Where to find small tops?

[IEatChocolateForBreakfast]

I'm a size 8. Most tops at the moment are so oversized that the smallest size just floods me and I look ridiculous. I also have a very small waist, so looking for something narrow fitting. I need tops that fit me properly to wear with my wide legged jeans and trousers. If they're too big / wide I can't tuck them in without the excess fabric swamping me and making me look off balance.

Can anyone suggest some places that do smaller sizes that are actually true to size?

The teenage shops have fitted things at the moment - I saw a 'baby T' in Hollister size S that probably would have fit a baby 😂.

Some smalls on ASOS are tiny. And XS on Zara.

I have the same problem. If you look on Zalando filter for brands Vero Moda and Pieces. Both do XS size that tends to fit me well. They both also do a petite range which doesn't include all items but still I've often seen something there. You can filter the brand and then the collection and then the size. Petite range in M&S and Next are ok too.

dd is the same size as you, she gets most of her things from Asos and h and m.

Hmm. I'm 42. I don't want to wear clothing from the teenage section. Zara is so hit and miss. I'm looking for regular tops like button up blouses, shorter fitted nice tops that sit at the top of my jeans. Button up tops and blouses is where I struggle the most. I need a slim fit with darts in the back and would prefer something stylish, not just a basic shirt

Oh thanks. I will look into those

I'm 48 and while I like a nod to fashion I'm no slave to it. Have a look at those 2 brands you might see something suitable

Guess sometimes has nice fitted tops without the logo on them.

Reiss, Uniqlo, boden. Good sizing options and nice tailoring

I've a friend with a similar figure and she buys all her clothes from outdoor wear type brands. They seem to do shirts and tops in addition to tshirts hoodies etc.

Stuff like Rab, Berghaus, etc.

I share your pain. All the smart brands aimed at women over 35 never seem to do decent XS. I buy Uniqlo heat tech stretchy tops, long sleeved and short sleeved which have been a god-send.
Anything unfitted swamps me so I always go for stretchy tops. Primark do lots of XS. Zara also quite good. A lot of the nice brands aimed at ppl over 35 only do S and they are usually too big so I have given up. Will occasionally look in Oliver Bonas, Fatface and &Other Stories but I never hold much hope.

Reiss is good for xs but expensive. Had some good stuff from Hobbs recently. Used to like Boden as their size 6 would fit (I'm pretty short so not super-skinny but slim) but the last few things I have ordered from there have been absurdly wide and baggy even in a size 6.

Have you tried petites? I'm far from petite but my mum is and when she does an online order I sometimes try on the tops and find they fit me much better than normal sizes. I have a few XS petite tops (button down and t-shirts) from Gap that are closer to a normal fit than anything I've ever tried on in my actual size (10-12).
I'm small busted and my torso is a bit long so I need tops to fit neatly around the shoulders, otherwise I look like I've been cut off at the knees.
Vintage tops are also often better, incl old men's shirts.
I also like boys' t-shirts (XL or XXL), they actually fit on the shoulder and under the arms. Boys' button downs won't have room in front for anyone more well endowed.

&otherstories
Massimo Dutti
Cos

I’m petite and a size 6-8. I find French/Spanish/Italian brands tend to be cut for smaller women, and also do more fitted tops. Or British brands aimed at teenagers (but I’m 40 so it’s not usually what I’m looking for).

cheaper/basics: Benetton, comptoir des cotonniers, Petit Bateau, La Redoute.

Pricier: Ba&sh, Rouje, Maje, Claudie Pierlot, Sandro, Iro, the Kooples. Sezane comes up bigger but lots of their shirts are slim fitting.

With & Other Stories I look for items from the Paris studio. Stockholm/LA tend to be cut bigger and drown me.

Primary start at 2XS which is a size 4- 6 It's what I buy for tall but super skinny dd12. Kids stuff seems aimed at dc being larger so the stuff that is correct for her height absolutely drowns her

I’m having this problem too, I’m the exact same size I was when I was a standard size 10 only now I’m a 6 😤 apparently? My size 10 stuff from 20 years ago still fits me. There’s a lot of boxy cut stuff out at the moment too which looks awful on the models. There’s so little tailoring now it really annoys me.

I sent a Reiss jumper from the Fenwick sale back last year and that was an XS but it was too long and too big over the shoulders.

Meant to say primark not primary 😆