Clothing sizes

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Examples of body measurements used for the sizing of clothes Body measures SVG.svg
Examples of body measurements used for the sizing of clothes

Clothing sizes are the sizes with which garments sold off-the-shelf are labeled. Sizing systems vary based on the country and the type of garment, such as dresses, tops, skirts, and trousers. There are three approaches:

Contents

Traditionally, clothes have been labelled using many different ad hoc size systems, which has resulted in varying sizing methods between different manufacturers made for different countries due to changing demographics and increasing rates of obesity, a phenomenon known as vanity sizing. This results in country-specific and vendor-specific labels incurring additional costs, and can make internet or mail order difficult. Some new standards for clothing sizes being developed are therefore based on body dimensions, such as the EN 13402 "Size designation of clothes".

History of standard clothing sizes

Before the invention of clothing sizes in the early 1800s, all clothing was made to fit individuals by either tailors or makers of clothing in their homes. Then garment makers noticed that the range of human body dimensions was relatively small (for their demographic). Because of the drape and ease of the fabric, not all measurements are required to obtain a well-fitting apparel in most styles. Sizes were based on:

Pit-to-pit measurement is not a tailoring measurement, but a finished garment measure, used in the second-hand internet marketplace, generally the straight line measure across the garment, laid flat, at the bottom of the armpits. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Standards

A variety of plastic size markers commonly attached to a clothes hanger in stores to indicate an item's size. One size fits all - Flickr - ausserirdische sind gesund.jpg
A variety of plastic size markers commonly attached to a clothes hanger in stores to indicate an item's size.

International standards

There are several ISO standards for size designation of clothes, but most of them are being revised and replaced by one of the parts of ISO 8559 which closely resembles European Standard EN 13402:

Asian standards

Chinese standards

  • GB 1335-81
  • GB/T 1335.1-2008 Size designation of clothes - Men
  • GB/T 1335.2-2008 Size designation of clothes - Women
  • GB/T 1335.3-2008 Size designation of clothes - Children
  • GB/T 2668-2002 Sizes for coats, jackets and trousers
  • GB/T 14304-2002 Sizes for woolen garments

Japanese standards

  • JIS L 4001 (1997) Sizing systems for infants' garments
  • JIS L 4002 (1997) Sizing systems for boys' garments
  • JIS L 4003 (1997) Sizing systems for girls' garments
  • JIS L 4004 (1997) Sizing systems for men's garments
  • JIS L 4005 (1997) Sizing systems for women's garments
  • JIS L 4006 (1997) Sizing systems for foundation garments
  • JIS L 4007 (1997) Sizing systems for Hosiery and Pantyhose

Korean standards

  • KS K 0050 (2009) Men's wear
  • KS K 0051 (2004) Women's wear
  • KS K 0052 Infants
  • KS K 0059 Headgear
  • KS K 0070 Brassiere
  • KS K 0037 Dress Shirts
  • KS K 0088 Socks

Thai standards

  • Wacoal (1981, 1987)

Australian standards

European standards

The European Standards Organisation (CEN) produced a series of standards, prefixed with EN 13402:

These are intended to replace the existing national standards of the 33 member states. It is currently in common use for children's clothing, but not yet for adults. The third standard EN 13402-3 seeks to address the problem of irregular or vanity sizing through offering a SI unit based labelling system, which will also pictographically describe the dimensions a garment is designed to fit, per the ISO 3635 standard.

