Where to buy proper size 8 clothes?

[MrsRandom123]

I’m a size 8 but have noticed clothes getting bigger and last year had to buy tshirts, jumpsuits & midi / maxi dresses (basically looser fit things) in size 6. I’ve always shopped in new look & next mainly but this year all the size 6s are too big. I’ve tried 6s on in asda, tesco & m&s & have found the same. Even in jeans / shorts i’m finding 8s hit or miss with some being too big but the 6s in those are either tiny or still big it’s frustrating!

i’m not bothered by the size on the label i just want to be able to buy clothes that fit & i’m going to try taking my waist measuremenrs etc to see if that helps but can anywhere recommend any shops where a size 8 is an actual size 8 & not a vanity sizing size 6 or 8 as the shops mentioned above are in no way actual size 6s which were teeny tiny when i was growing up but sizes in general are ridiculous just now. Picked up an age 8 “baggy fit” tshirt the other day and not only was in top big for my 9 year old but i think it would have been too big for my 12 year old too! i’m not really into fashion more comfort i live in skinny jeans (i know i know) converse or boots and tshirt or jumper and in few warmer weeks we get its the crop jumpsuits or trousers, midi or maxi dresses & converse again with the no no denim jacket as well. I have boobs & hips & i’m not super skinny, i hate my arms being on show & i’m 5”4 & i just want to be able to get clothes that fit rather than look more stylish so any ideas where i can try? Thanks

I have found the exact same thing. I'm a bit older than you but when I was growing up 8 was generally the smallest size. I'm petite in height as well and as a young adult would be petite size 8 from next/Dorothy perkins (not v fashionable but there wasn't a lot of choice of small sizes). Now I can't even consider a brand that doesn't stock a size 6 and like you that is often too big too! I'm currently looking for a long smartish jumpsuit. I'm prepared to cut inches off the legs but everything I've tried is gapey everywhere except the waist and I'd have to virtually remake it - which is beyond my skills and budget!

I find Zara and H&M on the smaller side, particularly the teen aimed sections!

So vanity sizing wise. Size 12 from the 2000s is today's size 8?

It's so confusing!!

Don’t buy from Hush! I’m just returning some shorts because the 6 are too big, which is utterly bonkers. I would class myself as a 90s 8-10. I’m tall though not petite. I would say Zara apart from the odd item tend to cut quite small. But Zara also tends to cater more for taller people.

Uniqlo
Bershka
Forever New
Muji?

I am the same size, 5 ft 2, and size 6. I wear a lot of sportswear in XS which usually with the lycra fits ok but otherwise shop at Uniqlo mostly. Not a hope with supermarket clothing if I want to buy adult clothes, H&M is usually ok and so is Zara. The trend for oversized can sometimes work if it is a midi dress I wear a belt with it so I don't look like a toddler in a sack. But it is difficult and I suspect will only get worse. Teen clothes are almost 100% polyester and very cheap looking so not the best.

@MrsRandom123 same here. I've started shopping in Sandro and ba&sh. In some stores I'm a size 2 now which is ridiculous.

It seems to be a British/American thing because in Italy and France I'm just an average size

Not 2000s in my experience, but 10 is similar to 8, from the 90s, possibly earlier, and size 12 the same as an 8 earlier than that.

I buy a lot of vintage and St Michael (M & S), particularly, often put the waist measurements on the label back in the day.

I think it's possibly even smaller if you go back to 1960s but I don't see so much of that now. I only have one sixties skirt and it had been handmade.

Hollister does American sizing, so it’s not a 4 or a 6 you want it’s 0 or 00 (maybe the assistant didn’t understand?).

I’d be surprised if you can’t get anything to fit in Hollister as 00 is a 22” waist as that’s equivalent to size 8 years old in M&S school uniforms, for example. Hollister also do long/regular/short length sizing in jeans.

I’m small built and so have similar problems, and find Hollister/Abercrombie great, Primark regularly go down to a size 4 (although they do vanity size) and H&M and Zara are also great.

Next is hit and miss, I can’t shop online and have to look at everything and try it on as sometimes a 6 is tight, sometimes it drowns me - they just don’t consistently size.

I find the opposite in h&m as does my daughter in teen but heading out in a bit and will see how zara goes

Exactly my issue gapping etc - i wore a vest top under the jumpsuits from new look last year but too big even for that this year. Hope you can find something

Oh no trying there today as its not a shop i normally go in & i’m not that tall!

