to think that child swimming costume sizing is devised in some alternate universe?

[ArseyTussle]

DD is 6, fairly tall for her age and strong physique. Not fat - visible ribs - but not a waif.

Clothes-wise, she wears 6 - 8 in H&M, age 6 - 7 elsewhere. All very standard.

I remembered that all the swimming costumes we've bought for her have needed to be sized up, however we've just returned 3 swimming costumes from different shops as even the age 10 are too small.

What's that about?

most of the boys shorts seem to be cut for children with substantial thighs, and while i can tie the waist, the big leg holes means that at the slightest movement everything shows. polarn o pyret fits my slim 4 year old just about in size 12-18 months (needed plain and tight fitting). body length is thankfully not an issue in boys.

No I haven't noticed that at all

My 10 year old DD who is hovering around being underweight and is an entirely average height (50th centile) had to send her new speedo age 10 costume back as it took 5 mins for her to squeeze into it and then gave her an awful wedgie. We settled on the age 12. Honestly she's average height and so skinny... Bizarre. Glad I found this thread. It was bugging me!

God yes. Decathlon the simple costumes are bad as well just so short on the body.

I haven't noticed a 'particular' problem with swimming costumes, although I have two boys.

I have issues with all clothes anyway though. Ds1 is 8, slim but tall and broad for his age - I have to get him age 11-12 clothes in everything, including swimming trunks, for both length and fit. Ds2 is 6 and tall but skinny - tops in his correct age are fine as they're a bit 'spacey' but the right length - but trousers have to have an adjustable waist and even so they're often too big on the waist, even at the smallest size. Shorts or trunks I generally buy age 3-4 as the length isn't so much an issue but he needs the smaller waist.

Generally I think kids clothes are probably sized right for the majority of the population, but if you have an outlier then you're buggered and it's a PITA.

Presumably a 18-24 month swimmer is going to be a bit larger though as it has to accommodate a nappy? My 2yo is growing taller and slimmer so partly body shape changes as well?

Kids clothes sizes are all over the place full stop, basically because they use an age to encompass every child in that bracket.
My DD is average height but has long legs and is slim. Jeans and trousers are a nightmare because we need the next year up but the waist sizes seem to increase by a significant amount which means a scrunched up waist band.
We always size down for swimsuits or we have material flapping around or straps falling off.
Maybe try a tankininif body length is an issue - although my DD hates tankinis, she complains it's like swimming in her vest and knickers.

Nope, dd is 8 and wears age 7-8 clothes. That's what size of costume she has now from decathlon and fits perfect. Another girl in her club is the same size and she was wearing an age 6 as the bigger size was too big in the hips. DS is 4 (5 tomorrow) and in a 3-4 which is getting a little small but will get another few months out them

I have this problem with all clothes for ds. He's 8, skinny as a rake but tall for his age and is all body. He fits in ds2's age 3-4 clothes width ways but they're far too short. He needs age 9-10 trousers for length but they're huge on the waist/leg/bum, and needs age 12-13 t-shirts so that the t-shirt covers the waistband of his trousers but they're far too wide for him.

His swimming trunks are age 2-3 and are okay on the waist but are getting almost indecently short.

There needs to be a change in kids clothes so that there are different leg lengths for trousers and long fit t-shirts. I have a similar problem with dd being tall and slim but at least girls have the option of longline tops.

I have the same issue with Dd who's 9. She's slim but tall, with freakishly long legs and a long body. She's got size 2 feet in that too.

It's even worse when they get older.

DS1 and DS2 both are on the swim team and there's no good way of saying "Is there enough room in the groin?" that sounds not embarrassing at that age!

I do think they are made for some mythical kid somewhere who is probably 19 feet tall and 42 feet wide with really short legs.

DD is 10 years old and quite skinny. Her Speedo costume is labelled age 16 years/34" chest. We had to go this big to get the length but its a little on the baggy side width-wise.

DS aged 8 is in younger shorts otherwise they'd fall off.

Bonkers.

I just bought my 4 year old an age 4-5 swimming costume, because I realised she was wearing 12-18m.

The 4-5 is too big and gapes around the gusset, making it far too revealing. Back to 12-18m.

The 10 year old was wearing an age 6 one so I got a 9-10 one with shorts style legs to avoid the gusset problem. Shorts are supposed to be skintight but flap around and there is more than an inch to be pinched around the hips and back. She can wear it because of the shorts style.

Both children 75th percentile for height.

DDs are fine, but most one pieces threaten to cut me in two and I have to go up a dress size. Which then sometimes means it is too big. This is why I often stick to two pieces.