Clothing Size Conversion

A size measures the body, not the garment

The European standard EN 13402 designates clothing sizes by body measurements in centimetres, so a size tied to an 88 cm bust names the body that fits it, not the width of the cloth. The standard is voluntary, and few countries adopted it in full, which is exactly why a German, French and Italian label still carry different numbers for one figure. When a brand gives a centimetre measurement next to the size, that number is the reliable one to match against your own tape.

The formulas behind the numbers

Continental sizes come from simple arithmetic on body measurements. The German Konfektionsgroesse sets a women's size at the bust in centimetres divided by two, minus six, and a men's size at the chest divided by two. So an 88 cm bust is a women's 38, and an 88 cm chest is a men's 44, which is why men's and women's numbers sit six apart for the same girth. The British and American scales are just offsets from each other: a women's UK size is a US size plus four, so a UK 12 is a US 8, while men's UK and US jacket sizes are the same number, both the chest in inches.

Letter sizes are ranges, not points

S, M and L look precise but each covers a band of numeric sizes, and brands set the band themselves. A women's medium commonly spans a US 8 to 10 at one label and a US 6 to 8 at another, so a letter alone converts loosely. The audience charts pair each letter with its numeric range and centimetre measurements, which is the only way to convert a letter size with confidence.

The same number is a different body abroad

Asian systems reuse familiar-looking numbers for different bodies. Korea's 44, 55 and 66 were set in 1981 from a national survey, where 55 marked the average woman of the time at 155 cm tall with an 85 cm bust. Japan numbers women's wear in odd sizes, a 9 being an 83 cm bust, and China labels by height and girth together, as in 160/84A. None of these convert to a US number by a single offset. The full decoding is in Asian clothing sizes explained.

Why the number keeps shrinking

A US size 8 today is several inches larger at the bust and waist than a size 8 from the 1950s, because American numbers drifted downward over decades to flatter shoppers, a practice called vanity sizing. That drift is one more reason a remembered size means little across brands or eras, and why matching a centimetre measurement beats trusting the label. The numbers and the studies behind them are in vanity sizing explained.

Frequently asked questions

What is a UK 12 in US and EU?

A women's UK 12 is a US 8, since the women's US scale runs four below the UK one. The EU number for the same body is around a 40, though EU labels vary by country because the standard behind them is voluntary. See the UK to US women's chart.

Why do EU, UK and US clothing sizes disagree?

Each was built on a different rule, and the European harmonising standard, EN 13402, is voluntary, so Germany, France and Italy never converged on one number for a figure. The reliable common ground is a body measurement in centimetres.

How do I convert my size accurately?

Measure your bust or chest, waist and hip in centimetres and match them to a brand's own centimetre chart rather than to a remembered size. Letters and national numbers both drift; a centimetre does not.

Learn more: how to measure your body, vanity sizing, and Asian clothing sizes.