clothing sizes

[shangoA]

Hi, I'm looking forward to buying new and unusual clothes when I come later this spring. I'm an English size 10/12 will I find things to fit or are they all skinny minnies. I'm also a 5ft 7 inches female, will people point and scream GODZILLA when I walk down the street.

[Quest]

5ft7inches is 1.7 meters. The average city female (16 yr old) height in China is 1.62 meters according to: http://news.tom.com/2006-05-13/000N/22558265.html

You are about 3 inches taller than the average 16 yr old female, an inch taller than the person in my signature link, 8.6 inches shorter than Yao Ming's wife, and 30.8 inches shorter than the tallest female in China in the last century.

[yonglin]

This will depend very much on where you shop.

If you're looking for cheap bargains from the market, you might be at loss when it comes to buying pants, for instance, since they might not be long enough. Buying trendy-type skirts could be an issue if you have a sizable butt (like I do), although more loose-fitting ones will definitely do. Whether you can buy tops or not will obviously depend on the size of your bust: I'm quite a bit below average in the west, but always found Chinese tops/underwear fitting perfectly. Naturally, this will also depend on which kind of market you go to: if you go to a wholesale type market, then it's more likely that they'll stock more different sizes. The more "alternative" the shop is, however, the higher the probability that they will only keep a small number of each piece, usually in smaller sizes.

What you really should shop in China is good-quality shoes (i.e., the ones from large and brightly lit stores, not from the market). The selection will be large, they'll usually stock ladies sizes up to European 40 or 41, and the quality is really unexpectedly good (compared to everything else in China...)

[Lu]

I'm 1.80 and never really had trouble buying clothes in China. I was taller than almost all women, but most men were about the same height, so I didn't feel like a giant.

[md1101]

i don't think you'll have much trouble. i know plenty of women taller than 5.7 here. should be no problem

[floatingmoon]

You can try Bossini and Giordano. You may be able to find something fit you. Sometimes I see Caucasian and non-Chinese shopping there.

[yonglin]

Bossini and Giordano

They are kind of as plain/mainstream you can get in China, though. In particular, I wouldn't call their clothes "unusual".

[ipsi()]

Nah, you should be fine.

For dudes, I had real problems finding shoes that fit. None of them were wide enough, for some reason. Eventually managed to find some sandals that fit, but no shoes. Also, I'm fairly overweight and thus even XXL/XXXL shirts were kinda small...

[heifeng]

I don't think you'll have too much of a problem, but what I do run into is that shoulders run very narrow in Chinese clothing. Usually my shoulders and my toes are what I can't squeeze into local available clothing and shoes. Also, you may find some interesting clothing here but a big question is whether the items will stand the test of time.

However, after careful observation, you don't need to wait till you come here to imitate the fashion:

Funky clothing in China = a T-shirt + a needle + elastic thread + creativity, or screw the creativity and buy a bedazzler and wear 3 different patterns at once.

Funky Korean-Style clothing in China: loose, solid color Knits and scarves, a baseball hat(summer time), hoop earings. The key is to look like a ton of loose knit is hanging off you at all times.

[simonlaing]

Ditto on buying shoes if you have big feet.

It is also much cheaper to get custom made clothes done for you.

I had a suit made for 120 yuan , though people say the cost of fabric has gone up and the going price is around 150.

It may take time to find the people to do the tailoring for you. Also it helps if they have trousers or jacket of yours to copy. The quality is usually quite good.

(I am also in Nanjing which is cheaper than BJ and SHanghai.)

Have fun,

Simon:)

[zozzen]

Even 6 inche is fairly okay, but if you're overweighted, it'll cause a big trouble to buy clothings in China. My friend is around 5.7" too, but he's around 75kg, almost all clothings seem too small for him and make him look like a man in gym house to show off his muscles. Even in a wholesales clothing market his choices are limited, so chubby should bring more clothings when they decide to go to China until obesity becomes a common problem to Chinese. (considering the diet of modern chinese, i'm confident that it will happen very soon. )

[renzhe]

I'd like to get some funky T-shirts over there, but I'm not sure how that will work... I'm 6'1, and usually wear XXL stuff in Europe. I don't think there is a HUGE market for XXL T-shirts in China.

[floatingmoon]

How about sports clothing stores?

[cdn_in_bj]

Other than the initial stigma of buying XXL or XXXL-sized clothing (I'm somewhere around a US Medium-Large), finding properly sized shirts here hasn't been a problem for me. However, pants never seem to fit right. I'd expect that western ladies would have more clothing issues, just because of the different body types and more strict clothing fit requirements. It might help to live in the north, as northerners tend to be taller, but on the otherhand it seems that only the men tend to get "thick".

