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Shopping

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Original poster

Do you have to buy clothes for your child in a couple or more sizes smaller/bigger than your child?

24 replies

Sparkler · 18/01/2008 22:29

I hate shopping for my kids. DD1 is 8 and nothing for age 8 fits her. She's a little chubby but not hugely so for a child of her age and I find I'm buying clothes for her in the age 10-11 bracket sometimes larger depending on where I buy them. DD2 who is 6 on the other hand is tiny - she has no tummy at all - and I'm buying clothes in ages 5 for her.
Same goes for adult clothes - I buy one size in one store and then a different size in another.
I hate clothes shopping.

OP posts:

arransmummy · 18/01/2008 23:52

My ds is 2 and a half and he's still in 18-24 month clothes!!! I think id depends what shop you go to as well. I hate it when someone asks what size he is for them to buy clothes cause like you say it differs from shop to shop.

pelvicflawed · 19/01/2008 08:39

As a first time mum I find clothes sizing is all over the place - my DS is 20 mths and still happily fits in some of his 9-12mth stuff (esp Tesco) but on the other hand some 18-24mth stuff fits him with not that much room to spare - to me Tesco/Ladybird is huge and M&Co is really on the small side.

bidibidi · 19/01/2008 08:43

I think this is very typical, Sparkler. One of my DC wears top in the right age group, otherwise they are all wearing clothes (supposedly) smaller than their age.
The only issue I have with it is that relatives buy clothes to tie in with some fashion/movie theme (say Harry Potter), and by the time DC fit the clothes that movie/fashion is completely out of style.

Desiderata · 19/01/2008 08:44

I find that almost all clothing is massive.

My 3yo ds is on the 75th centile for both weight and height, but he's slender, especially around the waist. He's still wearing trousers for 2yo's, and some of his tops are 18 months!!

A belt is the only answer these days .. and they're not that easy to find for toddlers.

2sugarsagain · 19/01/2008 08:48

Sparkler, I know exactly what you mean. dd1 is 9 and - although she's on the chubby side, I'm buying her M&S school skirts age 13!

dd2 is 8 and on the skinny side. The other day I bought her a top from a local independant shop - AGE 14 - I kid you not, and it only just fits her! Just one of my magic washes will see it fit her guinea pig, I'm sure! It's quite ridiculous - who do they model these sizes on, I wonder.

oliviaelanasmum · 19/01/2008 08:54

I have the same problem with all 3 of my girls dd1 is 6 but wears 7-8 or 8-9 sometimes even older, dd2 is 2.8 and is only just now wearing 18-24 and dd3 is 4 months and only now starting to outgrow some 0-3!!
I find the worse thing is trying to get clothes suitable for a 6yo in the bigger sizes, its always miniskirts and crop tops etc and i want her to stay as a child for a while yet!!

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 19/01/2008 11:17

DD is 7 in a month but still wears 4-5 yo trousers.

sfxmum · 19/01/2008 11:21

dd is 2.7 but still wears some stuff for 18-24 and some even smaller but it depends on the shop really some are spot on others far too big.

OverMyDeadBody · 19/01/2008 11:30

DS is 4 and has been in 5-6yr old clothes for a while now, apart from Gap, where 4-5yrs fits him erfectly. If friends ask, I always tell them to get the bigger size just to be on the safe side.

I know what you mean about adult clothes too, I find Next in particular very generous with their sizes, someone told me it all depends on what the average age of their shoppers are, so New Look sizes will always be smaller than somewhere like Next or M&S as they have an older market base on average.

missyhissey · 19/01/2008 12:18

I've had a similar situation with dd ever since she was born. She's nearly 3 and a half and still wearing 18-24 month trousers and skirts. I bought her a lovely top from Next size 2-3 yr for Christmas Day (made the mistake of not trying it on her beforehand) and it looked just like a pyjama top it was so baggy. Had to take it back and exchange for 18-24. I do find Next stuff to be really big though and also Cherokee from Tesco.

Hulababy · 19/01/2008 12:27

DD is 5y9m and I have had to buy her age 6-7 for months now. ge 5-6y is almost always too small.

I can't easily buy clothes for Dd when she isn't with me nowadays as none of the shops sizes ever seem to be the same.

sherby · 19/01/2008 12:31

Yes

H&M are the worst, their clothes are massive

WigWamBam · 19/01/2008 12:36

Oh, please don't say that clothing is massive ... dd is only 6 and wears age 11 clothes! And she's honestly not that massive, just tall.