Uniqlo i’m looking at as been mentioned a few times so going to order some bits. Bershka got a mention up above and to be honest i haven’t heard of any of those as i do tend to stick to high street stores & i’ve found i return a lot of stuff which put me off ordering online hence asking on here so will have a look at them thanks

H&M do xxs and size 4 and they fit well.

Hollister do 00/0/2/4 which are great for jeans/underwear but not keen on anything else.

I have a medical condition were I struggle to put weight on and average height so can't wear childrens trousers etc or petite range bit it's really frustrating trying to find grown up clothes that look more tailor fitted.

Plt/boohoo do smaller sizes but not great quality.

I also look on vinted.

She did understand as it was me that was
confused so i asked and she gave me whatever was equivalant to our size 8 and size 6 to try but the 8 too big on me & so were the size 6 my daughter tried which were too big on her. They had none in that style in size 4 equivelant for her to try and she didnt want to try any other styles so we left but the size 6 were still big on me but not my style even if they had fit - given its not my “type” of shop i didn’t look for anything else & my daughter was put off by the trousers and tops she liked not fitting so she didn’t either. I don’t have a 22” clearly and my daughter doesn’t but it was size 0 i think i started with to try on?

It’s funny how we are all different as i find next consistently large and more so this year - i’ve yet to try a 6 on thats not way too big and i find h&m quite big as well not so much with trousers but tops and dresses so often buy kids ones but a lot of h&m again isn’t my style so i can fit xs but not in how i want to look. Don’t want short or cropped tops etc or really mini dresses. Will update on zara later hopefully have some success there

I've learnt so much from this thread!! 😊 vanity sizing is so confusing but I find it fascinating too

That sounds like you’ll struggle more than me! My daughter got some plt bits but as you said not the best quality. I’ll take her back to hollister and she can try some of the smaller sizes on as she got fed up they didn’t have those ones but those styles aren’t for me. Xs is ok in h&m if i find certain bits but too big on my daughter so i’ll try xxs small for her maybe so might be worth a look online. I find they come up big in tops / dresses as not best quality either so stretchy

I'm also size 8 . I'm hearing you!! I'm rectangle shape so my waist is quite large compared to bust and hips. I have size 6 skirts from next that I can't wear without a belt. That is not a boast it's an example of how ridiculous the sizes are!
DD is a size 4 and it's virtually impossible to find clothes that fit round the waist.

Have you tried one of the websites where you can input your measurements and it will show which sizes in which shops will fit you? Sadly I can’t remember the one I’ve seen recommended before as for me it was good.

Next come up huge in children’s and adults. Next do an extra long in kids but not in many styles sadly.Fat face is bad too, tops in supposedly my size expose half my bra at the front, not a good look!

Exactly what you have said!

thats why i was asking on here as i know there are actual tiny people who need real small sizes who have to shop somewhere but for me i’m not that small 🙈 just struggling to find a size thats consistent. If it meant buying a 10 or a medium that doesn’t bother me neither does 6 or xs the label doesn’t matter just consistency in sizing but teen clothes are not what i want to be wearing at my age especially as my daughter does but after having to return another load of clothes (that i actually like) to next & new look etc i just got a bit annoyed as i was looking for holiday bits so i’m going to check out some of thats been mentioned on here including ones i haven’t heard of (but feel like i should have!)

oh it isn't just m,e then? I notice this with Hush who I normally found over the years fairly true to size but now my size 8 is m ore like a baggy 10? I buy clothes larger sometimes because I want a comfy fit but it is annoying when I do not want that and I mostly sbop online so it is a pain to return it.

Yip mine isn’t a boasty post or not meant to be - it’s just shops i have always used (and would prefer to shop similar styles) have gotten so ridiculous i now can’t shop there. I know its not me being super thin either it’s mental.

Next have a lot of nice kids bits but mine need 2 / 3 sizes smaller & the age 9 top the other day was ridiculous could have fitted all 3 of us in it lol

I just shop online because they have a better range of sizes (h&m/hollister) everytime I've gone into store they don't have my size or style. I know it's not the same as shopping instore as you can try stuff on etc but being smaller then average it's just the price you pay.

I hope you manage to find what you're looking for, it's hard to find high quality items for small sizes- should really take up sewing so I can adjust my own clothes.

Seems like quite a common problem now thats why i was looking for recommendations for shops / sites who haven’t expanded their sizes so much to hopefully find somewhere to shop!