fall clothes shopping

[lorrainegd]

OK - So at first thought this seems like an odd topic to be posting but as I thought about I thought that I might find more moms with the same problems shopping for clothes for their dd's as we are having here as many here may have the same body type as my dancer daughter...

 

DD has the HARDEST time finding pants that fit. OK - more than just a hard time - it's a major problem. We actually couldn't even find shorts this summer...

 

The problem is that her waist is too small and her legs are too long (it also seems to be that she has too much muscle in the derriere). We try slims but even in the slims, if the waist fits they are too short (12slims), and if they are long enough they are HUGE in the waist (14 slim)- even in slims! We never had a problem in the summer before, but this year we couldn't even find shorts because if the waist fit they were even too short, so we cut her too short jeans from last year instead. And all of this is overlooking the fact that if the waist fits, the jeans are really tight across her bottom (I keep telling her they will stretch ).

 

Does anyone else have this problem? Have you found somewhere that makes jeans that might fit a child with what apparently are not typical proportions (She looks perfectly perfect to US!). We've tried adjustable waistbands, but they look silly on a girl her age because we have to bunch them so much (my boys are thin too and this si a great solution for them). Or does anyone have an "out-of-the box" approach/idea? I don't know what we're going to do for winter. The only thing that we can find in any bottoms that we can make work are capris (since proper length is less definate) and sweatpants.

[taxis]

Parent of a 14 yo so I'm not sure if I can post here but I have tons of experience with this! You may want to try moving her up to junior sizes and get 00's- yes they make them. I know that Delia's and Aero definitely carry them and both also have long lengths if needed. And once she outgrows those so-called "longs" carried in the stores the catalog Alloy and Delia's offer 35,36 and 37 inch inseams. I recently found out AE carries extra longs online which are 36" inseams. Abercrombie also says their inseams fit up to 5'10" but I beg to differ with them on that plus who can afford them! Two of my daughters wear 37" inseams but luckily have filled out as they got older and no longer need size 00. Good Luck- it's challenging.

[vicarious]

OH! YEAH! I found two old threads on the subject.

http://dancers.invisionzone.com/index.php?...c=32328&hl=

http://dancers.invisionzone.com/index.php?...c=16658&hl=

[kathryn56]

Boy, do I feel for you. We went through this problem with DD and it even extended to skirts (one reason I finally learned to sew!!). Now I am running into the same trouble with my 5 year old grand daughter just when we thought we were done with raising kids!) and 4 year old grand son. Even the adjustable waist things fall off. Dresses worked all summer for Gd, but for school she has to have shorts some days. Time to read the old threads!

[heyjude345]

Wow...I think your daughter and mine have the exact same body! 12 slims too short, 14 slims too big in the waist. Abercrombie is a joke...their smallest size is huge in the waist. Aeropostale does have a 00, which works, but doesn't fit perfectly. We're still on the hunt.

 

And yes, I do get tired of people asking me if my daughter eats. Yes she eats like a horse and works off all the calories and then some. What's a mom to do?

[wannabe]

My DD has the same problem- but we found size OO at Urban Behavior that come in 4 different lengths that fit. She still wears a belt, but pants are long enough, tight enough around the thighs and the crotch is in the right place!! Urban Behavior jeans seem to run a bit slimmer than OOs at Aero or Abacrombie. Jeans at Urban were $29 or $39 per pair regularly- but for the past few weeks there's been a 2 for 1 sale on all denim!!

 

I was so thrilled to find these!! First time in 3 years that we have found pants for her to wear to school!!!!

[hippiechicken]

Same problem here, too. DD can wear a 12 slim in skirts and capris, but pants are too short. I finally found a pair of jeans, size 0, at Macy's that fits her. Not all 0s will fit her though. We tried several until we found a pair.

[ceecee]

I have the same problem with my DD. Try Forever 21 jeans size 24 (12.50 for skinny jeans this weekend through around 30.) also Buckle, size 24, but these are pricey!!! (75-100).

[balleballeyeballe]

I'm very petite myself, so I know your dilemma! Thankfully my girls are a little too young for this to be a major problem. But, I recommend looking around your town. Is their a reliable dry cleaner that offers alterations or an independent clothing store that employs a tailor? Some major retailers like Neiman Marcus even offer in-store alterations. For a (fairly--unless you're looking at Savile Row) reasonable fee they can custom fit garments to your DD. Especially if the jeans or pants fit in every area but one. Just remember that a little larger is best for items that are going to be tailored, or else there won't be enough fabric for the alterations.

Also, if you are looking to add only one or two quality pairs of jeans to your DD's wardrobe look online. both indijeans and mejeans offer fully customized and tailored jeans that you can design online. Levis offers a similar service but you have to go to one of their specialty stores. Note that these jeans are NOT inexpensive. If you go this route, expect to pay $150-200. But, the quality of workmanship, the long lifespan, and the "no one else in the world has these jeans" factor could be worth it.