German standards

  • DOB-Verband (1983)

French standards

  • AFNOR NF G 03-001 (1977) - Human body - Vocabulary - Pictogram;
  • AFNOR EXP G 03-002 (1977) - Women Measures
  • AFNOR EXP G 03-003 (1977) - Men Measures
  • AFNOR EXP G 03-006 (1978) - Measures of babies and young children
  • AFNOR EXP G 03-007 (1977) - Size designation of clothes for men, women and children
  • AFNOR NF G 03-008 (1984) - Tights - Sizes - Designation - Marking

Russian standards

  • GOST R 53230-2008 (ISO 4415-1981) Size designation of clothes. Men's and boy's underwear, nightwear and shirts

British standards

Clothes-size label with EN 13402-3 pictogram and body dimensions in centimetres (found on a high-visibility jacket sold in the United Kingdom). EN-13402-example-hiviz.jpg
Clothes-size label with EN 13402-3 pictogram and body dimensions in centimetres (found on a high-visibility jacket sold in the United Kingdom).
  • BS 3666:1982 Specification for size designation of women's wear
  • BS 6185:1982 Specification for size designation of men's wear

BS 3666:1982, the standard for women's clothing, is rarely followed by manufacturers as it defines sizes in terms of hip and bust measurements only within a limited range. This has resulted in variations between manufacturers and a tendency towards vanity sizing. [9]

Yugoslavian standards

Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia still use the JUS (F.G0.001 1979, F.G0.002 1979, F.G0.003 1979) standards developed in the former Yugoslavia. [10] In addition to typical girth measurements clothing is also marked to identify which of 5 height bands: X-Short, Short, Medium, Tall, X-Tall, and body types: Slim, Normal, or Full, it is designed to fit.

American standards

US standards

  • CS-151-50 - Infants, Babies, Toddlers and Children's clothing
  • CS 215-58 - Women's Clothing (1958)
  • PS 36-70 - Boys Clothing (1971)
  • PS 42-70 – Women's Clothing (1971)
  • PS 45-71 - Young Men's clothing
  • PS 54-72 - Girls Clothing
  • ASTM D5585-95 (2001)
  • ASTM D6829-02 (2008)
  • ASTM D5585-11 (2011) (withdrawn, 2020)
  • ASTM D6240-98
  • ASTM D6960-04 – Women's Plus sizes (2004)

There is no mandatory clothing size or labeling standard in the US, though a series of voluntary standards have been in place since the 1930s. The US government, however, did attempt to establish a system for women's clothing in 1958 when the National Bureau of Standards published Body Measurements for the Sizing of Women's Patterns and Apparel. The guidelines were made a commercial standard and were even updated in 1970. But the guide was eventually degraded to a voluntary standard until it was abolished altogether in 1983. [11] Private organization ASTM International started to release its own recommended size carts in the 1990s. [12]

Since then, the common US misses sizes have not had stable dimensions. Clothing brands and manufacturers size their products according to their preferences. [12] 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).

Women

Comparison table

Comparison of women's dresses and suits sizes
IntXXSXSSMLXLXXL
US024681012141618202224
UK46810121416182022242628
DE30323436384042444648505254
FR32343638404244464850525456
IT36384042444648505254565860
KR44445555666677778888
JP711151721

Inch-based women's sizes (US/UK)

British (UK) and American (US) standard dress sizes, s, are calculated by bust circumference, b, measured in inches, as follows:

Women's clothing US/UK
US4681012
UK810121416
Bust32 in34 in36 in38 in40 in
81 cm86 cm91 cm97 cm102 cm
Waist24 in26.5 in29 in31 in33 in
61 cm67 cm74 cm79 cm84 cm
Hip35 in37 in39 in41 in43 in
89 cm94 cm99 cm104 cm109 cm
Women's junior misses dresses and coats
EU2830323436384042
US13579111315
UK357911131517
Women's blouses and sweaters
EU404244464850
US323436384042
UK343638404244

Korean women's sizes

Korean casual and underwear (KS 051:2009)
Dress size3XSXXSXSSMLXLXXL3XL4XL
Bust (cm)707580859095100105110–115120–125

Japanese women's sizes

Japanese dresses sizes (JIS L 4005:2001)
Dress size35791113151719212325272931
Bust (cm)7477808386899296100104108112116120124
Japanese dresses length modifiers
ModifierPPPRT
double-petitepetiteregulartall
Body height (cm)142150158166
Additional hip girth (cm)0024
Japanese dresses fit modifiers
ModifierYAABB
Additional hip girth (cm)04812

Note: a Japanese 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. [13] 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.

