By: Blonde Two
Dear Outdoor Retailer
Please allow me to describe to you an experience that I had in one of your stores last weekend (my visit was, by the way, supposed to be a birthday treat). I needed a new pair of walking trousers and I was in the mood to spend quite a lot of money.
Before my visit, I had checked your online store, I knew possible makes, available sizes and prices.
I searched the female section of the shop, and found only one pair of trousers in my size. I am not particularly unusually sized, I wear a size 18 jean and am 5′ 8″ tall. There was a single pair of size 18 female trousers; I tried them on and couldn’t even pull them all the way up. Not to be deterred (although I was deflated) I tried the three largest pairs of male trousers that I could find. Despite some awkward wriggling and (I am afraid to confess) a few tears none of these fitted either.
In an attempt to cheer my (now saddened) soul, I abandoned hope of bottom coverage and tried gilets instead (to cover a couple of other assets). There was nothing bigger than a 16 available and nothing that would do up.
What happened next? I left without trousers or gilet of course, but I also left without a couple of other things; my happy birthday feeling was gone, my self-esteem was on its way out and my purse was still full.
I am sure you will agree, Mr Retailer, that this experience benefitted neither of us. You did not get my money, and I did not get my clothes. So I am setting you a public blog challenge, are you ready?
I challenge you to find me (from your stock) a pair of walking trousers that will fit in all the right places, will not leave a cold gap around my mid-rift and will actually make me look like the attractive, active woman that I am. If you can achieve this (surely simple) goal, I will write a heart-warming review on our blog. If you can’t, well I am going to look very silly walking across Dartmoor in my knickers aren’t I?
Yours in Adventure
Blonde Two
PS Mr Retailer. If you are wandering if this blog post is addressed to you … it probably is!
I sent this letter to the retailer mentioned and they responded admirably… see the below posts.
Does an outdoor retailer operate en plein air? I could see this might inhibit the trying-on of jeans. I bought jeans once in a street market in the French town of Aurillac; tried them on by lying down in the back of the vendor’s tiny van. That part of the country is warmish and there was no way I was going to take them off again under the same circumstances. A sale was made.
Aren’t you a double victim of what the retail world regards as women’s vanity? Using garment sizes as a sort of fashion lever and not stocking larger sizes under the impression that this would make the window displays irredeemably naff? I think the tone of your post is too reasonable; more evidence of spitting as you write might help.
You’re currently recommending the Berghaus sale… Maybe you will have to embrace the world of online shopping (and the sending back systems too) to find the right thing and the right time. It is depressing though, why standards cannot be standardised I do not know… I have trousers and jeans in three sizes, but there is one (very large and ever expanding) outdoor retailer whose ladies own brand trousers do not fit me in any size or shape.
I tried this too and had to order 3 jackets and pay (of course) but that was nearly £600.
None of them fit, so back they went.
The retailer I did it with requested recorded delivery (rightly) but that cost nearly £10 (see my post below).
I gave up – so I have bought some waterproofing treatment for existing old fitting (size smaller) waterproof jacket. It’s on it’s last legs.
To all those reading thinking there is another answer – diet!
Yes, but there should be options – body shapes are changing and it seems the manufacturers don’t expect someone to be large AND fit.
Knicker-romping across Dartmoor created a mental picture dangerous to an old man’s health this breakfast-time.
I have similar problems and the only trousers I can find to fit are Karrimor stretch range of full length and crop trousers my walking gilets are curtesy of Sainsbury’s. Good luck
Yes! Just exactly this.
Ha! Brilliant post, and YES PLEASE retailers. I too have that problem. I have written a walking guide, organise outdoors events and work in an outdoors organisation so I need good kit. I was looking for a waterproof jacket to embroider with our (VERY well known) organisation logo. I looked on line, printed off all possible jackets in ‘my’ size, then went into the store only to find they didn’t have any in stock.
I tried one on by the same manufacturer of one of my chosen online styles and it just about fit. I ordered it to be delivered to store, but as the store is 40 miles away I couldn’t get there in the 3 day time slot (work!) – so it was put out on the sales floor.
I went in again 2 months later and ordered the last remaining jacket (all others in my size now sold out) to be delivered to my home.
It arrived on time, looked great but didn’t fit. No way. It was 7 inches smaller than my existing jacket (different make) which is marked whole size smaller.
I packed it up and sent it back in the bag, I had to record delivery it it cost me £9.50!!!
I then received a cheque in the post as refund (not back on my card) so have to make a trip to town to go in to bank, (I live and work rurally) so another special trip to a town.
I didn’t order another one to try on at home as I can’t afford nearly £10.00 for each return, just to try on at home as they don’t have them in store. The jacket was £190.00 – another lost sale!
My waterproof trousers fit (not from big store or from big name or super expensive – as none of them fit) – but they are about a foot too long!! Hard to take up as there is a zip all the way down the side. So they get filthy and flap about and very wet.
Size 18, 5’7.
Very active. National Trust and AONB.
I’ve had the same experience twice in the last year – with cargo trousers and with waterproof trousers. I think they are all made now in countries where people are shorter and slighter than we are and simply can’t believe we ladies can ever be as big as we tell them we are, so they cut a few inches off everything except the size label. Bring back UK manufacture, say I !!!
Thank you all so much for your comments. You will be pleased to hear that a well known outdoor retailer has contacted me and taken on the Blonde Bottom Challenge! Watch this blog space!