Plus size tween clothing?

[RogueX]

My daughter is almost 12 and is having a really hard time finding clothes she feel comfortable in. She is more of a tomboy, so she does not do dresses or skirts. Her waist and hips are a little larger than most girls her age and so she is really upset when looking for clothes because she wants to wear what they are wearing, but we just cannot find a place that has trendy clothes for tweens who are a little on the heavier side. She likes more athletic clothes and is not into any clothes with unicorns, mermaids or anything she would consider "little girl" clothes.

Can anyone please give me any advice? I am devastated for her because she is SO self conscious.

If she likes jeans, American Eagle is great and carries quite a range of sizes (at my heaviest, I was wearing 22 and did a happy dance when they expanded their offerings). Torrid is good too because they go as low as a size 10 and they have a lot of fun clothes (like pop culture tshirts). They have active wear as well. Hot Topic carries a range of sizes and depending on what your daughter likes, she might find things she likes there.

 

[Jnjtrio]

Torrid, I have one daughter who along with PCOS also has hypothyroidism and still battles her weight in her mid 20's. Your daughter is not alone with her struggles. My other daughter was blessed/cursed with the larger bust which made her really self conscious. They have both loved torrid and they also have some very cute Disney inspired outfits. Maurices has also been a shop they have liked in the past.

She is lucky to have a mom who is trying to help her find joy in who she is at this moment. Keep being great!!

 

[longboard55]

Hot Topic does about everything in plus, also check online for things you will not find in stores

 

[mmouse37]

Another vote for Torrid. I am an adult and love their Disney line....but the Disney stuff is only online, not carried in the stores generally.

MJ

 

[NotUrsula]

So, nickel primer on sizing:

Misses sizing is the standard off which everything else is sized. Jr. is , shorter, shorter-waisted, tighter in the bust and arms, and has a flatter hip-to-waist ratio than Misses, smaller by about 1.5" in almost every measurement. Womens, or Plus sizing (identified by that cursed "X") is the opposite, larger by about 1.5" than the corresponding Misses size. (And btw, the corresponding Jr. size to Misses steps downward, so a Jr. 5 is closer to a Misses 6 than a Misses 4).

Where the largest difference comes in is that Jr. sizing assumes a flatter bust to waist ratio. In Jr. sizing the waist is normally ~6 inches smaller than the bust, whereas in Misses sizing it is ~8 inches smaller. For that reason, most girls who are curvy will never find Junior sizes that really fit.

Average height in Misses is defined as 5'4" to 5'7", Petite is under 5'3" (yes, I know, there is a missing inch there!), and Tall is over 5'7". Like Girl's sizes, Junior actually varies the length; the smaller junior sizes are a couple of inches shorter than the larger junior sizes.

This page has a pretty good set of size charts: https://www.liveabout.com/us-womens...sizes for juniors are,style for a few seasons.

((IMPORTANT: US female sizing is not standardized! Though the ratios generally hold between sizes, the actual measurements will vary all over the place from brand to brand, so look at each brand's charts to see where they are on the sizing spectrum. My DD is pretty much a textbook size 4 in most charts, but at OldNavy, where there is major vanity sizing, she is a size 0 (though at Gap, owned by the same company, she's a 4 again.) Knowing most chain stores sizing quirks will help IMMENSELY to save time and frustration, especially if your daughter likes thrift-shopping.))

Also, note that dance sizing is NOT equivalent to street clothing sizing; it is sized at least 2 sizes smaller. Any kind of dancewear is going to require sizing way up. Be sure that your dancers, gymnasts and skaters know this, so they won't be confused or dismayed by it. (I've had athletes break into tears at costume fittings because their slim but muscular bodies required a "Large" costume.)

 

[Aurora79]

I just wish she could see how beautiful she is instead of seeing what she see's as a flaw.

I so wish I could go back and tell my child/teen self this very thing. My parents were both always very supportive and accepting of me, but I still was really unhappy with my body until probably my mid-twenties. Just keep being that great momma that it sounds like you are and let her know she’s not alone and that it absolutely gets better!

 

[kuhltiffany]

My 16 year old shops in the boys section. Lots of gender neutral stuff and a better fit most of the time!

 

[Sjm9911]

So, nickel primer on sizing:

Misses sizing is the standard off which everything else is sized. Jr. is , shorter, shorter-waisted, tighter in the bust and arms, and has a flatter hip-to-waist ratio than Misses, smaller by about 1.5" in almost every measurement. Womens, or Plus sizing (identified by that cursed "X") is the opposite, larger by about 1.5" than the corresponding Misses size. (And btw, the corresponding Jr. size to Misses steps downward, so a Jr. 5 is closer to a Misses 6 than a Misses 4).

Where the largest difference comes in is that Jr. sizing assumes a flatter bust to waist ratio. In Jr. sizing the waist is normally ~6 inches smaller than the bust, whereas in Misses sizing it is ~8 inches smaller. For that reason, most girls who are curvy will never find Junior sizes that really fit.

Average height in Misses is defined as 5'4" to 5'7", Petite is under 5'3" (yes, I know, there is a missing inch there!), and Tall is over 5'7". Like Girl's sizes, Junior actually varies the length; the smaller junior sizes are a couple of inches shorter than the larger junior sizes.

This page has a pretty good set of size charts: https://www.liveabout.com/us-womens-apparel-size-charts-4078100#:~:text=The sizes for juniors are,style for a few seasons.

((IMPORTANT: US female sizing is not standardized! Though the ratios generally hold between sizes, the actual measurements will vary all over the place from brand to brand, so look at each brand's charts to see where they are on the sizing spectrum. My DD is pretty much a textbook size 4 in most charts, but at OldNavy, where there is major vanity sizing, she is a size 0 (though at Gap, owned by the same company, she's a 4 again.) Knowing most chain stores sizing quirks will help IMMENSELY to save time and frustration, especially if your daughter likes thrift-shopping.))

Also, note that dance sizing is NOT equivalent to street clothing sizing; it is sized at least 2 sizes smaller. Any kind of dancewear is going to require sizing way up. Be sure that your dancers, gymnasts and skaters know this, so they won't be confused or dismayed by it. (I've had athletes break into tears at costume fittings because their slim but muscular bodies required a "Large" costume.)

Thanks for that. Helps me a ton. Lol.