Stupid clothes sizing for kids.

[serenity]

Ok, this is a bit of a rant and serves no purpose, I'm just irritated.

My first two children were boys. DS1 is big (95th centile) and has always worn clothes that were too old for him iyswim. I looked up the clothing sizes versus centile charts and worked out that they based them on the average size ie 50th centile. Now, I know centile charts are a load of tosh, but I found it quite handy to 'predict' when DS1 would roughly be growing out of his clothes. Now along comes DS2, Mr average, 50th centile straight down the line. Great I've got quite good at buying clothes that fit at the right time!

Then comes DD........another whopper, 91st centile lanky kid. Going on the experience of DS1 I figure she's going to grow out of her clothes pretty quickly, so bought big things.

IT DOESN'T WORK!!!!

Stupid people based their sizes on BOYS charts. Girls are smaller. For example 104cm is 3/4 years, Ms average will be 4.5 before she's that tall.

I know this is a stupid gripe, but it just bugs me and today it's bugging me more for some reason.

So, if you are worried that your DD is small for her age because of the size of clothes she's wearing, don't be, it's just that she not a ruddy boy

OOoh, never thought of that before!!! So it might not be that DD just has really stumpy legs (they are stumpy, but not THAT bad) - but going with the whole boy size thing, that would make more sense... maybe???

Flame

It doesn't always work for boys either. ds (3.7)is above average height, but still mostly wears 2-3 trousers, as he's such a whippet shape that they all slide down and sit on his hips (and him being out of nappies when that size are mostly designed to accomodate them only makes it worse). However to cover the gap in the middle he's been in 4-5 size tops for getting on for a year! No chance of me buying anything that comes in sets!

Can anyone beat ds's record of once wearing a top which was age 6, at the same time as a pair of trousers sized at 12-18 months?

Well, that does explain something I've noticed about dd, who is actually 2cms taller than ds was at the same age, but who is still comfortable in 12-18 month clothes (she will be 2 in August). Size 2-3 is ridiculously massive on her.

I thin it depends on whre you go as I have a top from Monsoon (boys 18-24 mnths) that dd wears that is the same size as a top from Dunnes Stores (girls 9-12 mnths). Work that one out someone please or are Irish girls that much biger than English boys???

don't think it works that way, DD is 50th centile on weight and 75th on height, she has just grown out of a pair of Gap 12 to 18 month jeans .. she's 11 months old

don't even get me started on french baby clothes .. don't know what size their babies are but she was busting out of a 12 month baby gros at the grand old age of 5 months

That was fine in the whole thing with DD3, who incidently has only just caught up with her 'proper' size clothes wise. BUT. what does that say about my little man DS2??? He is three in july yet has only just grown out length wise of 9-12mth clothes. He is in 12-18mths now, but because he is out of nappies, he is constantly having to yank his trousers up. I have bought him braces (oh so cute), but he doesn't like them much!!!! Gap do the waist adjustable trousers, but not for the baby trousers, which is what he is in!!!!

Oh the joys of little people....

French babies are diddy but long-bodied if their vests are anything to go by.

Different stores are different aren't they? H&M seem to be a whole year out in their boys sizes - DS1 is an average 6 yo and is growing into H&M size 5-6. DS2 is the same at H&M too. Tescos seem big too.

Pumpkin Patch do adjustable waist trousers too but I'm not sure if that applies to baby sizes. With PP, I can't work out if a 6 is 5-6 or 6-7. I'm guessing 6-7 (or even 7-8! ) because they are huuuuuuuuge on DS1. 5 is comfortably big.

Oh god, don't get me started on that side of it too.

DS1 (7) has quite definitely grown out of 7/8 year stuff (waist too tight and shows a good inch of ankle) Out of his 8/9 year clothes (when I can get them, as this seems to be one of those skipped sizes anyway) he has a pair that are too tight in the waist, but far too long, a few that are just right and a few that have to be worn with belts, but the lengths fine. It's not even the make, he's got M&S ones that fall into all three catagories!

I have just taken an age 2/3 John Rocha jacket back to Debenhams as DD who's 3.5 & very small would have got about a fornight's wear out of it. I swopped it for a Jasper Conran one guess what size - age 2/3 which will fit her next year too by the look of it. She has only just started wearing Adams 18-24 months but trousers need taken in about 2 sizes because of the nappy allowance in them.
She wore a lovely outfit at Christmas from Debenhams Babbleboom range. Trousers 12/18 months & too big in the waist & matching top age 3/4.
It drives me potty too 'cos if they're not with you I find it really hard to judge & end up taking stuff back all the time.