Clothing sizes

Many voyagers like to shop for clothes abroad. Some types of clothes might be significantly cheaper in another country, and often you can find things that you're unable to find in your home country.

When buying clothes abroad (or from a foreign online store) you may however run into a number of different systems for clothing sizes. In some stores (let alone in open-air markets and similar places) there are not facilities available for trying clothes, so having a reference of the local size system at hand can be useful.

In some cases clothes are marked by letters like S(mall), M(edium), L(arge), XL (extra large) and so on — souvenir t-shirts are often marked this way. However these do in practice vary — for example clothes of a certain size sold on the Asian market are often a bit smaller than American equivalents. Finally, clothing markings may be faulty or entirely missing.

Women

Comparison tables

Women's dresses and suits

United States	0	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24
UK	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24	26	28
Germany	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
France	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54	56
Italy	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60
Korea	44	44	55	55	66	66	77	77	88	88

Women's clothing sizes

USA	4	6	8	10	12
UK	8	10	12	14	16
France	36	38	40	42	44
Japanese	7	11	15	17	21
Bust	32"	34"	36"	38"	40"
	81 cm	86 cm	91 cm	97 cm	102 cm
Waist	24"	26.5"	29"	31"	33"
	61 cm	67 cm	74 cm	79 cm	84 cm
Hip	35"	37"	39"	41"	43"
	89 cm	94 cm	99 cm	104 cm	109 cm

Women’s blouses and sweaters

EU	40	42	44	46	48	50
UK	34	36	38	40	42	44
US	32	34	36	38	40	42

Children’s junior misses dresses and coats

EU	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42
UK	3	5	7	9	11	13	15	17
US	1	3	5	7	9	11	13	15

Korean casual / underwear (KS 051 - 2009)

Dress size	3XS	XXS	XS	S	M	L	XL	XXL	3XL	4XL
Bust (cm)	70	75	80	85	90	95	100	105	110-115	120-125

Japanese dresses sizes (JIS L 4005 - 2001)

Dress size	3	5	7	9	11	13	15	17	19	21	23	25	27	29	31
Bust (cm)	74	77	80	83	86	89	92	96	100	104	108	112	116	120	124

Japanese dresses length modifiers

Modifier	PP (double-petite)	P (petite)	R (regular)	T (tall)
Subject Height (cm)	142	150	158	166
Additional hip girth (cm)	0	0	2	4

Japanese dresses fit modifiers

Modifier	Y	A	AB	B
Additional hip girth (cm)	0	4	8	12

e.g. a dress marked 13-Y-PP or 13-Y-P would be designed for someone with an 89 cm bust and 89 cm hips, while a dress marked 13-B-T would be targeted at a taller individual with 105 cm hips, but the same 89 cm bust. The B fitting adds 12 cm and the T height modifier 4 cm to the base hip measurement 89 + 16 = 105 cm. Additionally there are a set of age based waist adjustments, such that a dress marketed at someone in their 60s may allow for a waist 9 cm larger than a dress, of the same size, marketed at someone in their 20s. The age based adjustments allow for up to a 3 cm increase in girth, per decade of life.

Italian sizes (ITA)

Dress sizes are calculated as follows:

• Standard dress size = (Bust Circumference cm / 2)

French sizes (FRA/BEL)

Dress sizes are calculated as follows:

• Standard dress size = (Bust Circumference cm / 2) - 4

Germanic sizes (DE/AT/NL/SE/DK)

Dress sizes are calculated as follows:

• Standard dress size (Height 164–170 cm) = (Bust Circumference cm / 2 ) - 6
• Short dress sizes (Height <164 cm) = Standard dress size / 2
• Tall dress sizes (Height >170 cm) = Standard dress size * 2

Women's clothing sizes (DE/AT/NL/SE/DK)

Short Size codes < 164 cm	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27
Standard size codes < 170 cm	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Tall size codes 170 cm	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	108
International	XS		S		M		L		XL		XXL
EU Tops	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	105	110	116	122	128
EU Bottoms	60	63	67	70	75	80	84	88	94	100	106	112
Shoulder Width (cm)	12	12	12	12	13	13	13	13	14	14	14	14
Arm length (cm)	58	59	59	60	60	61	61	61	61	62	62	62
Bust (cm)	74–77	78–81	82–85	86–89	90–93	94–97	98–102	103–107	108–113	114–119	120–125	126–131
Waist (cm)	58–61	62–64	65–68	69–72	73–77	78–81	82–85	86–90	91–95	96–102	103–108	109–114
Hips (cm)	80–84	85–89	90–94	95–97	98–101	102–104	105–108	109–112	113–116	117–122	123–128	129–134
Inside Leg (cm)	103	104	105	106	107	108	109	110	111	112	113	114
BH-Größe	65AA	70AA	70A	75A	75B	80B	85C	90C	90D	95D	100E	105E

