AIBU to think that clothes shopping in person as a plus sized woman is now impossible?

[FatFuckerFrances]

I was in Oxford Street today. Usually I can go into M & S and find clothes in a size 22 to try on. Today, there was one pair of black trousers in a size 24. Everything else was a size 20 or smaller. Mostly smaller. Even ranges like Seasalt, which goes up to size 28, only go up to a 16 or 18 in store. Same for John Lewis. Nothing above size 18.

A few weeks ago, I was in M & S, bought two dresses, a top and pair of jeans, and tried on a load more stuff. Asked a member of staff, who said “you’ll just have to click and collect.” Same in John Lewis, which until a few weeks ago stocked a small amount of one plus sized range, Live Unlimited. They now only do this online.

So now, if I want to buy clothes, I have to go through the faff of click and collect, try them on in the fitting room and then queue up to get a refund on what doesn’t fit. The option of browsing, and trying on clothes like a normal person is no longer available to me. The only shop I can go to is Beige, which is out of my price range. How is this fair? I still need clothes! And there seemed to be plenty of sizes 6 and 8 in stock, so it’s not as if they are only stocking sizes 10-16.

It's just commerce,pure and simple.If something doesn't work financially,shops will not stock it.It's not to do with wokeness or fairness!

In my experience, different branches of the same shop can differ significantly in what they have in stock.

I have a favourite sleepy shopping mall on the edge of my city, where the shops have huge floor space, and stock more models and sizes, including a whole plus size section.

Maybe you can use some internet availability finder to identify a similar branch at your area.

I feel the same as a petite size 10/12 .
i spent ages in M&S then gave up as everything I liked was regular fit and when it’s a dress you’re buying it needs to be petite fit .
Also Seasalt , I was on a short holiday and felt my clothes were too warm for the weather ( nice problem to have 😁)
The small town had a Seasalt but no petites .
made do with getting a couple of t shirts
Have to shop online for it all then send back what doesn’t suit meh annoying

I agree so hard - I'm 5'11" and there is nowhere i can try on in store. That plus the fact that a lot of the tall sections in high street stores used to have a 36" leg are now a 34" leg despite have the same "tall" label. Long tall Sally's sizing standards is appalling as well - I'm a size 8 in one pair of jeans and a size 14 in another pair!

I wish stores actually stuck by the measurement they have in their size guides and thia wouldnt be as much of an issue. As it stands, ive to order 3 different sizes of every LTS jeans I want to try on, which is a lot of money to be out while you go through the whole rigmarole of ordering, collecting, trying on, returning and getting your refund.

Tall ranges are actually much harder to come across than petite ranges, and as a tall person clothes absolutely are not designed for tall people. Even long lengths available in store are for approx 5'8.

Logically you would think this js the case given the height of models modelling them, but they garments they are wearing and altered for the ohotoshoot and arent actually the length in store.

Theres a really limited range of 36" leg length, and those that are, are boring and bland and normally very old fashioned or poor quality.

They rarely have size 8 or 10 in store either

Yes I have large feet. My size 9 walking boots never in store. Really shops would be out of business if they stocked everything

Reading this I’m very glad to be a size 14! Everyone smaller or bigger seems to struggle!

I find this as someone who needs a size 4 as some 6s come up big in some shops. I figure it's because v small and v big sizes don't sell well.

OP @FatFuckerFrances

Please don't call yourself this.

Ample, Voluptuous, Curvy, Rubenesque, Buxom, Generous are all descriptive and positive or-if you want to keep the alliteration-Full Figured.

The High Street has become a place of limited choice for many of us and shopping online is a pain for all the reasons you describe.

Asda George do a range of adaptive clothes

I find the same because I need tall size trousers so I hate shopping. Very few shops stock long trousers even in common sizes.

I'm a size 16 and I despise online shopping. I just cannot be asked with the scrolling. I don't make it past the first 3 pages and I don't like the returning items thing either.

And I notice that OLS has had a negative effect on clothing quality. It's as if they know people won't really see the clothing in person until it's delivered and then will just end up keeping it.
I went into JL and saw a dress by a middle tier design brand. Quite expensive, several hundred pounds. Inspected it and was appalled at the quality. No lining, not even any overlocking on seams. Basic flat cut shape. Material was a stiff cotton viscose. Lace detailing crudely top stitched on by machine. Not impressed. I also noted there was nothing above a 16 in that particular dress style.

Truly over online shopping, but it seems the same fashion vendors don't give a monkeys anymore about the physical shopping experience either.

@TightlyLacedCorset
I think the decline in clothes quality started long before we all started shopping online. I hate sending anything back too but many people don’t.

The thing that gets me with clothes these days (I'm a 16) is how much the sizes vary, even within the same shop! My favourite place is Oska (I stick to the sales!) and they number their sizes from 0-4. I have dresses in sizes 1, 2 and 3!

Thinking about it, you're right! The quality has been in decline for a while. But it seems to be getting worse and people take a different approach maybe to buying online, maybe there's just so much of it, or maybe they wear it and send it back so don't care about the quality at all much and will just relist it on Vinted or eBay instead of sending it back to the shops.

The brands do not have to expend as much energy on footstep customers. Particularly plus sized ones.

To be fair, men's XXL/40" isn't that far outside the norm, probably the equivalent of 18 in womens' sizes. Men at either extreme aren't well catered to either.

My comment was deleted by MNHQ for some reason

I said that the plus sized positivity of the past few years has come and gone. This is obvs a negative thing 🙄🙄

BTW I think M&S is one of the worst for having sizing that is all over the place. Any big department-style stores that are stocking huge ranges from multiple suppliers are the least likely to be consistent with sizing. H&M also terrible for this. I recently ordered a Next skirt whose size guide measurements exactly matched my own, yet it's at least a size too big!

My advice is to find a couple of smaller brands that fit you well and stick to them. You might have a few hits and misses to start with but you'll get to know their sizing quirks and be able to confidently buy online over time.

It's always the arms of things I have problems with. Never long enough. I've got a positive ape index (arm span greater than height) and need a good two inches more than the vast majority of long sleeves provides. Are there any orangutans or gibbons reading who could make a recommendation?

6' arm span here.

I don't like to because I prefer a defined waist but will sometimes go for the men's/unisex options in casual oversized things.

Haven't found a brand that is consistently long in the sleeves - most of my favourite brands sell some things that are long enough and some that aren't!

If they're not quite long enough I'll push/roll up to 3/4 length so it looks deliberate at least.

And I have a lovely pair of cashmere wrist warmers to bridge any gaps in winter.

I have gorilla arms and just push up sleeves or go for elbow length. White Stuff seem to make things with long sleeves though.

I have just done some successful in store shopping and got three tee shirts from M & S, sizes 16, 18 and 22 (and the 16 and 18 were the same style), and a pair of size 20 jeans.

Yep, you are absolutely bang on. I hate OLS. My DH gets everything online and it annoys me.

Why does it annoy you?

People dont necessarily like shopping online but they're forced to it as I said right at the start of the thread, nothing is available in store. They're useless.