Not so great shopping experience :-(

I worked in the fashion trade for a while when I was younger as it's just as bad with normal clothing to be honest.  A lot depends on which country it's made in.  Italian dresses are very tiny and generally, people find they need two sizes bigger at least to get into an Italian dress.  German clothing is generous and you can usually get into a size smaller if not two sizes smaller.  I find the same with shoes too.  I'm a size 3 and a half but need a size two in continental shoes and a 4 in British made shoes.  The size is very much irrelevant these days - if it fits, it fits. I always cut the labels out anyway on clothes as they annoy me especially the scratchy ones.

I'm sorry your first major trip was so crappy! It sounds like it was nothing to do with you but the shop and the assisstant - who sounds awful!

First of all size 12-14 is NORMAL!!!! Actually, its less then average cos if I remember rightly the average dress size in the uk is 16-18, so heaven knows why some shops only stock size 10 in the samples!!

As others have said - dresses come up ridiculously small, and you do have to be careful because some shops will say you need a dress in a much bigger size then you really do so that they can charge you loads for alterations.

I've only been to 2 shops - one shop all sample sizes were a size 12 and I thought to myself - thats not very clever! It must lose them sales because not everyone can tell how it would look on them in their size (I might add that some of the dresses were too small for me and I'm a size 8-10!!!!)

In the other shop the lady had sample sizes ranging from size 6-22 which I though was much more sensible. And when I took my bridesmaids to another shop my sis was worried cos she's a size 16 and the other two are a size 8, but as it turned out all the bridesmaid sample dresses were in a size 16 so my sis looked gorge in them all and the other 2 still did cos the assistant clipped them with bulldog clips at the back!

So I suppose my point it... don't let it get you down. Start afresh, perhaps take somebody else shopping with you and don't feel embarrassed to ask the shop what sizes their samples come in before you go if it makes you feel better. Good luck - you will find the one!!

xx

Mrs Spink to be!:

walked out of several shops that didn't believe that I was actually getting married.  A few thought I was a joke and pointed me towards the prom dresses. Grr!! I still get ID'd to buy a lottery ticket, but I am actually old enough to get married! Hell I'm 21!!

Lol, I share your pain!!! I'm nearly 27 and have had a few strange looks when I've walked into the bridal shop and said I'M the bride- not my younger sister who was with me. I look 18 and she looks 25!!!!

Most of the shops i went to only had their dresses in size 14 plus.

I am a size 10 normally and the size 14s were blimmin tight - they come up really really small!

Quite disheartening really.

try lots of other shops - it sounds like you have had a bit of bad luck!

x

Do not go back to that shop, that's an order!

How dare the assistant and your mother make you feel like that.

Echoing what the others have said about the sizes - it always comes as a bit of a shock I must say, but I think most dresses are always 1/2 sizes smaller than you are depending on who makes them.

Please don't feel disheartened.  Go shopping to a couple of other shops, take a friend, go out for lunch, make it a better experience.  Once you've narrowed it down, then I think take mum just to show her (or not!).  I'm sure she was just trying to help, but comments like that are not good for a girl's confidence.

ETA to say 1/2 dress sizes smaller , cos i is a thickie and not really thinking before i type lol!

Ah thanks, i feel so much better after reading these replies!!!! I'm so pleased it isnt just me!!! Stupid dress sizing, gonna try some different shops locally over the next couple of weeks.

I actually think its disguisting as the sizing, comments are how eating disorders begin. You can see why us girls feel pressured into being stick thin!!!!!!

That's a shame you had a bad time with your first big shopping experience.  I went to three shops in total, the first shop stocked size 10/12, the second shop only stocked 14/16 of every style.  And the third shop ridiculously only had size 8s of every sample! Can you believe it, I think the shop assistant expected me to feel embarrassed as she couldn't get the dresses on me, but I just thought it was ridiculous her shop only stocked those sizes - so she was the one with the problem!

I went in 'proper' bridal shops and eventually bought a 'proper' wedding dress in a size 14 - size 12 bridal dresses were snug on me. I'm actually a size 10/12 normally. Then I changed my mind about the dress I bought and found a dress in Monsoon that I loved. Size 12 hung off me so I've bought a 10. I really wouldn't worry about the number, I think the shops stock small sizes to justify their prices. If the sample is a terrible fit and then you get your made to measure gown with all the fittings and alterations done and it obviously fits like a glove the huge price will seem justified. That's my theory anyway!

i've been to some bad shops too. not so much on size but more like assistants who were rude/not bothered. one woman made me feel like i was inconveniencing her even by being in the shop and daring to want to try on a dress (i had made an appointment not just walked in!!!)

needless to say they didnt get my business!

i even chose my dress in a shop that was ever so slightly more expensive than id seen the same dress in elsewhere as the fitting lady was SO lovely! and i want her to do all my fittings etc.

My dress is a size 10 - I'm a size 8-10 and it's so tiny I'm going to have to corset myself into it otherwise it ruches around the rib cage. Can't have it let out because of the crystal pattern on it would be ruined.

I'm sure I won't even care on the day, I'll be so excited but I'm not going to diet, I'm not changing the dress, it's staying as it is and I'll just not eat that much on the day so I don't get too uncomfortable with the corset on.

I had evil shop people and was really disappointed at how unfun the whole day was. I went to about 10 shops, spending a whole Saturday trying on horrible dresses and only about 1 shop was nice and then I ended up buying the dress I tried on first! (Which no other one could compare to and I still love it after 6 years!)

I even got thrown out of one shop...