Comments on: Why Would Stores Do This?

By: Margo

Margo — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:41:01 +0000

leymoo – H&M do +sizes? Knock me down with a feather. i’ve only been in the UK 1 month, & so far I’ve only got stuff at M&S and Dorothy Perkins – v. unimpressed with the latter’s trousers, which self-destructed on my first day of work, hem falling down and buttons a-poppin’, but I liked seeing Gok in the changing rooms.

By: leymoo

leymoo — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:29:46 +0000

Only one.

In a US store (they only have about 2-3 stores in the UK, as far as I can remember).

I asked what an XL was in UK sizes
“oh, about a 12? Possibly a 14 at a stretch” (US 8 and 10, respectively).
She didn’t seem to think that this meant I wouldn’t be able to fit into any clothing. This is fairly normal for me: I’m large framed so because people don’t see fat/podge they don’t think “fat”, but I am still plus size. When I explained it meant I’d have to put stuff back she gave me an awful look.

*Never* had the problem anywhere else. I can only assume that I either have a look that doesn’t encourage it, or I’m lucky, or the UK has more enlightened attitudes to these things.

H&M, although having a very difficult to find plus size section (main section goes up to US 16 or UK 20, plus size overlaps from UK 16 (US 12) to UK 32(US 28)), is wonderful. I’ve never had any problems with the staff, and I suppose it makes sense for their business: a huge amount of their money comes from accessories, which don’t have size restrictions.

My experiences have generally been positive, apart from before the “bra sizing revolution” and constantly being told I’m a 44A without actually looking at the bra on my body. Now people fit by size, it’s a lot different: no more back pain :D

By: Bree

Bree — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:57:48 +0000

“You’d think stores like these would catch on to the idea that people larger than a 14 also have money. If the intent of a retail establishment is to, y’know, sell stuff, you’d think they’d want to have as many things as possible that as many people as possible could purchase.”

You bring up a good point Z. It could be some of these stores that won’t offer clothing in sizes beyond a 14 and/or relegate larger customers to only online shopping don’t believe they can project an upscale, attractive image. So even middle and upper class people of size who can afford the clothes are SOL because they are lumped in with the stereotypical image of what society thinks a fat person looks like and behaves. They’re tying in fatness with myths about class and socioeconomic status and that’s wrong.

By: J. P. Vonderhaar

J. P. Vonderhaar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:34:05 +0000

When I was shopping for a prom dress, I went to about 25 stores looking for a dress that was:
-in my size (a 12-14 at the time)
-bra-friendly or provided enough support that my DD-cup boobs could go braless
-less than $150 because that was all I was willing to spend
-easy enough to have shortened because I’m only 5′2″

Gosh, I’m so unreasonably picky, aren’t I? I could not find a single dress that met more than two of those criteria. I asked the saleslady if they had anything closer to what I was looking for, and she pointed me to the Mother of the Bride section. In what universe are Mother of the Bride dresses appropriate for the Senior prom? I was at least 30 years too young for anything there!

Thankfully, one of my best friends was about twice my size and her grandmother was a master seamstress. When I told them about my frustration, they said I should have told them sooner and helped me find a dress that made me look and feel like Jessica Rabbit.

Also… Lovefifi.com has a pretty good selection of sexy large size bras (lots of DD and DDD stuff, some styles up to G), panties (up to 3X) and trashy lingerie at good prices, and their customer service is excellent.

By: Z.

Z. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:27:17 +0000

I have a friend who had a similar nasty experience with a Victoria’s Secret SA. I’ve never had one myself, because I am unable to buy bras there at all. They carry my band size – 38 – but their largest cup size is a DD, and that ain’t cuttin’ it. So I won’t buy panties there, either, on general principle. I will, however, buy jeans from the catalog, because they have good jeans…but you can’t purchase that stuff in the stores, as far as I know, and even then, they only go up to a 14.

You’d think stores like these would catch on to the idea that people larger than a 14 also have money. If the intent of a retail establishment is to, y’know, sell stuff, you’d think they’d want to have as many things as possible that as many people as possible could purchase.

It’s like they think that as soon as your waist passes a certain circumference, you are instantly rendered penniless and immediately relocate to a cardboard box somewhere, where you must then weave your garments from discarded newspapers, plastic bags, and twist ties, and barter your creations to the other over-14s in exchange for sammiches and shampoo.

wtf, stores?

By: La BellaDonna

La BellaDonna — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:58:35 +0000

Cat(Different One), I will recommend to you what I recommend to other ladies who wish Victoria’s Secret (a) had sizes that fit them, and (b) were polite.

