Parts of this article (those related to the first two parts, which have been replaced by parts of ISO 8559, and the withdrawn draft for the fourth part) need to be updated.(August 2023) |
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.
The standard aims to replace older clothing size systems that were in popular use before the year 2007, but the degree of its adoption has varied between countries. For bras, gloves and children's clothing it is already the de facto standard in most of Europe.[ citation needed ] Few other countries are known to have followed suit.
The Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has commissioned a study [1] to categorize female body types with a view to harmonising Spanish clothing sizes with EN-13402.
There are three approaches towards size-based labelling of clothes:
Traditionally, clothes have been labelled using many different ad hoc size systems. This approach has led to a number of problems:
Therefore, in 1996, the European standards committee CEN/TC 248/WG 10 started the process of designing a new, modern system of labelling clothes sizes, resulting in the standard EN 13402 "Size designation of clothes".
It is based on:
The first part [2] of the standard defines the list of body dimensions to be used for designating clothing sizes, together with an anatomical explanations and measurement guidelines. All body dimensions (excluding one's body mass) are measured in centimetres, preferably without clothes on, or with the underwear the wearer expects to be wearing underneath the garment.
The standard also defines a pictogram that can be used in language-neutral labels to indicate one or several of the following body dimensions.
The second part [3] of the standard defines for each type of garment one "primary dimension". This is the body measure according to which the product must be labelled Where men's garments use the chest girth, women's clothes are designed for a certain bust girth.
For some types of garment, a single measure may not be sufficient to select the right product. In these cases, one or two "secondary dimensions" can be added to the label.
The following table shows the primary (in bold) and secondary dimensions listed in the standard, leaving out the redundant words girth, length and size for better overview.
Garment | Men | Women | Boys | Girls |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jackets | chest, height, waist | bust, height, hip | height, chest | height, bust |
Suits | chest, waist, height, inside leg | bust, height, hip | height, chest | height, bust |
Overcoats | chest, height | bust, height | height, chest | height, bust |
Trousers/shorts | waist, height, inside leg | waist, height, hip, inside leg | height, waist | height, waist |
Skirts | — | waist, height, hip | — | height, waist |
Dresses | — | bust, height, hip, waist | — | height, bust |
Knits: cardigans, sweaters, T-shirts | chest, height | bust, height | height, chest | height, bust |
Shirts (m), Blouses (f) | neck, height, arm | bust, height | height, neck | height, bust |
Underpants | waist, height | waist, height, hip | height, waist | height, waist |
Vest | chest, height | bust, height | height, chest | height, bust |
Pyjamas, Ladies' nightdresses | chest, height, waist | bust, height, waist, hip | height, chest | height, bust |
Swim-suits/wear and bodies | waist, height, chest | bust, height, hip, underbust | height, chest, waist | height, underbust, bust |
Bras | — | underbust, bust, cup | — | underbust, bust, cup |
Corsetry/upper and full body | — | underbust, bust, height, hip, waist | — | — |
Corsetry/lower body | — | waist, hip, height | — | — |
Pantyhose | — | height, waist, weight | — | height |
Stockings | — | foot | ||
Socks | foot | |||
Gloves | hand | |||
Headwear | head |
The third part [4] of the standard defines preferred numbers of primary and secondary body dimensions.
The product should not be labelled with the average body dimension for which the garment was designed (i.e., not "height: 176 cm."). Instead, the label should show the range of body dimensions from half the step size below to half the step size above the design size (e.g., "height: 172–180 cm.").
For heights, for example, the standard recommends generally to use the following design dimensions, with a step size of 8 cm:
Height | ... | 160 | 168 | 176 | 184 | 192 | 200 | ... |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Range | ... | 156–164 | 164–172 | 172–180 | 180–188 | 188–196 | 196–204 | ... |
For trousers, the recommended step size for height is 4 cm:
Height | ... | 156 | 160 | 164 | 168 | 172 | 176 | 180 | 184 | 188 | 192 | 196 | 200 | ... |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Range | ... | 154–158 | 158–162 | 162–166 | 166–170 | 170–174 | 174–178 | 178–182 | 182–186 | 186–190 | 190–194 | 194–198 | 198–202 | ... |
The standard defines similar tables for other dimensions and garments, only some of which are shown here.
The standard sizes and ranges for chest and waist girth are defined in steps of 4 cm:
Chest girth | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 | 112 | 116 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 144 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Range | 82–86 | 86–90 | 90–94 | 94–98 | 98–102 | 102–106 | 106–110 | 110–114 | 114–118 | 118–123 | 123–129 | 129–135 | 135–141 | 141–147 |
Waist girth | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 | 114 | 120 | 126 | 132 |
Range | 70–74 | 74–78 | 78–82 | 82–86 | 86–90 | 90–94 | 94–98 | 98–102 | 102–106 | 106–111 | 111–117 | 117–123 | 123–129 | 129–135 |
Example: While manufacturers will typically design clothes for chest girth = 100 cm such that it fits waist girth = 88 cm, they may also want to combine that chest girth with neighbouring waist girth step sizes 84 cm or 92 cm, to cover these drop types (−16 cm and −8 cm) as well.
