Always try on clothes!

py2006

I'm not sure whether its just happening to me a lot lately or whether the quality of clothes (in terms of measurements) has gone downhill.

I recently bought a polo top, tried it on and it was a perfect fit so was really happy. I went back to the shop the following week and bought two more of the same size. But when I got home one was significantly bigger (a good inch and a half longer) than the original, even though they were the same size.

It seems to happen a lot with jeans lately. I bought two pairs of the same Jack n Jones jeans, the same size, yet one is significantly looser than the other.

Even at the weekend, I bought two pairs of Levis at the Kildare Shopping Outlet. You would think I would have learned my lesson. I tried on one, fitted well so grabbed another pair as it was a special offer on two. When I get home (aside from the fact the security tag was still on it) the second pair didn't fit at all.

Moral of the story, always try on and try on multiple pairs of the sizes in everything you buy.

Rant over lol

dee_mc

This reminds me of a pair of trousers I bought as part of a suit for interviews. Tried them on in shop, perfect fit but small stain on one leg, picked up another pair in same size and bought them. Got home, hung them up, noticed one leg was 3.5 inches longer than the other!

bnagrrl

I'm usually a size 12 in every shop. I was in H&M recently and tried on a mini skirt in a 12. Couldn't get it past my thighs. Got the 14 and tried that. Same story. Tried the 16. I could get the skirt on but couldn't close it! Tried the 18 and that fit perfectly!

Sizes in shops are are off the wall these days.

rainbow kirby

I'm currently wearing size 10 jeans, a size 12 cardi and a size 14 top from the same shop... :eek:

norwegianwood

I feel like the sizing has been getting bigger in some places the last couple of years.I'm the same weight as I was 5 years ago and I used to be a 10 in every shop,now I nearly always have to get 8s and the occasional 6, so I've no idea what size I even am now. I don't understand why there can't just be standard measurements that every manufacturer follows, it'd make life a lot easier!

Greenmachine

Lots of shop go for flattery sizing. Weird with the polo shirts for the op. Were they the same design.

barleybooley

Got a pair of River Island jeans the other day that were the same style (and supposedly a size bigger!) as a pair I already had. Couldn't believe it when they wouldn't even close! The shame

convert

As Greenmachine posted, I think there's a lot of vanity sizing going on in a lot of shops at the moment. However, I have come across a few shops whose sizing differs depending on the style of jeans that you're buying. It's a nightmare. I don't understand why they can't just use the same sizing/measurements? I understand shops with a smaller target audience (such as La Senza that used to be), but for 'mainstream' shops, surely it would be helpful (both to them and consumers?)

kerry4sam

I ordered 3 pairs of jeans online recently and had to send 2 back! I was expecting to send 1 back but not 2. They all fit grand at the waist and hips, no bother, but these 2 ended up being skinny skinny jeans, although not advertised as such. I put it down to me being 5'10", that they may have been flared on someone not as tall as me. Nuisance, but at least 1 was able to keep 1 pair.

All 3 advertised same size, all for tall person, none advertised as skinny skinny, but only 1 fit okay.

Reedsie

Got two pairs of top brand jeans lately. One fitted, one didn't.

Michellenman

I was buying work wear in h&m recently, I've shopped there a lot over the years and a 38 is always a ten. Picked up a twelve in a few items in a 12 and was disappointed they were so tight, saw on the label that a 38 is a 12 now? ! Took out older stuff I've bought and yeah, a 38 is a 10 in them?! So frustrating. My first time ever to shop there I bought three tops, one in an 8, one in 10 and one in a 16! I *hate* trying stuff on, especially at this time of year when I have so many layers to take off! annoying to now be able to pick stuff up! even basics have to be tried before buying

Stheno

I find this thread a bit bizarre, once i buy an item in a shop, I have never had problems with buying similiar items in the same size.

I recently bought 4 pairs of jeans from two brands, six sweaters from one brand, 2 skirts from two different brands and a pair of trousers, and they were all the exact size I expected them to be, and similiar jeans/jumpers were fine.

Only exception was buying a coat, I went up a size as I needed it to fit over suits, but that's also normal for me, I'd normally be an 8/10 and in this case was a 12 but that's normal for coats for me so I've decent room in the shoulders.

RhubarbCrumble

H&M have to be the worst shop ever when it comes to sizing. I'm generally a size 8, but if I try on something in H&M, I end up taking a 6, 8 and 10 into the fitting room, and once tried on a dress where the 10 was smaller than the 6!

I know vanity sizing seems to have taken over everywhere. I'm starting to have to buy a lot more 6's than 8's in clothes, but I think it seems to have happened with SHOES as well. I've been a size 4 for years, but 4's are falling off me now, have to try and go for a 3.

