Aibu. It should be women’s clothes that are longer and not children’s

[Kennykenkencat]

Dd is tall and slim with long legs and long arms. No idea where this body shape comes from as we are all short with stubby legs.

All Ds’s trousers (women’s size 4-6) look like pedal pushers when she puts them on
Coats are always short in the arm.
She has resigned herself to having cold wrists and cold ankles unless she spends
££s on getting the right leg length and arm length

Passing the children’s section in a store we spotted a really nice looking jacket.

She tried it on and it fitted perfectly. Even the cuffs came down to her wrists. We then looked at trousers, age 14.
The leg length was noticeably longer than the adult section.

We went to look at the adult section of another store and nothing fitted her properly
Coat sleeves finishing somewhere south of her elbows and leggings finishing north of her ankles same department store children’s section and everything again was longer and fitted her perfectly

Inspired by this she got a good selection of clothes from the children’s section age 12-14. Trousers, t.shirts, jackets and leggings. that actually fitted her.

A lot of adult trousers look like they have a long legs but I have no idea who these trousers are supposed to fit but most of the length is the bum area.

I am definitely not tall or slim and my legs and arms are definitely short. I have tried on trousers where the crotch is somewhere around my knees.

Aibu that sizing for women’s clothing is really strange

@hugr

I have tried on trousers where the crotch is somewhere around my knees

As a big bummed lady I would like to know where these are

I was, earlier this year a size 20 (now size 16) and had to for work get a pair of trousers. The only ones that would fit had a really low crotch that was so annoying because as I walked it was like wearing tights that were too short. I ended up turning over the waistband to pull them up but then ended up with too short leg length and I have only 28” inside leg

Whilst my backside is huge I think I must have a short bum as I look at leggings and trousers and the bum length is really long. I also don’t like anything around my waist. I must admit to not liking clothes shopping especially for me and have given up on trying to find things that fit me.
Like I said the last time I bought a pair of trousers I took the scissors to the leg length and cut a foot of excess material off each leg, I don’t sew so they are left to fray. Could be fashion or I could start a trend.

You can try Zara, their trousers have always been waaay too long for me (I'm petite, but even my tall friends find them rather long).

Agreed that 'short' ranges that fit well are difficult to find.

I’m 5ft4 and find women’s trousers too long.
I’m not petite - they are always too short (for 5ft3 and below).
It’s a pita!!
In jeans it’s ok as they go by length too.
Leggings are ok as they don’t ‘bag’ around the leg.

I'm 5'9 with long legs. I've never had this problem. Jeans etc all fit perfectly.

Children's sizes are linked to height so that's why they will be longer in older ages, but each size does correlate to an adult dress size. It's been a while, but if I'm remembering correctly, an age 15 is a 173, and is the equivalent of a size 12.

I'm a 28'' leg so have the too long problem BUT I have a very long back! Tunics rarely cover my bum, tops don't come below my waist! I have to shop tall even though I'm 5ft 4 with short legs!!!!

I've noticed this - especially with women's jackets from outdoor clothing shops. When looking for my daughter, average height and build, children's version all had plenty of room, women's really fitted and short in the body.

@minipie

As a 5’3 short legged woman please tell me where to find these short trousers! All the ones I try have many inches of extra length.

You're taller than me. Even the "short length" stuff is long on my 5ft frame. Doesn't help that lots of clothes manufacturers assume 'petite' = slim. So the waist is often a bit too snug.

@minipie

As a 5’3 short legged woman please tell me where to find these short trousers! All the ones I try have many inches of extra length.

My SIL buys crops to wear as full length trousers!

@tectonicplates

you actually do see the petite range in the shop quite often.

Not any more you don't. Especially now all the ex-Arcadia brands are online only, and Debenhams has closed down.

Yes I'm forced to buy online now 😞

I hear you!

I'm just under five feet. I always have to get trousers altered. Even the short fitting is too long.
I need extra short

I am 6ft tall and often find that the children's cardigans in age 15-16 have longer arms than most of the women's size 10 ones!

@Hankunamatata

M&S extra short petite is great for short legs.

It exists?!?!

@Igneo

Do you think that the size 4/6 end of the rail in adult clothing is designed to fit children, as that is the main customer group for that size range?

Don't get this. The problem with children's is that they keep getting wider as they get longer so slim girls would have to go into an adult 4/6 early for the length. A girls' 14 in trousers are too wide on me.