The standard also suggests that neck girth can be associated with chest girth:
Neck girth | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46.5 | 48 | 49.5 | 51 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Range | 36.5–37.5 | 37.5–38.5 | 38.5–39.5 | 39.5–40.5 | 40.5–41.5 | 41.5–42.5 | 42.5–43.5 | 43.5–44.5 | 44.5–45.8 | 45.8–47.3 | 47.3–48.8 | 48.8–50.3 | 50.3–51.1 |
Chest girth | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 | 112 | 116 | 120 | 126 | 132 | 138 | 144 |
The standard further suggests that arm length can be associated with height:
Height | 156 | 160 | 164 | 168 | 172 | 176 | 180 | 184 | 188 | 192 | 196 | 200 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arm length | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 |
Range | 59–60 | 60–61 | 61–62 | 62–63 | 63–64 | 64–65 | 65–66 | 66–67 | 67–68 | 68–69 | 69–70 | 70–71 |
The standard sizes and ranges for bust, waist and hip girth are mostly based on a step of 4 cm, for larger sizes 5 cm (hip) or 6 cm (bust and waist):
Bust girth | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 110 | 116 | 122 | 128 | 134 | 140 | 146 | 152 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Range | 74–78 | 78–82 | 82–86 | 86–90 | 90–94 | 94–98 | 98–102 | 102–107 | 107–113 | 113–119 | 119–125 | 125–131 | 131–137 | 137–143 | 143–149 | 149–155 |
Waist girth | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 94 | 100 | 106 | 112 | 118 | 124 | 130 | 136 |
Range | 58–62 | 62–66 | 66–70 | 70–74 | 74–78 | 78–82 | 82–86 | 86–91 | 91–97 | 97–103 | 103–109 | 109–115 | 115–121 | 121–127 | 127–133 | 133–139 |
Hip girth | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 108 | 112 | 117 | 122 | 127 | 132 | 137 | 142 | 147 | 152 |
Range | 82–86 | 86–90 | 90–94 | 94–98 | 98–102 | 102–106 | 106–110 | 110–115 | 115–120 | 120–125 | 125–130 | 130–135 | 135–140 | 140–145 | 145–150 | 150–155 |
The European standard EN 13402 also defines bra sizes based on the "bust girth" and the "underbust girth". Bras are labeled with the under bust girth (rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cm), followed by a letter code that indicates the "cup size" defined below, according to this table defined by the standard.
The standard sizes for brassiere are based on a step of 5 cm:
Underbust girth | 60 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 105 | 110 | 115 | 120 | 125 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Range | 58–62 | 63–67 | 68–72 | 73–77 | 78–82 | 83–87 | 88–92 | 93–97 | 98–102 | 103–107 | 108–112 | 113–117 | 118–122 | 123–127 |
The secondary dimension cup size can be expressed in terms of the difference
and can be labelled compactly using a letter code appended to the underbust girth:
Code | AA | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cup size range | 10–12 | 12–14 | 14–16 | 16–18 | 18–20 | 20–22 | 22–24 | 24–26 | 26–28 |
For clothes where a larger step size is sufficient, the standard also defines a letter code. This code represents the bust girth for women and the chest girth for men. The standard does not define such a code for children. Each range combines two adjacent size steps. The ranges could be extended below XXS or above 3XL if necessary.
Meaning | Code | Chest girth (men) | Bust girth (women) |
---|---|---|---|
extra extra small | XXS | 70–78 | 66–74 |
extra small | XS | 78–86 | 74–82 |
small | S | 86–94 | 82–90 |
medium | M | 94–102 | 90–98 |
large | L | 102–110 | 98–107 |
extra large | XL | 110–118 | 107–119 |
extra extra large | XXL | 118–129 | 119–131 |
extra extra extra large | 3XL | 129–141 | 131–143 |
4XL | 141–154 | 143–155 | |
5XL | 154–166 | 155–167 |
Parts of this article (those related to part 4 of the standard) need to be updated.(September 2011) |
The fourth part of the standard is still under review. It will define a compact coding system for clothes sizes. This was originally intended primarily for industry use in databases and as a part of stock-keeping identifiers and catalogue ordering numbers, but later users have also expressed a desire to use compact codes for customer communication. Writing out all the centimetre figures of all the primary and secondary measures from EN 13402-2 can – in some cases – require up to 12 digits. The full list of centimetre figures on the pictogram contains a lot of redundancy and the same information can be squeezed into fewer characters with lookup tables. EN 13402-4 will define such tables.
