Forever 21 Can Kiss My Extra-Large Butt
Dear Sir (’cause I know a woman would not be behind this):
I have an issue with the sizing at your store.
I know, I know. The name of your store should be a warning. I’m not 21 – not even close. I know that my needs could be better met in a store called “Forever Mid-Thirties,” or “Desperately Clinging to My Youth.” But still, your budget prices and sassy fashions beckon me in again and again.
During my last visit to your store, I found an adorable Asian-print dress that would be a great number for an upcoming event. I grabbed it in a size large, because I’ve been to your store before. I know that I am a medium-sized gal according to the folks at Gap and Target, but in your store, I’m a large. I’ve made my peace with that. Until today.
I tried on the dress. I could barely get in on. I almost needed assistance getting it back off. This dress was so tight that any thoughts of moving or sitting while wearing it would be disastrous.
Which leads me to believe that, according to your store, I am an extra-large.
Alight, fine. I can accept that. So, I sheepishly asked the dressing room person for the dress in an XL.
What’s that? You don’t even carry that size?
I am an average-sized girl. I usually hover between a size 8 and a size 10. Yes, I could lose a few or 15. But I’m finding it hard to believe that, along the spectrum of sizes and body types in America, that this is the largest size you can offer. That your design team has decided that someone my size is an extra-large person. And that anyone larger can’t even shop in your store.
Let me suggest that you consider changing the name of your store to Forever 12. Because that’s the only age group that can comfortably fit into your clothing.
Sincerely,
Kristen
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Kristen is the mom of four children within four years via birth and adoption, and has been blogging at Rage Against the Minivan as a coping skill since 2004. Here, you might find musings about the impact of the skinny jean on Kristen's self-esteem, her tendency to spill food on her laptop, and her inappropriate crush on Jon Stewart. 
This chaps my XL ass as well. It’s pure annoying. I wonder if they know how much $$ they are missing out on, by leaving out 80% of the female shopping population.
Seriously. I would be spending a fortune on a bunch of $24 tops that won’t wash well. Don’t they get that???
It should be a law that ALL stores’ clothes have the same sizing. Wearing a 12 in American Eagle, and a 15 in Levis makes it a little difficult to shop. I say we petition to make it a federal law for all sizing to be the same!
Ah yes, the joys of Forever 21. I really enjoy grabbing a cute dress off the rack, putting it on and realizing that it barely covers my butt. Because you can’t buy clothes at Forever 21 unless you’re under 5’8″. And my 5’11″ body is just not going to cut it.
I’m going to have to agree with your name-change.
Word. Although this seems to be a problem everywhere. Hemlines are getting shorter every year. Is a dress that covers my butt too much to ask for?!?! Yes, apparently.
I agree. I am 5′ 10″ and have a hard time finding anything long enough anywhere. Also, the whole different size issue kills me. I suffer from wall-butt disease and no-hip-ism, but I have long-backer shoulders. I found I can only buy pants at Old Navy if I don’t want to look like I have wings. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I wear an Old Navy size 4 in bottoms, but an extra large top. If I go anywhere else, I wear a 7/8 bottom and a large top????? How can there be that much difference? We need to get rid of the vanity sizing and just have a standard sizing chart.
PREACH. I’m 5’10″ and I bought a F21 dress (it was marketed as a dress!) online, thinking it would probably be long enough at least for a date with my husband. Ha. Hahaha. Ha. It did not even go past my butt! (Would’ve been my husband’s favorite date dress ever!) I have that trouble with a lot of dresses these days, though, not just from F21, though theirs are consistently too short.
I’m 14 and I can’t shop there for fear I won’t find a top that can fit over my boobs. Sure, I’m big for my age (5’6, size 12) but unable to shop at a store called “forever 21″? Ridiculous. Especially because the average woman in the US is a size 16. I’m actually embarrassed to go to school with other girls passing shirts as dresses and leggings as pants. It makes me almost miss uniforms, which were always too small in the chest and to short in the skirt and knee highs for me anyway.
Even more insulting…Forever 21′s “plus size” line that is only carried in some stores that would theoretically fit all the size 8 and up ladies (but honestly we know it won’t go over a size 14ish) but they have the audacity to call it PLUS SIZED. Say what?
Ridiculous.
Not to mention every F21+ section is super small compared to the size of the store and the clothes are UGLY! Also just because I wear “plus” size, does not mean I’m 6 feet tall. They should offer different lengths in their jeans, but I guess you get what you pay for.