Novella

I have about six pairs of the same style of jeans from Topshop, all in the exact same size. One pair, however, I can't even pull up past my thighs! And I took the label off because I just presumed they'd fit!

Penny Tration

I wear a 14 in most of my clothes, but due to crazy sizings, I have clothing ranging from a size 8 to an 18 in my wardrobe. I'm nowhere near a size 8, yet two tops I got, I had to get an 8 in.

My mam gave me a laugh in New Look one day. She is between a size 4 and 6. She saw a coat she fell in love with. Tried an 8, couldn't get it on. Eventually, after trying on every size, the 18 fit her. :pac:

Puzzle35

I reckon it's as convert says in some cases and it's flattery sizing. We've probably had a "fat" day when we tried something on and it was too tight so we bought nothing.... This does not suit the shops. The other factor is that so much stuff is made for peanuts in 3rd world sweat shops. I'm not moralising I buy that stuff too but the quality isn't there.

miss no stars

I think the out and out worst for this one has to be pennys. I just find their sizing to be completely off the wall. Am usually happy to find something that fits correctly from there, never mind what size it has on the label. Size 12 tshirts swamp me and size 10 often don't have enough room in the armholes - it feels like circulation to my arms is being cut off. I don't even have big arms.. Saw a lovely fake wax jacket in there during the autumn and rummaged around for a size 10 and couldn't find one. Tried on an 8 and my arms literally wouldn't go in. Like, the sleeves were SO small and the shoulders so narrow I actually couldn't get it past my elbows. Rooted around a bit more, couldn't find a size 12 so tried on a size 14, which fits perfectly and has room for layers underneath. I'm nowhere near a size 14 - I wear a 27" waist in jeans and am an 8 to a 10 in dresses! Yet the jumper I bought there the exact same day in a size 12 (didn't try on) is huge on me. It's not even down to it being a baggy style - it's just really big.

It must be something to do with suppliers working off different sizings because I can't imagine them sitting down deciding to make those things all those different sizes.

Another place I find horrendous for off the wall sizing is Next. It's consistent, sure, but it's cut bloody big for the label that's on it. Like, 2 sizes bigger than they claim.

Saggyjocks

I think vanity sizing has gone ridiculous, I have same branded items in my wardrobe from different seasons/years and the difference in them is massive. It's annoying aswell when you think you have your size in one brand but as soon as a variation in style comes in then again the sizing goes out the window. Can't rely on buyin anything online because of this alone. The last few bits I've bought from the river island are 6-8, I know for a fact I ain't no 6 or an 8. And what's with labelling things over sized, it's like it's done to further vanity size things, if I wanna wear something over sized I'd buy the next size up, again all this wouldn't be a major thing if buying in store but still a bit annoying. And I agree with the shoes aswell, I've 3 size ranges of shoes in my wardrobe

miss no stars

Saggyjocks wrote: »

I think vanity sizing has gone ridiculous, I have same branded items in my wardrobe from different seasons/years and the difference in them is massive. It's annoying aswell when you think you have your size in one brand but as soon as a variation in style comes in then again the sizing goes out the window. Can't rely on buyin anything online because of this alone. The last few bits I've bought from the river island are 6-8, I know for a fact I ain't no 6 or an 8. And what's with labelling things over sized, it's like it's done to further vanity size things, if I wanna wear something over sized I'd buy the next size up, again all this wouldn't be a major thing if buying in store but still a bit annoying. And I agree with the shoes aswell, I've 3 size ranges of shoes in my wardrobe

I suppose when something is supposed to be oversized there are elements of it that are normal sized? Makes the difference between oversized and too big I guess. Have to say though, I've never had trouble with shoe sizes. I'm a size 5 everywhere.

JuliusCaesar

RhubarbCrumble wrote: »

I know vanity sizing seems to have taken over everywhere. I'm starting to have to buy a lot more 6's than 8's in clothes, but I think it seems to have happened with SHOES as well. I've been a size 4 for years, but 4's are falling off me now, have to try and go for a 3.

me too! Now start with the size 3s, but was a size 4 for many years.

Also the amount of different sizings you have to learn off now. I'm a 10/12 usually, now have to learn continental sizes 38/40 I think, never mind s/m/l being different in different shops - mad. (I'm L mostly, and sometimes L is too small)

confusticated

Yep, tried on four pairs of jeans from H&M a while back, all the same size, two were way too big and the other two wouldn't go past my knees. It's annoying, but at least in a shop you can try on other sizes - it puts me off internet shopping for clothes definitely though.