To be annoyed with ladies clothing sizes?!

[dreamer24]

This is a first world problem, I accept.

I went shopping today for new jeans. I'm a size 10-12. Started off in New Look, took both sizes 10 & 12 into the changing rooms, couldn't even fasten the button of the 12. 😳 I absolutely refused to accept I needed a size 14 when all my other clothes are 10-12.

Gave up and went to Next - again took both sizes into the changing room - size 10 were perfect!

So how come at New Look I'd need a size 14, yet in Next a 10 fits perfectly?! That's quite a gap. I was chatting to the lady who served me in Next about it, she was saying she's a size 8 in most places but needs a 12 in New Look.

Is it just me, or is that quite a disparity? Why is there no consistency in women's clothing sizes across stores? Anyone else notice this?

Just cut the labels off your clothes and you'll forget what size they are

It makes shopping online impossible. It's ridiculous.

@MissTrip82

But you don’t want consistency, you want a smaller size. It makes zero sense to not want the hassle of getting a larger size from the floor but being happy to go to an entirely different store.

Oh thank goodness you came along to tell me what I want and don't want😂 You're incorrect; as I've already said - I want to be able to take the size range that I am consistently able to fit into in ALL other shops into a changing room and have at least one of them fit. The fact I'm unable to do this in just one shop, annoyed me.

I do not want the hassle of getting dressed again, going back out onto the shop floor for a different size that I have never worn in my life, and going back to the changing room to try that on. That would piss anyone off, because it's inconsistent with their experience literally everywhere else.

And yes I was happy to go to another store, one that was literally across the street so hardly an arduous task (when I'm walking that way back to my car anyway). I'm glad I did, becuase that store had a size 10 that fitted perfectly, as per my experience in all other places.

That sounds hugely convenient for ordering new clothes online then, when I have no clue what my size is 😂

I do think Next sizes are big, bigger than M and S which are also bigger than many shops. In my experience, the shops that teenagers shop at (Primark, New Look, H and M) seem to have the smallest sizes.

I can comfortably fit a 10-12 in all other clothes shops, though? I don't need to go up a size.

@SallyWD
I have a pair of size 10 H&M jeans which fit fine, interestingly. It's just so inconsistent.

Easy peasy then don't shop in New Look, or if you really see something you like in the future you know now to take bigger sizes in. Again I'm surprised you're unaware of this issue 🤔 it's been happening for decades and women have just learned to know which shops cut best for their body shape.

I’ve been the same weight for 30’years and wear from a 6 to a 16 - New Look are made for kids. Posh shops you pay to be thin 😂. Try shopping in a French boutique

It is truly bizarre and I've never been able to get my head around it.

Even sizes based on measurements can't be trusted. A lot of mens clothes are [in theory] sized in inches but DH varies wildly as some are off by 1-3", some are as advertised. It's not even that consistent within the same brand.

You did this time though.
What does it matter?

It’s weird going back to get a size up was too much of an ask but going across the road was somehow easier and better because the number was smaller.

Women seem really unhappy to buy based on fit rather than number and that’s part of the problem and why so many stores make their clothes fit larger with a smaller number.

Just because you’re a 10 in one style of jeans doesn’t mean you’re a 10 in another, from the same shop or not, because there’s so much more of a range of styles in women’s clothes and women’s body shapes. One size 10 jeans might have a wider hip due to the style, another might be more of a mid rise and therefor if the hips on the jeans don’t hit your widest bit it’s not going to fit.

Way too many people take not fitting into a certain number as a personal attack from a shop.

I weigh myself daily

Ultimately this is the issue and why you feel so strongly about this situation.

Weighing yourself daily and refusing to size up because to have a size 10 pair of jeans from another store at the back of your wardrobe is bizarre.

So buy the ones that do fit.

Just because the label says a number that you don't find acceptable, you are the same size as you were before you tried the jeans on.

