My mother likes to buy my girls sundress from hannah anderson every year. Well, the sizing is driving me mad! My oldest is a very tall, skinny little thing, so I need to buy her the 7-10 size, but it will look like a bag on her! It's either that or have her wear a dress like a shirt.
We have the same problem with Target pajamas. Either they are too short or too long. They fit perfectly for a minute.
Any ideas as to why companies do this?
You could pick up sewing as a hobby. :) I sew and I need to tailor clothes for both kiddos and myself on occasion, but it's usually a super quick fix.
Drives you "Mad"? Wow.
What I do is look for styles and brands that best fit my son.
I don't try to fit HIM into brands that "I" like that don't for his body.
You know, you can have any piece of clothing altered or hemmed tif it perfectly. Find a seamstress or learn to sew.
Updated
Drives you "Mad"? Wow.
What I do is look for styles and brands that best fit my son.
I don't try to fit HIM into brands that "I" like that don't for his body.
You know, you can have any piece of clothing altered or hemmed tif it perfectly. Find a seamstress or learn to sew.
it's hard to say what's making you crazy here. at first glance it seems as if it's the vagaries in sizing, which annoys everyone but is one of those facts of life. if you allow it to bug you, you will be forever bugged. so you either get familiar with how the sizing runs in a couple of your favorite stores, or you don't buy off the internet and actually try them on.
but since you do say that the clothes fit 'for a minute', it actually sounds more as if you're annoyed at how rapidly your kids grow into and out of sizes.
i can't offhand think of a fix for that either. at least not a realistic one<G>.
khairete
S.
Manufacturers make clothing in mass quantities, they can't possibly produce clothing to fit every single body type. So if you are taller or shorter than "average" you just deal with it.
I have two new pairs of pants getting hemmed at the cleaners as we speak. My inseam is somewhere between regular and tall so that's just how it goes for me.
I think they're using size standards that will fit most people who fall into that range. Given how different our sizes and shapes are, that's quite a challenging task. We all have to find brands that suit us/our kids best. My oldest son is very tall and slender (he was at one point 6 feet tall and 130 lbs, he has gained some weight and now wears a 30 waist) so he knows that there are certain brands that will have slimmer-cut clothing that flatters his string bean shape and isn't too short or too wide. My daughter is a size 0 to 3, depending on the brand, and all of her pants need to be hemmed. My younger boys will never wear some of their older brother's clothes because they will never be that tall or thin - my 10 year old is wearing shirts his older brother wore at age 12 or 13 because he has broader shoulders and is much heavier than his brother was at the same age (95 lbs vs 65 lbs). I tossed the "slim" jeans that I was saving because they won't fit anyone else. My youngest son is slender, but much shorter than either of his older brothers so he wears things long or rolls up the pant legs. He'll probably start having his hems taken up when he's a teenager.
Bottom line is that I can never buy my kids pants without them trying them on because I just never know what size of a particular brand will fit. If Hannah Anderson just isn't a brand that fits your daughter, find a better-fitting brand for her and have your mom shop that.
I find most sizes run waayyy bigger than they used to. The length seems out of proportion to how big things are. I believe the term is "vanity sizing". It makes people feel better to wear a smaller size when they are actually bigger. Kids clothes have the same problem. My dd is small for her age both in height and weight. Clothes shopping is a nightmare...I basically buy things that look easy to take in (by hand...since I can't work a sewing machine and don't have one)
Most of this is because the overall society is larger than in past generations due to kids and adults being overweight. The problem is, people who are regular weight or thinner have major problems!
I think all pants, in particular, should be sized like men's sizes. Just tell me the waist, inseam, and rise in inches.
Why companies do this? Target the "average" person? I'm tall and skinny too which makes buying some clothes hard but I don't blame the companies. I'm not the norm... So I look for certain brands which come in long or just run long. Same for my kids who are not built like me. Some brands fit well, some don't. But the brands that don't fit my kids well likely fit other kids... I'm glad not all clothes are made identically. If they were, tall skinny people or shorter, plumper people could NEVER find clothes that fit off the rack.
