Which UK stores do you find consistently true-to-size for women's clothing?

[AbeFroemantheSausageKingofChicago]

Hi everyone,
I’m doing some research and would really value your help. I’m especially interested in hearing from Generation X, but not exclusively, so feedback from all ages would be beneficial! I’m focusing on ladies’ tops and dresses in the UK: Which UK stores do you find consistently true-to-size?

I currently run a niche menswear label, but I’ve been receiving a growing number of enquiries from women. If I decide to expand into womenswear, I want to ensure the sizing and measurements are as accurate as possible, especially since I often find myself that online purchases need to be returned due to inconsistent sizing.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I’m gen x and I can rely on F&F at Tesco, Seasalt or Mint Velvet. M&S and H&M are inconsistent and others like Fat Face and George at Asda are vanity sized (which I quite like!). Zara, Mango and Phase Eight are small sized.

Mint velvet and river island are true to size for me. find alot of Danish brands are too like selected part 2 munth
zara massive for me I am small like xs on top and it's swimming on me

Next. Both for my husband and growing children from child into adult sizes.

Depends what ypu mean by true to size.

When I was a late teenager and 20 something I wore a 10. An 8 was largely too tight.

I was about 7.5 to 8 stone at that age.

Now in my late 30s im slightly over weight and and am in a 12 and can get 10s on in some brands.

Either Ive gained loads of weight since my teens and am still in a 10-12 or sizing has changed.

Not sure what true to size means anymore.

Fatface, Craighopper and Seasalt - a 14 is a 14 consistently fits me. Next jeans are consistent to in my limited experience ( havent purchased in a year.)

I don't think there's any such thing as 'true to size' for women's clothing. What is a 12? What standard is this set against?
The best thing online retailers can do is give as much info on the measurements of the garment as possible, and I find the Best Fit tool that some use to be helpful.

Zara for me. A Zara 10 always fits me. Whereas in M&S I can be an 8 or a 10 in apparently the same items of clothing in different colours.
H&M is the most mad. I can be an 8 to a 16 in there.

The likes of Fatface and Seasalt etc are always touted as being true to size; perhaps as they're cut in a more forgiving way. This works for some people, obviously, but I just look like I'm wearing a sack even in their smaller sizes as they don't account for smaller frames.
A friend who worked for Fatface once explained their sizing to me; saying as they're marketed at the older end of the market, the clothes are cut to account for larger tummies etc, as generally a woman in her 60s will carry more weight on her middle than a woman in her 20s. I imagine other similar brands (White Stuff, Joules, etc) do the same thing as I find they look shapeless on me too.

Thank you all so much for your posts, it's been really helpful.

@DanceDanceRevolutions This is sort of my thinking. The demand I am receiving is mainly from women in their 50's. As one of those women, I know how our figures change around this age. That said, I don't want to dismiss those who haven't experienced middle aged spread and have my sizing all to pot and unrecognisable to standard high street stores.

Isn’t this post against mumsnet guidelines?

Honestly NO idea. It's a complete guess. I have clothes in my wardrobe from size 8 to size 16. I have clothes from the same brand in multiple sizes: I have M, L, and X trousers from Margaret Howell. I have 38 to 44 from Joseph. I have 12,14, XL from All Saints. I have 8-16 from Toast. I have two coats from Jack Murphy, both tweed overcoats in similar style. One is a 12, one is a 16 - they fit me the same. I'm an XL at Brora. I'm S/M at Whistles. There's no rhyme nor reason in sizing. I think they just take the labels and sew them at random on the clothes.

Gen x.
Reiss sizes always consistent, I know I can pick up a 12 and it will be a flattering fit.
Agnes B, All Saints, Saint and Sophia, Whistles consistent and match Reiss.
Sports Sweaty Betty, Victoria Secret andLuLu Lemon
Brands InWear, B Young
The only underwear brand that I find I don’t need to try before I buy is Triumph. I have been a 34 D for years. Occasionally I get measured and s as m always a good fit.

Is it?

If it is I apologise... Just trying to gauge what people think of sizes in High Street stores so I have a better understanding.