+Do you think that the size 4/6 end of the rail in adult clothing is designed to fit children, as that is the main customer group for that size range?*

No because women are a different shape. When Dd was tall and a child we used to have to buy a size 12 as her waist and hips weren’t developed.

@LoveFall

Short may indeed be hard to get but you can shorten things. A tailor/seamstress will do a fine job.

At 5'9" I have spent my life with my hands and wrists hanging out of everything. There is no fabric to lengthen the sleeves.

Also things are short in the body and trouser legs too short.

Never mind shoes too wide for my longish skinny feet.

It sounds very strange that children's sizes work.

@LoveFall, if you are short, you can hem things but with trousers the waist to crotch part will be too long too.

Dresses often need shortening at the waist, not at the hem. Darts will be in the wrong place.

Jackets etc will be too long in the body and in the sleeves

[quote CheshireCats]@HardbackWriter but the petite ones are designed for up to 5ft 3. They don't fit.[/quote]
Exactly this. I’m 5’ and usually still trip on hems on the ‘petite’ range.
And ridiculously a few years back, I went into topshop looking for a new coat as I knew they have petite in there. I found them but they were hung up so high the bottom was at head height and I couldn’t reach the hanger to get one down 😂

I found when dd was younger the sleeves were never long enough. Also another complaint why are clothes too low cut?
My two penneth that is this:
Most trousers far too long
Most dresses far too short and too low cut
Most shorts too high cut up your arse.
Big shout out to M & S fit their excellent pjs, great fit.

The average woman in the UK is 5'3".

I'm 5'7" , size 10 and I find most women's trousers too long these days!

Children’s clothes will be designed for a figure that hasn’t filled out yet. Small hips and bum compared to height. I think this is the difference you are seeing OP.

The same height woman would be assumed to have “filled out.”

@HunterHearstHelmsley

I'm 5'9 with long legs. I've never had this problem. Jeans etc all fit perfectly.

Children's sizes are linked to height so that's why they will be longer in older ages, but each size does correlate to an adult dress size. It's been a while, but if I'm remembering correctly, an age 15 is a 173, and is the equivalent of a size 12.

I think the height thing in children’s sizes could be why things fit better than adult sizing. Dd has a very short body and did actually buy an age 15 jacket (think it was H&M or Zara we went into so many shops they sort of all blurred together) it fitted her perfectly. However there was the same/similar jacket in the adult section that she needed the smallest adult size to get a similar fit but then when she tried it on the sleeves were too short Just because you are an adult it doesn’t mean your arms suddenly shrink.

I often wear children's clothes.

I think that the problem is that everyone’s body shape varies. I’m 5’7” with a long back and standard trouser lengths are normally perfect for me, however, tops/jumpers are usually short in length and arms too short too. I have recently started buying tops from tall ranges, which are great, I wish it had occurred to me years ago but I didn’t think of myself as tall - they’re much more flattering and I could have avoided years of having a cold back and wrists!

@Empressofthemundane

Children’s clothes will be designed for a figure that hasn’t filled out yet. Small hips and bum compared to height. I think this is the difference you are seeing OP.

The same height woman would be assumed to have “filled out.”

I am in my 60s and I don’t think I have ever filled out Even at size 20 my backside didnt ever fill out the size 20 adult clothing.

I must admit to finding clothes shopping really depressing as nothing fits. Trousers are too long or the bum length takes up 1/3 of the length
T shirts are too short and don’t cover my stomach.
Shoes are either high heels or completely flat. And dresses either give me anxiety because the fashion seemed more akin to buttoned up Victorian England where showing an inch of a wrist, neck or ankle was immodest or Ibiza party animal.

When you get to my age and Ibiza party animal is the nearest thing to what you like you know things have gone awfully wrong.

I look at rails of clothing and think who in their right mind would wear this stuff. Only to find it all being discounted a few weeks later and who knows where it all ends up. Can the planet afford to keep producing so much ridiculous tacky clothing. Or clothing that just doesn’t fit anyone

@KirstenBlest

The average woman in the UK is 5'3".

I am average and shop at Primark for a certain short sleeved long length T.shirt. I buy several at a time. My jogging bottoms are either from the boys range as the women’s have such big backsides and hips they look like clown pants. Trousers are from the men’s department 38” short length/29” leg Dd now swears by the children’s department.