Boden have pissed me off

[EarlyInTheMorning]

I am usually a size 8, only I'm carrying a little extra weight at the moment. I'm not a full blown size 10 but I'm short so I bought a pair of petite jeans in size 10. They arrived yesterday and I expected them to fit really comfortably and even require a belt. But do they fit, do they????? The hell they do! I can just about zip them up but then I can't move. How could they do this to me? How dare they???????? There's no way I'm ordering a size 12 though, so back to good old Gap....

Ah, now I find with Boden that when they do petite, they are not just short in length of legs and arms etc, they are a much narrower fit too. It makes absolutely no sense, but it's happened to me a few times with jeans and skirts - the 12 petite is too tight whereas if I order the 12 normal it is fine. Just size up!

I'm an 8 possibly 10 but have found this with petite / short leg stuff. A lot of places slim down the petite sizes as well as making them shorter which is daft.
As I'm often too short even for petite trousers, I often buy normal and shorten then at least I know they will fit & I won't have to try pot luck on the sizing.

Me too, other places though. I'm not really petite though, just a shortarse. Not like those tiny little birdy women all dainty. Got norks and belly, never do well in petite stuff even though I'm 5ft1

Agree. I am a 10- just!- and a little bit petite in the leg. I have contacted Boden so often with this- that all they have to do with petite trousers is make the legs shorter- but if you look at the measurements they chop half an inch off the front and back rise- which is quite a lot and means the trousers are always too tight round my bum and -ahem- crotch.
Maybe you can join my campaign for a normal rise please but shorter legs?

I am so going to contact Boden about this. Messing with my feelings like this... how very dare they....

So really what they need to do is vary the leg length in the regular size as well as having the petite range? (The petite range does fit me so the overall item being narrower is exactly what I need...the main range generally has too much material around the bust/waist/hips.)

Moaning, are you me? Would love to be a dainty, birdy lady - in fact I could possibly have claws for feet, but I have such extreme norkage I can't see my feet to tell

I completely agree. I am absolutely delighted that they do a decent petite range, and I buy a lot there. Though I return far more than I keep! I find that, say they do a skirt in a regular size and in a petite size, I often buy a regular 10, petite 10 and petite 12 to try the sizes and lengths. Without fail, the only difference between the petite 12 and regular 10 is the length. The petite 10 is always loads narrower than the regular 12.

I kind of see your point Pandsbear but you must be one of those tiny little birdy women all dainty that moaning talks about and it would be better for you to order a size 6 than for me to order a 12, even if it's from the petite range. Just saying.

You are being unreasonable to not buy an item of clothing that you like just because you would have to buy it in a different size than usual.

Nobody sees the label except you.

I KNOW!!!!!! It's psychological though, innit

With the insanity of sizing in this day and age, how it's different in every store and often amongst the same line of clothes from one brand, I can't see why anyone would care what the tag says.

I have a 26 (with relatively smaller hips) waist and my jeans can range from 8 - 12 on one shipping trip. If a size 12 made me look awesome I would bloody well buy it.

It's also possibly a teeny bit uncomfortable for regular size 12 ladies to read this post. What is wrong with a size 12? I know you're not saying that, of course, but if you know that you are a certain measurement, then you ought to be comfy with that, regardless what tag size you have to take across brands.

I have a loose fit dress here in a UK6. A parka in UK4. I also have jeans in UK10 and 12. A skirt in 14.

It ain't worth the head space, seriously.

Then again, it is very annoying when a trusted brand messes us about like this. Consistency would promote customer satisfaction.

Well you speak so much sense Toasted, and OF COURSE no disrespect is intended to size 12s whatsoever. Women who wear the same size can all look completely different, it all depends on height, frame, etc, and I know that I am not a size 12 and if I was I would look like a walking dumpling because I'm so short. I'm about to get a grip on myself any minute now as soon as I write a negative review on the Boden site

The bad thing is, Early, they can often alter waistband sizes across the same range. It's something to do with how the jeans are cut at the factory.

I once tried several pairs of Topshop Baxter jeans in one shopping trip, and three different pairs of size 10 fitted me differently - and they were the same jeans from the same rack! The waistband varied between them all by about 2-3 inches. It's totally loony, and the only way on earth to keep sane if to try on first. Or get used to returns.

Next time you're in a high street store, pick up several pairs of the same jeans in one size and hold them in front of you. Try to line them up and see if the waistbands are even. Usually they are not.

I also once bought some skinny cords from Aubin&Wills. I tried a size 8 in the changing room and it was too small.
So i asked them to get me a size 10.
The size 10 was ludicrously big, so I was puzzled.
Then the assistant said 'let me get you another 8, it might fit'
To which I frowned in confusion.
But she was right, another 8 from same batch fit perfectly.

If I had ordered them online, imagine the gamble!

Agree i have ordered loads of Boden jeans and only one pair over the past couple if years has fit in my usual size ! Sso dispiriting but iddly the trousers as opposed to jeans are a much better fit. The skinny jeans are the worst and shd come with a health warning !!

But doesn't 'petite' mean not just short but generally small? As Moaning says, 'tiny little birdy women all dainty.'

If a 12 would fit you then order a 12. Who cares?

Generally speaking, though, clothes sizing is all over the place.

Next petite chinos were the same. Regular size were fine around the waist/hips etc - in fact a bit loose around the waist so would have needed a belt but they were far too long, even when rolled up. The petite ones I could barely pull up over my (hefty) thighs and the waistband was a good couple of inches lower meaning it sat straight across my widest, wobbly part and I couldn't even do them up. The length was fine though .

You could try the same type of trouser in a different colour. I find the Boden sizing bizarre, if I find something I like and fits well then I order it in another colour but frequently it's either bigger or smaller than the original item.

No- women who are 5 3" and under are not always teeny bird like creatures.

I'm a 10 and although short-ish do not resemble a bird or a stick insect in any way.

I need shorter arms in coats and jackets, shorter waist on shifts otherwise the waist sits too near my hips, but I do not need an inch or more taking off my hips and 'rise'.

Petite is about height and length not width IMHO.

Boden make me very cross because they presume no one has long legs.
33' inside leg is the longest they do.
There must be loads of tall women who'd like to buy Boden trousers. They can't even style the models properly because the trousers are too short.
'Suzy, my favourite day dream- wearing a pair of pistachio jeans that actually fit so I don't have to contort myself into a ridiculous position that doesn't show my ankles'.

I am small, and want to try Boden petite trousers. If a 6 in Next is big on me, too big really, would I try a 6 or an 8 in Boden petite given all your comments on sizing? Thanks!

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