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Fashionable clothing for overweight teens

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Shanghai Expat Forum Index » Hot Topics Forums » Family Life and Kids

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MatildaGirl

Talker

Joined: Nov 05, 2004
Posts: 107

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 06, 2004 - 09:34 AM
Post subject: Fashionable clothing for overweight teens

One of my daughters is tall and chubby, not obese, but certainly large by Chinese standards. She has trouble here buying fashionable clothes let alone in a country of short, slim people. Do the shops cater for bigger sized kids? I have heard people get clothes tailor-made, but would these be fashionable for teenagers? Her sister is quite small and should not have any problem. I know this will upset my daughter, so is it better bringing heaps of clothes from home?

bellabella

Gypsy Queen

Joined: Aug 03, 2004
Posts: 14989
Location: London
Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 06, 2004 - 10:23 AM

You might be better off bringing stuff from home or ordering clothes online once you're here. I'm a little bigger than the average chinese and I find it frustrating clothes shopping here. You could always get stuff tailor made here, if your daughter has clothes she likes you can get them copied in different material quite easily. Or you could bring a load of fashion magazines from home (or get them sent to you) with the latest styles your daughter might like and have the tailors copy from them.

If anyone has any suggestions of where to buy clothes here for a larger than average chinese size I would love to hear it!

MatildaGirl

Talker

Joined: Nov 05, 2004
Posts: 107

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 06, 2004 - 02:02 PM

I think she would be ok with getting clothes made if they looked the same as fashion magazine pictures. Are they that good a quality? How expensive are you talking?

Your comment made me a bit worried about myself. How large are Chinese clothing sizes?

tnmom

LoopKicker

Joined: Mar 04, 2004
Posts: 916
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 06, 2004 - 02:23 PM

My 15 year old is size 3 and can wear Chinese sizes but prefers the cut of Western clothes - smaller in the middle than what she's found here. She has experimented with having a few things made at the fabric market - a new suede coat for 140 RMB and just ordered a dress for a school dance. We also bought some stretch corderoy fabric that we want to have made into jeans for both daughters just to see how it goes. There are many examples of clothes hanging up at each stall in the fabric market - if you see something you like you can pick a fabric and have it made to fit.
Most of the kids at school stock up at home in the summer - she says they all have the same summer line of shirts from American Eagle and Holister. She found some cute shirts at the mall this week but with odd English words on them like CHASM.
I wear a size 12 and the only place I've seen pants and skirts that will fit is at the shop across from the fabric market. My daughter bought a Prada labeled sweater there for 80 RMB. Much nicer quality than the sweaters she has bought at the Xiangyang market which she won't wear because they are too loose in the middle.

comradeA

Reacher

Joined: May 07, 2004
Posts: 361
Location: in the old house behind Plaza 66
Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 06, 2004 - 03:47 PM

Another option is going to Hong Kong's export shops if you happen to be there... They are all congregated on the same streets in different districts... Granville Road on Kowloon side, Lee Yuen Garden Road in Causeway Bay and Lee Yuen East Street and West Street in Central on the Hong Kong island side...

Lots of oversize clothing for exports... but the style is not necessary the hippest... Getting them copied in China is good except for finding the right fabric... but then that's fun...

If you can get them over the internet, that's probably the best bet.

WendyCollins-Smith

Seeker

Joined: Oct 09, 2004
Posts: 62

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Posted: Nov 06, 2004 - 06:52 PM

Buying clothes on the internet? How does this work? Does it take long for the clothes to arrive? What if they don't fit. I think the tailor-made idea sounds better. I think I will take the kids shopping before we go. Are the fashions similar to Australia, as I would hate to buy the wrong clothes.

tnmom

LoopKicker

Joined: Mar 04, 2004
Posts: 916
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 06, 2004 - 08:31 PM

Quote:

Buying clothes on the internet? How does this work?

Between my husband traveling back to the US and people visiting China, we have ordered quite a few things via internet. Many of the companies will ship to China of course, but the shipping costs are high. A lot of companies in the US have an unlimited return time with a receipt, so if something arrives that doesn't fit I will just save it to return when I go back in the summer.

MatildaGirl

Talker

Joined: Nov 05, 2004
Posts: 107

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 07, 2004 - 07:19 AM

In Australia, there does not seem to be any set size which fits me. There is a 2-3 size variation between brands and even sometimes within brands. If I have this much trouble buying clothes in the shops (and the kids do too) imagine what it would be like buying online. Maybe there are more definite sizes?

I think the kids would enjoy the novelty of shopping online for clothes. They would want the hands-on experience as well. But additional online shopping would seem like fun to them.

Thanks for all the advice. Certainly given me a lot to mull over. I think the magazine and tailor sound like the best options.

WendyCollins-Smith

Seeker

Joined: Oct 09, 2004
Posts: 62

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 09, 2004 - 02:02 PM

Is it very expensive to travel from Shanghai to Hong Kong? I heard the clothes shopping in Hong Kong is great and there are probably bigger sizes available there.

MatildaGirl

Talker

Joined: Nov 05, 2004
Posts: 107

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 09, 2004 - 03:22 PM

Hong Kong might be an option. I have heard the shopping is great and I would like to visit there myself.

B.Griffin

Lurker

Joined: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 23

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 11, 2004 - 07:32 PM

Wendy

The train trip from Shanghai to Kowloon takes 24 hours. Visit this website for details: http://www.train-ticket.net/asia/china/sindex.htm

It could prove to be a fun trip. I believe there are many interesting sites to see in Hong Kong and I have heard the shopping is fabulous.