Is my daughter the only one?

[BubbysMummy]

My daughter is 10 and is slightly overweight. She starts Secondary in September and we have tried several white school shirts from high street stores and online and none of them fit. She is average height and busty for her age and is already in 16/17 year school shirts. She is also wearing stretch jersey trousers as tailored ones just do not fit. This is frustrating and stressful.

I measured her and she is 36" bust, 30" waist, 33" hip and 27" inside leg.
I even tried womens workwear trousers and shirts in size 14 and they were too small. Why is it 15yrs in casual clothes fits her but adult sizes don't? Am I going mad? Is there something I don't know? How is she going to get through Secondary?

I feel like I missed a memo somewhere. If you know of anywhere that does larger sizes please let me know. TIA

Have you tried the plus ranges? M&S do one and Asda too. Going by the size guide for M&S they ought to be big enough in the bust in the 14+ sizes. I think Next might do them too.

Button up shirts are always a nightmare if you’re busty, I wore men’s shirts when I was a teen.

TeenScreenQueen - Yes I have been buying uniforms from Asda, Marks and Next since Year 3. She is currently in the largest sizes now so I am stressing out.

Is there a Pastoral Care officer at the school (a Head of Year or House perhaps) who would have run up against this problem in the past and could give you some hints?

Trutex annoyingly expensive compared to the supermarket but they fit the boobs in!

John Lewis?

Is she very tall?

Sept is months away, perhaps she can slim down into the sizes?

Marks do a 41 inch shirt which is much bigger than her current measurements.

A 33inch waist would be a woman's size 16 too.

Does she have additional needs to be this size at 10? You may be able to get a uniform exemption if so.

Does it have to be specifically a school short or is it just a white shirt?

Lots of places do white shirts in all kinds of sizes as adults need them for lots of different types of work.

Does it have school name or badge on it?

John Lewis

This isn't meant in a mean way. More concern. You are minimising her weight problem by saying she is slightly overweight. At 10 and the dimensions you have stated she is really very overweight. Can you speak with a GP or health worker to see if there are reasons for this weight or help you sensitively navigate the issue with your dd. It needs to be tacked with care. You don't want it to develop into a life long issue

Buy John Lewis boys shirts in the bigger sizes. The teenage boy shirts are cut broader across the shoulders and chest.

This. It sounds like she must be severely overweight.

Does she have a medical condition?

Matalan Genrous Fit are good, just make sure you order soon as they fly out of stock.

I'm not being judgemental because I was an overweight child....but i just cannot see how a ten year old who is slightly overweight cannot fit into an adult size 14. Are you being realistic about how size?

@burnttoad
@MyRobotFriend

you are both out of line. You know nothing about the DD's situation or what @BubbysMummy is doing about it Nor is it any of your business.

her thread is about where to buy larger shirts.

But anyway a lot of the school uniform ranges do a "generous" fit range. Probably easier to get online than in store.

My 10 year old also starts secondary in September and she is slightly overweight. She wears age 9-10 clothing, as she is below average for height. I'm afraid you are minimising the extent of her size. Can you seek advise from GP or the school nurse to investigate, check for potential thyroid issues etc?

Try boys / men’s shirts, they might be more roomy.
id take her into a department store so you can try different brands/sizes in one place so you can get the actual size and fit right. Then order online.

I was an overweight child and fit into size 12 at age 10. I stayed an overweight adult. To put it into context my taller than average 9.5 year old has a 22inch waist so are you sure that waist size is correct OP for your daughter?

@YeahComeOnThen oh come on! How is pointing out a medical issue, out of line. Have you seen the stuff spouted on here daily. Far worse.
A ten year old cannot make an informed choice themselves. She may well have a medical condition which OP has chosen not to share. Or she could just be overweight. To the extent OP is struggling to find a uniform that fits.
Acknowledging that isn't a bad thing. Informed decisions, and knowledge around food and getting correct help to aid weight loss is surely the best way forward.

I suspect the casual clothes are maybe more stretchy material and so are able to be made bigger than the actual measured size if that makes sense.
Would it maybe help to see the school nurses or GP? September is still a way off. I don’t think you need to buy things yet.

if 14s don't fit, then you will have to try 16s

Hemming up trousers is dead easy. Sleeves aren't particularly difficult either, but if you don't fancy doing it yourself then many drycleaners have inexpensive minor alterations service.

or try Sturdy Kids - Plus Fit Children's Clothing, Generous Fit School Uniform and Clothing For Boys and Girls aged 2-16 years

She sounds more than "slightly" overweight, and I wish you well with whatever underlies that

DD is particularly tall (5ft11) and pays rugby so has the thighs to go with it, she wears Next tailored suit trousers in bootcut they are looser and fit better than the school brands and come in black, navy and grey, the school shirts available to us at the uniform shop go up to a 50" bust which is size 22/26 I think so I'm sure you will be able to find some for your daughter.

If her weight is due to inactivity / diet opposed to a medical issue I really would recommend girls rugby, there is a position for every body type and the strong and sturdy are as valued in the scrum as the speedy gazelle like players landing the trys. Girls often don't start until Secondary school age so it's a great time to join and make friends.

I don’t know if I’m missing something but if a 14 is too small then have you tried a 16? Seems the obvious solution.