standard sizes

[tallulah]

I always come back from shopping feeling deformed. It has taken me 1 1/2 hours to get some ballet shoes for me because my feet are such a peculiar shape!! They are very wide, with high instep and narrow ankle.

To add to the fun, I'm 5ft 2' so I'm "petite" in some shops. Trousers & sleeves are too long, but because I've put on weight since hitting mid 30s nothing will do up round the waist.

Buying bras I've got a narrow back, but "full cups", so although I measure 36B I've been fitted as 34DD.

Basically I can't just walk into a shop and buy an item of clothing confident that it will fit. Specialist shops and catalogues that do cater for "odd" sizes are always way out of my budget. I feel like a freak show! Anyone else in my boat?

Yes! I have size 10 feet, which are also very wide. It is almost impossible to buy 'girls' shoes in my size unless I go somewhere specialist. I tend to buy mens shoes a lot and have only one or two pairs in female styles. As I am running about with 2 kids now it doesn't really matter (one trainer is like most others) but it does sometimes get me down. It's such a trek to buy something smart!

I am cursed with long legs. You may not feel it's a curse but you'd change your mind after traipsing round shop after shop trying to find trousers long enough. All I see are ranges for short people who can, after all, turn up trousers or skirts that are too long. I can't make trousers longer! AAAGGGHHH! I'm not even very tall - certainly too short to be a model (amongst other reasons that I'm not a model - lol!) but every catalogue/fashion shoot has models wearing trousers that are the right length... I can't work it out.

I also have long narrow feet which makes shoe buying tricky too.

Sigh. Think calm thoughts... deep breath...

I have the same shape of foot as you Tallulah which has always been a nightmare. My problem is that although I am a size 8/10 I have wide shoulders so if I get a jacket/blouse to fit across the shoulders it will gape over the bust/around the waist or if it fits on the bust/waist it is tight on the shoulders/arms. I think basically I just end up wearing ill-fitting clothes.

Also find that the hips/waist on trousers never correspond to my hips/waist. Ie if hips fit waist is too big/small and vice-versa.

susanmt, Evans do shoes for girlies up to size ten in a wide fitting and lots of styles - also mail order and on line and reasonably priced especially at sale time

Zoe
(size nine and wide footed, not to mention size 20-22 with big boobs (38H) and hips but much slimmer waist - see we're not freaks, normal is freaky!!)

sorry if i repeat what some one else might have already said regarding larger ladies shoes but Brantano do ladies shoes up to a size 10, and nice styles too.

Brantano shoes are never wide enough for me. I do use Evans (I am also size 22 so need to go there for clothes anyway) but it's a whole days trip to the nearest one for me - glad to hear they are one line. A lot oF their styles are pretty high heeled though and as I am also 5ft10 I dont want to wear 2" heels as well!

I have very wide feet and go to a shop in Hungerford run by Ellie Dickens. She stocks an enormous range of shoes ranging from sizes 2 to 12 and widths are extra, extra narrow (AAA ?) to even wider than mine. Styles range from classic through 'sensible' to 'different' ! As far as I know she doesn't do on-line ordering but does do mail order. If any of you are interested I'll dig out the postal address.

SusanMT, I am 5'9" and love to wear heels that make me 6' or more! Unfortunately I don't find it particularly easy to walk in them - I just walked half a mile back from the print shop this morning in spiked boots and loved being able to nosey over the walls I can't normally see over in trainers but the balls of my feet were glad to be home

SueW, I am 6' and a smidgin unassisted and have wide size 8s - I live in trainers - also broad shoulders and long arms, also an embarrassingly large waist (relaxed I look about 7 months pg!). I gave up trying to dress up years ago. Long Tall Sally stuff fits me but isn't my style - the young styles are too - well, young, and the smart stuff is too smart, and it's all too expensive.

susanmt, I thought I was about a size 16 but have recently tried some clothes from La Redoute - 18-20 was too tight! And now I have both a sweater and a jacket from Matalan in a 22...how can I have grown 3 sizes without noticing???

My eldest niece is getting married in September, if it's fine I can get away with wearing a baggy floral frock and sandals but if not...can the bride's aunt wear lycra jeans and Nikes? And how old do you have to be before the style police stop you wearing jeans/joggers and trainers?

janh I often wonder how old I can be but then my 55 year old mother (similat proportions to myself) still wears jeans and trainers and looks Bl**dy good in them (though she has recently given up shorts) so I think I should be OK for a few years yet!!

Zoe, are you sure you're not my long lost identical twin sister?

SoupDragon, I'm 5'2", and I'd like to know where you shop! Re: turning up long trousers, it only works if you're happy to have the crotch somewhere around mid-thigh level

Maybe so, Tissy, but I have to be happy with trousers that swing round my ankles or use the very very very limited range of "long" options from the few shops that offer them whereas most shops seem to have some sort of short range.

I knew I'd find no sympathy for my long legs LOL!

Hurrah for Pamina! I'm actually only 5'7". As my spine is slighty curved though, I have long legs and a short body so should probably be an inch or so taller

I've just discovered Gap jeans which at 34" are the perfect 'just a sniff too long' length with the added bonus that they're US sizes and therefore 4 numbers smaller than UK It is the only time I'm likely to be an 8!

I also have the same "boot" problem and my ankles look ridiculous if I wear clumpy shoes with a skirt.

See, you just can't win when it comes to body shape!

slug, lol, maybe we are - glad it's not just me! Maybe we should start a Mumsnet clothes exchange service! For those with big boobs, just got two bras from Bravissimo this am which are lovely and the new catalogue is divine, definitely worth a look!

I'm so pleased that I'm not the only one having problems!!! Tissy, I'm with you on the shortening of trousers.

Twink, what sort of prices at this shop in Hungerford? I've always found it very odd that children's shoes come in various width fittings, but as soon as they become adults they miraculously grow "average" feet!