My 11-year old is somewhat chubby and has been complaining about the same thing. Sizing up in clothes and wearing things that are more loose-fitting is perfectly reasonable.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all. DH and I read your replies together and we appreciate the accounts of first-hand experiences and really loved the "it's the clothes job to fit you, not your job to fit the clothes" perspective.

I bought DD some new shorts already and we're planning a lunch and mall trip this weekend. She's excited for the wardrobe refresh and I'm excited for her to feel good in what she's wearing.

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Great update, OP! Have fun shopping.

It's so hard when they hit that growth spurt. Tops that were not cropped become cropped! Shorts that fit in September are coming out of storage as Daisy Dukes. And of course that's going to cause a lot of discomfort.

Be patient with your daughter, but don't let her cut off tags until the day she's ready to wear. I took my daughter along to return a few items just so she could see how it's totally not a big deal to change your mind.

OP here. Thank you all. DH and I read your replies together and we appreciate the accounts of first-hand experiences and really loved the "it's the clothes job to fit you, not your job to fit the clothes" perspective.

I bought DD some new shorts already and we're planning a lunch and mall trip this weekend. She's excited for the wardrobe refresh and I'm excited for her to feel good in what she's wearing.

I don't think it's right for you to invalidate her feelings. If you say "you're not fat, you're beautiful" then she's less likely to share this stuff with you in the future. If you say something like "you don't feel comfortable in that, let's find something else for you to wear" then you're helping her find a solution.