Continental European women's sizes

Italian (IT), French (FR) and German (DE) standard dress sizes, s, are calculated by bust circumference, b, and body height, h, both measured in centimetres, as follows:

French sizes are also used by Belgian manufacturers and retailers, while German sizes are also used by Austrian, Dutch and Scandinavian ones.

Women's clothing sizes (DE/AT/NL/SE/DK)
Short size codes161718192021222324252627
Standard size codes323436384042444648505254
Tall size codes646872768084889296100104108
InternationalXSSMLXLXXL
EU tops768084889296100105110116122128
EU bottoms606468727680848894100106112
Shoulder width (cm)121314
Arm length (cm)5859606162
Bust (cm)74–7778–8182–8586–8990–9394–9798–102103–107108–113114–119120–125126–131
Waist (cm)58–6162–6465–6869–7273–7778–8182–8586–9091–9596–102103–108109–114
Hips (cm)80–8485–8990–9495–9798–101102–104105–108109–112113–116117–122123–128129–134
Inside leg (cm)103104105106107108109110111112113114

Men

Comparison tables

Men's shirts by neck girth
UK / EU / Japan3637383940414243444546
UK / US / AUS1414+121515+1215+3416+1416+121717+121818+12
Japan [14] SMLLL
Korea [14] 9095100105110
InternationalXSSMLXLXXL
Men's sports shirts, T-shirts by chest girth
EU3637/3839/4041/4243/4445/46
UK / USXSSMLXLXXL
chest girth84 cm92 cm100 cm108 cm116 cm124 cm
Men's sweaters, jackets
EU38/4042/4446/4850/5252/54
UK / USSMLXLXXL
Men's suits, suit jackets, blazers, overcoats [15]
EU / Russia40424446485052545658606264
UK / US30323436384042444648505254
Japan3234363840424446485052
Korea80859095100105110115120125130
SMLXXSXSSSMMLLXLXXLXXXL
Men's jeans, slacks, pants, trousers: Waist
EU64/6868/7272/7676/8080/8484/8888/9292/9696/100100/104104/108108/112112/116
Italy43444546474849505152535455
UK / US27282930313233343638404244
Men's jeans, slacks, pants, trousers: Length
EU3436384042444648
UK / US25/2627/2829/303132333436
Men's underwear
EU12345
UK / USSMLXLXXL

Continental European men's sizes

French (FR) and German (DE) standard suit sizes, s, are calculated by chest circumference, b, measured in centimetres, as follows:

French sizes are also used by Belgian manufacturers and retailers, while German sizes are also used by Austrian, Dutch and Scandinavian ones.

