With Christmas right around the corner, people are shopping and that shopping often includes clothes. There is frequently some confusion when it comes to sizes for girls, teens, and women. The names of sections in department stores can sometimes leave a person scratching their head in bewilderment.

I have searched the Internet for you and come up with some definitions I believe will help with anyone having trouble figuring out what size to buy for that granddaughter, niece, mom, and so on.

* If you see a ‘T’ with a size in the children’s department, this stands for toddler. For instance a 2T would fit a typical 2 year-old child.

* Children’s ‘X’ sizes are for heavier kids. When you see a 6X, this means the child wears a 6, but needs more room in the waist (In this case the X would be appropriate.). Sometimes you will see “Husky” instead of ‘X’.

* Junior sizes go in odd numbers. For girls, Junior clothes tend to be tighter. The Junior girls clothing is cut straighter, more slender because teenage bodies have not fully developed. These clothes are trendier, more up-to-the-minute than Misses.

* Misses clothing is designed for women around 5’5 and go by even numbers. These clothes tend to be wider than Juniors and can be dressier. Misses clothes have more room in the chest and hips.

* Petite shirts have higher armholes, shorter sleeves, narrower shoulders, and are shorter in length. Petite pants have a shorter rise (the distance between the crotch seam and the waist of the pants). These are made mainly for women under 5’4 and go by even numbers.

* Petite Plus clothes are also for women under 5’4 and come in larger sizes such as 16P, 18P, and so forth.

I hope this helps 🙂