H&M sizing.

[celestia]

Firstly, i know there's a size chart! That's not my query!

Okay so- Australia is the land of expensive cosmetics and skincare. It is also home to the lack of H&M fashion. At the end of the year, I forsake this place for Europe; where there are two-digit H&M stores throughout.

Basically, some XS items have fit me well, others- not so well. There's this article of clothing I dig, but I can't figure out my ideal sizing because i'm not physically able to go to the store to try it on. I'm not able to wait to purchase it either because by the time I head down, I risk it selling out prior.
I've purchased several XS and S items before from H&M. XS(roughly 34) has fit me but some of the clothing have also been a little snug in my bust region. S(roughly 36) also fits me but can also sometimes be a little too loose.

I don't want this piece of clothing to lose the 'fitted' aspect (ie// I don't want the sleeves or the waist to eat my proportions). I also don't want to be wearing a size too small. Maybe it's just an illusion and this item is MEANT to look baggy-like-a-bomber-jacket and if that's the case, a head's up from someone who's actually tried it on would be great.... (I mean the model isn't wearing it very well if I compare it to the singled-out stock photo- which is more of what I'm hoping it is.)

I'm roughly a 34-26-35 and I'm having trouble deciding whether I'm more cut out for 34 or 36 (roughly XS and S respectively). If anyone has tried this particular article of clothing on before and can help me out, it'd be really AWESOME D:

Thank you so much to anyone who can help.
I'm using the Swedish site to explain but I'll check the translation so I don't confuse everyone with my vagueness. (I've included a link to the H&M site the image is in so that should work for now, right?)

 

[AliVix1]

ok i dunno how much this will help but the mannequins at h&m wear 4's.. their clothes run small i wear like a 4 anywhere else and an 8 there!

 

[MarsG]

IMO it is better to go one size up for jackets since you´ll most likely be wearing something underneath. Also it is possible to get a bigger size altered to fit you, arm length shorten, etc.

 

[celestia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AliVix1 ok i dunno how much this will help but the mannequins at h&m wear 4's.. their clothes run small i wear like a 4 anywhere else and an 8 there!

What are the equivalents to 4 and 8 in European sizing?

 

[frocher]

.......

 

[celestia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frocher Depending on the clothing European sizing is one to two sizes larger, in general. So a four would be a six to eight. A eight would be ten to twelve.

I had meant in terms of H&M D: The other lady had mentioned H&M sizing was smaller. (In that she wore a 4 elsewhere and a 8 at H&M)

I was using 34/XS and 36/S as H&M uses those in Europe. I'm not from America so I was hoping it would be easier to just convert "4 and 8" back to the measurements used by H&M in Europe.

I hope that clears up my question more

 

[frocher]

.......

 

[celestia]

Okay, so now I have mixed reviews in that H&M sizing is generally larger... and generally smaller than other stores. huzzah!

Following the online outlines for measurements for h&m sizing, if I fit into somewhere between the European 34 and 36, would the chest area be too small/big or is it an accurate measurement?

I'm just worried that if I purchase the 36 to fit my chest size, the rest of the measurements will swim on me.

 

[caramel_kisses]

But if you fit it to your other measurements and your chest area is too tight it makes you look stuffed into it.

Altering a garment to make it smaller is always easier than making it larger.

I have found some things are larger at H&M and some things smaller. T-shirts and that type of material is always about normal. I have issues with pants at most stores because I have full hips/thighs/butt and button up shirts without spandex are never ever doable.

 

[mafalda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frocher 4= 38 8= 42 Hth.

Hang on - that's wrong for most European countries.

Sweden uses the same system as Germany and the Netherlands, where usually a US size 6 equals a local size 36.

And as to H&M - their "dressier" stuff usually runs small by Central European sizing standards, so I'd also recommend the bigger size (i.e. size 36 in Sweden, NL or Germany, depending on where you get a chance to buy the jacket).

