To think that feckin Marks and Sparks can get a grip of sizing?

[SpiderinaWingMirror]

Made the trip to m and s yesterday to buy new jeans. Straight replacement for existing. Sienna length short.
Got them home. 28.5 inch inside leg. Both pairs, different colours.
Fgs.
What is the fucking point of that?

They're 29 inches which is the standard 'short' size. I'm confused by your issue.

Since when?
Standard short is 27. I measured the last ones. My Mark's trousers going back are all 27. Do you have short legs? I have my whole life.

27 are extra short

Another day, another anti M&S thread 🙄You’re wrong - 29’’ is M&S short length, 27” is extra short, it’s been this way for years

4ft 11 here and 29 has always been a short, an M&S 27 fits me perfectly which is classed as extra short or cropped for normal sized people.

29 has always been a short
31 standard
33 long

No - they have changed in length. I used to buy men's jeans because I'm more straight up and down than curvy. My size was 31/31. When I bought women's M&S trousers, I needed 'long'. Then I had to switch to regular, because long needed turning up.

But I think it happened quite a few years ago, not recently.

My gripe with M&S is that the same style in different colours can be too big or too small. I bought 2 identical tops in different colours on line in the winter sales. Reviews said the style came up on the large side, so I bought a size 12. One is a perfect fit. The other is tight across the back.

When I bought women's M&S trousers, I needed 'long'. Then I had to switch to regular, because long needed turning up.

This! It happened years ago but is very true as I had exactly the same experience.

You sound angry

M&S have completely lost the plot with sizing. Different dimensions over different products is bad enough. But when there are different dimensions of the same product, just different colours, it's not acceptable in any way.

My OH bought some trousers a few weeks ago. He liked them, so we ordered a couple more pairs in different colours. Exactly the same product line. One pair is too small, the other is too big. Same size on the labels, but when you lay one pair on top of another, the difference in leg length and waist is clear - a good inch or two different.

This isn't the first time. In fact, it's happened loads of times. I can either be a size 10 or a size 14 in pretty similar shorts, I can either be short or medium length in pretty similar trousers.

They're really hopeless. Whoever does quality control needs sacking! We send back far more than we keep these days. It's now pretty normal for us to order 2/3/4 different sizes of each item we want and keep the closest fit. It must cost them a fortune in lost sales and returns postage/processing costs to handle it all.

@OverByYer

29 has always been a short 31 standard 33 long

Yes, but 29 doesn't always measure as 29 - that's THE problem. It can be 28 or 30 or even 31. I don't think M&S have a reliable tape measure anymore!

We've just had this with bras for DD2 - completely the wrong size but previously bought same size and style - couldn't even get the back done up this time.

Now I'm left wondering if their on line retuns thing is working as I''ve had no acknowledgement of half the order I've returned.

I rarely shop with them now anyway - but was struggling for small sized no-wired bras and 100% cotton school blouses - (the boys stuff having already sold out like every year though now found Primark do 100% cotton and linen white shirts so go there for DS) .

I tried on some of their jeggings the other day
Size 18. Too tight
I'm a 14.
Size 12 jeans fit me.

Weirdness.

But thank goodness we're allowed to try things on again.

The main reason for this is that mass produced clothes aren't cut out individually- the parts are pressed out of a pile of fabric like cookie dough. So the upper layers will be noticeably larger than the lower ones, as the fabric naturally stretches downwards before being cut through. It's quite possible to have 2 different sizes from the same pile, both of which will be labelled '12'.

Yep I bought a camisole yesterday wanted it to wear last night but it’s it’s way too big. I’m a large 14 bought a 14 it’s more like an 18 🙄

@DrManhattan

You sound angry

Short person syndrome

The length of their "short" has changed. There are reviews on M&S commenting on this. Think it was a little while ago now though

"M&S have completely lost the plot with sizing. Different dimensions over different products is bad enough. But when there are different dimensions of the same product, just different colours, it's not acceptable in any way"
Pre pandemic I wanted some new denim jeans. Knowing that different brands are always different sizes, off I went to M&S and tried on loads. And I can vouch that not only different styles come up different sizes, and dimensions of the same products but different colours affect the sizing too, but also that the same sodding size in the same sodding colour comes up different every time too. I put a bit of lard on during the pandemic, but the thought of having to arse about with trouser sizing (again!) has concentrated the mind wonderfully on losing it so my jeans fit!

Sizing drives me up the wall. I would say I am an average M&S size 12. A couple of years back I had a top which was size 16 but the skirt was a size 10. I know we can try stuff on now but with the not weather just lately that doesn't appeal either. It's not rocket science, I just wish the industry would standardise sizing.

In the past one of M&S best things was their size standards but it has really lost this now. I often buy the same item of clothing in several different colours. You should be able to guarantee it will fit if the first item fits but the sizing varies enormously.

M&S love a bit of vanity sizing. Their size 10 is more like a 16.

Not just marks though, I think it is everywhere. Also where has all the cotton gone and what is this horrible Lenzing fabric monsoon have produced. I have sent back a couple of dresses which would have been lovely in cotton, but the fabric was like cheap old fashioned crimplene.

I think the best top I bought this year was a marks cotton, loose v neck, a snip at £15.00. Sold out very quickly though

the trouser lengths have changed - short used to be OK, and now too short. And sadly I've not gotten any taller.

But why bother with sizing? I went into an outlet store last week - piles of my favourite bra style, only about 10% with sizes on the boxes.
I started checking them for my size, putting each one back in the box. Several that I looked at with a size on the box didn't actually correspond to the size of the bra inside.
An assistant marched up and barked that I wasn't to open the boxes - WTAF?! I'm supposed to purchase all fifty odd bras on the off chance that one is my size and return the rest? Buy one at random, take it back if it's the wrong size and repeat?
I know stores are having recruiting issues - but with sales assistants that stupid, they'd probably lose less money staying closed.

Other clothing retailers have similar issues. The political party that made sizes standard under the guise of trade descriptions and enforced them could get a lot of votes.

I feel your pain OP. It's next to impossible to get the 27" length in any of the decent styles. They only ever seem to have it in jeggings.