Seriously! I know they’re a discount store and trying to make a buck, but if Old Navy can carry a size 22 in the store, I think Forever 21 could A) use standard sizing B) include clothes over an actual size 6.
TESTIFY. I’m too big for even their 3X.
I wear anywhere from a 14 to a 20, depending on the brand. I think three x’s are plenty.
Interesting. I’m a size 16-18 and can easily wear their size L shirts. I never attempt the pants or skirts, because I’m pretty sure I’m too fat for those. I just wish their plus size line on the site has the same clothes as the regular line, only bigger. Their plus size stuff is hideous.
Preach. Their plus size line is disgusting and cheap looking.
Almost everything in Forever 21 is cheap looking. Occasionally I get upset I can’t shop there … and then I remember I wouldn’t want to anyway.
This is ridiculous. What’s the point of sizes anyway if nothing is consistent? My husband once asked me how it’s possible that I have XS t-shirts and XL t-shirts, and they both fit about the same. I also have jeans in 8, 10, and 12, and they all fit pretty much the same. Maybe guys have it right – just put the measurements out there and be done with it.
Yes, measurements would be easier. Why is it that we have S/M/L and have boobs, and men get all these fancy numbered options to choose from when they buy shirts AND pants?
So true about the boobs without fancy measurements arguement. But honesly, I am more likely to trust my size label at GAP as “4″ than jcrew’s “27″ because the height of the rise must have something to do with that waist measurement. I’m bamboozled .
You know what? I know they carry a Plus Sized Line (they don’t in MY local store, but they advertise one online at least), but I see that Girl With Curves Tumblr gets at least 50% of her clothes there. I’m always amazed, because I’ve never been able to find anything that works for me there. (And I’m a 10-12.)
I think it’s the shirts. I can vary from a L to an XL in normal people clothes, and SOMETIMES, depending on cut, I can wear their shirts. But it definitely has everything to do with how the shirt is cut.
Also, I am a huge fan of taking those teeny tiny dresses and making them shirts.
Same here. I use the dresses as shirts. I also use the store for cardigans, since they don’t have to be buttoned over my boobs or tummy. Girl With Curves definitely gets awesome stuff there, but she has a nice flat belly that can handle the tighter shirts. I actually started buying stuff from 21 because of that blog!
Agreed! I used to love Forever *12* because I could get the trendy seasonal pieces at a cheap price, but lately I can’t even fit into their larges. Dresses there are the worst. I’m a size 10 in dresses at American Eagle. So frustrating!! And Kelly is right; In shirts alone I’m a small at Gap and Old Navy, medium at Target and Anne Taylor LOFT, large at American Eagle and now XL at Forever 21. Arrrgh!
What kills me is that Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic are essentially the same company and still have such a discrepancy.
Right? I’m a large at Banana, medium at Gap, and lately sometimes a small at Old Navy*. What gives?
*Although, with Old Navy, it’s always a crapshoot – I tried on 5 pairs of /the same/ pair of their jeans the other day (same size, color, length, style) and only 2 of them fit. One was too big and the other two were too small – in different areas. What the hell?
There’s a reason the clothes at Old Navy are so cheap. The reason is they are very poorly made.
I decided a while back shopping there made me feel just a bit desperate anyway. Since doubling the coveted “21″ I’ve forgone the temptation.
word. I won’t walk into stores that aren’t marketing to me anymore. I’m 42 and I’m happy to shop where they want to please the money out of me, not shame the money out of me.
Amen sister! I’m a 10-12 and I always start with a large, but with some fabrics I don’t even bother trying stuff on. If it’s not jersey knit or stretchy it hardly ever works for me. And I know it shouldn’t bother me, but I feel kind of defeated to trudge over to the plus size section – they make you feel huge by segregating the clothing like that and it starts with 1X instead of calling it XL. Mind games I tell you!
The store here doesn’t even have a plus-size section! But they did carry baby clothes for a while. For all the 21-year-olds having babies, I guess???
oh yes that makes sense! No one over 15 can fit in their clothes but they sell baby clothes?? hmmm…
I couldn’t agree more. It angers me so much that I can’t just walk into any store and pick up a pair of pants like my husband can. I would much rather be able to consistently buy a size 33 than wonder if I really need to take sizes 8, 10 and 12 into the dressing room.
AMEN!
Plus, they get to choose their waist AND length, whereas I get to have my jeans rubbing the floor because apparently someone decided that at a size 10, I should be taller. Boo.
