Three journalists went to three different clothing stores to test how much the clothing sizes differ from each other. Some of the movements were missed because large sizes were not available at all.
We recently wrote that some clothes have completely disappeared from clothing stores. There has also been a lot of talk about how much clothing sizes differ between different clothing stores.
We decided to test how easily women of different sizes find clothes that fit in chain stores.
Three journalists representing different size categories went to test the clothes house that usually suits them best. The sizes S, M and XL ended up being tested.
According to the original plan, the trio was supposed to try on clothes at H&M, Vero Moda and Lindex.
The trip to Vero Moda turned out to be a challenge, because we couldn’t find size XL in the pants. Vero Moda has a Curve collection in which you can find sizes 42-54, but at least it is not available in the Forum store.
Next we tried Gina Trico. We asked the seller about the extent of the store’s size selection. The seller said that the store has pants up to size 44. He said they are the first to go, so that size may be out of stock. We are told that size 46 is also available in the brand’s online store.
Gina Tricot is not the only clothing store that has moved the availability of larger sizes to the online store only. For example, H&M has moved its entire plus collection to the online store only. The message seems pretty clear: plus-size people don’t need to be visible.
Instead of the original plan, we went to have clothes fitted at Bik Bok.
The fitting of the clothes was done at the shopping center Forum in Helsinki. We couldn’t try on several clothes, because size XL was no longer available. S-size and M-size were almost always available.
Roosa, Ira and Oona started fitting clothes from H&M. Inka Soveri
The most common problem areas of clothing stores
For petite Roosa, the too long sleeves of clothes are a familiar problem. Inka Soveri
Pink: I usually use S size, but especially for the upper part, XS size can sometimes be more suitable. My biggest challenge in clothing stores is my height. I’m 155 centimeters tall, so long legs, sleeves and cuts that emphasize the wrong part are very familiar. Acquiring clothes requires patience and a lot of negotiation. For example, I already know to look for the label cropped (ankle-length). You can find very few petite collections, i.e. clothes sized for people under 160 centimeters tall, in stores, online stores are better. Nowadays, I buy a lot of clothes second hand. I appreciate quality materials.
Ira was wearing full-length jeans. It’s one of this year’s hit trends. Inka Soveri
Ira: I usually wear size M, but sometimes I also wear size S as the top, and size L sometimes fits better on the bottom. I like clothes that fit nicely on me, and usually the purchase of a new product comes down to the wrong fit. The most common problems in clothing stores are too long legs and too long sleeves. Pants are often too tight in the hip area, even if the fit is otherwise good.
It’s frustrating for Oona to be plus size, because plus size fashion rarely follows current trends. Inka Soveri
Oona: I have always been plus size and looking for clothes in the most typical chain stores has been challenging. I generally wear size XL, but I might well find a size M shirt that fits, or a 2XL dress on the other hand. Pants have always been the most challenging of all, because often pants don’t rise above the thighs. In pants, I can completely forget the size class I imagine I belong to.
It’s frustrating to be a plus-size woman in her early twenties, because plus-size fashion rarely follows other current trends. It always takes a little more time to find stylish clothes and, for example, I rarely find clothes at flea markets. I’ve also gotten used to the fact that I can forget about certain stores ages ago because they simply don’t have sizes for me. With these previous experiences, I’m looking forward to seeing how XL size clothes fit in different stores.
H&M
H&M’s selection is extensive, but this does not apply to size classifications. Especially in the case of H&M, we really had to look for a collection of clothes where we could find sizes that fit all of us. There were especially difficulties with the XL sizes.
The garishly colored suit didn’t fit anyone’s measurements very flatteringly. Inka Soveri
S size: Clothes S, pants 36.
The trouser suit is mostly comical on me, the jacket and its sleeves hang way too long. The pants fit reasonably well at the waist, but the legs should be shortened really quickly.
The sizing of the dress is also completely wrong on me. The sleeves are long and the wrapping point comes down unflatteringly.
The dress reminded the models as if they were on their way to a spa. Inka Soveri
Size M: Clothes M, pants 38
The color of the pantsuit is really juicy, but the sizing is really strange. The jacket is ridiculously loose and long, but the pants are really tight. The length of the trousers is usually too long. The white top is a perfect size.
