Overweight in the UK vs Overweight in the US

When DH and I were visiting the US last year, my sister (who is about the same size as me) came to see us in the motel we were staying at when I had washed some of my (purchased in the UK) clothes and they were hanging over the tub.

She made a comment about how the label on something didn't say Extra Small, and I told her that in the UK, I'm usually a Small to Medium.Then she commented on the fact that one of my dresses was a Size 8 or Size 10 (I don't remember which) and she said something like "I don't know what to say about that." She was clearly bothered by the larger sizes on the labels, even though I'm not any bigger.

I've heard in Japan you usually wont find bigger than a UK 10-12 in regular stores.  My friend who is about a 12 or so said assistants would sometimes stop her as soon as she came in the door to basically say they had nothing for her there.  Not good for the old self esteem!!   

I don't think most high end designers go above a UK 14 in most cases, not in my experience of working in that area anyway.  Things might have changed the past few years.

I've heard in Japan you usually wont find bigger than a UK 10-12 in regular stores. 

True.  Regular shops were a no-go for me in Japan.  There are shops there that sell larger sizes, but the thing is that even larger-than-normal Japanese women are still pretty straight up-and-down.  I could find tops to fit me in those shops, but none of the bottoms fit over my hips. 

My friend who is about a 12 or so said assistants would sometimes stop her as soon as she came in the door to basically say they had nothing for her there.  Not good for the old self esteem!!   

My husband wears UK size 11 shoes.  Shop assistants in Japan would actually laugh at him when he asked them if they had anything in his size.  And yet, he was able to find a yukata (cotton kimono) that fit him, mine strains at --no surprise-- my hips. 

I don't think most high end designers go above a UK 14 in most cases, not in my experience of working in that area anyway.  Things might have changed the past few years.

They haven't.  That's as high as it goes. 

I have bought things (shirts, pants, skirts) at the H&Ms in Paris and I am US size 12.

So you were buying size UK 16 there? Seriously, I couldnt find anything though to be fair I didnt examine every article of clothing in the shop. Im a UK 10-12 and only found up to that in the items I was looking at...... And only D cups for the bras which put a slight cramp in my plans for some sexy brassieres...    

Huh, this is interesting.  I haven't had too much trouble shopping here so far, but I don't shop anywhere too high end!  I have found here though that the Banana Republic Small is a lot smaller than the US Banana Republic, despite the fact that the store is organized by US sizing (it seems).  Where as the Gap seems pretty true to the sizes I find in the US. 

But I am going to Paris for Easter weekend, so that's good to know about the clothing!  I wanted to do a bit of shopping so I guess I either..diet or not shop? 

Huh, this is interesting.  I haven't had too much trouble shopping here so far, but I don't shop anywhere too high end!  I have found here though that the Banana Republic Small is a lot smaller than the US Banana Republic, despite the fact that the store is organized by US sizing (it seems).  Where as the Gap seems pretty true to the sizes I find in the US. 

But I am going to Paris for Easter weekend, so that's good to know about the clothing!  I wanted to do a bit of shopping so I guess I either..diet or not shop? 

LOL!  You've got to go into Printemps or Galleries Lafayette just for the sheer spectacle of it I couldn't afford a glass of water in either....

I was thinking about this some more last night--like, in my office, I definitely don't feel above average in size, and walking around the city I really don't, but the sizing does bother me!  So, I can do the UK 12 on the bottom and sometimes, sometime a UK10 on the top (depends on the cut, really), and when I shop for that, then I start to feel like I'm on the bigger side given what sizes are available in the stores.  I'm not the thinnest girl in the world (on the short and curvy side, so if anything fits my hips, it's way loose in the waist and about 90 inches too long) but in NYC I did find more clothing in my size available. 

I know this is off-topic for a second, but is tailoring very expensive here?  My brother and my sister in law sent me a coat for my birthday, but I think it's a smidge too large, and I can't return it, obviously, and to send it back and forth for them to return it seems a bit silly, too. 

For the most part, the only people who treat me differently because of my weight here are non-British and slightly heavy women.  I thought it was a great thing compared to what I was used to (especially when I was even bigger than what I am now).  Maybe it's the big city thing, but I've not noticed any difference when I've travelled outside of London. 

What I have noticed, and this might be flawed by my perceptions, is there aren't many very obese people.  There are, even in London, plenty of curvy or overweight people, but I sometimes feel, even as a "reduced obese" person that I am the fattest thing around.  But even so, I rarely get gawked at.  I have no clue what size I am now.  I am guessing I am probably a US 20-22.  I am putting off shopping as long as I can, and my clothing options are getting more limited.  I am very hard to fit even when I am "normal weight" because I have an odd boyish build other than my big tits.  I can't imagine it will be easier for me to shop here.

So you were buying size UK 16 there? Seriously, I couldnt find anything though to be fair I didnt examine every article of clothing in the shop. Im a UK 10-12 and only found up to that in the items I was looking at...... And only D cups for the bras which put a slight cramp in my plans for some sexy brassieres...    

Well, IIRC, the tags had the US sizing on them as well so I just went by that. I didn't even look at their bras since I'm a FF! Ain't gonna find that in H&M.

What I have noticed, and this might be flawed by my perceptions, is there aren't many very obese people.  There are, even in London, plenty of curvy or overweight people,

I've noticed this about the UK. There are plenty of fat people - who might technically be termed obese based on their BMI - but you don't see the kind of people who take up 2 full seats on the subway.

I know this is off-topic for a second, but is tailoring very expensive here?  My brother and my sister in law sent me a coat for my birthday, but I think it's a smidge too large, and I can't return it, obviously, and to send it back and forth for them to return it seems a bit silly, too. 

I think it can be ridiculously expensive, but isn't necessarily so.  We're in central London and my husband had the dry cleaner alter some jeans for £20.  OUCH!  But I found a tailor a few streets away who altered my jeans for £7 -- much more to my liking, since I'm short and everything (even a lot of US petite clothes) needs alteration. 

On topic, being short and pretty heavy, it means I've cut back my clothing-related spending dramatically.  And by "cut back," I really mean "haven't spent a cent and don't intend to torture myself anytime soon." 

I often have to get pants shortened as well, but luckily I did enough shopping and tailoring before I moved, so I have plenty of clothing for now.  I'm heading home for a few days or so in April so I imagine I will do my shopping/tailoring then.

I do find that it's hard to be short and above like..a UK size 10 here, there was nothing in the stores and very little in the way of jean selection at the Gap.