I hate that! I wear a size 9 in target mossimo jeans and I am 5’4. I got the 9s and they are ok with flats but look ridiculous with flip flops (too short). Then I bought a 9 regular and they are about 4 inches too long! I can only wear them with really tall heels. So the difference between a 9s and a 9 regular is 4 inches??? Shouldn’t it be about 2? I should ditch the juniors sizing but their women’s jeans come up over my belly button and I refuse to go there.
I have been there. Nothing ruins a shopping trip like finding something cute, trying it on and feeling huge because the size you usually wear won’t even go up over your hips. I don’t go there any more either. I agree with the other posters – use measurements and be done with it. Between the pre-teen sizing at these stores and the vanity sizing at others, it is very hard to go shopping without dedicating a crazy amount of time to trying things on.
AMEN. Forever 21 is a jewelry only location for my size 14 butt.
Jewelry is the only thing there that is worth the money. What I can fit into (which isn’t much) doesn’t wash well and for the crap material I sometimes find them overpriced.
I’ve never been to a Forever 21, but does anyone remember a store called 5 7 9? Their big claim to fame was that the only carried junior sizes 1-9, so anyone bigger than that was unable to shop there. I first came across them in the 1980s and even as a 10 year old, I was kind of floored that they would purposely try to make their store so that not everybody could shop there. It seemed like a bad move. Forever 21 (when I’ve walked past it in the mall) has always kind of struck me as that sort of store.
Yes I remember this store. And I remember my mother telling me how, in her opinion, any store that sized clothes using odd numbers did so because of lack of quality. All *quality* stores held sizes in even numbers. I think this was her way of trying to steer me clear of the teen clothes and into what she deemed more respectable clothing.
Your mother was a genious. I remember feeling the shame at age 12 being a size 10/11. Stupid 5-7-9 store!
Yes!! Totally remember 5/7/9. I also remember that I could barely fit in their clothes, even in 9th grade.
Ugh! 5/7/9!!! What awful memories!! Oh boy!
ummm… I was happy with that store… cuz I had a hard time finding clothes small enough.
Don’t have that problem any more. 8-10 here
5/7/9 is a petites store. They have exclusively plus-sized stores, so what’s wrong with a store for petite women?
And to all those tall women complaining about Forever 21 clothing being too short…I’m a small girl their clothing is always too long! I have to hem everything I buy. And maxi dresses? Forget about it.
Small sizes aren’t just for “12-year-olds”, you know. :(
“They”, have ONE plus sized store, Lane Bryant, which carries a size 14 and up. As a size 12, I cannot wear their clothes..Nor can I wear anything from a F21 store. Nor any of the other stores. At 5’4, I would have to hem everything.
Every other store in the world is for small women….
That’s like the idiot WASPS in the south saying we need a white history month if there is going to be a black history month…As if white people and petite women are not catered to enough already…
And just we’re clear…I’m white, so how bout none of us get our XL panties in a bunch!
Haha! Omg, awesome! And SO freakin true!!
preach it! depending on the dress at forever 21 i’m either a small, medium or large (with neither sizes covering my butt at an appropriate level). it would be so much easier if retailers accross the board had similar sizing. i feel like i need to have a spreadsheet with my different sizes at all the stores.
I really hope you’ll consider actually sending this letter. I too am an “extra large person” and it’s such a slap in the ego when this happens.
Has anyone else seen the rebranding of some Forever 21 stores? It isn’t at all of them, but at least a few in nicer malls are being renamed ‘XXI Forever’ to seem . . . fancier, I guess. Um. Okay?!
I gave up shopping there and at a few other stores. I do wish we had consistent sizing so that suddenly not fitting in my size didn’t depress me, or surprise me when I go down a few sizes. I need new jeans but the process isn’t worth the effort right now! And everytime I fall in love with a brand, it changes and I have to start my ‘favorite’ jean/shorts/whatever search all over again.
Ugh. I’d rather shoot myself than try on a billion pairs of pants.
In general I feel that store is for a very specific body type. Small framed, average height or shorter, and thin. I’m 6’1 and I’m lucky if their dresses come past my waist. Shirts are easier but for the most part I see Forever 21 as a store for petites.
Urgh. I hate that …. and I feel sorry that my XXS daughter might one day – when she’s a teen – wear a medium in that store and I’m gonna explain to her over and over that she’s “ok”. :(
forever 21 is such bull shit!
I don’t even wanna know how many X’s would be in front of my size if they were to actually offer it. I am SOOOO on board with the putting the measurements on womens clothes idea! It frustrates me that guys can walk into a store and buy a pair of jeans without trying it on, while I have to spend several traumatizing and tearful hours in a dressing room.
