The size dilemma

What is it with children’s clothes sizes these days? As they grow, it seems to get harder to buy clothes in their age group. Kids don’t skip a year of growing so why, oh why, do manufacturers skip whole age groups and bunch two sizes together so that the clothes are either too small or too huge?

 

The Bruiser recently got clothes from a popular American chain store (GAP) as birthday presents from family members. They were aged 6-7 and far too long and baggy for him — he is just five since the end of August and average-to-tall for his age. So I carted them all back into town to exchange them (a task I truly detest), only to discover that for some inexplicable reason, the shop doesn’t cater for five-year-olds.

 

The sizes jump from very small (age 4-5) which would fit an average Irish four-year-old to small (age 6-7) which would fit an average six year old. So I had no choice but to hold onto the larger sizes until next winter when he will fit into them, and fork out for more new clothes for this winter in another shop that sells clothes for his age group.

 

And they are by no means the only culprit here. There are lots of other shops doing the same thing. I always buy the kids pyjamas in a well-known Irish department store as they have a good selection and wash well; however, they too are ignoring whole age groups in their sizing.

 

The Baba is a very tall three-year-old who has been in age 4 clothes for the past year. I went in to buy her some cosy, fleecy pyjamas yesterday only to find that they didn’t come in age 4. My choice was to buy 3-4, which just about fit and leave no room for growth, or 5-6 which are far too big. I find the same problem when it comes to buying tights, vests and underwear in this and other stores.

 

There also seems to be very little consistency in sizes. I order a lot of the kids’ clothes online after they go to bed at night as I simply don’t have the time to get into town. Last week, I ordered denim pinafores for the girls in their correct age groups, only to find that they are both about two sizes too small for them. Princess Firstborn is an average-sized six-year-old but I have to exchange her age 6 pinafore for an age 8 while The Baba will be wearing a size 6 in the same dress. And this from a shop that is normally accurate in its sizing.

 

When it comes to sizing clothes for kids, manufacturers please spare a thought for us already frazzled mums who could do without having to traipse in and out of town to exchange ill-fitting clothes!!

 

Michelle McDonagh is a freelance journalist working from Blarney, Co Cork. She’s a mum of three children aged 2, 4 and 5, and a firm believer in 'good enough' parenting, bribery and the healing powers of chocolate.

 

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