H&M pledges to make UK sizes bigger after years of complaints
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After years of customer complaints, H&M has finally pledged to make its UK sizes bigger.
Though the high street is known for its confusing sizing, the Swedish chain falls under the most criticism on social media.
When are @hm going to start making clothes that are actually a size 12, sick of having to go up to a size 16 and the clothes still not fitting, clearly people who are a size 12 aren’t allowed boobs or a bum
— Melissa (@melissaharbyx) June 4, 2018
Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimised by H&M clothing sizes pic.twitter.com/5C14S6M4pV
— Georgie (@georgiephilippa) May 26, 2018
I remember trying on a size 12 shorts in H&M that wouldn’t even go over my knees, size 16 didn’t either. I gave up shopping there after that their sizes are ridiculous. It’s called “UK size” for a reason, it means all clothes in UK stores should measure to that guide.
— Jessica (@itsmsjessy) June 5, 2018
Last year, customer Samantha Bell called out the store for its inconsistent sizing by comparing size 16 H&M jeans with a pair of size 16 Primark jeans on Twitter.
Her post soon went viral, as the Primark numbers were strikingly larger than H&M’s despite boasting the same sized label.
Come on, @hm – you guys NEED to sort this out! H&M 16 (blue) vs Primark 16 (black). Not cool. pic.twitter.com/aHgDo5tkqm
— Samantha Bell (@SamanthaJBell) August 21, 2017
In March, fellow customer Rebecca Parker penned a candid letter to the company via Facebook after struggling to fit into a pair of size 14 jeans despite being a size 12/14.
She wrote that although at age 25 she is finally comfortable with her body, she worries about the damaging impact the brand’s sizing could have on teenagers.
“My thirteen year old self wasn’t comfortable with being curvy. I felt fat, podgy and sad when I had to reach for a garment that was labelled with a number in the high teens,” she said. “Why is it OK for a brand to label an item of clothing as a size which it clearly isn’t?”
It was recently revealed that the reason why so many of us end up buying larger-than-usual sizes at the high street chain is due to the way in which UK sizing matches up to its European equivalent.
In the UK, a size 10 correlates to a European size 38 but in H&M size conversion means that clothes in this size are wrongly labelled as an EU 36 (which is a UK size 8).
A spokesperson for H&M announced: “Following customer feedback, we are taking the steps to change our womenswear measurements to be in line with UK sizing, for example the previous measurements and fit of a size 12 will now be the measurements of a size 10.”
“Customers will experience a transition period and are encouraged to use our sizing guides online or ask our store staff for advice when shopping. We believe this transition will improve our overall customer experience and we hope our customers will feel encouraged we have listened to their valuable feedback.”
The Scandi store will slowly begin to roll out its new sizes in the near future.
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