Why can’t clothes shops sell clothes in sizes in proportion to the population

[noggla]

50% of women are 16-18, so make half the clothes of that size. It makes more sense as Clothes retailers probably get more sales as if make fewer size 8 clothes. As the latter goes in the sale. Same with shoes. Make more 7-8. Also introduce size 9s.

I agree with OP. A few times I've been clothes shopping and even when I've seen the staff putting out new stock on the racks, when I've looked at them, there are 2 of each size. That's not proportional to their typical shopper in that store, it can't be as statistically there won't be two of each size of person. It seems more a matter of lazy ordering/dispatch, or that they simply don't have historical data as to what kind/size of clothes they sell in each store which I find quite remarkably given today's computerisation of tills etc.

I'm five foot nine and all the trousers are too short 🤣 I'm always complaining that they think all women are five foot four but apparently the trousers are no good for you guys either!

Or they only put two of each on display and keep the rest in the stockroom?

It massively depends on the shop and the item in question surely? Certain shops cater for younger women / girls and more of them will be 6-8-10. Or M&S probably has more 14-16-18.

I'm 5ft and just buy capri. They are perfect ankle length.

Lol it's actually really hard now to find size 8 clothes in a lot of shops so I think this is happening anyway.

Wherever I go shopping, it's only the larger sizes that remain, the 10 and 12 are sold out first. It gets worse during the sales.

Could smaller sizes but more clothes generally?

I'm a size 10 and find its always bigger sizes left in sales I can almost never find anything in my size

Whenever I find something I love in a sale they only seem to have size 8 left or sizes 18 to 22 the size 12's my size have long gone.
When I was a size 18 to 20 before I lost weight I had no trouble finding clothes at all.

Oh come on hemming isn't rocket science. Thsts what iron on hemming tape is for. I use that and just put a few stitches in by hand as well for security.
I don't hem jeans because the material is too thick but a local seamstress does those for me and charges very little.
There are youtube tutorials on absolutely everything. Give it a go on a pair of cheap old trousers.

I don't own an iron.

I've never been taught to hem anything as it's never been necessary so yes, if someone asked me, it may as well be rocket science as I'd have no clue where to start.

Plus, as I already said, I can't learn via YouTube. I just end up frustrated and can't figure out what my hands are supposed to be doing.

if someone asked me, it may as well be rocket science as I'd have no clue where to start.

Err, how to do it is literally in the post you are replying to

On the rare historic occasions that Ive used hemming tape in the past that you iron on, it invariably gives way over time or when you're putting your foot in the trousers your toe tugs at the hem and it falls apart

In addition you have to be able to be accurate about the measurements, needing good dexterity, eyesight, executive functioning, ability to measure them on yourself if no one else around and work out where to put the height, I always found this almost impossible

Unless you're ok at doing it, it looks shit and ruins the trousers, so in my case, I just dont buy them because Im not paying good money for additional costs.

In terms of trousers with hems that you buy, Ive never had a failed hem. Only the hems Ive tried myself have been ropey.

Where? She says "I use hemming tape and put in a few stitches".

I don't own an iron so can't use the tape, and would have absolutely no idea how to "put in a few stitches by hand" as I've never been taught and have never needed to do it.

There's no need to belittle someone for not being able to do something you find easy. Many people struggle with dexterity and have other conditions that make manual tasks like that difficult.

I think they already do...

But in reality, there aren't THAT many clothes that people who are size 6, and people who are size 20, are actually both going to buy and look good in. Not to mention, when you see end of season sales, it's always the size 6s and the size 24s that are left over.
I'd suspect, the only ranges where they'd do a fairly similar number in all sizes would be things like workwear (everyone needs plain black trousers at some point in life) and perhaps jeans.

You can use a hair straightener too! That's what I do in an emergency.

I hate that there are few petite sizes in stores and few size 8-10 for someone 5' tall. I get really annoyed when told in store that they can order in. I want to walk in, try on and buy in one trip, not go back when they arrive, or have the faff of buying/returning online. And why should I pay extra to cut off unwanted length and stitch them up? - especially when I will pay the same as someone size 20 and 5' 6" !

I need big sizes and size 9 shoes!! And know plenty of others who do!

And high fashion brands only want their clothes to be seen on slim people.

Of course they could do larger sizes but it’s not the image they want.

This is probably true of a lot of very high end stuff where the point is to be exclusive and elite. They'll also be excluding a lot of people on the basis of affordability, probably more than on size, as most people who can fit into the clothes couldn't afford them.

I don't think it's true of many high street brands. Even back when they didn't offer anything beyond a 16, it wasn't about wanting to exclude those people as much as adding new sizes being very expensive at the time and an unknown quantity. You needed a size break for a new size run, new styles, store and warehouse space... it was just a huge, expensive project. That's why it usually stayed as specialist shops.

Erm... I wear a size 10 shoe 🤷🏻‍♀️

(you might want to think about your tone - we really do all come in as variety of shapes and sizes)

I know quite a few tall women who are size 9 or above in shoes. Yes, it's larger than average but it really isn't vanishingly uncommon.

Probably get flamed for this.

Why do I pay more for a bigger size in child's clothing (age 4 costs less than age 8). Yet women's size 6 costs the same as size 18-20. When there's literally twice as much 'product'
Something ive often wondered 🤔

in my experience the 8/10//12 go really fast and you’re left with bigger sizes. Next is a prime example

Costing is a very complicated business. It's not a case of a bigger size using more material therefore being worth more. Sizes are cut in size runs and they are scaled, based and priced around the median/most popular size. In the amount of material that covers two medians, you also get the size that's median minus one and one that's median plus one. And median plus two and median minus two. This is why sizing isn't based on specific measurements, but scale around the most common size. And that's before we even look into design and all the other zillions of things that have to happen to produce clothes. And then costing takes all of this into account in what to charge for the item.

It's really, really complicated and apart from being a marketing nightmare, making smaller clothes cheaper would just add an extra layer of complication. Bear in mind that many smaller sizes are cut only because the corresponding larger sizes are being made and there's no point in wasting material; that would cost even more.

With kids' clothes, the size breaks will be different because children's proportions change as they grow up in a way adults' don't as they get into bigger sizes, and also because lots of styles for very young kids won't be made for older kids as they won't find them appealing. The size runs can therefore be more specific to themselves, but the whole thing is still really complicated.

Edited because I misread the kids' clothes question.

Edited again to explain that the more sizes a range comes in, the more size runs you'll need because there comes a point where the proportions stop working and you'd start making clothes for actual giants or midgets, so you need a size break and a new run with a new medium tl keep the proportions correct as people get fatter or thinner. Obviously this happens more for growing children so the size runs are more internally consistent.