From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
US standard clothing sizes were developed from statistical data in the 1940s-1950s. They are similar in concept to the EN 13402 European clothing size standard.
However, as a result of various cultural pressures, most notably vanity sizing, North American clothing sizes have drifted substantially away from this standard over time, and now have very little connection to it. Instead, they now follow the more loosely defined standards known as US catalog sizes. These are on average 6 sizes smaller than the original standard. So, for example, a size 12 on the old standard would today be described as a size 6, while a size 6 on the old scale would be what is today known as size zero.
In architecture, one of the most common ways of making overweight people feel smaller is by expanding the world around them. Architectural designers call it “framing.” A person who is big does not want to look big. So if their house is bigger, they will look of a more average proportion. Over the past 20 years, the American fashion industry has manipulated clothing sizes to accommodate its widening public, especially women. To show how sizing has changed over time, size-eight dresses from the 1980s, 1990s, and today were compared. The waist circumference on a 1984 dress was 25 inches (63.5 cm). On the 1995 dress, it was 26 inches (66 cm). And on a 2004 dress, it was 27-1/2 (70 cm), a two-and-a-half inch (6.5 cm) difference from 1984 to 2004. Sizing standards in other parts of the world remained constant. Europeans, for example, had developed an entirely different view of fashion, and their sizing standards had not changed.
In the UK, a derivative of the US standard clothing sizes was developed and applied during the 1980s. These sizes are still in use in modern times, though they too have drifted away from the original. UK sizes are roughly 4 sizes out from the US sizes. Thus, a UK size 4 is equivalent to a US size zero or occasionally a size 6.
[edit] Women's sizes
Women’s sizes are divided into various types, depending on the overall height and the relative heights of the bust and waistlines.
Misses’ sizes
| 5'5"–5'6" (165-168 cm) tall, average bust, average back |
| Dimension/Size |
6 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
| Bust |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37½ |
39 |
40½ |
42 |
44 |
| Waist |
25½ |
26½ |
27½ |
29 |
30½ |
32 |
33½ |
35½ |
| Hip |
37½ |
38½ |
39½ |
41 |
42½ |
44 |
45½ |
47½ |
| Back-waist length |
15½ |
15¾ |
16 |
16¼ |
16½ |
16¾ |
17 |
17¼ |
Miss Petite
| 5'2"–5'3" (157.5-160 cm) tall, average bust, shorter back |
| Dimension/Size |
6mp |
8mp |
10mp |
12mp |
14mp |
16mp |
| Bust |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37½ |
39 |
40½ |
| Waist |
25½ |
26½ |
27½ |
29 |
30½ |
32 |
| Hip |
37½ |
38½ |
39½ |
41 |
42½ |
44 |
| Back-waist length |
14½ |
14¾ |
15 |
15¼ |
15½ |
15¾ |
Junior sizes
| 5'4"–5'5" (162.5-165 cm) tall, higher bust, shorter back |
| Dimension/Size |
5 |
7 |
9 |
11 |
13 |
15 |
| Bust |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37½ |
39 |
40½ |
| Waist |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29½ |
31 |
33 |
| Hip |
36 |
37 |
38 |
39½ |
41 |
43 |
| Back-waist length |
15 |
15¼ |
15½ |
15¾ |
16 |
16¼ |
Junior Petite
| 5'1" (155 cm) tall, average bust, shorter back |
| Dimension/Size |
3jp |
5jp |
7jp |
9jp |
11jp |
13jp |
| Bust |
33 |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37½ |
39 |