Men

Comparison tables

Men's shirts

UK & other EU / Japan	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46
UK / US / AUS	14	14½	15	15½	15¾	16¼	16½	17	17½	18	18½
Japan	S	S	M	M	L	L	LL,XL	LL,XL	LL,XL
Korea	90		95		100		105		110

Men's sports shirts, T-shirts

EU	36	37/38	39/40	41/42	43/44	45/46
UK / US	XS	S	M	L	XL	XXL
	84 cm	92 cm	100 cm	108 cm	116 cm	124 cm

Men's sweaters, jackets

EU	38/40	42/44	46/48	50/52	52/54
UK / US	S	M	L	XL	XXL

Men's suits, suit jackets, blazers, overcoats

EU/Russia	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60	62	64
UK / US	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Japan	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52
Korea	80	85	90	95	100	105	110	115	120	125	130
SML	XXS	XS	S	S	M	M	L	L	XL	XXL	XXXL

Men's jeans, slacks, pants, trousers: Waist

EU	64/68	68/72	72/76	76/80	80/84	84/88	88/92	92/96	96/100	100/104	104/108	108/112	112/116
Italy	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52	53	54	55
UK / US	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	36	38	40	42	44

Men's jeans, slacks, pants, trousers: Length

EU	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
UK / US	25/26	27/28	29/30	31	32	33	34	36

The nominal UK/US size for men's trousers is the garment's waist measured in inches minus three inches of 'ease', so the waistband of a pair of "size 30" trousers measures 33 inches around. By contrast, a medium-sized ladies' garment is no more than a "size 12" due to differences in the US size charts - so a lady "size 30" would be huge.

Men's underwear

EU	1	2	3	4	5
UK / US	S	M	L	XL	XXL

French sizes (FRA/BEL)

Chest / Suit sizes are calculated as follows:

• Standard Size Code = ( Chest Circumference cm + 1) / 2

Germanic sizes (AT/DE/NL/DK/SE/FI)

Chest / Suit sizes are calculated as follows:

• Standard Size Code (Normale) = ( Chest Circumference cm – 1) / 2
• Short / Stocky (Kurz / Untersetzt) = Standard Size Code / 2
• Portly (Bauchgrößen) = Standard Size Code + 1
• Tall / Lean (Schlank / Lang) = (Standard Size Code - 1) * 2

Men's clothing sizes (AT/DE/NL/DK/SE/FI)

Standard Size Codes	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60	62	64	66	68	70	72	74
Underwear	4		5		6		7		8
International	XXS	XS	S	M	L	XL	XXL	3XL		4XL		5XL		6XL		7XL
Chest (cm)	86–89	90–93	94–97	98–101	102–105	106–109	110–113	114–117	118–121	122–125	126-128	129-132	133-136	137-140	141-144	145-148
Waist size (cm)	74–77	78–81	82–85	86–89	90–94	95–99	100–104	105–109	110–114	115–119	120-124	125-128	129-132	133-134	135-138	139-142
Hip circumference (cm)	90–93	94–97	98–101	102–105	106–109	110–113	114–117	118–121	122–125	126–129
Height (cm)	166–170	168–173	171–176	174–179	177–182	180–184	182–186	184–188	185–189	187–190	191-192	193-194	195-196	197-198	199-200	201-202
Short / Stocky (untersetzte)	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37
Chest (cm)	89–92	93–96	97–100	101–104	105–108	109–112	113–116	117–120	121–124	125-128	129-132	133-136	137-140	141-144	145-148
Waist size (cm)	81–84	85–88	89–92	93–96	97–100	101–106	107–110	111–114	115–118
Hip circumference (cm)	97-100	101–104	105–108	109–112	113–116	117–120	121–124	125–128	129–132
Height (cm)	163-167	166–170	169–173	172–176	175–178	177–180	179–182	181–183	182–183	184	185	186	187	188	189-190	191-192
Portly (Bauchgrößen)				51	53	55	57	59	61	63	65	67	69	71	73
Chest (cm)				100–103	104–107	108–111	112–115	116–119	120–123	124–126	127-130	131-134	135-138	139-142	143-146
Waist size (cm)				102–107	108–111	112–117	118–121	122–125	126–129	130-132	133-136	137-140	141-146	147-150	151-154
Hip circumference (cm)				108–111	112–115	116–119	120–123	124–127	128–132	133–137
Height (cm)				168–172	170–174	172–176	174–178	176–180	178–182	180–184
Tall size (schlanke)		90	94	98	102	106	110	114	118	122
Chest (cm)		88–91	92–95	96–99	100–103	104–107	108–111	111-114	115-118	119-122
Waist size (cm)		74–77	78–81	82–85	86–89	90–93	94–98	100-104	105-109	110-114
Hip circumference (cm)		92–95	96–99	100–103	104–107	108–111	112–115	116-119	120-123	124-127
Height (cm)		175–179	178–182	181–185	184–188	186–190	188–192	193-197	196-200	199-203

See also

• Clothes
• Metric and Imperial equivalents