Men's clothing sizes (AT/DE/NL/DK/SE/FI)
Standard Size Codes [16] 44464850525456586062646668707274
Underwear [17] 45678
InternationalXXSXSSMLXLXXL3XL4XL5XL6XL7XL
Chest (cm)86–8990–9394–9798–101102–105106–109110–113114–117118–121122–125126-128129-132133-136137-140141-144145-148
Waist size (cm)74–7778–8182–8586–8990–9495–99100–104105–109110–114115–119120-124125-128129-132133-134135-138139-142
Hip circumference (cm)90–9394–9798–101102–105106–109110–113114–117118–121122–125126–129
Height (cm)166–170168–173171–176174–179177–182180–184182–186184–188185–189187–190191-192193-194195-196197-198199-200201-202
Short / Stocky
(untersetzt)
22232425262728293031323334353637
Chest (cm)89–9293–9697–100101–104105–108109–112113–116117–120121–124125-128129-132133-136137-140141-144145-148
Waist size (cm)81–8485–8889–9293–9697–100101–106107–110111–114115–118
Hip circumference (cm)97-100101–104105–108109–112113–116117–120121–124125–128129–132
Height (cm)163-167166–170169–173172–176175–178177–180179–182181–183182–183184185186187188189-190191-192
Portly
(Bauchgrößen)
515355575961636567697173
Chest (cm)100–103104–107108–111112–115116–119120–123124–126127-130131-134135-138139-142143-146
Waist size (cm)102–107108–111112–117118–121122–125126–129130-132133-136137-140141-146147-150151-154
Hip circumference (cm)108–111112–115116–119120–123124–127128–132133–137
Height (cm)168–172170–174172–176174–178176–180178–182180–184
Tall size
(schlanke)
909498102106110114118122
Chest (cm)88–9192–9596–99100–103104–107108–111111-114115-118119-122
Waist size (cm)74–7778–8182–8586–8990–9394–98100-104105-109110-114
Hip circumference (cm)92–9596–99100–103104–107108–111112–115116-119120-123124-127
Height (cm)175–179178–182181–185184–188186–190188–192193-197196-200199-203

Size dividers

Size dividers are used by clothing stores to help customers find the right size. Like index cards, they are found on racks between sizes. There are three basic types: the rectangular, round and the king size. Among the stores that use them are Marshalls and TJ Maxx.

Inclusive sizing

Inclusive sizing is the practice of having clothing ranges which do not make a distinction between "regular sizes" and "plus sizes". [18] [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Paper size standards govern the size of sheets of paper used as writing paper, stationery, cards, and for some printed documents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthropometry</span> Measurement of the human individual

Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual. An early tool of physical anthropology, it has been used for identification, for the purposes of understanding human physical variation, in paleoanthropology and in various attempts to correlate physical with racial and psychological traits. Anthropometry involves the systematic measurement of the physical properties of the human body, primarily dimensional descriptors of body size and shape. Since commonly used methods and approaches in analysing living standards were not helpful enough, the anthropometric history became very useful for historians in answering questions that interested them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waist</span> Part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips

The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. Normally, it is the narrowest part of the torso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoe size</span> Measurement scale indicating the fitting size of a shoe

A shoe size is an indication of the fitting size of a shoe for a person.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint European standard for size labelling of clothes</span>

The joint European standard for size labelling of clothes, formally known as the EN 13402 Size designation of clothes, is a European standard for labelling clothes sizes. The standard is based on body dimensions measured in centimetres, and as such, and its aim is to make it easier for people to find clothes in sizes that fit them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISO 5775</span> International standard for labeling the size of bicycle tires and rims

ISO 5775 is an international standard for labeling the size of bicycle tires and rims. The system used was originally developed by the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO). It is designed to make tire sizing consistent and clear. It replaces overlapping informal systems that ambiguously distinguished between sizes. For example, at least 6 different "26 inch" sizes exist, and "27 inch" wheels have a larger diameter than American "28 inch" wheels. The Japanese Industrial Standards Committee also cooperates with ISO 5775. The corresponding Japanese standards are JIS D 9112 for tires and JIS D 9421 for rims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bust/waist/hip measurements</span> Measures used for fitting clothing

Bust/waist/hip measurements are a common method of specifying clothing sizes. They match the three inflection points of the female body shape. In human body measurement, these three sizes are the circumferences of the bust, waist and hips; usually rendered as xx–yy–zz in inches, or centimeters. The three sizes are used mostly in fashion, and almost exclusively in reference to women, who, compared to men, are more likely to have a narrow waist relative to their hips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waist–hip ratio</span> Waist measurement divided by hip measurement

The waist–hip ratio or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the dimensionless ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. This is calculated as waist measurement divided by hip measurement. For example, a person with a 75 cm waist and 95 cm hips has WHR of about 0.79.