| Waist |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29½ |
31 |
| Hip |
35 |
36 |
37 |
38 |
39½ |
41 |
| Back-waist length |
14 |
14¼ |
14½ |
14¾ |
15 |
15¼ |
Young Junior sizes
| 5'1"–5'3" (155-160 cm) tall, higher bust, shorter back |
| Dimension/Size |
5/6 |
7/8 |
9/10 |
11/12 |
13/14 |
15/16 |
| Bust |
28 |
29 |
30½ |
32 |
33½ |
35 |
| Waist |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
| Hip |
31 |
32 |
33½ |
35 |
36½ |
38 |
| Back-waist length |
13½ |
14 |
14½ |
15 |
15⅜ |
15¾ |
Women’s sizes
| 5'5"–5'6" (165-168 cm) tall, average bust, average back |
| Dimension/Size |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
| Bust |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
| Waist |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41½ |
44 |
46½ |
49 |
| Hip |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
56 |
| Back-waist length |
17¼ |
17⅜ |
17½ |
17⅝ |
17¾ |
17⅞ |
18 |
Half sizes
| 5'2"–5'3" (157.5-160 cm) tall, lower bust, shorter back |
| Dimension/Size |
10½ |
12½ |
14½ |
16½ |
18½ |
20½ |
22½ |
24½ |
| Bust |
33 |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41 |
43 |
45 |
47 |
| Waist |
27 |
29 |
31 |
33 |
35 |
37½ |
40 |
42½ |
| Hip |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41 |
43 |
45½ |
48 |
50½ |
| Back-waist length |
15 |
15¼ |
15½ |
15¾ |
15⅞ |
16 |
16⅛ |
16¼ |
Men’s sizes
| Dimension/Size |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
| S |
M |
L |
XL |
| Chest |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
| Waist |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
| Neckband |
14 |
14½ |
15 |
15½ |
16 |
16½ |
17 |
17½ |
| Shirt sleeve |
32 |
32 |
33 |
33 |
34 |
34 |
35 |
[edit] Girls' sizes
Girls' Sizes
| Dimension/Size |
7 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
| Chest |
29 |
29 |
29.5 |
30 |
32 |
| Waist |
23 |
23.5 |
24.5 |
25.5 |
26.5 |
| Hip |
27 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
| Height |
50 |
52 |
56 |
58.5 |
61 |
| Back-waist length |
11.5 |
12 |
12.75 |
13.5 |
14.25 |
Girls' Plus
| Dimension/Size |
8 1/2c |
10 1/2c |
12 1/2c |
14 1/2c |
| Chest |
30 |
31.5 |
33 |
34.5 |
| Waist |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
| Hip |
33 |
34.5 |
36 |
37.5 |
| Height |
52 |
56 |
58.5 |
61 |
| Back-waist length |
12.5 |
13.25 |
14 |
14.75 |
[edit] Boys' sizes
Boys' Sizes
| Dimension/Size |
7 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
| Chest |
26 |
27 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
33.5 |
35 |
36.5 |
| Waist |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
| Hip |
27 |
28 |
29.5 |
31 |
32.5 |
34 |
35.5 |
37 |
| Neckband |
11.75 |
12 |
12.5 |
13 |
13.5 |
14 |
14.5 |
15 |
| Height |
48 |
50 |
54 |
58 |
61 |
64 |
66 |
68 |
[edit] Children's sizes
Children's Sizes
| Dimension/Size |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
6X |
| Chest |
19 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
25.5 |
| Waist hlk |
19.5 |
20 |
20.5 |
21 |
21.5 |
22 |
22.5 |
| Hip |
|
|
24 |
25 |
26 |
26.5 |
| Height |
31 |
34 |
37 |
40 |
43 |
46 |
48 |
| Back-waist length |
8.25 |
8.5 |
9 |
9.5 |
10 |
10.5 |
10.75 |
| Finished dress length |
22 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
[edit] Baby sizes
Toddlers' Sizes
| Dimension/Size |
1/2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| Chest |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
| Waist |
19 |
19.5 |
20 |
20.5 |
21 |
| Height |
28 |
31 |
34 |
37 |
40 |