Confession: I’ve never shopped at Forever21. When I was a size 22 I didn’t dare step foot in the store, I knew nothing would fit. Now that I’m a size 10, 12 or 14 (depending on the store) I’m still afraid of shopping there. You have just confirmed my fears. :)
I have never been in and I think this makes it easy to ignore the occasional raves they get.
Jen has it right, just give us sizes based an actual measurements. Screw the vanity sizing or, in this case, insanity sizing.
Oh wow, I’m SO glad I’ve never tried to shop there before… Ridiculous!
I’m 22 and STILL confused as to who exactly that store is for. It doesn’t fit my 5’3, size 2, 18 year old sister. It doesn’t fit my 5’11, size 4, friend. And it most certainly does not fit me, a 5’8, 22 year old who wears a size 8.
SAME! I’m 22, 5’1, size 2 with a petite build, usually an XS or S and at forever 21 I find most things too short and small for me. I’m a medium or large there!
This is exactly how I felt years ago when I had to give up on Victoria’s Secret. They do not make bras above a DDD. I am very much a F/G, and (not the case right now being preggo) am generally only a 34 around. Trying to find F’s & G’s anywhere is a challenge, but then they generally only make them 36 around or bigger. Not quite sure what girls with fake boobs do, but I can pretty much only buy at Nordstroms. I had a very long grieving period over having to give up VS though. I figured I didn’t have a choice when the sales lady told me that they just can’t help me.
I recently had to give up on VS, too! After having my son, my boobs deflated a bit, but my rib cage is still as big as it always was, and it was difficult to find a 38 B. (Not all of their bras came in that size.) And after I found some that did, and bought four of them, three of them fell apart within a week of each other. And I was furious at spending upwards of $60 on bras that didn’t last more than 6 mos. So I (gulp) walked into Wal-Mart, had no trouble finding my size, and walked out with two bras for around $15 (total!), both very comfortable and both still (4 mos. later) going strong. But I’m still kinda sad about VS :(
while VS line is pretty, you’re absolutely right. i spent $50 on a bra that fell apart way faster than any of my $10 – $15 wally world bras!!
Hey Liz, if you can find a Nordstrom Rack anywhere near you (often in outlet malls, but not always – sometimes they’re in regular malls or near more upscale stores), they sell most of Nordstrom’s bras for around 50% off – and they usually have a GREAT selection of of Fs and Gs! (Like a Marshall’s or TJ Maxx, selection varies, but their bra sections tend to be awesome most of the time.)
One bra fitting at Nordstrom plus the locating of two public-transit-accessible Nordstrom Racks (Washington, DC area), and my boobs have never been happier.
Liz — if you’re not scared of ordering from the UK, get thee to Bravissimo! Pre-breast reduction, I was a 34J in American sizes (34G in UK sizes) and bought all my bras through them. They are the shizz.
I’m really glad I read this. I thought I was crazy when I got a size large button in the mail from them and it was sized like a small, I thought I was going to rip out of it like the hulk.. I can only wear there cardigans and sunglasses.
I thought forever 21 was a junior’s store. ?
I know that there is a huge difference in the sizing between juniors, misses, and womens. when I stopped fitting into juniors jeans, on to the misses I went. funny how a 6 there is like a 10 in juniors. I wouldn’t feel bad. I’d just shop elsewhere!
Victoria Secret is the same!!!! No longer carry XL panties. I get the free panty coupons they send but can’t use them because they are only valid in store. Oh – and when I do pay full price, I have to pay shipping too…. Because size 12 is apparently out of their target demographic. Ugh!!!!
Their cotton panties stretch pretty well though. I was doubtful that I could squeeze my ass into a large, but hey, it was free! And then it fit! It was great.
I haven’t read the comments yet..but have you ever been to H&M?
I weigh 105 pounds. I wear a size 0 or 2 in most things.
I just bought a dress at H&M in a size 8.
True story.
Yes! H&M is the same way.
And here’s the thing. I am small…and I know this…so I can go up to the 8. But what about people who normally wear a size 8? If they have to go up to a 12 or higher, then what do the 12s do? It’s a stupid, stupid system if you ask me…
Ok, I totally understand the frustration with going to the store and not being able to find anything in my size. I need a 1x from that store. Why can’t stores just put them on the rack with everything else?!
But, at least they do carry a plus size line. I like it. I’ve found some cute, *cheap!* dresses on there. But Forever 21, if you are listening, please bring your plus size clothes to the store! And don’t make me shop in a separate, smaller half of the store!
