The Battle Between your Child’s Growth and the Sizes they Wear
AKA: What’s the deal with sizes anyway?
A former statistics professor of mine had a favorite saying: “Stuff varies.” The same can be said of children. Children grow frequently, and they do it in different ways and at different rates from each other. Yes, you can find typical growth trends when you look at a whole bunch of kids. But, when you’re shopping for your own kid, his or her measurements are all that matter.
And, depending on your child’s age and stage of growth and whether they experience a growth spurt, they may change from one size to another in a very short amount of time. I’m sure you’ve had the experience where what you buy today is outgrown within days or weeks. Yikes!
Child development, then, can cause frustration when shopping for children’s clothing because there are bound to be:
- Mismatches between the age your child is and the size your child wears
- Mismatches between your child’s growth and the measurements a piece of clothing is designed to fit.
Age-Related Mismatches in Children’s Clothing Sizes
Clothing size labels frequently reflect the age of the child the clothes are designed to fit. So, a size 5 is intended to fit the typical 5 year old child, for example. But, because children grow at different rates and in different ways, age-based sizing is not always appropriate. It gets even more complicated when designers use common age-based sizes, but the suggested ages don’t quite match up with your expectations – like for sizes 14 and 16 in the following size chart example:
Growth-Related Mismatches in Children’s Clothing Sizes
Clothing designers tend to create size brackets that match the typical measurements for a child at a certain age for the customer demographic they are targeting.
Because of this, children’s clothes are the one place where you might be thankful that your kid is average. Average height and weight measurements and average growth mean that you have a number of clothing options to choose from and that choosing them is pretty straightforward (though, not always).
But, if your child grows more quickly than another, causing them to outgrow clothing recommended for their age, you probably can’t use the size on the label to help you buy clothing for your child. Reading size charts, having your child try things on, or eyeballing fit are what you’ll need to do to buy larger sizes that fit.
And, if your kid happens to be a different shape than the average – maybe they are long and lean or just a little bit chubby for their age – typical clothing will be too short, too long, or too tight on your child. You may need to consider a whole new set of slim or plus/husky sizes to find clothing that is comfortable and appropriate for your child.
……….
The fact of the matter is that sizing systems are complicated and they are not consistent across brands. Many of you learn over time what brands fit your child’s body type and whose sizing is consistent with your child’s measurements. Others of you don’t mind a little trial and error. Either way, wouldn’t it be nice if it were a little easier to shop for your kids?
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