A Rant.

[francesca]

I want to have a rant about UK's favourite (?) store.
The one that starts with M and has an S in the last word..
I recently bought two pairs of trousers ... same size, same length. ..short .
I tried one pair on in the store, perfect fit! The other .. 5cm longer(2ins )and dragging on the floor.
This week , and I'm bragging here, I have lost some weight
I needed new bras
M&S online has a new 'how to measure your correct size' system.
it consists of taking measurements and filling in their chart ,
looking at illustrations,answering some questions, again adding to chart .
Whoopee your perfect size arrives in front of you.
You would think, wouldn't you?
I ordered three, same size , same style. One fitted, the other two
I sent them back and ventured into the store today .. to be measured by their expert, ....when I eventually found one.
Now some women do not mind this; I find it embarrassing and humiliating.
She duly measured me , took the bras from the rack and thrust them into my basket.
I took them home and tried them on.
Guess what ?
They didn't fit either!
Why can't UK's major supplier of womens underwear manage to get their sizing right!

[kissmekate]

I feel your pain, Frannie, but it's not just a problem of one particular store. I had the same problem with various garments from a wide variety of producers.

Anyway, congratulations on your weight loss!

[kygal]

Sounds like an ordeal Frannie. It should be fun (I think it is) to go shopping for new clothes! I also say congrats on your weight loss!

[Rachel]

Frannie, first off, congrats on losing the weight. And I do share your pain in the sizing thing, I've had the exact same thing happen to me. Very frustrating that there isn't more uniformity in women's clothes sizing.

[artisanlibra]

First of all, congratulations on the weight loss.

Second, I feel your pain.  I'm 6"2 and a little bit extra, with a 37in inside leg measurement, so finding trousers in UK stores is a nightmare.  So, I have to shop exclusively online every time I need trousers or jeans.  And, whilst one retailer's size 14 will fit me great, I might need a size 16 from another store.  One time, I bought three pairs of trousers from one company; first they took two weeks to dispatch them, and then only one pair fit despite all of them being the same size on the labels.

Clothing companies should be regulated so that they all abide by the same measurements for their sizes.

[kissmekate]

I'm rather on the thin and flat side, and while some manufacturers' size XS or 34 (the smallest size in Germany) fits me perfectly, some others seem to want to please their customers by putting XS labels on S clothes. I wonder what they think thin girls will do? Wear children's clothes? Grrr!

[Rachel]

I agree with AL - there should be some kind of regulation on sizing for women's clothes. It irritates me no end that hubby can go into any store and buy trousers with his inseam length and they will fit perfectly - no matter the manufacturer. Me? Well with some companies I wear a 10 in some a 12 and in others who knows??? And as Kate points out then we have to deal with vanity sizing, it's really a S but they mark it XS. There is one clothing company in the US that I refuse to patronize solely because of the way they size clothes. It's clothing for women in my age bracket (40's and above)but they START their clothing in size 000 which is in reality an XS. Why do they do this? Because "size is just a number" and they want people like me (who wears a 10/12) to feel good about fitting into a size 2. Ah, no, size is NOT just a number and I'd rather wear the same size across all manufacturers than just what you have to sell in your store.

[francesca]

I am glad so many of you in other countries have found the same. I was beginning to feel paranoid about it, hence the rant.
Thanks too for the compliments about my weight loss.
I lost 4.4 kg ( approx 9lbs)
I could say it was easy but I would be lying.
It was hard ... and I went from hungry to irritable to bad tempered to down right nasty and my family suffered.

Now comes the hard bit.....     Keeping it off!

Any ideas anybody?

[kygal]

What seems to work for me to stay a certain weight is portion control and exercise. I really don't diet because I don't like the quilt of eating something I shouldn't. Moderation is the key. You can do it!!