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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that "fat shops" like Evans and Ann Harvey don't do their customers any favours by making their sizes much larger than they usually are?

370 replies

MrsSchadenfreude · 30/01/2011 17:58

Was in London last week, nipped into both. Tried on jeans in Evans, even a size 16 was too big (and I am SO not a 16). Went into Horrible Ann Harvey, Polyester Queen, and overheard the woman saying to a customer, "No, the sizes come up much bigger than in regular shops. If you're a size 16 in M & S, there won't be anything here to fit you."

Is this not going to lull porkers (I am one, I am allowed to say that) into a false sense of their own size, if they think, oh I am "only" a size 16, which is not too bad, when actually they are probably a 22+ in "normal" shops?

OP posts:
Northernlurker · 30/01/2011 21:31

Assumptions are made about hair colour - and ginger use as an insult but shoes? What insulting assumptions are made about shoes? Hmm

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 30/01/2011 21:36

You were talking about comment...so was I...not necessarily insults.

OP posts:
babypickles · 30/01/2011 21:39

It's just so they sell more innit.

figcake · 30/01/2011 21:51

I never even knew that Ann Harvey was plus size until I saw this - I have always admired the long flowing look at the windows. Def knew about Evans though

MoaningMedalllist · 30/01/2011 21:57

this can't really happen unless they have never shopped anywhere else we all know sizes vary from place to place

AimingForSerenity · 30/01/2011 22:04

I agree with MissQue.

I shop in Evans and Ann Harvey and take the same size in both shops. I also have clothes from M&S, Asda, Tesco and from the plus department of a rather nice ladies clothing store that does more expensive makes; in these I am, usually, one size larger but no more than that.

I would like to be slimmer but, overall, am confident and comfortable with my appearance. I find the suggestion that there is this huge difference of 3+ sizes and we are somehow daft enough to delude ourselves to that extent far more offensive than the term porker.

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 30/01/2011 22:18

It wasn't a suggestion of the difference of three sizes. It was what the shop assistant in Ann Harvey told a customer. The customer said she was a size 16 in M & S, and the shop assistant said that their size 16 was a size 22 in other shops. Why do this?

OP posts:
Scuttlebutter · 30/01/2011 22:24

OP, I find your description of "porkers" offensive, I don't like it.

Like many plus size women, I am frustrated by the smaller range of clothing open to me. I am financially at the bottom end of the market, don't buy clothes very often. I shop at Evans, Simply Be, Lands End, Tesco, Sainsburys and Marks for underwear. I have neither the interest nor the budget to shop in Europe or New York. M & S outer clothing is so utterly depressing that I can't imagine anyone buying it. Ann Harvey always seems to think its customers are old ladies who want to wear polyester tents. I don't generally find much of a size difference between shops, although interestingly the cut of a top say can make a difference.

I know I am fat, and have no illusions about my size. Find it quite offensive also that I am so stupid that a flattering label will somehow persuade me that I am suddenly three sizes smaller. What a bizarre idea.

aviatrix · 30/01/2011 22:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cobbledtogether · 30/01/2011 22:37

Scuttlebutter - may I introduce you to Yours? Sizes about the same as Evans, but cheaper.
YoursClothing It has been my friend for a long, long time!

As a Fat Porker (TM) I find that the sizes of clothes change from shop to shop an experience that my perfect slim friends assures me they have as well. Its well known that no bloody shop sizes the same - even different ranges in the same shop fit and size differently.

Someone who fits into a 10 in one shop and a 12 in another doesn't look at the first shop and go "bloody hell, you're not doing me any favours are you." No, they just know to pick the right size when in that shop.

Do you really think that any fat woman goes into Ann Havey, tries on clothes and goes "Fuck me, I've dropped 3 dress sizes since I was in BHS!" Of course they don't. In the same way that when my 30in waisted DH had to buy a Diesel shirt in size Large didn't suddently think he'd put on a couple of stone.

Get a grip!

mutznutz · 30/01/2011 22:51

Dear God above...is there nothing left for people to be humorous about now?

The OP has a sense of humour (I think she needs one on this thread to be honest) and if she decides to use the term porker as a description that's her choice.

