nothing is available in store. They're useless.

Why does it annoy you?

Yep, you are absolutely bang on. I hate OLS. My DH gets everything online and it annoys me.

6' arm span here.

I don't like to because I prefer a defined waist but will sometimes go for the men's/unisex options in casual oversized things.

Haven't found a brand that is consistently long in the sleeves - most of my favourite brands sell some things that are long enough and some that aren't!

If they're not quite long enough I'll push/roll up to 3/4 length so it looks deliberate at least.

And I have a lovely pair of cashmere wrist warmers to bridge any gaps in winter.

It's always the arms of things I have problems with. Never long enough. I've got a positive ape index (arm span greater than height) and need a good two inches more than the vast majority of long sleeves provides. Are there any orangutans or gibbons reading who could make a recommendation?

BTW I think M&S is one of the worst for having sizing that is all over the place. Any big department-style stores that are stocking huge ranges from multiple suppliers are the least likely to be consistent with sizing. H&M also terrible for this. I recently ordered a Next skirt whose size guide measurements exactly matched my own, yet it's at least a size too big!

My advice is to find a couple of smaller brands that fit you well and stick to them. You might have a few hits and misses to start with but you'll get to know their sizing quirks and be able to confidently buy online over time.

My comment was deleted by MNHQ for some reason

I said that the plus sized positivity of the past few years has come and gone. This is obvs a negative thing 🙄🙄

To be fair, men's XXL/40" isn't that far outside the norm, probably the equivalent of 18 in womens' sizes. Men at either extreme aren't well catered to either.

Thinking about it, you're right! The quality has been in decline for a while. But it seems to be getting worse and people take a different approach maybe to buying online, maybe there's just so much of it, or maybe they wear it and send it back so don't care about the quality at all much and will just relist it on Vinted or eBay instead of sending it back to the shops.

The brands do not have to expend as much energy on footstep customers. Particularly plus sized ones.

The thing that gets me with clothes these days (I'm a 16) is how much the sizes vary, even within the same shop! My favourite place is Oska (I stick to the sales!) and they number their sizes from 0-4. I have dresses in sizes 1, 2 and 3!

@TightlyLacedCorset
I think the decline in clothes quality started long before we all started shopping online. I hate sending anything back too but many people don’t.

I'm a size 16 and I despise online shopping. I just cannot be asked with the scrolling. I don't make it past the first 3 pages and I don't like the returning items thing either.

And I notice that OLS has had a negative effect on clothing quality. It's as if they know people won't really see the clothing in person until it's delivered and then will just end up keeping it.
I went into JL and saw a dress by a middle tier design brand. Quite expensive, several hundred pounds. Inspected it and was appalled at the quality. No lining, not even any overlocking on seams. Basic flat cut shape. Material was a stiff cotton viscose. Lace detailing crudely top stitched on by machine. Not impressed. I also noted there was nothing above a 16 in that particular dress style.

Truly over online shopping, but it seems the same fashion vendors don't give a monkeys anymore about the physical shopping experience either.

I find the same because I need tall size trousers so I hate shopping. Very few shops stock long trousers even in common sizes.

Asda George do a range of adaptive clothes

OP @FatFuckerFrances

Please don't call yourself this.

Ample, Voluptuous, Curvy, Rubenesque, Buxom, Generous are all descriptive and positive or-if you want to keep the alliteration-Full Figured.

The High Street has become a place of limited choice for many of us and shopping online is a pain for all the reasons you describe.

I find this as someone who needs a size 4 as some 6s come up big in some shops. I figure it's because v small and v big sizes don't sell well.

Reading this I’m very glad to be a size 14! Everyone smaller or bigger seems to struggle!

Yes I have large feet. My size 9 walking boots never in store. Really shops would be out of business if they stocked everything

They rarely have size 8 or 10 in store either

Tall ranges are actually much harder to come across than petite ranges, and as a tall person clothes absolutely are not designed for tall people. Even long lengths available in store are for approx 5'8.

Logically you would think this js the case given the height of models modelling them, but they garments they are wearing and altered for the ohotoshoot and arent actually the length in store.

Theres a really limited range of 36" leg length, and those that are, are boring and bland and normally very old fashioned or poor quality.