Frederick’s of Hollywood, ladies. Yes, they may be a source of jokes, and of somewhat tawdry catalogues back in the 50s and 60s, but they have some beautiful bras and some decent panties. I bought a rack of panties in 2XL, and some really beautiful, supportive, embroidered lace bras. Red lace with silver flowers, black lace with lavendar flowers … pretty! And under $30, for heaven’s sake!

I don’t think they go all the way up to some of the really larger sizes – I don’t know if they carry Js, because I wasn’t looking. But they certainly seem to expect and welcome larger-than-12s to come and shop. And I’d like to add that my $24/$26 Frederick’s bras were cut just like, and made just as well, as the La Mystere bra I plunked down $70 for. Give them a look!

As for Vicky’s Seekrit, it seems to depend. I was in one, where I’d taken a friend to look for bras (yes, I have some that I’ve gotten there myself), and I was explaining sizing and fit to her, and the manager, who had been listening, offered me a job on the spot. On the other hand, in another store, the barely-nubile girl there was utterly indifferent to the fact that I had money to spend; apparently anyone over a C was not worth her time. Fortunately, her co-worker felt entirely different.

I did have the usual Bridal Store Horror Story: at a size 10, I was looking for a non-bridal gown, and was told, with a sneer, that they didn’t have anything that would fit me. Oh. Well.

So, I guess that, often: It Depends.

By: La BellaDonna

La BellaDonna — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:57:01 +0000

Cat(Different One), I will recommend to you what I recommend to other ladies who wish Victoria’s Secret (a) had sizes that fit them, and (b) were polite.

So, I guess that often: It Depends.

By: kalamari

kalamari — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:07:35 +0000

“I’m not surprised that Victoria’s Secret would put down big customers. I’ve always wondered why they don’t do a plus line. I think they would get a good response. Big gals don’t want to wear “granny” underwear all the time.”

I wonder this about nearly every store I walk past while shopping for clothes. What percent of the population is overweight? A lot; yet there are so few stores that have clothing to fit those people. They could make a killing!
Argh!!!

By: crewbie

crewbie — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:46:20 +0000

I’m fortunate in that I’ve never had a poor customer service encounter (at least not due to discrimination). I will say, however, that one place I ALWAYS have good help is at J.Crew. I’m a size L/14 in their clothes, which is usually at the very bottom of the pile, but ocasionally is missing. I’ve always found people really great, especially because if I look like I’m hunting they will almost always come and ask if I need them to find a size.

It is also not uncommon for me to experience what I consider to be OUTSTNANDING service there. Even looking my grungiest, I’ve had super helpful salespeople (men and women) go out of their way to find sizes for me, help me compare styles, entertain me in the dressing room, and suggest items to go with whatever I’m trying on (usually their jeans, which I highly recommend if you have larger/athletic/whatever thighs, and a good set of hips). At one point I had a salesman bring me two shirts to try on with a pair of my favorite jeans, and he said, direct quote, “Now I brought you a couple of shirts that I LOVE with those jeans. They’re both darling…but I think this one is a better shirt for the money.”

If you’re up to a 14/16 (the 16 only comes online, which I think is a bit silly), I recommend the outlets. Their jeans are usually nicely on sale, and some are great on a fuller figure. Plus the staff is almost always great!

By: Kimiks

Kimiks — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:27:57 +0000

This was about ten years ago, I had received my first 10k plus bonus and decided to go and but a whole new wardrobe with the entire amount I had received. I put on my very expensive cowboy boots, a pair of jeans, white shirt and a blazer and went to the mall in the Suburb of Boston I was living in at the time. The first place I went was a frou frou boutique that I had heard great things about, and the woman looked at me from head to toe and said ” I don’t think we have your style here.” I just looked at her and walked out- could not think of a snappy come back. I went into another shop- and was told that there was nothing in my size that I may want to look in the “Fat Woman” Department. At this point I wanted to cry- I took my Size 16 New Mexican Cow Boy Boot Wearing Bum to the local Brew pub, flirted a little with the bar tender and walked back into the Mall Determined to find something- walked into Lane Bryant, had the most helpful person on the planet and walked out after spending about in one fell swoop- all I needed were shoes- so I went back to the snooty department store, where the shoe Department was directly across from the women’s department- I spent a lot more there, all under the watchful stink eye of the snooty sales woman. When the sales person asked if I needed anything else, I said I’d like to speak with the store’s manager. I explained the situation, how the shoe guy was very helpful but the women’s SA needed help. I was given a deep discount, a huge gift certificate and the snooty SA was last seen following the Store Manager up the escalator. The Frou Frou Boutique went out of business. Justice was served.