In fashion and clothing, a petite size is a standard clothing size designed specifically for women 163 cm and under. This categorization is not solely based on a woman's height, but also takes into account the proportions of her body. Petite sizes cater to body shapes that typically have shorter limb lengths, narrower shoulders, and smaller bust sizes. This standard is predominantly recognized in the U.S., but is also utilized in some other regions around the world.

Vanity sizing, or size inflation, is the phenomenon of ready-to-wear clothing of the same nominal size becoming bigger in physical size over time. This has been documented primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. The use of US standard clothing sizes by manufacturers as the official guidelines for clothing sizes was abandoned in 1983. In the United States, although clothing size standards exist, most companies do not use them any longer.

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U.S. standard clothing sizes for women were originally developed from statistical data in the 1940s and 1950s. At that time, they were similar in concept to the EN 13402 European clothing size standard, although individual manufacturers have always deviated from them, sometimes significantly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hourglass figure</span> Human female body shape

The hourglass figure is one of the four traditional female body shapes described by the fashion industry; the other shapes are the rectangle, inverted triangle, and spoon. The hourglass shape is defined by a woman's body measurements – the circumference of the bust, waist and hips. Hourglass body shapes have a wide bust, a narrow waist, and wide hips with a similar measurement to that of the bust. This body shape is named for its resemblance to that of an hourglass, where the upper and lower half are wide and roughly equal while the middle is narrow in circumference, making the overall shape wide-narrow-wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bra size</span> Measure (usually 2 factors) to determine proper bra fit

Bra size indicates the size characteristics of a bra. While there is a number of bra sizing systems in use around the world, the bra sizes usually consist of a number, indicating the size of the band around the woman's torso, and one or more letters that indicate the breast cup size. Bra cup sizes were invented in 1932 while band sizes became popular in the 1940s. For convenience, because of the impracticality of determining the size dimensions of each breast, the volume of the bra cup, or cup size, is based on the difference between band length and over-the-bust measurement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bustline</span> Body measurement

A bustline is an arbitrary line encircling the fullest part of the bust or body circumference at the bust. It is a body measurement which measures the circumference of a woman's torso at the level of the breasts. It is measured by keeping a measuring tape horizontal and wrapping it around the body so that it goes over the nipples and under the arms.

Breathability is the ability of a fabric to allow moisture vapor to be transmitted through the material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dress form</span> Model of the torso used for fitting clothing

A dress form is a three-dimensional model of the human torso used for fitting clothing that is being designed or sewed. When making a piece of clothing, it can be put on the dress form so that one can see the fit and drape of the garment as it would appear on a body and make adjustments or alterations. Dress forms come in all sizes and shapes for almost every article of clothing that can be made. Dress forms in the standard clothing sizes are used to make patterns, while adjustable dress forms allow garments to be tailored to fit a specific individual.

A fit model is a person who is used by a fashion designer or clothing manufacturer to check the fit, drape and visual appearance of a design on a 'real' human being, effectively acting as a live mannequin. A person is selected to work as a fitting model primarily on criteria matching the desired measurement specifications of the designer or manufacturer. These specifications generally consist of height, bust-waist-hip circumference, arm and leg length, shoulder width, and a myriad other measurements as indicated by the garment type. This is the case whether the garments are for women or men of any size; the grading of construction patterns is often tested on a variety of fitting models to be sure that increases in size are translated accurately and evenly across the range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Female body shape</span> Characteristic of human females

Female body shape or female figure is the cumulative product of a woman's bone structure along with the distribution of muscle and fat on the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seam (sewing)</span> Sewn join between two pieces of textile material

In sewing, a seam is the join where two or more layers of fabric, leather, or other materials are held together with stitches. Prior to the invention of the sewing machine, all sewing was done by hand. Seams in modern mass-produced household textiles, sporting goods, and ready-to-wear clothing are sewn by computerized machines, while home shoemaking, dressmaking, quilting, crafts, haute couture and tailoring may use a combination of hand and machine sewing.

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