why do clothes maufactures make girls clothes so small?

[redbeki]

anyone else have a tall and broad 9 yr old girl,who cannot even fit 12-13 yr old clothes,yet fits age 9 boys clothes,which she often preferes(tops,anyway).i despair trying to cloth her.

eh? Have you always had this problem or has it got worse as she has got older? I have a 2 1/2 yo and today's age 2-3 skirt actually fell down when she was getting out of the car. She is definitely in 18-24 clothes - even has a 9-12 pinafore that she still wears. She is not minute - fairly dainty but average on the centiles.

Sorry not much help but just wondered if it changed as they got older.

Oh I'm with you on this Redbeki - except my 10yo dd1 is not tall. All girls' clothes seem to be made for stick people so anything which fits her hips/tummy is way too long. Really struggling to find school trousers!

Me too with 8 year old dd. Yes, I found it changed as she got older, it's hopeless at the moment.

Because they're designed by men.

yes bozza they defo shrink them as the sizes grow.

I will tell you why as I used to be a childrenswear designer supplying all the high street.

1. There is no common data on childrens measurements apart from the ones from the BSI. These are very expensive and most manufacturers won't pay for them.

2. Most measurements for childrens clothes are based on what has always been. By that I mean they are never updated and manufacturers base them on measurements that have been around for 100's of years (not literally!)

3)From my experience nobody seemed to have any real knowledge of childrens sizing at all. It could be passed from sales, to design to QC, with no one really understanding it properly.

4. When I was a designer we often had to make up a set of measurements based on whatever we could find. At that time I was a dizzy designer straight from college, and didn't have a clue, so usually made it up.

5. Only interested in profit so no allowance made for waist or length, but one size fits all.

Hope this helps....

Definitley worse as they get older. My 5 yr old dd (who is the same size as my 4 yr old ds) has age 4 trousers - with elasticated waists or they fall down - but age 7 tops.

Ds fits well into all the age 4 stuff around!!!

I'm with everyone else on this. Ds is a skinny, tall 4.5 year old. If I get him trousers to fit his leg length then they are too big around the waist. To fit the waist means far too short trews. It's soooo annoying. GRRR.

i agree,they make for very petite girls,write across the board. school truosers are a nightmare,i can't get any to fit around the waist.It drives me mad.my ds is a dream,as he is in his year sizes,but boys clothes are so roomy.why is this?

How interesting, fizzbuzz. That makes things more clear....

oh yes remember this with my dd when she was pre teenager.Made her worry that she was too fat!
It's fine now as she's 14 and an adult height and wears a size 8.

interesting fizz buzz,thanx for that insight. we have different sizes in adult clothes,why not for children.? this would solve my ever increasing problem trying to cloth my daughter!

But I have a 9yo DD who isn't skinny but 9yo clothes are massive round her waist. A 5yo waist is fine but then too short.

I'd love to find her clothes which fit her nicely and in particular jeans which don't have an elasticated waistbad which makes her have a baggy bum Slim fit ones from Gap and Old Navy picked up in the US last year are outgrown now.

In the back of the Next Directory they have the sizes detailed. I think the age 15 girl was equivalent to the size 10 lady.

I suppose it is difficult to cater for the individual child. DS is always in a size smaller in trousers than tops.

A nine year old who fits into 5 year old waist,and you say shes not skinny! thats amazing.I think you still have more options ,my dd is big,she has a size 5 shoe.I simply cannot find clothing fits her,esp round her middle,shes not fat,just curvy,and broad. its a headache either way,i suppose.

DD is 9 - she is in a size 2 shoe but she is about 4ft 6 tall

She can wear age 2-3 skirts but they are too short (obv)

She has great problems getting trousers they fit her leg length but would go round her twice ay the waist

Katymac my DD is also about 4'6" and size 2 shoe, maybe 2.5 now I think. She refuses to try on clothes from the baby section now (but can still get into a clothes she had a a toddler!)

Since it's almost her birthday, she asked the other day that we put her height and weight measurements into her red book. She is midway 25-50 centile for weight and midway 50-75% centile for height. So slightly taller than average and slightly 'underweight' which is why it's so frustrating that stuff doesn't fit!

It is frustrating isn't it?

& she isn't that thin

tootickydoves,if u r interested.?check out the national uniform shop.com,and national schoolwear.for a generous girls fit.

Buying for tall and thin children is just as bad. My DD has to have a gaping waist band OR bare ankles. Bought some Fat face trousers last week with adjustable elastic - why don't more shops do that?