Oh, and I'm only talking about size here. Finding clothes that look good is a whole different pain... The irony is that most of my favourite dress shirts are "Made in China", but none of them were purchased here.

[floatingmoon]

Sorry that some of you cannot find the clothing that fit you. I can understand it may be frustrating. However, may be look on the bright side, such as, it's not like you are staying in China for the rest of your life, like becoming a resident. So, it's not so much of a permanent problem.

[heifeng]

Sorry that some of you cannot find the clothing that fit you. I can understand it may be frustrating. However, may be look on the bright side, such as, it's not like you are staying in China for the rest of your life, like becoming a resident. So, it's not so much of a permanent problem.

WTF, This is completely uncomforting. How exactly do you understand if I may ask? The only bright side is that you save a *&^(* load of money since you can't buy any clothes or shoes out here. So in conculusion, even if it's not permanent, it really annoying when you've been out here a couple of years! I've seen tall women in China and they too have been cursed with wearing fugly flat sneakers that where problably meant for men and have random incorrectly spelled English and bootleg logos on them. Even worse is when some male shop keeper says oh, I have such and such size shoe only to show you a big clunky black pair of nun shoes...in the summer. Yes, I am so conforted by the fact that while I'm young and actually would like to wear stylish shoes and non-masculine clothing I can't find any that will fit....oh yeah...thanks...

Ok, deep breath. Anyway, I hereby suggest that we just have a large and tall clothing/shoes index on this forum instead of offering useless sentiments of understanding. Cuz we all know if you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem:

Therefore, speaking of, there is a jeans store in Beijing b/t yuyan daxue and wudaokou bus stops on the south side of the street (and has an annoying speaker playing all day announcing that their jeans are 39yuan) that actually has a decent selection of mens and women's jeans. I'm over 6 ft and have found stuff to fit quite well. Length-wise, it's not bad. The lady working there is pretty good about measuring you and although you can't try on stuff there you can exchange it. I usually just go to diqiucun or yuyuandaxue to try it on and then exchange it if needed hehe..

Once i was able to find a pair of shoes at 天意 for about 40 yuan, but then I went back and couldn't find any more..*sigh*...maybe we need to start re-importing stuff from payless in the US to China...

[floatingmoon]

post#16 WTF, This is completely uncomforting. How exactly do you understand if I may ask? The only bright side is that you save a *&^(* load of money since you can't buy any clothes or shoes out here. So in conculusion, even if it's not permanent, it really annoying when you've been out here a couple of years! I've seen tall women in China and they too have been cursed with wearing fugly flat sneakers that where problably meant for men and have random incorrectly spelled English and bootleg logos on them. Even worse is when some male shop keeper says oh, I have such and such size shoe only to show you a big clunky black pair of nun shoes...in the summer. Yes, I am so conforted by the fact that while I'm young and actually would like to wear stylish shoes and non-masculine clothing I can't find any that will fit....oh yeah...thanks...

Ok, deep breath. Anyway, I hereby suggest that we just have a large and tall clothing/shoes index on this forum instead of offering useless sentiments of understanding. Cuz we all know if you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem:

Therefore, speaking of, there is a jeans store in Beijing b/t yuyan daxue and wudaokou bus stops on the south side of the street (and has an annoying speaker playing all day announcing that their jeans are 39yuan) that actually has a decent selection of mens and women's jeans. I'm over 6 ft and have found stuff to fit quite well. Length-wise, it's not bad. The lady working there is pretty good about measuring you and although you can't try on stuff there you can exchange it. I usually just go to diqiucun or yuyuandaxue to try it on and then exchange it if needed hehe..

Once i was able to find a pair of shoes at 天意 for about 40 yuan, but then I went back and couldn't find any more..*sigh*...maybe we need to start re-importing stuff from payless in the US to China...

:o

post #15 Sorry that some of you cannot find the clothing that fit you. I can understand it may be frustrating. However, may be look on the bright side, such as, it's not like you are staying in China for the rest of your life, like becoming a resident. So, it's not so much of a permanent problem.

Before, I didn't want to reveal too much of my personal info (like where I live etc), but I will now, to explain my pain.

I understand and feel the pain of not able to find clothings that fit oneself. Coz I am suffering the vice versa.

