Finding the right size clothes?

One time I went to the mall, and to spoil myself decided I'd buy a new outfit. At that time I was around size 18. I went to Old Navy and 18 was too big. I got frustrated and went to another store where 18 was too small. I gave up and went to Walmart where size 18 fit just right. Long before I ever gained any weight I had a problem with 2 piece outfits. I had a very large chest, so my top was always a Large, but bottoms were always a medium.. so buying a bikini was a pain in the butt! As I gained weight I had a problem with pants. Anything that fit well in the waist would be too loose in the legs. Anything that fit well in the legs was too tight in the waist. I still have that problem to an extent because my tummy will never look right without surgery due to all the extra skin. And because of the skin I have a problem with tops as well. Too loose and they make me look larger than I am, too tight and they show off the flabby tummy. I think we need larger women to design more clothes!

I am short (not even 5 feet tall), have Asian short legs, small/slim but not petite, with broad shoulders and a "full" chest. I've noticed after having a second child last year, my hips seem to be wider (um, so is my waist!). Finding the perfect fitting clothing has never been easy for me - so I just deal with whatever sort of fits and work with it. I tend not to buy new stuff (mostly second hand). With used clothing there are a lot of small/medium sizes out there that no one buys up - so I get a good picking if I go thrift shopping. Often the small sizes tend to be too small (due to shrinkage), so most of the time I will get a size medium. A shrunken medium in used clothing seems to be a good fit for me - hee hee. But the length of pants . . . never a perfect fit. So I end up getting a lot of capris/shorts - hee hee!!

If I get jeans in WalMart I can not even get a 16 past my hips! But if I go to a store called Meijers (only in the 4 states around us) I can get a Gloria Vanderbilt size 14 stretch denim and they fit GREAT!!!! I have trouble with tops and they really depend on who made them. I have gave up buying clothes at Walmart.

Hi Karen, I am a UK 14 and have never reallyhad any problems other than the fact that I am short so therefore I have to search out the petite ranges otherwise the dresses are down to my ankles (slight exagerratinon lol) and the tops way too long, same with jackets anbd the length of the arms, people come in all shapes and sizes but a lot of clothing manufacturers still don't cater for this although more do these days. I am really pleased that you found sometops that fitted well andalso at minimul cost - havea lovelytime in London, yep it will be hot and usually hotter there as no see breeze etc to cool. I find I can be a 12 in M&S but 16 in Primark or Peacocks so I always try on as they do differ so much. Huggles. Ellie :D

I used to have trouble finding tops that fit right until I discovered that something else that I was wearing was the wrong size. My bra. I was wearing a size too small (B instead of C). Oops! Once I discovered this and bought new bras, tops all fit now. I used to have no problem finding my size, back before I began taking medication for panic disorder and gained weight. I was a size 5. Size 5 tops, size 5 pants, size 5 ring and size 5 shoes. It was pretty simple for me. Now, I'm all mixed up. I still wear a size 5 shoe (2 1/2 UK size) but everything else is, umm, somewhat larger. Not much, but I discovered that I'm now wearing size 7/8, now that I have the right bra size. Of course, different stores have different sizes for the same sized clothing. In some, I'm a 7/9 and in others I'm an 8/10. Actually, sizes are different even between brands. I've found one brand of jeans that fit me perfectly. None of the others do. It only took about 10 years to get the perfect fit. LOL

It's my big problem now. Before I moved to the UK my size was bwtween 12 and 14, now my size is between 14 and 16. I feel very sad. I want to lose weight, but can't find any way to get the goal. I tried to be starve but it didn't work. Now my way is not to eat dinner but it can't help either.

i know what you mean. i am pretty short and i always have trouble buying pants and jeans! forget different shops, i am different sizes when it comes to the clothing makers!

I use to have trouble getting clothes to fit me, they use to drab and old fashioned. Now here in Australia we have a number of plus -size shops and they have nice trendy looking clothes and very up market. I am a small in there sizing which makes me feel good lol. I always shop at these stores now as I do not even bother with the department stores as it only depresses me as they never have my size there.

