Out of all the high street stores, & Other Stories is the one which, without fail, I can always find something I like in. You’re more likely to catch me in a dress-and-blazer outfit than anything else, so, naturally, the pieces I already own from & Other Stories tend to fall into those categories. Now I think about it, actually, I also own a few shoes and bags from the brand, all of which have lasted in terms of quality and design timelessness. Indeed, things were off to a promising start. And they were—the moment I crossed the shop’s threshold, so many pieces caught my eye. I always love dressing for autumn, and I think that’s the season that & Other Stories comes into its own, too. Woollen coats, midi dresses, tailoring, and boots—oh, the boots!—I was smitten with it all.
I’ll get into the nuances of my try-on as I break down every outfit I wore, but one thing I want to touch on is & Other Stories’ sizing. As I’ve already outlined, I seldom shop, and when I do, it’s often by one piece at a time. So, I’ve never really noticed a pattern in & Other Stories sizing—anything that didn’t fit, I’d return without much thought. However, after spending more than two hours in its changing rooms, it would be remiss of me not to mention it. I’m a pretty true UK size 12, and I love my figure, but that wasn’t always the case. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy becoming comfortable with my body, and I’m proud to say I have a healthy relationship with it now. However, standing looking at my reflection in the mirror as I struggled to pull a pair of trousers several sizes bigger than my usual over my thighs, I’m not over admitting I was disheartened. I shouldn’t have been, but I was. I’m more than willing to size up if need be, but if I find it difficult to shop there, I have to wonder how many others have no option but to write it off completely. Other editors have told me they also find & Other Stories sizing can be challenging. However, that being said, I do find some & Other Stories pieces tend to be more accurate. Dresses, for example, generally fit in my regular size—trousers and skirts, however, are less predictable. You might have no issue with it but, in the interest of being honest, I wanted to highlight my own experience.
I’d love to see & Other Stories expand into a more diverse size range. Its clothes are beautiful and some of the best quality I think the high street has to offer, which makes the limited sizing more of a letdown. Still, there are absolutely pieces I think you should see—here’s what I thought was worth recommending, with as much transparency around the sizing as possible.
Tagged: high-street