It is not quite the 'Primark effect' most would hope for but the discount store has been named as the chain with the least flattering outfits for millions of women. But it is not the styles or the price which bothers them, according to a new survey. It's the sizes!
Primark is the shop where women are most likely to end up buying something in a bigger dress size than normal, said the study by cereal brand Special K and Marks & Spencer is the opposite for it is the chain where women can breathe a sigh of relief because the generous sizes tend to come up big, allowing them to buy a smaller size.
Men may not appreciate the subtle differences as much, but for the millions of women watching their weight, it can be a psychological boost to be told they are, say, a size 12 not 14 or a 14 not 16.
Primark was named as the worst chain for dress sizes that do not flatter the ego with 15 per cent of adult females claiming they end up buying a bigger outfit than they would expect there. This is even more the case of older women with 22 per cent of those aged 45-59 claiming the same.
Second is Topshop with its skinny fashions and skimpy tops where 14 per cent claimed the sizes were too small, rising to 18 per cent of the chain's key market of women under 30.
And in third place is New Look with 12 per cent of all women, rising to 18 per cent of older female shoppers.
On the other side of the flattering fashion street, 27 per cent of all women said Marks & Spencer was the store with sizing that made them feel slimmer, followed by 17 per cent who named George @ Asda. But there are clearly divided opinions. While 11 per cent of women think Next sizing is too small, 16 per cent say it is generous and makes them feel slimmer.
The survey of 1000 women found nearly a quarter of the nation's females admitted to shopping at certain shops because of their "generous" sizing.
Laura Keay from Special K said: "Shopping can be an emotional rollercoaster. If a woman doesn't fit into the size she thinks she is in a particular shop, especially if she is watching her weight, it can be upsetting and confusing.
"This may be a point lost on many men but if a woman is, for instance, a size 12 in one shop and a size 14 in another, then it may well influence which shops she buys clothes from. The survey showed that sizing is even more important in the summer when clothes are expected to be tight and more revealing."