DH is going to the states soon and he'll be able to pick up some clothes for me. However, I know for sure some of the size charts are just not accurate online (from personal experience). So if you have roughly (could be within a couple inch window too so at least I have a general idea) the same measurements as me (40" bust, 33" natural waist, 42" hips), can you tell me what size you wear at:

the Gap
Old Navy
Target
Ann Taylor
Levi's

Thanks in advance!

Well, I can't help you much with these stores you mentioned, but I could go try some things on for you. You are smaller than me, but I'm close.

My measurements: 42-35-44. I'm SOLIDLY in size 14s and can squeeze into 12s with most brands. Size large tops. I'm quite chesty (38DD or 38DDD). My guess is that you are a size 12 (no larger) on your way to a tight 10. If you are built like me that is.

And you are right, according to most sites I should be a 16, but no way - I could pull them off without undoing the pants.

BerryBlonde you are so GREAT!!!! You always make me smile.

Wow! Thanks!

Thanks, that's about what I was thinking but am debating whether to tell him to buy a 10's or 12's... hmm...

I know when I was right above Onderland I bought some 14's at old navy that seemed to fit in the dressing room but because they stretched so much were falling off me after wearing them for a few hours... It's crazy because all the websites say 14's, yet I had to give away all my old 14's because they were falling off of me! Right now I'm wearing my prepregnancy clothes, which mostly came from Europe so it's size 42 but I'm not sure what that translates to into US sizes. Hmm...

I also have a large bust (34F-G depending on the brand). BTW, what size shirt are you wearing right now? I forgot to ask that above.

Maybe I should go with the 10's and just use that as some motivation. However, I really need clothes right now, my clothes are seriously gross at this point.

Ha! I'm the total opposite! I always have to go up a size from a size chart.

Old Navy is sized really big, so I'm not surprised.

So, you have a small rib cage and large ta-tas. I have a bigger rib cage and about the same size breasts (DDD is a F/G). I now wear a size large. XL are too big. You might be fine in a medium? (bordering between medium and large?)

I have a large frame - wrists are 7 1/8 inches.

If your size 14s are too big for you, I might opt for mostly 10s then and maybe a couple 12s. My mother in law has a size 42 in her closet (she's from Europe) and I fit them perfectly. She weighs 170 and is a pear shape and they are tight on her. Oh, the brand is Jobi.

Hopefully someone else will pipe in who matches your measurements better. You are two inches smaller everywhere than me and that usually translates one whole pant/dress size. Of course, I can SQUEEZE into size 12 (Calvin Klein suit), but I would have to go naked if my wardrobe was 12s.

We have almost the same measurements. I am 40-33-41, but I'm shorter than you at 5'2".

Anyway, I wear

the Gap
Old Navy: Medium top, size 10 pants
Target: Medium top, size 10 pants
Ann Taylor: size 10 dress, or a medium
Levi's: size 8 pants

In Lee jeans and pants, I can wear an 8. In some of my tops I bought at Kohl's, I bought a small. I think it has something to do with me being short, though. If I was in the Croft&Barrow section, I wore a medium. If I was in the petites, then I wore a small. In the Sonoma section, I was a small. Weird. I would go with a medium for your tops, and a size 8 or 10 for pants.
Too bad you can't try them on.

Old Navy makes their clothes big...so there I'd say definitely a size 10 for you. Target, however, makes their clothes on the small side...so I'd get a 12 for sure.

thanks, that's really helpful! I'm really thinking about asking for Medium's and 10's from DH because it'd be worse if it's too large and I never get a chance to wear the clothes vs. having the clothes be to small and I just have to wait a bit. Although, if someone else chims in, I'd really appreciate that too!

On my 42's they say that they're the same as 12's in the US. They also very widely in size and I have one 42 pair pants that is way too big and another that is tight (admittedly it's a designer brand, though). I have a size 14's in Levi's, though, that are way too big in the waist and just somewhat baggy in the butt/thighs (although I can pull them off without unbuttoning them). I read on their website that everyone claims that they run small, though...

The shirts I'm really nervous about, though, because like you said I have a pretty small ribcage (it measures as 32.5-33") and a large bust so getting a good fit there is tricky. I really need a good button down shirt for work and I have no clue how that's going to happen! Locally, women have absolutely no busts so there's no way I can even attempt to buy something here (and the prices are somewhere at about 3-4x what we'd paying buying stuff in the states for the same quality!). Ugh!

Thanks, I didn't know that about Target.

Thank you so much!!! I was really debating between getting 10's and 12's (and medium's and large's) but that pretty much sealed the deal (for 10's and mediums's). Thanks!!

No problem! Hope he finds some great stuff for you!

im actually glad to hear that about target, i had to buy a size 20 there the other day and it depressed the crap outta me because ive been in 16s and 18s for a couple months, i was hoping they ran small but didnt have confirmation on it

Im no where near your measurements but you caught my eye when you said button up shirt! I have HUGE boobies too and the only way I have ever been able to wear button ups that actually buttoned all the way was to buy whatever size buttoned around my waist and either a- get the shirt tailored or b- buy these plastic clip things that you put on the back of your shirt and it naturally pulls the waist part in. Hope that helps!!