In a wrap dress, the sizing is also strange. The top is really loose and the sleeves hang very low. The buttoning of the top of the wrap dress does not work as expected, but leaves a wonderful mound in that place. Was the button on the dress the wrong way around? The buttons on the cuffs are also problematic and the rubber band fastening has already broken in a couple of sizes. The lower part fits better, but I have to say that H&M’s size classification seems very strange as a whole.
XL size: Clothes XL, pants 44
If I go to H&M, I buy solid color t-shirts, shorts and pants. My experience in the trade goes back to middle school. When we are looking for matching clothes, many outfits end up not being available in size XL or the sizes in the pants do not go beyond L size. In the end, we end up with a pink outfit that includes pants and a jacket. The pants are size 44. They get stuck in the fitting booth at the thighs. The XL size jacket is surprisingly big and long. Jackets often hang off my shoulders, but the jacket I fitted fits well.
We also fit a wrap dress, which also fits the length. However, both outfits look funny and like the clothes don’t quite fit.
Bik Bok
The size categories were S, M and XL for the models. In clothes, the sizing corresponds to what you’re used to. In Bik Bok’s selection, you could find a lot of clothes with plenty of room to spare.
Trend trends can affect the sizing of clothes. This sweater is clearly a wider variety than its size classification. Inka Soveri
S size: Clothes S
The skirt should be size XS, because it is a little big at the waist. Otherwise it looks nice. The sleeves of the sweater hang very loose again.
The dress has a flattering fit, this would definitely look good on everyone.
M size: Clothes M
The sweater is really loose, the sleeves are ridiculously long, but fortunately they can be turned to a more suitable size. The skirt is quite short, but the fit is just fine. There is roominess at the waist, but the skirt doesn’t seem to flow or rise up during fitting. The whole S could be taken from the skirt.
The model of the dress is sure to flatter quite a few size classes, as you can see in the fitting video.
Bik Bok found a dress that flatters most people. Inka Soveri
XL size: Clothes XL
We ask for sizes at Bik Bok, where we are told that there are sizes up to 48. So we’ll stay here. Bik Bok is positively surprising, because my preconception was that nothing would fit. Finally, Bik Bok even has my favorite outfit. Both the dress and the sweater and the satin skirt fit well and look good too. The dress is even a little loose. The cut of the dress flatters my body type. The satin skirt is a little short, but it also fits at the hips. I could go shopping for clothes here, knowing that the size XL would actually fit me.
Lindex
Lindex’s selection was a pleasant surprise, this also applied to the size classification, because the clothing sizes didn’t immediately stop at XL size.
Lindex’s size selection was a positive surprise. Jeans up to at least size 54 were found in the rack. Inka Soveri
S size: Clothes S, pants 36.
The jeans fit delightfully well, and thanks to their ankle length, they are just the right length. The shirt can be loose.
The cut of the dress is good for my body type. To me, this is more of a maxi dress than the midi dress it’s meant to be.
A midi dress can even look like a maxi dress when short. Inka Soveri
Size M: Clothes M, pants 40
The jeans are marked cropped. Once in a while, you come across jeans that are sized in such a way that you don’t need to roll them up or shorten them. Pretty lovely I’d say. The jeans fit perfectly anyway. The denim shirt is also perfect for me in terms of design. You could almost grab these products even through the checkout.
The upper part of the dress is a bit loose, but the lower part fits nicely. The dress should reach up to the calf, but for short people, the product in question looks like a maxi dress.
XL size: Clothes M, pants 48
I have found that Lindex sells clothes for my size, so my expectations are high. We match a full denim outfit and a dress. Size 48 jeans fit, but the button doesn’t close. However, the positive thing is that the sled has jeans up to size 54 at least.
XL size denim shirt fits well and looks nice. The model of a dress that buttons in the front is pleasant, but the buttons present challenges. It’s hard to fasten the buttons at the chest, but I can finally fasten the dress. However, the end result does not look good and the dress should at least be taken one size larger. So it seems that Lindex should take at least one bigger size than what is normally used. However, the difference to other stores is that there are sizes and room to play.