Forever 21′s clothes barely hold up in a tall breeze anyway. After so many half-unravelled nightmares from F21, Maurice’s, 5-7-9 and Gadzooks, I am gradually learning to live by the advice to buy a few quality clothing items and mix and match them for new outfits.
I totally agree! I have given up cheap bulk buying. I am now buying more expensive quality pieces (by expensive I mean less than $50 sale items. Not hundreds of dollars, I’m not rich!). They last longer and why do I need 45 shirts hanging in my closet and 15 pairs of jeans? I don’t. The washing machine was invented for a reason ;).
Welcome to hell! As a size 22-ish even the Gap and I go round and round in a cycle of self hatred and loathing. Men have it easy; sizes based on inches. Women are at the mercy of whatever sadistic bastard is at the helm at the time. Lame!
I rarely shop outside of Lane Bryant because I don’t have the time for the cycle of tears and loathing that comes from a battle in a dressing room.
Also check out sonsi.com
It’s like a mecca of all plus size shops in one easy place:)
Ever notice that the boob sizes on most tops are the same dimensions in any size? I usually wear a large but bc of my 38DD (which are natural) apparently I am considered a 1-2x. So you’re telling me that just bc I am a size 9-11 I have the boobs of an 18 yr old? I’m only 25 with an average build. Who’s with me on designing a store with realistic proportions on clothing?
The triangle shirts kill me, it’s like COME ON. I need more fabric to cover my bra, I don’t want to wear a cami under EVERYTHING!
BUT, not all of us HAVE boobs… ;) PS triangle tops are only okay for 22 and under with no kids… other than that there is NEVER enough fabric. even for an A cup lol
Don’t bash the store because they don’t carry your size. It’s a younger person’s store, and like you said, you’re not even close to 21. Forever 21 is a store that I can go to and have a small actually fit me. Because people like you complain about the bigger sizes not being there, they neglect the smaller sizes. I can only shop in 3 or 4 stores to find clothes to fit me. I’m sorry if you can’t find something in ONE store that doesn’t fit you. A medium is the easiest size to find. People say if you’re not a size two, you can’t find your size. Well I’m a size 2 and I can tell you that it is horrible to try to find any clothes. Shop in a different store if you’re not happy with the sizes because some people need he smaller sizes because every other store neglects them.
I don’t think that anyone is suggesting that the smaller sizes be ignored. They’re just suggesting inclusion of all sizes and (most importantly) standard sizing so that for you, a 2 is a 2 is a 2, while for me, a 12 is a 12 is a 12, regardless of the store we’re shopping in. I think we could all get behind that :)
I completely agree with that idea. Even for kids and babies. How is it possible that I walk out of the Carters store with two 12 mo rompers, when I get home, one of them fits my 9 month old perfectly while the other is too big? Same cut, same material… WTF??? lol seriously? it’s like the different mfgs are on different drugs. that has to be it.
I think the craziest thing about that store is how much disparity there is in sizing amongst their own racks. The thing you have to remember is that they buy these clothes in bulk, from cheap wholesalers all over the world. So that cute cardigan in L that you know will go great over the size M dress you just tried on — rather makes it look like you are storing up on arm fat for the Zombie Apocalypse — and it’s seams can barley hold. Forget buttoning that one up over the boobs.
So you can get pissed off, or you can get all professional in time-and-frustration-management like me. I must have a magic eye or something — because I can eyeball anything in that store and know if it’ll work or not. Sure, I get a surprise “WTF? I was sure that would fit!” every now and then, but whatever. It’s the name of the game. Cheap clothes, multiple manufacturers, it’s a gamble. Go in like you are playing the lottery. You might win, but you probably won’t. If you do win, wear your fancy new number with pride babies! Just cut out the size tag with a satisfied “HMPH! This size does not mean shit!”.
As for Ms. Samantha Boo-hoo-Ima-size-2: girlfriend, check the sales rack. Either you come from a village of extraordinarily small women, or you don’t shop sales — but every lady knows it’s the teeny-tiny-sizes that get the WIN on prices.
Oh and “Forever 21″ implies that you can look 21: forever. Not that you have to be 21 to shop there. The self-doubt and insecurity over what freaking size you really are is just a bonus!
Says the lady celebrating the 16th anniversary of her 21′st birthday today. In a really cute thrift store find that probably came from Forever 21 in the first place. How can I tell? SQUEEEEEEEZING into the boob-area in an XL: but the shoulder straps are falling off.
