I don’t understand sizing

[Sheselectric88]

Hi,

Id it just me or is sizing getting worse

How it works.

You find something that fits you. You note down the size.

You then buy something else (or the same thing in a different colour) in either the same shop or a different one.

It doesn't fit.

Sorry pressed post by mistake.

Im 5ft 3 and a size 8-10. I just cannot buy clothes that I like from a shop or online. Something is always wrong. Either too big or too small. Even clothes from the same shop and same style vary so much. I know this has been an issue forever but I think it’s getting worse. Perhaps because of them being cheaply made.

It’s the same for my dc. I have a 10 year old who has to buy age 7 clothes. They are too short but otherwise the waist is just enormous. I have a 6 year old in age 3-4 for the same reason. All their trousers are now passed off as cropped because they are tall girls with tiny waists. Who are they basing sizing on? It makes no sense. I honestly could fit the waist of a pair of 9-10 trousers today and I have a bit of a tummy bulge.

Shoes are even worse. One dc is a 8, , 10 and 11 depending on what shop we go to.

shopping is now a complete nightmare and I send half my life sending things back.

I do look in the petite or slim section but there is no much of a choice and I do like my dc to be able to choose their own clothes and they want stuff that is not in there.

I got some size 10 stuff recently and it was so tight. Then some size 8s were huge. It’s not just an inch or two it’s a noticeable difference in sizing.

I have measured us all and try look at actual measurements of clothes but they all seem out of proportion. So bizarre.

Can anyone actually shop normally these days? Do we need to now alter all our clothes. I do this but it’s very time consuming and not always possible.

Advice on true to size shops would be great.

@NeverDropYourMooncup thats it ! It is ridiculous.

Unfortunately every shop has different versions of sizes. You need to measure your bust, waist and hips and shop to the measurements. Personally, I find if you do that and then look at the number for the EU that's better than trying to buy a UK size.

Trousers: I'm a 12 long in Marks and Boden, a 10 regular in Next, an XLong "fuck me you're a whale" in Zara and a "don't make me laugh" in H&M.

Tops, am busty and a 16 or Medium in Cos, Arket, Marks. A 14 in Next. An XXL in Zara, H&M, Mango etc.

Shirts, a 14/medium from Marks, Boden, Cos. An XL/18 from H&M and a can't even button an XXL in Zara.

Their loss. I just buy 99% of my clothes from Cos, Arket and Marks.

Sizing was deregulated in the 80s

There was a vanity sizing boom in the 90s (admitted by the industry)

Sizing simply hasn't been reliable since.

The EU sizes are at least tethered to a number that ought to mean something!

I started making my own clothes, it's a bit of a shock as patterns have stayed faithful to old sizes. I wear a 16-18 but am 22-24 in sewing land!

It’s also the proportions. Massive waists but short length or sometimes the opposite. Yes we have all got bigger both ways but it appears they just make up the numbers depending on how they feel that day.

glad it’s not just me.

For children’s clothes I suggest French brands, they are cut to a slimmer frame. LandsEnd in the US do three different body shape related sizes for each age in some of their clothes, as do La Redoute who are slim anyway.
Just as a group of 5 foot four adult women will be different dress sizes, a group of ten year olds, even if they are the same height, will all be different sizes. The one size for all at any given age is really annoying for anyone with children at either end of the scale for width.
Even now my oldest dd is 18 it is still a problem, her waist is unusually tiny, but she isn’t short, and anything that comes close to fitting her around the middle is always cut for a much shorter person, so getting trousers in particular is really hard as the rise is always too short so they dig in at the crotch.
I used to have the same issue but now I am fatter ironically I have more choice.
My issue is that waists all seem incredibly high. I am five foot eight , and busty which takes up some of the bodice length, but even on roomy dresses the waists are all up on my ribs.

I have two dresses
One ASOS brand, size 14, fits perfectly
Ordered an ASOS curve one thinking it might be a little bigger as it's the plus size range. What size did I need? 24

Like well done on sizing people out, I'm actually a 16 so someone who is a 24 wouldn't be able to wear that dress

Today I'm wearing a pair of Morrisons trousers in a 14 and a top in XXXL

I don't think there is any such thing as 'true to size' really. The numbers are pretty arbitrary as there's no set measurement for a 10, a 12 etc. You just have to try stuff on and buy the size that fits!

This is fine if you're in the middle of the scale - if you're at the thinner or fatter end of the size range offered by most shops, you might go through trying things on only to find there is nothing that will fit you in the shop.

Eg they do a size 6 but it's more like a 10. They do an 18 but it's more like a 14. It's very frustrating to be a in a shop and think although they have things shown in your size, you might just be wasting your time.

Here, plain dress is a 14, spotty is a 24

If the brand you like offers the fit finder (True Fit) then you can use it to find what your size in the brand you are looking to buy from compared to the brands already in your wardrobe. https://www.truefit.com/business you can sign up as a shopper. I tend to use it on websites that offer it to find what size I am in that brand and product compared to what I already own.

I been having the same problem, ordered petite long sleeved t shirts pk5 size 10 from next , too big , size 10 jacket from phase eight too small, 12 to big, I'm sending so much back as don't fit, I even got a letter from next saying I send a lot back, why don't I go to a store, well, if you had the petite stock in store I would, one next store I go in, when I ask for petite section don't even stock any petite clothing.

@bonfirebash that’s crazy but not unexpected.