[CDR]

Stupid question coming up.....what's a 'slim? Is it just a size? We don't get the option of 'slim fitting' or regular - they're all just the same!

[Momof3darlings]

Slim cut is just that, a slimmer cut to the same size. Our childrens jeans sizing comes in slim and regular for some manufacturers, not all. For some manufacturers there is also a plus size. So a size 10 can come in 10 slim, 10 regular and 10 plus. Just a way for all those with the similar measurements but a different distribution to their body to have clothes that fit properly.

 

Newer adult jeans are coming the same way but with more adult names to them like curvy cut, etc.

[CDR]

That sounds good! Wish they did that here! The closest we get is the 'petite' range for shorter people and 'longer length' for tall people. That's just in adult clothes though.

[BelaNina]

My daughter has the same issue - with the same sizes as your dd, Lorraine! We have found that if we hold up several pairs of the same size next to each other, they actually vary in size, so we choose the longest, narrowest 12 slims, and the narrowest 14 slims. She often has to try on several pairs of the same style and size to find the pair that fits her. It's difficult, since the slims seem to go fast, and she doesn't always have the luxury of trying on multiple pairs. She actually has 2 pairs of jeans (both from Abercrombie) that fit her pretty well! The size 00 is still too big for her around the waist and hips. I'm hoping she'll grow into a size 00 this year, because then she can buy pants at Aeropostale, and American Eagle, which are far cheaper than Abercrombie. She also has some 12 and 14 slims from Limited Too that fit her pretty well, but not as well as the Abercrombie skinny jeans style.

 

For shorts this summer, she got the Burmuda peg-legged style shorts in children's sizes 8 and 10, and they fit her perfectly.

[lorrainegd]

Thank you all SO SOOO much!!! DD and I went to the mall today, list of stores in hand from all those that you mentioned here. She had so much fun! She usually hates clothes shopping because she tries on a million things and we leave with nothing...little to nothings fits and what does she doesn't like. Well today was a HUGE success! We went to PacSun, Forever 21, Aeropostale and Delia's. We peeked in a couple other stores, but they were way to pricey. DD found that at least the jeans in all these stores were close. The 4 that we went in were all having sales on their denim.

 

PacSun's jeans were 2/$55. PacSun's 00 fit nice every where, except they were REALLY cut low...but they fit (that was a mood lifter).

 

Forever 21's size 24 jeans fit too, but they only had skinny jeans and they were long. DD hates that skinny jean look (too bad since they were $20! ) they make her already long thin legs look that much longer and thinner - if I could have that problem!

 

All the jeans at Aeropostale were 50% off! Aero's jeans do seem to run a little bigger. Most 00's were too big in the waist still, but we did find one really cute pair that fit her very nicely - a wide leg pair (00 regular length) seems odd to me that wide leg would fit. At first she thought they looked weird because they are different than her regular jeans but they are SO cute on her. $25 at 1/2 off.

 

Then we went to Delia's and that went really well. 00's in short fit her perfectly. They have something like 4 lengths: petite (28" inseam), short (30"), regular and long. She got a pair of skinny flare jeans and a pair of cords. The had a great deal going on there too. DD got a $10 gift card JUST FOR TRYING ON the jeans, whether she liked them, bought them or not. Then the jeans/pants were buy one get one 1/2 off and if you spent $50 you got $25 to spend next month ($25 toward a $50 purchase of course - sounds like early Christmas shopping to me). We were in a pickle because they didn't have the cords in stock in her size and we didn't want 2 more pairs of jeans. We were able to buy the jeans and then order the cords from a phone right there in the store and still get the bogo 1/2 off deal and they are shipping them to us at no charge. 2 pair for $50 after the $10 gift certificate for trying on the jeans...plus the $25 coupon for next month. And dd was laughing SO hard in the car - they put the tinniest little deodorant in the bag (dd said maybe she smelled LOL).

 

SO I say we did OK - great actually! I didn't totally break the bank, although it was a little more than we were used to spending. And dd got to enjoy shopping like most girls her age rather than hating every minute. Thank you to everyone here!!!!

 

Oh - and if anyone is interested in applying our shopping experience to your own dd, My dd has a 24"waist and a 29.5" inseam.

 

Happy HAPPY shopping!!!

[taxis]

lorrainegad- I had to chuckle when I read your post and wow did you hit the jackpot and your DD enjoyed it too! My middle daughter and I were shopping last week and we were discussing how her two other sisters never have liked shopping. I have always felt it was subconsciously because they could never find anything to fit them. Now we shop online for that elusive 37" inseam but atleast it's out there now! Glad it all worked out.