Coast sizing... does it come up small or am I in denial?

[lololizzy]

I had a great charity shop find today... a lovely Coast dress, quite fitted style, shift, wintery that means I can wear it now then as this is England! But....it's an 18. I'm not an 18, and it's a perfect fit. I could not have fitted into smaller, though. I'm a 14 bottom half, and because I'm 38DD top half, I tend to be 14-16 up top. So.....just wondering if I've gone up a dress size without knowing it...or - are they (Coast) generally true size, or on the small side?

because if they are not on small side, have I gained that much back / rib fat and therefore need to keep away from M&S food hall, which is bloody hard as i work opposite it!

Yeah small sizes. I tried on an 18 last week and it fitted. Thought it was a 14 (which i am) but realised as i was paying it said 18.

i haven't shopped there for years and years but definitely found that- not exactly good for the feel good factor!!

I find most things at Coast cut a bit bigger, i have bought 8's when i am more 10. Maybe it depends on the style

I'm an 8 and and find their trousers and skirts are huge, but their tops seem true to size. Their dresses are always massive around the hips/bum.

I'm hoping it's just my bust, then! As it's quite roomy under the bust. I don't think I'll ever try their shirts/ blouses then imagines buttons gaping open

actually come to think of it, Too', I did once have one of their skirts, very roomy and oversized it was

I find bottoms are roomy but tops are quite small. I currently have massive boobs (bf) and I couldn't fit in my standard 12 or even a 14 on top! Size 12 skirt fitted fine though.

It's the norks. I can't get into Coast stuff at all with my 36j's -I'm a size 18 and even the stretchy jersey stuff in my size is too small.

they're meant to be a quite 'classic' and 'classy' brand and not cut for teenage bodies ie not how Topshop are small up top (so I do always need 16 there) so I am surprised...

No, I don't think Coast come up small.

Does it matter though? If something fits you nicely and you refuse to buy it because of the number on the label then you are a fool.

I think it's the norks. I have a couple of dresses from there and the more fitted ones are v tight round the boobs even though the rest of the fit is decent, almost roomy.

I find then generous on the bottom but very tight around the rib cage - even before I had kids and my body never returned to normal.

I bought it because it did fit perfectly. I have been a size 18 many times in my adult life, nothing wrong with that. But...since doing Lighterlife I have pretty much maintained an 'average' 14 so I was just curious if i had gained, or was it their sizing (i don't weigh myself much. I also get terrible water retention. But not at the moment I do fluctuate but then so do clothing brands in that their sizes are not constant).

Well done for buying it :-)

Maybe the reason that it is in a charity shop is that it got mis-sized and so the person who bought it (who really was an 18) found it far too small.

It's big

I guess it's not just brands that differ, it's cuts and shapes within the brands too and how your norks lie . I don 't care if it said size 8 or size 30, I wanted it and it's a great fit!

Im the exact size as you and bought a coast dress in size 18 cause the 14 and 16 didnt zip up i do need to adjust the top of the dress to fit better as the 16 was a perfect fit if it want for the zipper . i often tried their dresses and even though im a 14-16 their dresses are always a 18 which does bother me