Are You Having a Hard Time Finding Clothes that Fit Your Daughter?

A year ago, I wrote an article on buying clothing for hard to fit girls. This article was inspired by the fact that my daughter did not fit children's or adults clothes. In addition, when she did fit a clothing item made for adults, it was often too grown up, or revealing.

Unfortunately, my daughter did not grow much this year. She is about three inches taller, and about one size bigger, so the problem still exists. Fortunately, half size clothes are a lot more abundant, making our lives a lot easier.

Half size clothes for girls are like plus size clothes for women: Half size clothes, for example size 10 ½, 12 ½, etc work a lot like plus sized clothes for women. A size 18 and a size 18 plus will be the same length, have the same rise, and the same sleeve length, the size 18 plus item will be fuller in the hips, breast, and stomach. Likewise, a size 12 and a size 12 ½ will be have the same length measurements, but be a little wider.

Do not think of half size clothes as fat clothes for kids: Just because your child needs plus size clothes does not mean your child is fat. My daughter, for example is average size, but has entered puberty. Her hips are wider, and her chest is beginning to develop. She just has not had the height growth spurt yet (we hope it will come soon). She has a few more pounds on her than the average girl who wears size 12, but they are all in key places. Therefore she needs a size 12 ½.

When buying half size clothes, discover your child's true size: You might think your daughter wears a size 16 (which is just too long for her), when she really wears a 12 ½. Here is the general crossover chart from regular sizes to half sizes. If a size 12 fits your child, but it is too long, she wears a size 8 ½. A too long size 14 would need a size 10 ½. A 16 would need a size 12 ½, and so on. The joy here is in the problem I brought up last year. I felt my daughter was not child's size, or a women's size. Stores usually stopped at size 12 or 14 as far as girls clothes were concerned, and picked up again at a women's size 0, which was too big in some places and too small in others. Now with plus sizes available, you can now get a size 12 ½ when your child has outgrown a regular size 14.

Where to buy half size girls clothes: Half size clothes for girls are not as available as I would like, but I do know where to go when nothing else is working. You can purchase half size clothing for your daughter at Limited Too (in store or online), Old Navy (online only), JC Penney, Macy's, and for simple pieces like skorts and blouses, I like to shop at FrenchToast.com.