yellowroom

I hate clothes shopping with a passion, especially shopping for trousers as they never bloody fit - to get them to fit round my bum and hips they're massive around the waist. I could never understand why the average M&S customer seemed to be 5 months pregnant....

Well it seems like M&S and Next need to get themselves into gear because I've just discovered the curvy fit pants that many retailers do here, and for the first time in YEARS I've got a pair of trousers that fit properly. Female board readers will appreciate that I did a little dance round the fitting room, and when the shop assistant asked me if everything was ok, I barely restrained myself from giving her a big hug.

Interesting though that the average US woman is taller than me. I'm 5'5" so completely UK average - regular fit trousers have never been a problem length wise, usually 30" inseam is about right. Over here 30" seems to be a petite/short fitting.....

Mummy in the foothills

What brand are these curvy fit trousers?
I noticed Levis has curvy fit jeans now, but they have no stretch in them.
I've now lost 10lbs (and my cholesterol appreciates it along with my waistline) and I'm fitting into normal trousers again, no more gappy waist if I buy ones that sit just below the waist. I wear the short fitting to, but I'm only 4' 11" with a 30 inseam

N1cky

I bought some cheap work trousers last week in Macys which are a curvy fit. They seem to have replaced all the straight leg trousers with them but I was in a hurry and desperate. They are actually quite a nice fit, but a bit big on my bum.

The brand I bought was Alfani, and they did them in petite length too.

Jerseygirl

M&S clothes are always perfect fit on me. Same applies to hubby. My Canadian SIL prefers to get his suits, trousers and shirts from M&S.com.

yellowroom

Eddie Bauer.

I've lost 11lb since being here (no cadburys or M&S simply food), and my winter work trousers were so badly fitting they were making me look like a tramp. I'm currently wearing an old pair of M&S jeans that fit me again. You can tell how old they are because they are pre- the resizing they did a while back that changed the shape of their clothes and they are also pre the fashion for hipster everything. The waistband actually sits on my waist and no muffin top!

I don't know why british retailers haven't worked out that not all women have the same waist to hips ratio. It's a revelation.

yellowroom

Sorry, missed this. Either I've got short legs or you've got long ones cos I don't know how we both wear the same length trousers when I'm six inches taller!

Mummy in the foothills

I like Eddie Bauer clothes. Theres an outlet about an hour from me, we go a couple of times a year. I must try out the pants next time. I have skirts and tops from them.
My legs don't seem long, just in proportion I think
29 if I have flats, 30 if I have a small heel. Can't wear high heels I fall off them.

WEBlue

Over here the typical non-Petite American woman seems to have become a giant! I'm tall in the UK, 5'7", but here in the US if the waist fits me in trousers as well as skirts the length is way too long. I don't want to roll up my slacks' bottoms & I don't want a skirt that hits my ankles!!

I lived in the States in the 90's & had no trouble finding wearable clothing, but now I have to really search the racks & still sometimes find nothing that doesn't look clownishly long.

dunroving

Could we have some pictures, please?

Sally Redux

They are not going to suit my shape

augigi

I like the Old Navy curvy bootcut jeans, as well as the Se7en brand jeans that I find at TJ Maxx. I am 5'6" and definitely find that a lot of dress pants are way too long. My Calvin Klein pants are the worst - they need like 6" taken off!

The best thing about US sizing is that I'm a 6-8 US instead of a 10-12 Australian

toopie28

I have Levi's Curvy Boot and also Eddie Bauer Curvy straight leg. I also hate shopping - do everything online.

Anyway, I'm 5'5" too and they are fine with high heeled boots but other than that I'm tripping over them.

Only started wearing jeans about 2 years ago and still have not found the "perfect" fit.

Englishmum

My close friend here in the States is an Aussie expat who is one of the top fit models in the fashion district in New York city. A fit model is basically a human version of a dressmaker's dummy, but has technical knowledge of patterns and cutting.

I'd never heard of a fit model (aka fitting model) but she explained to me that clothes sizes have to meet a standard size eg. 4,6,8,10,12 etc. and have to fit the clothing company's/designer's ideal before the clothes go into production (mainly in the Far East) where hundreds of thousands of the same style are manufactured. They use a fit model who meets the proportions which fit their criteria; she has to be weighed each week and all her proportions eg. shoulder to elbow, elbow to wrist, chest, tummy, hips, legs - calves, ankles etc. must be a particular size.

She is a 'perfect' US size 8 - indeed when she came to the States many years ago it was on one of those visas for people with specialisms - and fits for some of the well-known US stores and elite designers found in every American stand-alone and their sections within department stores. I've often told her how jealous I am that she can try on almost any item of clothing from any shop, even the companies she doesn't 'fit' for - yes even jeans - and they fit her perfectly!

I'm only 5'2" and it's a nightmare trying to get trousers/jeans in the right length, even the petite sizes are still too long in most cases as I rarely wear heels

One of my favourite clothes shops is Zara (the Spanish chain). However, it has been struggling in the States as their clothes are apparently too slim-fitting for American customers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...arket-U-S.html

WEBlue

Maybe all these too-long trousers & skirts around these days are made for stiletto-wearing ladies? I never wear heels any more, & my feet appreciate it mightily! But could that be why some of us find the lengths all wrong?

Sally Redux

Yeah same here.