To think that shops souldnt change their sizing just to make fat people feel better

[ThoseArentSpiritFingers]

Was shopping in H&M and was looking through the basics range - needed leggings and t shirts etc. took some leggings to try on, an picked up a pair of medium without going it much thought, as I am a size 10-12. Luckily I did try them on because they were massive on me. When I went to look for a smaller size I noticed a sign saying they had 'revolutionised' their sizing for the basics range to allow for bigger sizing, which is fair enough.

But why mess around with all the rest of the sizes?! Why not just label it xxl rather than changing medium to fit a size that would have fit a 16-18.

And to make it all even more stupid, it was only their basics range that had changed, the rest of the stuff was still a normal size.

I ended up at the till with a stupid range of sizes, with some smalls, some mediums and one large for their stupidly small skinny jeans. An this is just one store.

xpost, Fozzley :) YY, I can make clothes, too. The knowledge makes me acutely aware that I am three different sizes in 'proper' sizing - top, middle, and arse. So a return to traditional values would still be no bloody help in sorting out what's likely to fit!

Does anybody else find it amusing that so many women need a label to tell them what size they are? All that dieting must have put them right out of touch with their own bodies.

No I don't find it amusing. I just find it convenient to be able to look at a label size and know that the item is quite likely to fit...because it saves me having to try it on.

It's quick, it's easy and it worked in the past.

I'm not sure why you're presuming women who like to shop by size labels have ever been on a diet in their lives?

I certainly haven't.

Nomore - you measure the clothes on the rail and compare! You pay no attention to the stated size in the label other than as a (very) rough guide. That's the point.

Talkin the average markup over cost is around 100% over wholesale cost for cheap ranges, 300% for more expensive lines.

They dont lose out.

I'm increasingly having to try things on in shops as the labelling is meaningless. A right ball ache when trying to shop quickly with young children.

I don't know what size I am at the moment as I'm losing baby weight. I'm generally wearing size 12, but some items are like a scarecrow hitched up with a belt, and others are unflatteringly snug.

It's flaming annoying being a healthy size and finding you've slipped under the bottom of an up-sized scale. Children's clothes aren't a suitable option as although the length is appropriate, they're not designed for womanly curves.

I can tell by looking. Can't most people? I've been loads of different sizes, too; it only takes one trying-on session to get the idea of how my current size looks on a hanger.

Am I weird?? No, not in general, I know that

you measure the clothes on the rail and compare!

Whoa, that's way too logical for Mumsnet

garlic

My boobs get in the way. Otherwise in theory I could work it it out by looking. Fucking hate a gaping shirt/blouse.

Or tops that fit your boobs, then stick out at a weird elevation over your waist? (Karen Millen!)

Karen Millen Woman:
Thin, stick-like arms.
Big bust.
Protruding belly, poss pregnant.
Short body.
No backside.
Long legs.
Throws clothes away after wearing, as can't wash or dry-clean.

Yes! That too!

Maybe making ones own clothes really is the way to go for everyone.

What is it with Karen Millen and selling clothes that can't be washed? How on earth do they get away with it?!

I hope the other retailers don't figure out how they get away with it! Single-use dresses at £120 a pop must be good business ...

I had my third kid afew weeks back, if h anf m can make me feel skinny good on them I fecking wish. That is why I goto the gym

I still done understand why womens clothes come in seemingly random "sizes" that aren't standardised.

Why not like mend and just give it in inches/cm?

I too wish clothes were sold by measurement.
Say 36 bust, 30 waist, 38 hips was a 12 or whatever.
I have crap shops where I live, (abroad) but can't order online as it's pointless: even the same shops sell stuff which varies wildly yet labelled the same size. I don't even think it's vanity sizing that's the issue, it's using multiple designers and manufacturers and scaling a sample piece up or down, rather than fitting all lines to the same standard s,m, l, xl models.

:(

Well the people putting the size labels on where probably distracted, what with the fire and everything.

Cheap clothes cost someone.

www.channel4.com/news/bangladesh-factory-fire-clothing-fatal-aswad-rana-plaza

I would not like all clothes to be standardised (such as all size 12s being 36, 20, 28) because it would mean that there would be a lesser chance of finding something to fit. I am a pear and there is about 8-10 inches between my waist and hips.

They should label clothes like blokes' clothes, in inches. Then we'd all know where we stood.

Sizing has changed over the years. I am someone whose weight has remained the same since I got married (39 years ago) this is not a boast, but info to make a point and I used to wear size 12, now I wear 8 or 10 or even 6. So vanity sizing is alive and well.

Talking peace has a healthy BMI The range is 18 to 25

mine is in the normal range but high end and I still have a big fat pad on my tum after loosing nearly two stone. I'm happy with this now and am staying here hopefully!

For a women of 5.4 healthy BMI can be 8.7-10.7 stone. (aprrox as I can't be bothered to google it this early) but I seem to remember figures being roughly around this point, maybe a few pounds either way, I now weigh 9.12 bmi 23.9 with my fat tum so it's perfectly possible to be slim and very healthy on talkin peaces BMI of 20.

Your bwst going for childrens clothes. I buy age 13 or 14 trousers in there and new look. It only works if you are about 5 foot 3ish. I would say age 16 in there is a size 10. Its cheaper as well

OP. Women's clothes are made in sizes 6-32.
How is 10/12 'medium'?

Wow, I don't really see the OP's title as offensive. She didn't say anything horrible about fat people.

I find the sizing issue frustrating. I went into GAP the other day to buy myself some trousers, I have never bought trousers there before, so I took two sizes to try on, my normal sizes. Both were too big. That was a 10 and an 8. So got a size 6. That was still too big. Had to buy a size 4 and guess what, it is still a bit too big and sags around the waste and bum. I asked the sales assistant if they were American sizes and she said no, they are UK sizes .

I am still baffled by that. They didn't go smaller than a size 4 so I guess rtuly skinny people can't actually shop in Gap?!

Yabu I have always found h and m clothes big, medium has always been at least size 16 I think. I believe the average woman in this country is size 16, so why wouldn't it be medium? And smaller than 16 is small, extra small etc

men's clothes might be labelled up in inches but they are still vanity sixes as the size on the label isn't the same as the actual size in inches.