by Heidi Labron

Created on: April 25, 2008

Can you imagine if your clothes were sold in sizes according to your age? Picture yourself going up to the cash with a pair of jeans that said "47". We wouldn't like it one bit. As adults, the smaller the number, the better. Just as we have trouble finding the perfect fits for ourselves, children's clothing can provide some trouble spots as well. I'll try to explain how to get great fitting clothes for your child.

First of all, kids clothes are made a bit differently that adult clothes. We have specific sizes, usually based on measurements, and hopefully, as adults, we fall into a certain size category. Now, that doesn't mean that all size 6 women will be a small, or that all size 10 women will be a large. Body shape also factors into what sizes we wear and for the most part, designers know this and cut clothes accordingly. For children, however, clothes are sold in sizes that are supposed to correspond to their age. But not all children are the same size as others at their specific age.

My little 4 year old niece, for example, is very tall for her age. She looks about 6 years old and wears clothes that are geared for children of that age. That comes along with a few problems in itself, like snaps on jackets which are easy for a child who is six, but not so easy for a four year old. So, careful thought has to be put into clothes when you are buying them for children.

So, as babies, clothes are usually cut very straight, without much thought to anything except for room in the lower half to accommodate bulky diapers. Usually, clothes for babies will have tags to help you out though. Not only will they give you a specific age range for the clothes, they will provide height and weight sometimes. This can be useful for longer babies, or shorter ones. Go with the weight and not the age and you'll be fine.

When kids are toddlers, their clothes are still arranged and sold by age, but frequently, they will have a weight label as well. Your child may wear something larger or smaller than the suggested size for their age, but kids are constantly growing at this point and something that might be too small one day, could fit perfectly the next. It is a good idea to buy something a bit larger so that your child can grow into it, and therefore, wear it longer. You don't want your little boy to wear a pair of jeans once and outgrow them by next week. Remember, you can always roll up the cuffs of those pants or shirts.

When children start school, you'll notice that sizing becomes

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