I've noticed a pattern cropping up in our recent fashion round ups. Petites find it very difficult to find clothes that fit properly - and not all shops cater to sizes over 14 either.
Which is ridiculous seeing as so many people are 14 or over. And the matter is complicated further by the fact that every friggin shop has a different sizing system. In Monsoon for example I can always fit into a size (or two) LESS than my normal size, while in Topshop I'm definitely a size bigger.
I know we shouldn't obsess over sizes but it's pretty damn depressing to try and squeeze yourself into your regular size and find you can't get it zipped up.
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Sizes in Ireland are totally out of whack anyway. Ever since a designer told me that boutiques specifically ask her to adjust her labels and make them "Irish sizes" it all made perfect sense. To convert a size into an Irish size you simply drop the size down. Lie in other words. So a twelve becomes a ten; a ten an eight and so on. The customer feels great, they identify this brand or this shop with having brilliant sizes for them, they'll go back and spend money there again.
So what to do? Where do you go to buy your threads? Which shops/online stores are great - and which don't seem to cater for your size at all?