Agree with pp that there's no standard against which true to size could mean anything. If I shopped in only Next, Oliver Bonas and Tu I could call myself a 12. If I shopped in only H&m and Zara I'd say I was a 16.

The best you can do (to avoid people having to order multiple sizes and other unnecessary returns) is to give detailed and accurate garment measurements for at the minimum: chest, waist, rise, hips and inside leg.

I'm an aged millennial and send back much of what I order because of inconsistent sizing and stuff often not cut for a tall hourglass.

I don’t think there is a consistent size anymore as most things vary wildly between stores and in stores.

I think M&S and Next are mainly consistent and widely available to the general Gen x demographic.

I think HM /Zara are more inconsistent as they have multiple ranges within their stock.

edited to add. True to size again scores but I think m&s and next are pretty much middle of the road.

Not a single one is consistent in it's sizing in my experience.

Hi @AbeFroemantheSausageKingofChicago

I'm 46 in a few months, is that Gen X?

172cm in height.

I wear a size small or x small In Zara and Mango for tops and dresses. A size 8 in Whistles for dresses, but then go up to a size 10 in mid or low rise trousers. But then an 8 or 6 in high waist skirts and trousers...

These brands all seem relatively consistent with each other. I would also add Mint Velvet as well, they also seem relatively consistent.

Reiss comes up very large, I'm not sure what's happened to their pattern cutting, the clothes drown me. H&M seems quite inconsistent, lots of variation in sizing, even within the same garment....

I think a lot of stores seem to revel in 'vanity' sizing. But i know if i need to be more mindful with my nutrition by just nipping into Mango and Zara, I don't think Spainish ateliers do vanity sizing 😬 .

In my 50s so mid-Gen X.

Honestly, I can't define 'true to size' anymore. In the heady days of the 80s and 90s, I measured 34-26-32 and I was a size 12. I'm a size 12 now (on average) but my 26 inch waist is long gone.

Brands that run large - Fat Face, White Stuff, all the supermarket brands
Brands that run smaller - River Island, Monsoon
Brands that are all over the place - Marks & Spencer and its sub brands such as per Una
Brands that are closer to sizing 30-40 years ago - anything designer.

Gen X person here. I don't think there's any such thing as 'true to size', because there are no measurements against which, say, a size 14 is measured. Yes, so-called 'vanity sizing' has certainly meant that the average proportions of a size 14 dressare very different now than they were in 1980, for example, but as far as I'm aware there was never really that much consistency between different shops. I guess women identify as being roughly the average size of the clothes they buy in the shops they most regularly visit, but will often say they're a 10-12 or a 12 in tops and a 14 in bottoms etc.

I agree that the best thing is to be specific about actual measurements - and make it clear whether you mean the garment itself measures 42 inches, or whether it fits a 42 inch chest. Good luck, I think it's great you're giving sizing some serious consideration.

None so far (most disappointed in M&S).

I’m generation X. I don’t think there are any.

I’m surprised people naming Next or M&S. They size far too big in my experience. So much so that I gave up shopping there for clothes.

Maybe things have changed for the better since.

Gen x here and TBH I find most places fit ok (im usually a size 10), generally it's just the odd item that fits weird. Although I don't bother with very young, trendy brands as they are usually cut smaller.
I agree it helps to have proper measurements and those fit charts are really good too.
I find actual reviews the most helpful though.

It depends what age group you are aiming at, I find Seasalt and Fatface fit my mature shape which is a rather thick middle

I'm 67

I think Next and Reiss are most true to size - I’m 58 and a size 12 and can feel confident they will always fit. Whether I get a small or a medium depends on the cut - eg a medium loose style jumper will swamp but a medium more fitted top will be perfect

I am 51.

I find Oliver Bonas is big but consistently so. Zara is hit and miss. I am usually a small in there but sometimes XS. M&S are all over the place. I am usually 6 there but bought two skirts size 6 recently, one fit and the other was too small.

I find Boden, River Island, Saint and Sofia and Brora to be consistent and not vanity sizes.