Doesn't bother me - it's not the shop's fault that she's tall - but it does mean that I can't buy age-appropriate clothing for her very easily ... the kind of things 11 year old girls wear are not a good look on a 6 year old

I know which shops to avoid; Adams in particular seems to come up very small, apart from their school uniform which is much bigger, for some reason.

Mercy · 19/01/2008 12:36

It's an absolute nightmare trying to buy clothes for dd atm, especially trousers.

She is 6.8 and even trousers for 5 year olds are pretty big around the waist/hips and yet too short for her legs. Agree that Next sizes can be huge. (fortunately ds is much easier to clothe)

Any idea as to which shop will cater for her?

Mercy · 19/01/2008 12:40

WWB - totally agree re shops not catering for taller girls (even though mine is shortish!)

WigWamBam · 19/01/2008 12:45

Horrible, isn't it. Anything above age 8 in most clothes shops looks as if it were made for a small hooker! Or it comes in the most dismal of colours and patterns - because teenage girls don't want the pretty things that six year olds like.

Drives me to distraction, it does.

psychomum5 · 19/01/2008 13:30

my children have never fitted their actual age.

DD1 is 13 and still fitting age 11 clothes
DD2 is 12 next month, yet her stuff is age 9-10
DD3 is 9 and in fact is in age 8-9, so is the closest to her age
DS1 is 7, and also in age 8-9, so he is slightly tall, altho he is very slender with it so needs either adjustable waist clothes or belts
DS2 however is 5.6yrs and only just grown out of age 3 clothes. problem is, the age 4 is huge around the waist too,so altho I can put a belt on him, with his poo issues (he has a blowle prob so belly swells massively at times), he can either have prbs getting belt off, or if tummy swells, the belt digs in!

tis never easy.....clothes are a nightmare and if people buy for them and I can't exchange, their tastes change so much that they aren;t wearable once they actually fit!

find the same issues for me too.....am different sizes dependant on shop.......altho I do like Gap, as am a sz 4 according to their sizes!!!

saltire · 19/01/2008 13:34

At least with girls you get a choice of colours. With boys its denim, beige, brown, beige, navy, beige navy.

Ds1 is almost 10 and wear 11-12 clothes, although he is growing out fo them ,he's very tall. Ds2 has jsut turned 8 and wear 8/9 or 9/10 depending where it's from.

chocolateshoes · 19/01/2008 13:42

H&M are massive but Verbaudet - particularly tops are tiny.

WestCountryLass · 19/01/2008 20:05

DS is 6.5 and he wears age 5 clothes, DD is 3.5 and she wears age 4 clothes but I buy her age 5 leotards and swimming cossies.

WigWamBam · 19/01/2008 20:52

Hmm, not so sure about the choice of colours, saltire!

Maybe in the ranges for younger girls, but I was looking for clothes in H&M this morning and the only colours in sight in the 8+ department were grey, black and more grey. Very dismal, and really not what your average 6 year old wants to be dressed in!

Debenhams was nearly as bad.

LadyCellophane · 19/01/2008 21:03

My DS is nearly 7 and fits 5-6 yo clothing. When he was 5, school needed a t-shirt sending for him to wear in the play; I was horrified later, to discover I'd sent one (which fitted), age 2 !

hippipotami · 19/01/2008 21:15

WWB - you want Boden - their girly/chilfriendly tops go up to age 13 or so. They are expensive, but in the sales you can pick up some lovely bargains!
Say what you like about Boden, but clothes to fit small hookers is the one thing they do not sell

Ds is 8.5 and wears clothes for age 9-10. He is tall and solidly built.

Dd is just 5. She wears trousers for age 4-5 but depending on the brand are getting too short for her. But she is slim so needs adjustable waist or belt. She wears age 6 tops in most brands as I find everything seems so short in the body nowadays.

I find that girls clothes (from most brands/stored) come up very very small.
Especially Sainsbury's, dd has tops age 7 from them and they already look too tight!

Lmccrean · 19/01/2008 21:16

dd is 5, skinny and tall - her clothes range from age 3-4 to age 7-8 (tigerlilly tops she needs an 8) and for hats she needs 9-11 hehe! I sooo look forward to summer when she can just wear dresses so Im not adjusting waistbands and lengths all the time.

Anyone had a bash at making their own clothes? found a link a while ago about making kids jeans from (old) adult ones...maybe link was on here. Was mother earth mag (or something like that) from usa in 1970s. Might have a go

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