I am a tiny Asian lady, I fit into the smallest size, even for Asian clothing. I immigrant to Canada long long time ago. I am not rich at all, I don't have the money to travel to hk or China every year to do shopping. I can not find clothings (and accessories) that fit me. And I am going to live in Canada permanently, so forever I can never find anything fit me.

I can only wear stretchy sweat shirts. I cannot find any clothes with cuttings (blazer, shirts, skirt, dress, dress pants, belts...etc) that fit me. The kids clothing don't fit me. And yeah, I like to dress femininely and girly too. And I permanently cannot find anything of such to fit me.

I brought jeans in HK bossini many years ago. I've been wear them for many years, and sometimes people give me some second hand jeans that they brought else where (and I have no problem with 2nd hand). I like to wear those narrow shaped jeans too, but cannot find any in Canada that fit me.

Once I went to a clothing shop in Canada and the lady told me to see a doctor, she thinks I am abnormally tiny. And I feel very confronted too, by her attitude.

I don't have the money to shop in Banana Republic or even Gap. And even if I have the money, I cannot find anything that fit me too. I don't know how to sew (I wish I do). But I cannot even find sewing pattern that have my size.

Conclusion: I permanently cannot find anything of such to fit me. And I know the pain and the frustration.

Therefore. I was trying to be comforting (not specific to anyone), and sometimes things take it wrong way.

There is no need to respones with:

"WTF" and "you are part of the problem"

post#16 WTF, This.....you are part of the problem:....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following writings are just some suggestions. NOT trying to "make" anyone or tell/force anyone to do anything:

I don't have anyone in HK or China who can help me, buy clothes for me and mail to me.

But if anyone homeland has friends or relatives that can buy clothes and mail to them. May be they can give it a try?

Or....I don't know which part of China you live, some tailor clothing price is not too high.

If anyone live in Canada or States, you can go online, to sewing patterns company website. Choose clothings you like. Then ask friends or relatives to buy those patterns for them. Then mail to China, and you can get a tailor to do that. I don't know if Europe has those websites.

I cannot find any sewing pattern in Canada that fit me. I cannot find any online website regarding Asian clothing sewing pattern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have no prejudice to anyone with any body size or figure. I know in some place, they invent prejudice terms such as "steak", "dinosaur", "kirin's arm", "tiger's back". And I totally don't think is funny, I think it's very rude.

I do put my feet in other people's shoe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While I may fit into a QiPao (if I can find one that fit me, here), I cannot fit into those low cut evening ball dress. Whereas, some people can fit beautifully into those no strap evening dress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I don't yell at people "Go back to your homeland". Coz I don't like the fact that people yell at me "Go back to China".

One person a the ship, don't line up for service, doesn't mean everyone on the ship don't line up too. And the other people on that ship don't deserve to suffer.

I don't eye scanning people from head to toe regarding their look.

I know some people do (I don't mean anyone in this forum).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To explain my many editing reason here: It's a long reply, I don't want something happen to my computer and lost everything I typed. So I write and save, edit and save, ....etc to save my writing.

[here2learn]

Floatingmoon, I'm sorry to hear about your problem, I wish I could offer some suggestions but you definitely know more about it than I do. {{{hugs to you}}} and good luck, just remember your positive attitude and personality is the most important thing. Your beauty can shine from your center right out through your clothes, no matter what they look like!

(er, strange, but I hope you know my meaning!)

As for the OP, I'm almost your size and have had no problems in Beijing. I'm a bit shorter (5'5") and was a good size 12 when I came here (lost weight, not sure what size I am now in those measurements, maybe an 8?). I'm not a fashion-conscious person, so I don't have much experience shopping, but there's no way I'm seen as abnormally tall, and you're only 2 inches taller than I am. There are plenty of chinese girls taller than I am, and many of them wear high heels which makes them taller if they weren't already.

So, no, you will NOT feel huge here, and if people stare at you it won't be your size, it will probably just be something else, like if your hair is REALLY blonde or your eyes are REALLY blue or your fashion is different from theirs, that's all. Oh, maybe you're black, people might stare at extreme skin colors.

PS- there are plenty of chinese girls who fall into the category of "chubby". They're not seen as FAT... I think chubby here really isn't considered too bad; it's when someone looks like... ... think about if you sat on a bus/subway seat would you take up way more than your share so no one could sit next to you?... use that as a guideline for what "a fat person" is like. I think our sizes around 8-16 (depending on how it's carried) all *could* be seen as chubby, but nothing they'll stare at or whisper about.