I am fairly tall for a woman. I am 5'9" tall or maybe a little shorter than that...no one has given me the same height twice in a row...LOL! Anyway, when I was a kid and even into my 20's, finding pants that fit me in length was a battle. It was only around the last decade that designers started figuring out that there are tall women in the world that don't want to look like they are expecting a flood any second. So, they started making pants with longer inseams. It isn't universal yet. I still struggle to find jeans and dress pants that are the right length for my long legs. But, it has gotten better and continues to improve my shopping time. That being said, the best way for me to get pants that fit me in length is to order them online. There is a popular store that only sells clothing for tall and petite people online. You can't find those same items in their stores in the malls. And, there are two other companies that have pants that never fail to fit me. I wear between a 33 and 37 inch inseam, depending on the designer and the style of pants. It is unfortunate that I usually have to resort to ordering pants online because I then have to pay the extra money for shipping and, I have to wait to get them in the mail or through delivery companies. But, I guess that it could be worse. This could be a little over a decade ago when no one sold pants to fit my height. As for being different sizes in different stores...yes. It depends on the designer. Sizes aren't universal. Not from designer to designer and not even from country to country. I don't know why not. It sure would make things easier if they were universal. But, then again, sometimes I am a little grateful for the differences because, I worry that if it was universal, I would never find stuff to fit me. As it is, not only do I have a hard time finding pants that fit me in lengthy but, I have an even harder time finding long sleeve shirts and jackets or coats to fit my long arms. I am a very lanky person. LOL! It is truly a pain in the rear to find clothes that fit me. Shorts, capris and short sleeved shirts are really easy for me to find as far as fit because I don't have to worry about the lengths in the legs and arms in that sort of wardrobe. I guess I wish I lived in a climate that was warm 100% of the time. ;)

hi karen I am the same way here in the US, I can get a t shirt that is too big in the shoulders yet pulls across my tummy and the sizes seem to vary from one store to another so go to Lane Bryant as their sizes seem to be made to fit a womans body.they fit me across my shoulders and are loose in the waist so I feel comfortable. Lane Bryant caters to us bigger women and thank Goodness they do.

I tend to go to a lot of op shops... There I have even picked up designer label for a few dollars. The trick is to visit those shops often because the stock updates frequently and it is always a bit of a surprise what you can find. When it comes to sizes, I found that they can vary from one another. It is a matter of trying different things...

Hiya karen, Sounds like they have become like they have over here. They sort of look uncomfortably at you if you are not a size 38 to 40 which I suppose is a size 10 or 12. Having said that I´m not really sure as it differs from one shop to the other. I don´t have a wispy like waist and never have had so that is where the problem starts. I have problems finding a skirt that fits me properly not so much tops but skirts yes a lot. Skirts are either far too short or too long I always have to take up the hem for them to suit me. I have been in Evans before but that was ages ago now. I am just hoping I might find something in the C & A here but I am not crossing my fingers either. The same goes with Shoes my right foot is slightly bigger than my left and now that there are two size types being made it is much more complicated. Thank God those square toed things have gone out of fashion they were just pure hell to try on too. So Blouses I can get away with although I have bought a couple of casual tops and combined them with a Summer Jacket instead works out much less expensive as well. Have a great Weekend in London I love that City.

Yes it very often happens with nowadays coz i have put on a lot of weight.I really get irritated at times thinking that is there any rule that fat people cant dream to look good or stylish.Nowadays i have stopped looking for readymade garments.I get cloth pieces and sew it at tailors shop.Different sizes in different shops is also very common coz i think it varies from brand to brand.

Yes, I think almost everyone is a different size in different shops and brands. I have to get much bigger sizes than I normally wear at Mango, for instance, because the cut is different somehow. But it does not really bother me, I do not care about sizes, the important thing is that the fit is good! Congratulations on your new stuff by the way! Enjoy!

I do fit clothes very easily. I look at myself as chubby but I fit on the medium size. Here in my place there are more available medium size of clothes. No problem with me. The only problem is the lining up on fitting room and paying, because there are times you find the right fit but it doesn't fit the budget. That is what makes me shop for longer time. For real, I don't like shopping for longer hours, and lining up to pay. As much as during sale , as much as I want to buy clothes, I avoid falling inline.

I always have to try clothes on before I buy. It really does depend on the brand of clothing as to if it fits. Shirts are easier for me to "just buy" than pants or shorts are.

Hello Karen, With reference to your main question - yes, I also find it hard to shop for the right size of clothes. Especially now that I gained a lot of weight. I remember one time, when I tend to buy a summer blouse, just like you, some sizes which I used to buy does not fit me at all. So, I need to look for another brand that suits me. I spent more than 1 hour to buy a piece of summer blouse. Well, in some instance, I have a different size in other stores. Wherein, in some stores, my size is just medium while in the other stores, my size is only small. It depends upon the style and type of fabric that they used. Some in loose fabric, my size is only small. However, in stretch fabric, my size is sometimes medium or large. Happy Shopping.

yeah I am very petite 4 feet 9 inches or something like that LOL so sometimes I do have to have stuff tailored-especially to have jeans hemmed.

I don't find it hard finding clothes that fit me. Though I am different sizes with different brands. Some I can fit small or x-small, some I have to get medium, and etc. Though I am find with giving a little effort in finding the right size that fits me.

My size is Medium. I am 6'0'' and my cloths fit well. You just have to double time in finding the right kind of clothes for you. Sometimes, even medium is too big for me, and Small is literally too small for me too. I had this kind of dilemma for quite some time now.