I had to laugh when I read your article because I just was at Forev21 today and bought two tops. One top is a size “small” and the other is an “extra large” and they both fit me perfectly-it just seems ridiculous. I’m 5’7 and 118lbs and currently wear clothes ranging from a size 4 to a size 10. It’s just crazy to see how different companies choose to size. Consistency would be nice for a change!
Kristen,
You have obviously hit a very deep wickedly sore nerve. I remember being a sz 12 and feeling very “huge” and even back then I had monster (natural) boobs that I hated…now hitting 50, having health issues I find myself in the Plus Size dept. If you want to slit your wrists just go to THAT section at ANY store…even Macy’s and you will find the UGLIEST clothes known to man or woman! What? One can only look sharp and put together if they are SMALL? I haven’t felt good about my clothes in YEARS! Anyone out there want to make a BAZILLION dollars? Make beautiful, fun and reasonably priced plus sized clothing and it will be you!
Wow, I hear ya, FB… I’m a large person, and I have trouble finding anything in stores. I have a few places that I go back to– Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Target– but even those aren’t always sure things. Target’s Plus Size section is smaller every time I’m there, and it seems to be mostly casual shirts. I’ve browsed a lot of online stores, but it always seems that either the sizes are more for juniors, or the styles are just plain ugly. And what bugs me even more, if I can go off topic a bit, is the merch tables at concerts… they rarely have concert t-shirts in more than XL. Can somebody please just acknowledge that large-sized women do exist, and make some beautiful, funky, properly-fitting clothes for us that are widely available? Is that so much to ask?
I am a fan of when I go into stores like this and pick out a cute skirt. Then in the dressing room I find out it is a DRESS that will not even cover my rear.
That place is *ONLY* for cheap jewelry and accessories. Don’t waste your money on those clothes. They are condescending and rude when I walk in, so why contribute to that attitude? Basically, screw them.
Funny you should mention this, because I had a similar experience at a different store yesterday. I was at the mall with my 10 year old daughter who wanted to go into Aeropostale. Being the nice momma I am, I agreed. As she pulled things off of the racks, in size XS & S, she was so excited. Until she went into the fitting room. Holy moly. When she realized that she’d need a M or L, she was crestfallen!! (She’s not toothpick thin, but she’s certainly not overweight, either.) This, dear friends, is how body image issues are born!!! I understand that my 42 year old backside might not fit into clothes designed for teens & young adults . . . but when my tween can’t because of their distorted sizes, then there’s a problem!!!
oh, it gets worse than that… I am a “thin girl”. I wear between a 2 and 4. I went into a similar store, Urban Planet, and quick grabbed a bathing suit because I had my kids with me. I grabbed a medium to be on the safe side because small is too small 50% of the time. Imagine my surprise when I got home and the suit was too small. Yes, at 5’6 and 118lbs, at this store I am a large. And no, it’s not a childrens store : / No wonder so many girls have eating disorders.
I’ve never in my life been inside of a Forever 21, but PREACH IT with the sizing issues. Geez.
I’ve recently lost a lot of weight and sizing has been a total nightmare for me. I was used to just buying an XXL and knowing that would generally fit, but now I just never know. I have clothes that range from 8 to 14 and from M to XL and they all fit basically the same.
Right now I’m mostly shopping at thrift stores because I’m still losing and I don’t want to waste my money, and it is just an exercise in comedy, seeing how I can bring in a pile of size 10 clothes and some are too big, some are just right, and some are so small that I can’t get ONE leg in, let alone two. Very frustrating.
I buy my jeans and shorts new though, and I cannot for the life of me understand why Gap/ON/Banana can’t size consistantly. It’s just crazy-making.
I completely agree. Apparently those clothes are made for tweens! A friend bought a dress on a recent visit (she’s a size 4 and had to buy a large)…after she took the dress home, the zipper became stuck and she had to literally cut the dress off her body! Jewelry might be the only thing worth buying from there!
The jewelry breaks a lot from Forever 21, but you know what? It is cute, cheap, trendy, and serves its purpose for a few months. Just don’t get too attached to any jewelry you buy there.
And yes, I have given up on the clothes there. My size 10- 12 ass is much too large for there. But you know what? You can get much better quality anywhere else! And if you get it on sale combined with a coupon, as I often do at my favorite store, New York and Company, it is almost comparable in price but higher quality.
