To think high street clothing retailers should stock larger sized in store?

[PandoraMole]

Just back from a lovely Christmas shopping break in a nearby UK city, but ended up cross, frustrated and disappointed with several clothes stores who cater for larger women online where they are happy to take our money, but won't stock bigger sizes in their high street stores.

Dorothy Perkins had something of an excuse as their branch is quite small, not so New Look whose enormous store doesn't stock anything - really disappointing as their online range is great.

H&M had a small range, tucked out of the way round the furthest corner at the back of their stores with next to signposting. Just a shame it comprised little more than oversized shirts and shapeless jumpers in Sixty Shades of Sludge.

It's not an unknown that lots of us come in a size beyond 16 for many reasons and we all feel differently about our bodies.

While some people prefer to shop online, I imagine that lots of women, like me, would like to buy clothes in pretty designs and colours that flatter our curves and we'd like to be able to go out shopping for them on the high street with our 'normal' sized friends, daughters, mums, sisters etc and be able to enjoy choosing clothes and trying them on in Real Life.

Not only are many retailers not giving us that choice, those that do tuck 'our' range out of the way with little signage which is a pain in the arse and not much fun for the less forthcoming types who would feel uncomfortable asking where to look for them (I'm a mouthy so and so and I didn't particularly enjoy it tbh).

Why should we have to be hidden away in discreet corners and on the internet? It has an undercurrent of body shaming to me and surely in 2016 this should be a complete non-issue?

I'm size 2 in shoes and size XS or 6 in clothes. I have equal problems so I shop online a lot.

It'snoteasy

If you'd read the thread in full you would see that my weight issues have been very much exacerbated by health problems, not the cause of them.

Unfortunately just as I was beginning to get a handle on it, in spite of having to take a massive dose of thyroxine a day to keep my metabolism even ticking over, I had to have an emergency appendectomy.

During that, they found an ovarian cyst, which required further surgery 6 months later - I lost my ovary.

Whilst recovering I had a fairly unpleasant bereavement and just as I was getting on my feet again and had joined Slimming World, my marriage broke down due to my STBXH's emotionally abusive behaviour.

I have spent the last 6 months living with relatives, trying to keep myself emotionally on an even keel and hold my pre-teen daughter together, so funnily enough healthy eating plans and hitting the gym have not been high on my list of priorities.

Having said that there are plenty of people with much worse things to contend with.

What about those people whose weight problems are cause by more severe health problems, medication side effects or disabilities? Not to mention older or less able people who may need large sizes but can't use the Internet. Life is not straightforward for everyone.

Of course they are no more a retailers priority that diet and exercise is currently mine (although I will add that I don't live on pies and doughnuts by a long margin!), and I wouldn't expect shops that don't cater to bigger sized to stock them for the sake of it.

It is however, massively frustrating that retailers who do sell larger sizes seem to want to dictate how we purchase them but are happy to take our money regardless.

It's worse if you are tall, no-one stocks tall stuff in store, it's all online and a right pain, at least larger sizes and petite have a small bit of store space

Yes Miracle that's true.

I suspect DD will be on the receiving end of that issue before long. That'll be fun!

It's the same with maternity clothes, some stores have a section of them but mostly you need to buy online. Doesn't really bother me as I prefer to shop online anyway but why would they devote space to a clothing range which covers a relatively small part of the population.

I think if you're either end of the bell curve finding stuff in store is often difficult. it's clearly not about weight or fat shaming and shops are businesses, they are not providing a public service. They will simply stock what sells the most.

I'm just under five eight but I have long legs, I need an inside leg to be a min of 32 inches if wearing flat shoes and if I want trousers to go over my heels I'm looking at 36. You can't just walk into any shop and buy that, you need to know in advance who stocks , which stores in what locations, and mostly I need to buy on line. You can't assume that day there will be any left.

I think when you're an outlying size to go away with nothing to wear thinking you can just pop to a shop is a bit silly, I'm a standard size and even i wouldn't do that, and yes, of course, I could get " something" but who the hell just wants "something" . I certainly wouldn't assume any store sold long trousers or jeans or had them in stock, as all stores, even under the same brand are different.

I think when you're an outlying size to go away with nothing to wear thinking you can just pop to a shop is a bit silly

Well, yes, that's a fair point and not something I'll be doing again . I

In my defence though, the NL concerned had stocked the big range for years but have obviously pulled it quite recently.

Eat less pies & doughnuts, exercise and after a while you won't find it a problem

If only it was that easy. Unfortunately I cant stand doughnuts, they make me want to heave. As well as being vegetarian I also have an allergy to wheat and dairy. I do a very manual job, both my dc eat more than me but I am a size 18. If someone can work out what's going on I would love to know.
Sick of going on holiday and after a few days of people watching everything I put in my mouth they always make the comment"you don't eat a lot"

Gives me the rage.

Oh for what its worth I am nearly 60 and wear jeans and hoodies. Didn't know there was a dress code. I certainly don't work in an office. I think wielding a sledge hammer might prove a little impractical in M&S or wherever my age group apparently are supposed to shop