I'm so disappointed and frustrated today.
Recently I ordered;
http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=21300
http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=28999
I tried the tights on yesterday, and they came up so thin and tight they laddered/ripped straight away . I got them in L/XL which is apparently 20-26. I'm an 18-20.. maybe 22 on bloated days but no more than that, but these had no give in them at all. I can't believe they're meant to fit up to a 26.
The stockings I tried on today, Queen Size is apparently 18-24. I believe this is fair, they went on okay, WAY too tall for the average girl. (I'm 5ft 5, there was so much slack around the ankles)
I pulled them on gently, a little at a time repositioning them, adjusting them, spreading it out so that all areas were comfortable and one wasn't pulled more tightly than another.
They were OKAY. Still rolling over at the tops. I think "Well you are meant to wear them with a suspender belt" so I turn round to grab mine and test it and... RIIIIPPPPPP... the lace top completely seperates from the stockings.
I'm sick of this happening, every time I buy a pair of stockings or interesting looking tights I get the same thing happen. It makes me feel awful when I'm having to buy something 3 sizes bigger than I should NEED based on standard UK measurements -just in an effort to get something that wont split the second I attempt to put it on.
I know LoveHoney will replace/exchange/refund them, thats great of them... but it's the emotional distress more than the money - as silly as that sounds.
I'm under no illusions, I know I'm a big girl it's not like I'm trying to squeeze into a 16 and wondering why it rips lol But I've lost a stone recently, dropped a dress size. I now wear an 18-20 skinny jeans with no problem... The ones I bought a couple weeks ago I can pull up without undoing them, and yet PLUS SIZED hosiery seems to be a nightmare and doesn't have a single extra stitch to give it a little support despite the nature of the item.
Anyone got any suggestions for better quality / stronger actual plus sized stuff that's not gonna make my baby blues worse every time I think about it? >.<
HI Jazzam,
I'm really sorry to hear this - the last thing we want is people feeling emotionally down as a result of what we do - we strive for the opposite!
I'm going to show this post to our lingerie buying team so they know what's happened. Quite often suppliers will adjust their sizing and not alert us, so whilst we think we're ordering the same item it's changed considerably. I'll get someone to look into this in case this has happened.
Please do get in touch with customer care as they'll be more than happy to refund you/find something else.
I'm going to get to the bottom of this!
Thankyou Lucy, I'm sorry I know it's NOTHING to do with you guys, it's the same everywhere >.<
You guys are fantastic and I know you strive to do the best you can, it is mostly the manufacturors that fail to notify of the correct sizing.
Especially when translating from different countries to our awkward sizings haha
I was going to let everyone have their easter break before I contact the care team you guys deserve some time off too =P
But I'm impatient and always looking hehe especially as it's pay day so need suggestions for things other plus-sized ladies have found to be tried and tested lol x
Manufacturers do strange things. Well, I suppose not all of them. 
The one-sized wonders are the worst. You know how the most common size in the UK is supposed to be a 16? (Which means you aren't far off average, btw.) The one sized items tend to go from 8 or 10 to 14 or 16. So that poor stitching is going to be stretched to its max for the most common size of woman. If there's a plus size version it will usually start at 18. Lots of one-size items don't even claim to fit a 16 with either plus or non-. So does a size 16 woman get a the non-plus one-size that's really designed for a size 10 or 12 or a plus size one that should be able to accomodate a size 20 or 22? And that's for the most common size of woman in the UK. What are they thinking? We'll cut costs by not catering to the average size?
That's my gripe. A year ago the doctor wanted me to put on weight (health problems), which I have done a bit, and the one-size nonsense can still make me feel down on myself. Shall we go out imaginary dancing to cheer ourselves up? 
Haha indeed we shall dear :-)
I had a little moan to my OH, he's such the supportive soul and got all upset cause I was annoyed lol
The unfortunate thing is that the average size isn't necessarily the average size of the target audience.
For instance New Look I'm sure their target audience is probably girls between the age of 14-25 realistically where I presume the more realistic average is around a size 12.
But because the national average takes into account more mature audiences aswell which probably sit around 16-18, and if course the minority statistics for very bubbly women bringing all of those figures up considerably more that gives us a different concept of the average person vs the average customer....
This is understand...
If stores failed to stock larger sizes I understand it is supply and demand and larger sizes (in theory) take longer to sell to the main target audiences - young impressionable females.
My qualm is that manufacturers MAKE these products that are labelled at XL, XXL etc and an XL more often than not is converted as a 14, XXL a 16. - the national average is a XXL lol
Gah I'm rambling now haha
Bottom line; I get WHY retailers don't stock every single size. I don't get why sizes vary so much between brands when realistically they should be universal lol
Lovehoney - Lucy wrote:
HI Jazzam,
I'm really sorry to hear this - the last thing we want is people feeling emotionally down as a result of what we do - we strive for the opposite!
I'm going to show this post to our lingerie buying team so they know what's happened. Quite often suppliers will adjust their sizing and not alert us, so whilst we think we're ordering the same item it's changed considerably. I'll get someone to look into this in case this has happened.
Please do get in touch with customer care as they'll be more than happy to refund you/find something else.
I'm going to get to the bottom of this!
Fab response as always, well done LH
Jazzam, I feel your pain, I'm exactly the same, especially with tights and stockings. Even with tights from Evans, I need to buy size 28 minimum, anything smaller and I end up with crotchless tights, as that seems the place they rip on me! 
Hi Jazzam,
I just wanted to let you know that I forwarded your comment on to the lingerie team, and they've made an appointment to speak with the supplier to get to the bottom of this!
We're also sending a few pairs of the items you mentioned out for a sizing test so we can get some more feedback. If people come back to us with similar comments then we'll either be adjusting our information on the site or discontinuing the products.
Thanks so much for letting us know about this - we sell so many items that sometimes the little changes can slip the net! I love the forum for this :) I hope you managed to speak to Customer Care and get some replacements.
Lucy x
I also know what you mean here! I have yet to find a pair of stockings that will comfortably fit my size 22 thighs.
I don't understand how lingerie companies can put 'size 18-22' on their products - do they not make real people try their products on? I seriously sometimes feel that they just pluck the sizing guidelines out of thin air!
Well done Lovehoney for taking this up directly with the suppliers ... We need consistency with sizes :-)