In order two sizes. Try the larger size first then you can see if you need to try on the smaller one.

I have lost count on the number of times I have ordered one size and it’s not right and the size I needed has sold out.

Though some retailers are a pain to refunds on.

Huh? I have never seen it as 'reflection' are women able to leave the house without finding ways to complicate things so they can feel judged about everything?

There’s no consistency, even within the same stores.

Admittedly, I do have quite a difficult shape when it comes to buying nicely fitted trousers. I’m usually an 18 on the bottom but I have a relatively small waist compared to my hips and thighs and small ankles.

I have 3 pairs of jeans on rotation at the moment, in sizes 16, 18, and 20 and none of them fit exactly how I would like. The 18 and the 20 are much too big on my waist and ankles, but the 16 is a little snug around my hips but perfect on my waist and ankles. I’ve tried getting shorter leg jeans to combat the baggy ankle problem and it still doesn’t work! They’re either too short or sort of flare out at the ankle.
If I had the funds to do so I would have all my jeans tailor-made to me 😂

I try not to look at the size on labels anymore, if I’m shopping in-store I just pick up what looks like it’ll fit.

@Haitchoraitchnobodygivesafuck
I did buy the ones that do fit - from a different store 😃

Oh thank you for coming along to spout judgemental bollocks and call me "bizarre"

You have a lovely day now 😀

How funny, I never have this problem at all - a size 8 will fit me 99% of the time regardless of where it’s from. some clothes are just designed differently and I assume it’s the style as opposed to being ‘incorrectly’ labelled. Different jeans feel different depending on where the waistband lies etc eg if you’re apple shaped and want high waisted jeans, a bigger size would be more comfortable etc.
I will caveat this with the fact my weight/size never changes though so I think that helps.

@Completelyjo

You are entirely missing the point. Who mentioned a "personal attack from the store"?? 😂 You are clearly projecting.

My point is that there is no universal consistency in women's clothing sizes, and I find that frustrating. Whether I'm a size 10 across every single store except for one, or whether I'm a size 20 across every single store except for one - the frustration remains. Why is there no consistency?

And no, it's not bizarre to have gone to another shop that I was passing anyway to get back to my car, and decide to pop in and see if they had jeans in my size that fitted. They did, and they are lovely. Happy ending.🤷‍♀️

@Moremustard

Actually, I haven't noticed this issue before. Up until age 35 I was a consistent size 8, in every store. I became pregnant at 35 and had my daughter at 36, and from that point onwards due to severe muscle separation on my stomach during the pregnancy (my stomach was gym toned with visible abs prior to my pregnancy), I suddenly have encountered this issue, whereby I am between a 10-12 in trousers (tops I remain an 8-10). I've been living in leggings since the birth of my daughter during to this issue. So actually it's only very recently I've decided to try jeans again.

And I won't stop shopping at New Look because they have gorgeous stuff, tops and dresses etc, which are reliably well fitting in a size 10. I bought a jumper dress from there yesterday actually and I am currently wearing it, I didn't try it on, it fits lovely. I actually probably could have sized down to an 8 as it's quite oversized.

So basically what I'm saying is, my body was the same shape and size (size 8) from adulthood at 18 and to age 35. It's only now since my pregnancy which hugely affected my ab muscles, that I'm noticing the inconsistency in my new sizing.

Well it probably won't be whatever size you've ordered in the past, isn't that the whole point of the thread!

@Makingchocolatecake
The whole point of the thread is, how can women reliably know and predict what size (or sizes) they need to either take into the changing area in a shop or order online, if there is no universal consistency?

That's the point of my thread.

So true! I'm wearing M&S size 10 jeans, v comfortable fit so I ordered a black pair. There's no way I could ever have fastened them. Same shop, same style.
I once owned jeans in size 8, 10 & 12. The 12 were by far the smallest. It's mad, I hardly ever dare order jeans or trousers online now but at least I got my M&S advent calendar...