If anyone is so sensitive that they have to moan or pull her up on it, you need to take a long hard look at why it bothers you so much imo.

Self humour is one of the few bloody things left we're allowed to laugh at Hmm

squareheadcut · 30/01/2011 23:03

yes it lulls women - gives them a false sense of their weight and we shouldn't be fooling ourselves if we are overweight, we need to acknowledge that and either lose weight or accept that we are fat.

confuddledDOTcom · 30/01/2011 23:07

The reason is that the clothes are made for that size and not scaled up. It means that the clothes fit better and therefore you need a smaller size.

It's also true of clothes made for tall women, if they're just scaled up versions of everything else they're not going to fit well, but if they're made for tall women then they'll fit much better.

I've worked for Long Tall Sally and trained in fashion design so it's something I'm quite aware of. Clothes should only be scaled up a couple of sizes, that's why patterns come in several size groups.

pinkstinks · 30/01/2011 23:08

i work in evans in the uni holidays, in most places I am an 18, in evans I can wear a fourteen! I love it though,
I feel sorry for the girls I work with who are smaller than a size then though, they have to wear the stock and the 14 drowns them!

mutznutz · 30/01/2011 23:10

They make smaller girls wear stock that doesn't fit them?

pinkstinks · 30/01/2011 23:13

yes, as we can't just employ people that are the sizes we stock, they have to wear the clothes. However it does lead to some interesting combinations and uses of waistbelts....
Just a shame when a customer wants to also wear the maxi skirt as a dress and it wouldnt fit :(

penelopestitsdropped · 30/01/2011 23:13

pinkstinks? it is a contractual obligation that you wear only Evans stock?

I find this confusing as in my local store at least 3 of the staff members are no "larger" than a 10/12 and so would not fit the stock being sold even if it was at a regulated size.

mutznutz · 30/01/2011 23:15

That's bloody disgusting. If they worked for Tesco they wouldn't be expected to look stupid in clothes that don't fit so I don't think they should be forced in Evans either.

They're shop assistants for goodness sake...if they want models they should employ some.

AimingForSerenity · 30/01/2011 23:17

ConfuddledDOT com - thank God a sensible explanation!

Back in the days when Etam (remember them?) did a plus range just after I'd had my children I often commented that the clothes were wider but somehow just didn't fit!

I'm now off to sob in a corner as I thought I dressed well but seeing as most of my lovely layered outfits are from Ann Harvey and everyone else seems to think they're polyester tents for old ladies.........:(

pinkstinks · 30/01/2011 23:19

hah, yes its an obligation - you get a uniform allowance depending on your contract , as I do limited holiday hours it works out to about one piece of stock a month, and get this - they reduced our uniform discount from 75% to 60% so we still have to pay 40% out of our own pockets....
If you dont wear it you can get a disciplinary after a warning - a lot of the girls I work with have been there so long that they have a few pieces to interchange, but its a bugger if you are new!
They also dont like me wearing dr martens with my pretty evans dresses Grin

mutznutz · 30/01/2011 23:21

So if a member of staff was a size 6, they would get a disciplinary for not wearing size 14 clothes that they couldn't possibly function in?

I'd love to see that one go to court Hmm

pinkstinks · 30/01/2011 23:24

hah, oh we have meetings about trying stuff on and how to do thngs like wear shirts as dresses, maxi skirts as dresses etc! We have to promote the brand at all times Hmm

mutznutz · 30/01/2011 23:27

I honestly can't see how that would help them to sell stuff.

I'd be buggered if I was about to buy a nice dress...then turned around to see it looking like a sack on someone.

I don't know much about law, but I'm sure they can't legally force this issue?

Jaquelinehyde · 30/01/2011 23:42

I shop in Evans and I'm at the top end of there sizing. So I suppose I am what you, OP would term a real porker Hmm

I've also just checked with a friend of mine who works at Evans and she says she has never heard of this dress policy and she has worked there since I did 15 years ago (when I was very skinny and didn't wear or fit the clothes there) so I would check to see if that is just something your Evans has adopted pink.

penelopestitsdropped · 30/01/2011 23:44

I am pleased that i am not alone in finding the terminology used a little "off"

For a moment i was thinking maybe i was being over sensetive