| Finished dress length |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
[edit] Conversion from catalog sizes
Catalogs have departed from the US standard sizes since approximately the 1980s. Companies now may provide the measurements for their sizes, which may vary even among different styles of the same type of garment. The sizes seen in catalogs generally have roughly the following measurements:
Catalog Misses' Sizes: 5'5"-5'6" (165-168 cm) tall, average bust, average back
| Dimension/Size |
4 |
6 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
| Closest standard size |
10 |
12 |
14 |
|
16 |
18 |
|
20 |
22 |
| Est. height |
5'4" (162.5 cm) |
5'4" (162.5 cm) |
5'4.5" (164 cm) |
5'5" (165 cm) |
5'4" (162.5 cm) |
5'6.5" (169 cm) |
5'6" (168 cm) |
5'6" (168 cm) |
5'6.5" (169 cm) |
| Est. weight lb (kg) |
115 (52) |
125 (57) |
135 (61) |
145 (66) |
155 (70) |
165 (75) |
175 (79) |
180 (81.5) |
195 (88.5) |
| Bust |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37 |
38.5 |
40 |
41.5 |
43 |
44.5 |
| Waist |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29.5 |
31 |
32.5 |
34 |
35.5 |
| Hip |
35.5 |
36.5 |
37.5 |
38.5 |
40 |
41.5 |
43 |
44.5 |
46 |
Catalog Women's Petite (Half Sizes): 5'1/2"-5'4" (153-162.5 cm) tall, lower bust, shorter back
| Dimension/Size |
|
|
|
|
18W |
20W |
22W |
24W |
26W |
| Closest standard size |
12 1/2 |
14 1/2 |
16 1/2 |
18 1/2 |
20 1/2 |
22 1/2 |
24 1/2 |
26 1/2 |
28 1/2 |
| Est. height |
5' 1/2" (153 cm) |
5'1" (155 cm) |
5'1.5" (156cm) |
5'2" (157.5 cm) |
5'2.5" (159 cm) |
5'3" (160 cm) |
5'3" (160 cm) |
5'3.5" (161 cm) |
5'4" (162.5 cm) |
| Est. weight lb (kg) |
125 (57) |
140 (63.5) |
155 (70) |
170 (77) |
180 (81.5) |
190 (86) |
215 (97.5) |
225 (102) |
235 (106.5) |
| Bust |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
43.5 |
45.5 |
47.5 |
49.5 |
51.5 |
| Waist |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41 |
43 |
| Hip |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
45.5 |
47.5 |
49.5 |
52 |
53.5 |
Catalog Women's Sizes: 5'5"-5'6.5" (165-169 cm) tall, average bust, average back
| Dimension/Size |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Closest standard size |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
| Est. height |
5'5" (165 cm) |
5'5.5" (166 cm) |
5'6" (168 cm) |
5'6" (168 cm) |
5'6.5" (169 cm) |
5'6.5" (169 cm) |
5'6.5" (169 cm) |
5'6.5" (169 cm) |
5'6.5" (169 cm) |
| Est. weight lb (kg) |
145 (66) |
160 (72.5) |
175 (79) |
190 (86) |
205 (93) |
220 (100) |
235 (106.5) |
250 (113) |
265 (120) |
| Bust |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
| Waist |
30 |
32 |
34 |
35.5 |
37.5 |
39.5 |
41.5 |
43.5 |
45.5 |
| Hip |
39 |
41 |
43 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
56 |
With the average American woman's height at about 5'4" (163 cm), both standard and catalog size ranges attempt to address a variety of weights / builds as well as providing for the "shorter-than-average" height woman with "petite" and "half-sizes". However "taller-than-average" women (who should be as numerous as "shorter-than-average", since the distribution of heights follows a bell curve) may find their size-height addressed by manufacturers less frequently, and may often find themselves facing issues of slightly too short pant legs and sleeve cuffs, as well as waist lengths.
[edit] See also
[edit] Bibliography
- Reader's Digest Editors (2002). New Complete Guide to Sewing. Reader's Digest. ISBN 978-0762104208. Provides a complete listing of the standard sizes.