All my Forever 21 clothing pieces (from my skinnier days) have been “throwaways” (as in one wash and done, or rips or breaks, or too short skirts and dresses) except for a cardigan I bought there last spring and a bikini. The cardigan still fits despite my weight gain as well. I don’t recommend buying much at this store except for cardigans and cheap, trendy jewelry.
Sizing in women’s clothing sucks and has sucked for decades. Those of us who sew know that women’s shirts fit you or not based on:
1. the width of your body between your armpits
2. your bra cup size
Seriously. If shirts, instead of being marked “14″, were marked “17 inches/B cup”, and you knew those two pieces of information, you could feel confident grabbing a shirt. Stretch items could be marked “15 to 18 inches/B to DD cup”.
Pants ought to be marked by the waist, the hip, and the inseam. How many fewer pairs of pants would you take to the dressing room, tall women, if you could see the inseam measurement instantly? Curvy gals like me would not take any in that had a too-small hip measurement.
This will never happen. But I can dream.
Best post ever. Hilarious and true.
Its BS like this that makes me glad I decided to give it all the Finger years ago. I taught myself to sew—a skill which gives me complete control over style, size, fabric, and (most of all) quality. And it feels damn good to know that I’m wearing one-of-a-kind originals, made to fit ME!
Get a good how-to-sew book, and a good how-to-make-alterations book (I recommend “Fast Fit” by Sandra Betzina). Then start with simple sewing patterns and take your time (read each step of the instructions 3 times, measure 2 times, cut 1 time) ’til you get the hang of it—and stick to that 3-2-1 rule even AFTER you think you’ve gotten the hang of it!
Not only do I make clothes for myself, but I also make my own stage costumes and costumes for other performers. Including a costume covered in 40,000 Swarovski rhinestones and 36 feet of heavy ostrich feather boa, for a burlesque queen.
It has been so long since I have been in a Forever 21 because of that exact problem! I have a large chest as well and I swear that their clothes are made for those without any boobs at all.
Take your measurements before you go shopping and when you go into a store that you think will have *some* sizes to fit you (I know F21 will never have sizes that fit me, so I don’t even try), be armed with a sewing tape measure. That way, you don’t have to lug all those clothes to the dressing room and you don’t have to be disappointed when something doesn’t fit in a certain size (why do you think I’m an XL when everyone else says I’m an XS???). Don’t even look at the size tags! Ignore the tags! Only look at the measurements! Shop like a guy (that’s what they would do, if they had to deal with all the sizing BS, like we do).
Oops, forgot to proofread and needed to say:
…be armed with a sewing tape measure. Instead of trying on the clothes, just measure them on the rack, to see if they will fit.
I feel your pain and have from my teen size 6 years to 40′s in an 18-20. My problem has always been my chest. Even if I do a 14 at Lane Bryant, there isn’t room for my chest. I argue that people have different bum sizes and some places have even begun accounting for that with different sizing. Alas, not so on the top. All I own are stretchy non-button tops because I might hurt someone when that middle butten flies off due to excessive stress.
All I want is the SAME clothes the thinner chicks get to wear in MY SIZE. I don’t need a tent or a mumu just because I’m carrying extra weight. I still want to look cute. Don’t they want my money?
I am an overweight gal with a classical hourglass shape. Big boobs, nice waist definition, wide hips. I too have the problem with shirts not fitting across my bust. They fit perfectly everywhere else, just not across my rack.
To remedy this, I’ve started using fabric glue… I just put the glue between the buttons (leaving enough room to get the shirt over my head, of course). This holds the button band together nicely and I don’t have the problem of the buttons popping or the band stretching. It also holds the girls in a nice position. :)
AMEN! I used to love forever21 dresses. Now I’m convinced their version of large is a 125lb 5’4 girl with no boobs. And not for nothing, their return policy is a crock.
For what it’s worth, I’m exactly that and most of the time I can’t wear Forever 21 either. The cuts are just odd.
Well said! I’ve been to their stores so many times and have had a problem finding a size bigger than a small. It’s such a turnoff that they treat woman over 110 pounds like they don’t exist that I don’t go there anymore.
I’ve never been to that store, because I was 21 twenty years ago (holy hell!) and I figure they don’t have anything for me. ;-)
But I have the same issue with most fashionable clothing these days. I’m a large now in most stores with cute stuff, if I’m lucky. Given that I’m not thin but I’m not “fat” either, I find myself wondering how anyone who is bigger than me can find anything at all to wear. When it comes to designer jeans, I never see anything larger than a 31. I’m a 30 or 31, depending on the cut. So what the heck do women larger than a 31 wear? I’m fine with being a curvy girl — this baby’s got back — but the clothing sizes continually make me feel bad about myself. Love your post!!
