# Is this a child's dress or a woman's dress? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 5, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375 "2011-06-05T05:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/1 "2011-06-05T05:35:21Z")
Throwing some stuff on eBay. I’ve listed this as a woman’s dress but in looking at the tags and measurements I think I may be misrepresenting it. The tag seems to indicates it may be a child’s dress. Physical measurements are: Marked SIZE: (XL ) Armpit to Armpit (bust) = 21 across (42 circumference) inches Top of Collar to Bottom hem (length) = 34 Inches Armpit to Cuff (sleeve) = 18 Inches Middle of back to cuff = 31.5 inches Here are the pics. [http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/5008/img3624s.jpg](http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/5008/img3624s.jpg) [http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/9208/img3627b.jpg](http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/9208/img3627b.jpg) [http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/292/img3633la.jpg](http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/292/img3633la.jpg) [http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/4463/img3635.jpg](http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/4463/img3635.jpg) [http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/2498/img3636r.jpg](http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/2498/img3636r.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/2 "2011-06-05T05:43:26Z")
I can’t imagine a child’s dress that’s 42" in circumference at the bust. that’d be way too big for me, and I’m not a waif. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/3 "2011-06-05T05:43:56Z")
Well, the fact that the tag lists as it’s top age ‘13’, I’m guessing it’s a 12’yr old’s dress, or a young woman’s tunic. Hard to REALLY tell. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/4 "2011-06-05T05:47:08Z")
Adding…Looking at the official site, their women’s clothing comes in different sizes, but in the girls’ section, the sizes are identical to what is on that tag. So…what I said earlier. It could well fit a woman as a tunic, but I’d say a young teen dress. ---
**Author:** ![Amara\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Amara\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amara_1)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/5 "2011-06-05T05:49:52Z")
I think it’s a woman’s dress. Hanna Andersson mostly sells kids clothes but they sometimes sell matching mom outfits (I think it’s weird). Looks like the XL means it is for adults. > **[Kids Size Chart | Hanna Andersson](https://www.hannaandersson.com/kids-size-chart.html)** > > Hanna Andersson's Kids size chart ensures you choose the right size. A definitive guide for converting centimeters (CM) to US sizes by using the Hanna Andersson Kids size guide. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/6 "2011-06-05T05:55:29Z")
> [@Amara\_1](#): > > I think it’s a woman’s dress. Hanna Andersson mostly sells kids clothes but they sometimes sell matching mom outfits (I think it’s weird). Looks like the XL means it is for adults. > > [Kids Size Chart | Hanna Andersson](http://www.hannaandersson.com/sizingChart.asp) Yeah.. per your link the XL bust correlates to the measured women’s bust size of the dress. Odd that it has a kid’s weight sizing tag attached to it. Sleeves also seem kind of short for a tall(ish) woman. Thanks to everyone for the assist! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/7 "2011-06-05T06:05:02Z")
> [@Amara\_1](#): > > I think it’s a woman’s dress. Hanna Andersson mostly sells kids clothes but they sometimes sell matching mom outfits (I think it’s weird). Looks like the XL means it is for adults. > > [Kids Size Chart | Hanna Andersson](http://www.hannaandersson.com/sizingChart.asp) I looked at the site and they sure do! But where would a mother and little daughter in matching black velour dresses go? A gallery opening, a flim festival? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/8 "2011-06-05T06:27:09Z")
Those are three-quarter sleeves, I’m pretty sure. I’d mention that in the listing. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/9 "2011-06-05T06:32:50Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Those are three-quarter sleeves, I’m pretty sure. I’d mention that in the listing. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/10 "2011-06-05T13:06:39Z")
> [@astro](#): > > But where would a mother and little daughter in matching black velour dresses go? A gallery opening, a flim festival? A holiday party, maybe, or to have a family portrait taken. The theatre, or some other public event. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/11 "2011-06-05T14:08:46Z")
Just for fun, I’m pronouncing it as phlegm festival. It looks to me that the wearer would have to have very broad shoulders to keep the dress up. Is that just an issue of picturing it on a hanger vs on a person? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/12 "2011-06-05T18:58:02Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > It looks to me that the wearer would have to have very broad shoulders to keep the dress up. Is that just an issue of picturing it on a hanger vs on a person? According to the size chart **Amara** linked to, the dress is meant for someone whose measurements are aproximately 43"-36.5"-45"…and a woman would have to be pretty oddly shaped not to have reasonably broad shoulders to go along with those numbers. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/13 "2011-06-05T19:21:14Z")
The tag is weird but I think this is definitely a garment intended for a grown woman who usually wears L/XL in women’s sizing. Kid’s size 16 usually fits my upper body decently, and I have a 31" bust. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/14 "2011-06-05T19:42:43Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > The tag is weird but I think this is definitely a garment intended for a grown woman who usually wears L/XL in women’s sizing. Kid’s size 16 usually fits my upper body decently, and I have a 31" bust. The tag has children on it ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/15 "2011-06-06T05:05:36Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > The tag has children on it So? Why can’t that just be a logo? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/16 "2011-06-06T11:10:16Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > So? Why can’t that just be a logo? Or a mistake. We don’t know where **astro** got it, but clothes that are mislabeled often find themselves in consignment shops when retailers can’t sell them or buried in people’s clothes when the purchaser realizes that there’s no way it’s the size it claims to be. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/17 "2011-06-06T11:32:01Z")
I put the product number into the search on the website (27379 from the photo of the tag) and the response was that it was a valid number but no longer available and to contact customer service for more info. Perhaps you could call and ask? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/18 "2011-06-06T17:08:46Z")
I’ve never known Hannah Anderssen to have sizes such as “xl” but always Euro sizes (90, for example). Is this something new? ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-childs-dress-or-a-womans-dress/584375/19 "2011-06-06T17:19:29Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > The tag has children on it I understand that, but children’s clothing sizes are somewhat standardized and a size 16 kids accommodates a 32" - 36" bust. If a girl is bigger than that she has to wear women’s sizes. It would be the same if the dress was labeled a size 2 women’s and had a 42" bust (a size 2 top will usually fit a bust of 32" - 36"). It’s clearly not a size 2 women’s in any sense but the number on the tag, and would so large as to be unwearable on anyone who usually wore a size 2 women’s.