...to think we are a nation of lardarses?

[SpeedyGonzalez]

How else can you explain the fact that French, Spanish and US baby clothes are all so teeny? Actually I think it must be the other way round: we're all normal and they're all munchkins .

It's weird, though, isn't it? I always assumed, for example, that French women were tiny because they only eat ant-size portions, but it seems that it starts from birth. DS is v slim, has always been on the 50th centile and yet has always worn larger sizes in foreign clothes. DD is four months old and on 75th centile so big, but not exactly an elephant. At 2 months she fit nicely into a French 3-6 month dress. Today she's wearing a Zara 9-12 months outfit, with only 1 inch turn-ups on the sleeves. Why are these people so small?

Yes, French clothes and Spanish clothes for that matter seem to be smaller than British ones.The worst were Korean and I was a size 12 in the UK and size XXL/XXXL over there! My mum bought me a few things over from France and my daughter is small compared to most (25th percentile).Having said that alot of the UK sizes for her age seem quite big on her.
I think its also the lifestyle we lead. (TV,PUB,FOOD) I always found it hard to get clothes that fitted me abroad but I used to be quite pear shaped ( now I am just an orange!)

if you'd left it at french and spanish I might have agreed but given you clubbed the lardarse nation of all lardarses in there with them (the US) your logic is compromised :)

I aggree and it does my head in- I can't get baby clothes that fit my 14mth old dd is in 9-12 months that still fall down as she is 'petite'. She was 50th centile born but shes settled at 25th. When I talked to my doctor about her wieght at a check up she told me that 'she's just not fat' hmm I personally believe babies can't be fat, but there you go.

I do think its about lifestyle and genetics though as we get older. Also in our country theres lots of people who don't know how to cook- and relying on ready made meals, take outs etc

MrsVidic, my dd is the same. At 2 years and 25th centile she's just grown out of 6-9 month and is comfortably in 9-12. If she wears anything for 1yr+ I have to take in the waist by a good 2inches. Ds, 4, is tall for his age but anything that fits him for length is way to big round the waist. I'm not exactly what you would describe as petite and my dh is a 6'4'' rugby player so I'm sure it's the clothes and not the kids!

I've noticed the same thing so got the red books out. Clothes in France/Spain etc seem to be designed to be worn when the average child is 3-6 months. Clothes in the UK fit the 80th centiles at 3-6 months and 50th centiles up from about 5.5 months.

If you look at the measurements on length, French baby clothes are 74cm at 1 yr whereas that is usually used as the 9m measurement in the UK. All the sizes thereafter are one ahead for uk baby clothes except in Gap which is about the same as the French ones.

puddlepuss- can you suggest any good places for smaller fitting clothes? I'm only going to next atm- all other places are just too wide!

I read somewhere that Petit Bateau deliberately use small sizing so that parents can feel good about how big their child is.

azaello - I've done those calculations (dh has the remote in the evenings so I have plenty of time for my head to go mad!) and decided to buy my clothes from here instead of getting uk ones online but then saw the prices of french clothes and will stick to baggy cheap crap from the uk!

Rofl at azazello!

W6 - I almost didn't mention the US! but have you ever bought anything from Baby Gap? Clearly something dramatic changes once they stop being babies...

people are pleased when they spend money on Petit Bateau clothes and their child is too big in it! God - I'd be gutted and angry!! LOL

MrsVidic, I tend to only buy trousers that have the elastic/button thingy in the waistband. Most dresses are a no-go as I could 3 of dd in them. Mothercare is totally out as they seem to be supplying clothes for shotputters. M&S are fairly small (compared to others) and I've found a few things in Asda. Sorry not to be much help but I pull my hair over this myself and have considered designing things myself - there must be a market for narrow fit clothes.

I did find Debenhams clothes smaller though speedy when my LO was first born, not sure what their sizes are like once they get older though as I converted to primark :)

I am absolutely teeny. I wear size 4/6 clothes or age 12 kids. My daughter is 2 and when she was a baby the health visitor did the chart for her and she kept going up and up so I just never took her back because the midwife made me feel bad about it! That was when she was only on milk. I think some people are just bigger than others. She has slimmed down loads now she is running about.

I find Next and M and S kids clothes massive. Both my DC were between the 25th - 50th centiles when I could be bothered to get them weighed, and seem to be spot on average, compared to the other children we come into contact with.

The most accurate in terms of age and sizing seem to be Gap and H and M. I have some Zara stuff handed down that is very short, comparatively. Boden waists are always too big unless they are adjustable.

So smaller fitting stuff I would recommend Petit Bateau, Captain Tortue or Zara.

French people are shorter than British people so I was not surprised to find that the baby/children's clothes are designed for shorter babies/children. I think it is a separate issue from obesity. There are lots of short, slim French women but also lots of short round ones!

here

Nearly all the French baby I know wear a size bigger than their age. It's just the way it is.

If you have a 12 months old, the correct size is 18 months/2 years.
If you have a 5 year old, you buy 6 year old.
No idea why but it was like that even when I was little. Always one size larger than your age.
No idea why.

Baby Gap does fit better, otherwise some of hte french clothes are available on Ebay - even French cheapy supermarket type clothes fit my very slim DCs better than M&S/ Mothercare, although the latters both shrink in the wash quite a bit. Sainsburys actually fit quite well if you go a size down, they don't tend to be too big around the waist.

FWIW, I got DD some nice french clothes (catimini etc) on ebay for age 2. She has turned 3 now and they still fit. I think some of the dresses will fit next year with leggings so we're getting plenty of wear out of them. She's 12th centile so not freakishly tiny.