The name itself has kept me from darkening Forever 21′s door. I haven’t been 21 in… well forever. The dress you are wearing in the photo is darling by the way.
Their “plus size” line starts at a size 12 but it’s hard to find anything in a size ten
I’m 5’8 and by U.S. standards I am an average size 12..Yet when I go to Forever 21 I have to try on about 20 things to find one that will fit me properly. I end up loving what I get, but sometimes to hassle is exhausting!
Okay ladies,
Wet Seal is about as cheap, and their clothing fits better on occasion.
Fredrick’s of Hollywood makes everyone look smoking hot, and their products last forever. H&M is great, Torrid is pretty awesome, and Target is great for swimsuits and tees. (You just have to go to the ones you’d pronounce ‘Tar-jey’ and not “Tar-ghetto”. Some Target stores are fabulous, some need to be condemned by the city.)
I totally feel you. Urban Outfitters is the same way. My boyfriend works there so I get a 40% discount. Sounds good, so I go try on a couple things (in sizes that would normally fit me in other stores) and it’s just ridiculous. Nothing fits. Ever. Never shopping there again, I just end up cursing their “designers” on the way out the door.
I’m late to the party, but I just found this. It’s so true. I’m the same size as you, and I feel that at one point I did fit into their large. I ordered a dress online in size large, having ordered one before and knowing it would fit, and it doesn’t even kind-of zip. I measured and the bust measurements for this dress are 14 inches across, so roughly 28 inches around. For a size LARGE. To add insult to injury, I ordered an XL in another dress from their plus size online store…and it’s too big. So basically I’m too big for their regular sizes and too small for their plus sizes. wtf. Really sad because I like their clothes, but if my only choices are lose enough weight to shrink my boobs down or gain weight, I’m probably going to have to stop shopping there…
Wow,
I’d love to be your size. I can only wear kids clothes due to the fact that I’m so fucking petite that a squirrel could probably even squish me.
I completely understand. I’m a larger girl a small plus size at best… But in that store I have to size up and up! Plus size 2? What? Oh well if it fits and looks nice then who cares what the label says… You can always cut that out…. Hehe.
I completely agree! I am 5’10″ and the picture on Forever 21′s website says the model is my height and wearing a small. So i order a large because my size 8 frame likes my rompers baggier at the waist and not going up my butt. But apparently an XL is my size? Which makes me feel disgusting since I’m between small and medium in everything else in the store.
YESSSSSS THANK YOUUUUUUUUUU
I ordered a size L skirt online and could barely even fit my thighs into it. And I’m 20. So am I not even going to get to shop there comfortably when I’m 21?
THANK YOU.
I feel like crap every time I walk into a Forever 21 store. I see really cute clothes and go to try them on in a “Large” and can’t even get them on! What the heck?
And I don’t know about your stores, but the one here has a lot of snooty hipster workers that look at me in disgust because I’m not anorexic.
Butttttttttt their clothes are really cute. :| I’ve managed to find a few things that will actually fit me from there.
So Sorry That It is Often Difficult to Find cute fuller figure sizing…I’d say, broaden your horizon and try other online stores…for eg. SEVSHAK.COM…they have adorable dresses, they provide you with sizing information, they carry a wide range of designers, and they pride themselves on quality clothing…give it a try…and ask a question if you have any doubts about any item….they will respond promptly!…We should support smaller designer talent and help boost our local economy!
Kristen- Thank you for this awesome post. As a size 8-10 myself, I’ve come to terms that for me, Forever 21 is only store to buy cheap and stylish jewelry. With clothing, my “extra large” frame is apparently out of luck. :)
Give http://www.sevshak.com a try…!!!
Preach!
I am only18 years old. I have NEVER been big. And I’m still not. I have curves, yes, but I’m not “plus-size” no matter which way you spin that phrase. It’s BS that I can’t shop in a store geared towards people MY AGE (especially since the clothing is cheap so I can actually afford it) except for if I want accessories or shoes. I’m size 8-10, and a size six in most dresses. America is full of fatasses. It’s time this damn store realizes that if they made their clothes in NORMAL people sizes, not anorexic bulimics, athletes, small frames, or people on the short side only, they would probably increase their earnings by 50-70%. I’m a cutie with a bootie, not a lardbutt. I am NOT an extra large. If I am, it’s because, like the author comically *yet accurately* stated, they’re basing their sizes off the dimensions of twelve year old girls.
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