HTH?
la mafa

 

[3jane]

I pretty much have your exact measurements... When in doubt, I usually get the larger of the two in H&M. (But also, I'm tall, so I don't know if that affects it? I might have wider shoulders, for example?) The only exception is for stretchy tops-- like a wife-beater type tanktop, or a camisole. I tend to be a US 2, but have to go up to a 4 or occasionally 6 with H&M.

I can't see the link, but jackets there can also be tight across the back. e.g. I have a blazer from H&M that's a US4 which fits much more snugly than the size US2 blazers I have from Calvin Klein.

for size conversion, I think the Euro equivalent of a US size is just +30. So US 2 = Euro 32. hth!

 

[frocher]

.....

 

[Melon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frocher H&M does less vanity sizing than other brands.

I live in the US, and I feel like H&M does vanity sizing all the time. I only have a select few items from them because their garments vary in sizing significantly. I'm really petite - I wear kids size clothes - and I am able to fit only some of their clothes. It's weird as well, because different shirts (which appear to be similar in style) seem to be larger or smaller compared to each other. Granted, I'm looking at very different shirts, but shirts that seem similar. Some t-shirts fit differently despite the same sizing. ;/ I've pretty much given up on H&M though because their sizing has been really weird lately. For some reason, the clothes fit better when I tried on their clothes at the H&M in Toronto, Canada.

 

[frocher]

....

 

[celestia]

I ended up getting size 34. It's a fit, but as expected, the bust is a little too snug. It doesn't bother me since I don't plan on closing the blazer completely. I think the only thing I'd upsize it for is if I wanted longer sleeves.

________________

Let me get this straight though... from the above comments,

a general US2 = a H&M US6 which = H&M EU36
Does this mean a EU 34 is Equivalent to a US0??

It makes crazy sense because I'm an AU9/10 ...

... Vanity sizing affects the mentality of what people believe are their 'normal size' so everytime I plug 'H&M sizing' into Google, I get a whole lot of comments from buyers in the US that go along the lines of: 'I'm usually a x but at H&M, I'm +2 sizes!- So they fit weird!'

Is it the vanity sizing from OTHER stores that make H&M's sizing 'weird'??
And what is considered a 'normal' store in the US?

I mean when I compare this to Australian sizing, I actually feel H&M is doing the vanity sizing... but this is just epic confusion D:

All this conversion is making online purchasing really difficult

I only recently found out how to convert my H&M size to 'designer sizing' that already runs smaller in the US... and I can tell you... they were still at least a size too big.
I'd really like for someone to just give me my size for the places I shop at so I can stop buying half a wardrobe too big and half a wardrobe too small.

 

[Simply Elegant]

Vanity sizing bugs me a lot too. Everyone knows when they've gained enough weight they shouldn't be x size anymore. It's just a coverup to make people buy more because they feel better about size and also about catering to the growing market. I wish there were standard sizing for women's clothing.

 

[InspiredBlue]

The thing with H&M's sizing in relation to US sizes is that all they do on their labels is subtract 30. I.e. 38 becomes 8 and 36 becomes 6. This used to be pretty accurate before the invention of the 4, 2 and 0, you know, 10 years ago when the expression "perfect size 6" meant something.

But in other american stores this is not how sizes look today. I went into stores in Washington DC expecting to be a 10, maybe even a 12, and fit into 6's and snugly even 4's. This is also the reason why I own two identical J Crew Lexington blazers, one in 12 and one in 8. I got them off ebay and even the sizing chart said I would be a 12. Well I wasn't. Not by a long shot.

 

[Junkie]

I can definately vouche for their sizing being way off.
They stock up to a size 14 here in Canada - and most of the time, only up to a large - every few styles they'll have an XL. I'm lucky if I find one out of every 100 items that fits period.

I'm a true size 18 - I'm plus-sized.

A few weeks ago I bought a shirt in a size 10. Ridiculous.

I thought, if I found this in a 14, how much bigger would it be? It was a baggier style 80's top, but still....even for someone who was a true size 10, it would be enormous on them!

 

[kittykit]

I'm a AU Size 8. Most of my H&M tops are EU34, some EU36 fit me but they are often a bit loose on me.