Let Me Get My Magic 8-ball...

[MiddleofNowhere]

...cause I sure as hell aren't psychic...

Today, finally, it's getting 'cold' here in the Midwest, and finally everyone who's been putting off getting their little darling Suzy or Tommy a proper coat comes roaring in full throttle to get one.

Today, I'm just cruising around, helping customers select items, and this woman catches my attention.

DW: Dumb Woman
MoN: MiddleofNowhere

DW: Excuse me, I need help finding a size.
MoN: Sure, no problem, ma'am. What size are you looking for.
DW: I don't know. My daughter's nine.
MoN: Okay, so your daughter is currently wearing a size nine coat?
DW: *snotty* No. She's nine years old.
MoN: Oh. Okay, what size is she in in clothes? *figuring I can estimate upsizing the coat*
DW: I don't know. She's nine years old and 50 lbs. Shouldn't YOU know what size she needs? *snotty factor increasing ten fold*
MoN: Well I can certainly guess, but with kids, nine years old and 50 lbs could be a whole range of sizes, it depends on her heighth and body type. Are you sure you don't know what size her last coat was? (thinking as the mom, she must know what size her daughter is, right? ummm... no. it gets worse)
DW: Well, I just don't understand why you can't tell me what size she needs!
MoN:

I watch as the woman stomps away from me and I'm confused and irritated, but oh well. Like I'm supposed to know what size her daughter is when she doesn't know and doesn't have the little girl with her?!?!

But it doesn't end there... a bit later...

DW walks up to me in another shop.
DW: You know, you weren't very helpful when I was trying to get my daughter a coat. *looks expectantly at me
MoN: Well, ma'am, usually my customers either have the child with them or can at least tell me the last size their child was in so I can estimate growth and fit from there.
DW: So how am I supposed to find a coat for my daughter?
MoN: Well, are you able to find out her size or bring her in for sizing?
DW: You know, it's just really inconvenient for that. She's in school and it's cold TODAY!
MoN: *giving up* You know what ma'am. I'd try a *size*, but that's just a guess.
DW: Finally! Why didn't you just tell me that to begin with?
MoN: Because I'd like your daughter to have a coat that fits. Please realize that *size* is just a guess.

But I was talking to her back at that point because she stomped off. Really? I'm supposed to know what size jacket her daughter who is not with her and has no previous size history is going to wear? Let me call Miss Cleo. She'd have about as much luck as me.

[Mike Taylor]

This woman was allowed to spawn?

[mikoyan29]

Didn't you think it strange when the person interviewing you help up a card and said, "I'm going to think really hard and I want you to guess the card I'm holding up".

[jjllbb]

HOLY COW. i forgot about this. This was one of my biggest peeves when i worked in children's clothes. people always assume you can get a kid's size by their age. It's impossible people!! Get it through your heads. Kids are all different sizes no matter what age they are!!!! grrr.

You just brought all the rage flooding back.

You just know she's going to be back next week screaming at you because the coat she got was too small.

[Pagan]

I'd get this a lot around Christmas when I was at Victoria's Secret Catalog.

I had a father calling to get some of the London jeans for his daughter. Those come in 3 different inseams (30", 32", and 34"). He kept telling me she was 5'4", which is really no help for the inseam.

He actually told me that there was no way that she could possibly have a 32" inseam since she was only 5'4" (for the 500th time). I happily informed him that this was indeed possible as I am the same height and that's what my inseam is. Leg length doesn't really have much correlation to height.

OT - Because of my height, I'm forever getting people telling me that I'm a "petite" sizing. Really? Because the underarms of tops cut into my pits, the sleeves are too short, and the pants look like capris on me.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

This woman was allowed to spawn?

There's always someone as horny as you are stupid.

[jackfaire]

What bothers me about these mom's is that they don't get why when the kids grow up and don't like their mom that it's freaking justified. Seriously I understand not knowing what your kid's favorite show is this week, they change em so often, but something important like their size.

This to me is a huge indicator that she is one of those kinds of mom.

[cinema guy]

Childrens' sizes are listed in years in the UK, IIRC. I guess that makes it simpler. Me and my brother, being small, often had clothes sized for kids younger than us.

[jackfaire]

Childrens' sizes are listed in years in the UK, IIRC. I guess that makes it simpler. Me and my brother, being small, often had clothes sized for kids younger than us.

Actually sounds just as complicated if you weren't there and your mom was like, "They are this age" then she is sold clothes too big for you.

Sizes aren't that complicated at all it's all about the parents knowing the sizes or having the kid with. Without either bit of knowledge you could have the simplest sizing system in the world still doesn't mean it will fit that kid.

[NorthernZel]

Childrens' sizes are listed in years in the UK, IIRC. I guess that makes it simpler. Me and my brother, being small, often had clothes sized for kids younger than us.

Same thing in Denmark, at least for clothes up to 5-yrs. However, one still has to think for him/herself - for instance, my own Lil'Zel is 3 yrs old and wears trousers in 3-4 yrs sizes, but needs shirts/sweaters in size 5 yrs since he has broad shoulders.

Also, there is also the fact that size "standards" vary from brand to brand. A shirt too small from one brand can be labeled with the same size as a shirt too big from another brand.

[blas]

It's not the whole not knowing her child's size that makes my brains want to spontaneously combust....

It's the fact that the stupid twat decided to go to the store without the kid to get the coat!

I mean, you can try on coats without even needing dressing rooms. It's not that hard. Mumsy apparently couldn't wait for school to get over.

[Magpie]

It's not the whole not knowing her child's size that makes my brains want to spontaneously combust....

It's the fact that the stupid twat decided to go to the store without the kid to get the coat!

I mean, you can try on coats without even needing dressing rooms. It's not that hard. Mumsy apparently couldn't wait for school to get over.

The first part I can understand. After all, it's been a year since the last coat, kids change size, and anyhow, if she's a grown woman she's used to clothes being sized with arbitrary numbers that you need a salesclerk to interpret anyhow. Of course, if she wants to use any of those excuses, the second point becomes more and more glaring an omission.

[bsaana]

Get it through your heads. Kids are all different sizes no matter what age they are!!!! grrr.

Even though I don't work at a clothing store or any store for that matter I know what you mean. My own daughter, now 21 months old, is rather small. She takes after her mother (my wife) there. She is just starting to fit into shirts and such that are labeled 24 month, but for pants - those labeled 18 month still fall off of her... I can't make my own mother understand that...

[alowlypotato]

I don't understand that sort of logic... Teenagers and adults don't come in uniform age-based sizes. Why would it be any different for young kids? I mean, hell, even newborns vary in size and weight.

[Shironu-Akaineko]

Mumsy apparently couldn't wait for school to get over.

Yet she needed that coat asap because it was cold TODAY.

So... if it's that damn crucial, how did the kid get to school this morning? Wrapped in a quilt?