I have two boys with different body types. One grows out of his pants lengthwise long before he ever grows into the waist, and the other is exactly the opposite. The adjustable waistbands help a lot.
A short dress always looks cute with tights.
That's why you have to look at the sizing information every time.
If waist is this measurement, then order this size, etc.
It varies widely from brand to brand - and international sizes are all different too.
As for hitting it right for kids growth rates - good luck!
If you find something you like, get it a few times in bigger sizes.
Our son had some really rapid growth spurts (grew 4 inches in a single year - 3 different years) and it was all I could do to keep up with it!
Vanity.
I've also found that things are wider than I expect for my skinny mini. I buy her slender jeans just to keep them on her waist and I still have to pull in the elastic in the waist band. My stepson similarly can't ever find the right waist for his legs without needing a belt.
When your DD is older, buy key pieces and get them tailored. That's what I have to do for jeans. Even "short" jeans aren't short!
I agree with the suggestion to find a brand your DD likes that is the same quality and ask your mom to shop there instead.
Go to adult sizes for the older girl, an adult X-sm.
Ladies X-sm is about the same size as a girls 10-12. Several ladies I know that wear adult X-smalls often get stuff in the girls department too, it's much cheaper.
A girls 14-16 is the same size as an adult small and sometimes an adult medium.
The thing to watch for is larger arm holes, darts that are to busty for a flat chested girl, and thigh high cut legs on swimsuits and athletic wear.
You can also buy slims. Walmart has girls slim jeans up to size 14-16. They are the right height but a lot narrower so they fit that tall thin girl.
Tell your mom that Hannah Anderson uses European sizing and they aren't the same as ours and they are usually made for shorter rounder kiddos. So, although you love their clothes they just don't fit right.
I think its because most of them are made in other countries and/or they have no idea of sizing.
My daughter is chubby and we have the hardest time finding good fitting clothes. I usually get stuff at Lands End since they carry a plus size and they last a while, but she doesn't always like the styles.
Hanna Andersson is based on height and I have personally not had a problem with them. They don't really cut for skinny kids though (which is a surprise since it'a a Swedish brand). Do you have a problem with your daughters dress being a bit short? Sounds like she really needs "Slim".
It frustrates me too...especially with gift items since it's not up to me where they are being purchased..
If u are crafty pinterest has ideas for sewing an extra ruffle on to lengthen things or tacking in the waist to tailor it a bit...
But yeah sizes can be a pain in the butt if you are not built "into a certain type.
You might need to start shopping in the adult section sooner rather than later. My daughter is 11 and we just found the juniors size clothes work much better for her. At Aero she fits the 000 to 2, depends on the cut of the jeans. In the kids store she fits a 12 waist but needs a 14 for the length...so they don't fit right.
Sounds like if your daughter needs a 7 she is too small to even think about junior sizing yet, but keep that in mind for a few years from now.
And you may have to get her clothes altered. We do that with the boys pants a lot and it works like a charm.
Just be thankful your kiddos are thin, because my thick size children is even harder to find clothes far. I don't consider them fat either, may be slightly over-weight, but hard to find clothes to fit them in the elementary/middle school years.
My sister has tall and skinny kids, and she finds that Zara is a great fit for her daughter.
I can't find a decent pair of athletic pants for my 8 year old son either. Highwaters or so long I have to hem them or roll them. And he's just slightly taller than average.
It's nuts how the same tag size in various brands can be so different. The key is finding the brands that work best for your kid's particular body size/shape.
It sounds like Hanna Anderson isn't a good brand for your daughter anymore, so it's time to put a stop to that tradition with your mom. If she is local, suggest the three of you have a shopping expedition to try new stores and brands this year. If she isn't nearby, simply tell her that HA is no longer in the cards but when you find a better option you'll let her know.
Same goes for Target pjs. Find a new source. I haven't bought Target for my kids in years because the cut of the brands they carry just have the right fit.
