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Original poster

Either H&M are bonkers or I am delusional

131 replies

SharingMichelle · 29/03/2016 06:19

Grabbed this skirt last time I was in H&M. Not terribly exciting, but I thought it looked useful. Picked up a size 14.

Couldn't be faffed to try it on. Was in the queue to pay when I looked at it again and decided it was cut on the small side so I switched it for a 16. Am generally a fairly standard 14 with the odd 12 thrown in on a good day. Oh well.

Got home. Couldn't do the bloody thing up!

Back to H&M. Switched the 16 for an 18. I have never worn an 18 in my life. Tried it on this time, just to be safe. Horrendous!! Could squidge my tummy to death and get it done up, but all buttons gaping. So tight it was indecently short.

They didn't stock a size 20! I switched the blasted thing for store credit and came home.

Surely I can't have jumped from a 14 to a 20 without noticing? H&M are bonkers, right? Please could someone reassure me? Or set me straight? I am rather bloated at the moment, but my old clothes still fit, so surely...

OP posts:
BastardGoDarkly · 29/03/2016 06:21

Nope, their sizes are shocking. I HAVE to try on in that shop then leave near tears

GiraffesAndButterflies · 29/03/2016 06:24

There is no such thing as a clothes size. No universal sizing, no requirement for shops to be consistent with themselves let alone each other. It's not you it's them. Smile

StinkyMcgrinky · 29/03/2016 06:25

I've always had this problem with H&M! The clothes I have from there range from a 10-16 and I can't leave without trying anything on. My recent experience was trying to buy maternity jeans and finding my usual size 14 (which all my other maternity clothes are!) would not cut the mustard and i ended up having a strop in the changing room when the 18s wouldn't fit and leaving empty handed.

Original poster
SharingMichelle · 29/03/2016 06:29

I suppose if their dodgy suppliers are making all the clothes a bit on the small size a factory in China is saving a bit on fabric costs.

OP posts:
Original poster
SharingMichelle · 29/03/2016 06:32

It's not just H&M misleading us with sizing though.

OP posts:
Honeyandfizz · 29/03/2016 06:49

Yes I have had the same too. Tried the same size of trousers in two different colours, one pair fit perfectly the other too tight!! Madness Angry

elQuintoConyo · 29/03/2016 06:53

That's weird, I've never had a problem there. I'm a 12-14 and always try on.

Now Zara on the other hand... I just don't bother going in there any more. Tiny tiny clothes, can't get blouses or jackets past my elbow Angry

booksrock · 29/03/2016 07:00

I've had the same issue with h&m. I used to be a 12 but tried in stuff and it wouldn't go on. So I lost half a stone. Now dresses go on round my waist but not my boobs. However a trousers suit fitted beautifully

Queenbean · 29/03/2016 07:05

I have the same issue. I'm a size 12 everywhere else and in h&m:
Maxi dresses, tops: size 12
Play suits, short dresses: size 14
Shorts or denim: 16

I'm very hourglass too so not particularly heavy on bottom!

DorothyBastard · 29/03/2016 07:22

H&M stands for Hit & Miss in this house. Even the kids clothes are all over the place size wise.

LittleCandle · 29/03/2016 07:25

H&M are notorious for this. I give them a vast body swerve all the time. I work with people who once worked for H&M and they all said the same thing. Everything is done as cheaply as possible to maximise profits.

Queen0fFuckingEverything · 29/03/2016 07:27

Yeah their sizing is bonkers.

I have loads of pairs of jeans. All size 12 with a couple of 10s, except for the 2 from H&M which are a 16 Hmm

Their top half clothing seems normally sized though.

AGreatBigWorld · 29/03/2016 07:29

DP and i were in Next last weekend and he bought me a pair of jeans. I got a size 14 in blue and they fitted perfectly so Dp suggested i get some black ones. I tried (thankfully) a size 14 in black (only difference was they had two buttons) and i couldnt do them up! Hmm

ShatnersBassoon · 29/03/2016 07:29

H&M are terrible for varying sizes. I know it happens when there are numerous suppliers, but their instructions are obviously no good to those manufacturers. Measurements obviously don't get used as a guideline.

ShatnersBassoon · 29/03/2016 07:31

Black dye does seem to shrink fabric. I've had the same thing with black jeans when the blue have fitted, and even the black bra in a pack will be tighter than the white/nude.

WellErrr · 29/03/2016 07:33

honey I've had that too. Ordered 3 pairs of treggings in the sale, one denim blue, one dark red, one camel.

The dark red are ok. The denim are baggy. The camel go nowhere near.

But they do do some nice stuff and it's cheap!

SparklesandBangs · 29/03/2016 07:35

Both teen DD love H&M and DD1 ordered 2 pairs of summer trousers in a size 14, same trousers different colours.
1 pair fitted her size 12 body, the other pair were just slightly big on her size 8 sister. She went up a size as she knows they can be skimpy on their cut but was at least not feeling down when she couldn't fit in a size 14 as she had both pairs.
I get that different styles have different fits but the same trousers? It's madness and means that really you can't shop online with them.

wonkylegs · 29/03/2016 07:36

I have 2 (I thought identical) pairs of maternity leggings from H&M marked with same size..... They are nowhere near the same one pair fits perfectly, the other is massive.

Jubaloo442 · 29/03/2016 07:37

Used to work for them and this was a problem, but it's a problem with a lot of high street stores I think? Have never had a pair of trousers from there or Zara despite being a 14 usually. I'm too short and fat apparently. hollow laugh of despair

ChippyMinton · 29/03/2016 07:41

They are bonkers. I bought one top in a 12 and find it a bit loose. I wanted a different style and sized up for a deliberately looser look. When I got to the 16 I gave up as it was still tight around the arms.

Lurkedforever1 · 29/03/2016 07:46

It's not h&m that are the problem, they just haven't gone down the vanity sizing route like so many other shops

WellErrr · 29/03/2016 07:48

Lurked how do you work that out? I'm a size ten and when buying the same trousers in different colours some were too tight and some too big.

ThenLaterWhenItGotDark · 29/03/2016 07:51

I agree with Lurked.

I have always worn M &S jeans (so shoot me) because they are the only ones that fit. I have always worn a 10L. Just ordered a new pair and they are falling down. And I am almost a stone heavier than I was at Christmas!

I've only bought shirts etc from H & M but get quite a bit for dd, and if anything their 8s and 10s (which is what I get for her) are on the big side compared to others.

PinkPjamas · 29/03/2016 07:54

I agree, I bought some trousers there without trying on as I am the same size everywhere. Couldn't fit them over my knees!

mudandmayhem01 · 29/03/2016 08:00

Marks and spencers and next are about the worse for vanity sizes. I have been roughly the same size and weight for 30 years. I used to be a 10 -12 in these shops, now a 6 can be too big! In defense of h and m their small sizes seem genuinely small and their kids clothes fit my skinny dc.