Clothing sizes

In clothing, clothing size refers to the label sizes used for garments sold off-the-shelf. There are a large number of standard sizing systems around the world for various garments, such as dresses, tops, skirts, and trousers. Made-to-order garments require measurements to be taken, but these do not need to be converted into national standard form.

Types of measurements in standard sizes

Standard sizes take into account the combinations of body measurements of the general population:

• Horizontal torso measurements include the neck circumference, the shoulder width, the bustline measurements - over-bust circumference, the full bust circumference, the bust-point separation, and the under-bust (rib-cage) circumference - the natural waist circumference, the upper hip circumference and the lower hip circumference.
• Vertical torso measurements include the back (neck-waist) length, the shoulder-waist length (not the same as the back length, due to the slope of the shoulder), the bust-shoulder length, the bust-waist length, and the two hip-waist lengths.
• Sleeve measurements include the under-arm and over-arm lengths, the fore-arm length, the wrist circumference and the biceps circumference.

However, because of the drape and ease of the fabric, not all measurements are required to obtain a well-fitting dress in most styles.

Standards

There are several ISO standards related to Size designation of clothes:

• ISO 3635:1981 Size designation of clothes -- Definitions and body measurement procedure
• ISO 4416:1981 Size designation of clothes -- Women's and girls' underwear, nightwear, foundation garments and shirts
• ISO 5971:1981 Size designation of clothes -- Pantyhose
• ISO 8559:1989 Garment construction and anthropometric surveys -- Body dimensions
• ISO/TR 10652:1991 Standard sizing systems for clothes

The European Union has produced a standard EN 13402 intended to replace existing standards in the member countries. This is not yet in common use.

The United Kingdom has an existing standard for women's clothing BS 3666:1982, however this is rarely followed by manufacturers as it defines sizes in terms of hip and bust measurements only within a limited range. See table of sizes. This has resulted in variations between manufacturers and a tendency towards vanity sizing.

The standard sizes have not had stable names, however. For example, the dimensions of two size 10 dresses from different companies, or even from the same company, may have grossly different dimensions; and both are almost certainly larger than the size 10 dimensions described in the US standard. Vanity sizing may be partly responsible for this deviation (which began in earnest in the 1980s).

The new European standard EN 13402 seeks to address this problem, since it is an absolute scale and mandatory; there is no mandatory clothing size standard in the U.S. In the US there exists a US standard clothing size.

Women

Women's Dresses and Suits

United States	0	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
Japan	1	3	5	7	9	11	13	15	17	19	21
UK and Ireland	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24
France, Spain and Portugal	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
Germany and Scandinavia	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
Italy	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52

Women's Clothing Sizes

UK	8	10	12	14	16
USA	6	8	10	12	14
Continental	36	38	40	42	44
Japanese	7	9	11	13	15
Bust	32"	34"	36"	38"	40"
Waist	24"	26"	28"	30"	32"
	61cm	66cm	71cm	76cm	81cm
Hip	35"	37"	39"	41"	43"
	89cm	94cm	99cm	104cm	109cm

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

Men

Men's suits, sweaters, overcoats

EU	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60	62
UK / US	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54

Men's shirts

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

See also

• Biacromial (shoulder width)
• Biiliocristal (hip width)
• Anthropometry
• BWH
• EN 13402 – metric clothes sizes
• US standard clothing size
• Petite sizes
• Vanity sizing
• Size zero
• Shoe size

HELLO THERE

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