Bust | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 110 | 116 | 122 | 128 | 134 | 140 | 146 | 152 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Waist | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 94 | 100 | 106 | 112 | 118 | 124 | 130 | 136 | |||
Label | XXS | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | 3XL | 4XL | ||||||||||||
Code | 0__ | 1__ | 2__ | 3__ | 4__ | 5__ | 6__ | 7__ | 8__ | ||||||||||||
_0_ | 68 | 76 | 84 | 92 | 100 | 112 | 122 | 132 | 142 | ||||||||||||
_1_ | _5_ | 72 | 80 | 88 | 96 | 106 | 117 | 127 | 137 | 147 | |||||||||||
_2_ | _6_ | 76 | 84 | 92 | 100 | 112 | 122 | 132 | 142 | 152 | |||||||||||
_3_ | _7_ | 80 | 88 | 96 | 106 | 117 | 127 | 137 | 147 | 157 | |||||||||||
_4_ | _8_ | 84 | 92 | 100 | 112 | 122 | 132 | 142 | 152 | 162 | |||||||||||
_9_ | 88 | 96 | 106 | 117 | 127 | 137 | 147 | 157 | 167 | ||||||||||||
Height | 152 | 156 | 160 | 164 | 168 | 172 | 176 | 180 | 184 | 188 | |||||||||||
Code | __0 | __1 | __2 | __3 | __4 | __5 | __6 | __7 | __8 | __9 |
An earlier draft of this part of the standard attempted to list all in-use combinations of EN 13402-3 measures and assigned a short 2- or 3-digit code to each. Some of the industry representatives involved in the standardization process considered this approach too restrictive. Others argued that the primary dimension in centimetres should be a prominent part of the code. Therefore, this proposal, originally expected to be adopted in 2005, was rejected.
Primary | Bust | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 96 | 100 | 104 | 110 | 116 | 122 | 128 | 134 | 140 | 146 | 152 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Waist | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 94 | 100 | 106 | 112 | 118 | 124 | 130 | 136 | |
Secondary | Code | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | ||||||
Hip-Bust | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | |||||||
Hip-Waist | 16 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 44 | 48 | 52 | |||||||
Height | 152 | 156 | 160 | 164 | 168 | 172 | 176 | 180 | 184 | 188 |
Since then, several new proposals have been presented to the CEN working group. One of these, tabled by the European Association of National Organisations of Textile Traders (AEDT), proposes a 5-character alphanumeric code, consisting of the 3-digit centimetre figure of the primary body dimension, followed by one or two letters that code a secondary dimension, somewhat like the system already defined for bra sizes. [5] For example, an item designed for 100 cm bust girth, 104 cm hip girth and 176 cm height could bear the compact size code "100BG". This proposal was agreed upon in 2006, but later disregarded. [6] A paper by Bogusławska-Bączek published in 2010 showed that there were still significant difficulties in identifying clothing sizes. [7]
Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the International System of Units (SI) system the base unit for length is the metre.
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.
The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. Normally, it is the narrowest part of the torso.
A shoe size is an indication of the fitting size of a shoe for a person.
Size zero or size 0 is a women's clothing size in the US catalog sizes system. Size 0 and 00 were invented due to increasing body sizes and therefore the changing of clothing sizes over time, which has caused the adoption of lower numbers. For example, a 2011 size 0 is equivalent to a 2001 size 2, and is larger than a 1970 size 6 or 1958 size 8. Modern size 0 clothing, depending on brand and style, fits measurements of chest-stomach-hips from 30-22-32 inches to 33-25-35 inches. Size 00 can be anywhere from 0.5 to 2 inches smaller than size 0. Size zero often refers to thin people, or trends associated with them.
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.
Sweater design is a specialization of fashion design in which knitted sweaters are designed to fulfill certain aesthetic, functional and commercial criteria. The designer typically considers factors such as the insulating power of the sweater ; the fashion of its colors, patterns, silhouette and style lines, particularly the neckline and waistline; the convenience and practicality of its cut; and in commercial design, the cost of its production and the profitability of its price point. Sweater designs are often published in books and knitting magazines. Sweater design is an old art, but continues to attract new designers such as Nicky Epstein and Meg Swansen.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Made-to-measure (MTM) typically refers to custom clothing that is cut and sewn using a standard-sized base pattern. Suits and sport coats are the most common garments made-to-measure. The fit of a made-to-measure garment is expected to be superior to that of a ready-to-wear garment because made-to-measure garments are constructed to fit each customer individually based on a few body measurements to customize the pre-existing pattern. Made-to-measure garments always involve some form of standardization in the pattern and manufacturing, whereas bespoke tailoring is entirely made from scratch based on a customer's specifications with far more attention to minute fit details and using multiple fittings during the construction process. All else being equal, a made-to-measure garment will be more expensive than a ready-to-wear garment but cheaper than a bespoke one. "Custom made" most often refers to MTM.
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.
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.
A waist cincher is a belt worn around the waist to make the wearer's waist physically smaller, or to create the illusion of being smaller.
Tree girth is a measurement of the circumference of tree trunk. It is one of the most ancient, quickest, and simplest of foresters' measures of size and records of growth of living and standing trees. The methods and equipment have been standardized differently in different countries. A popular use of this measurement is to compare outstanding individual trees from different locations or of different species.
Trees have a wide variety of sizes and shapes and growth habits. Specimens may grow as individual trunks, multitrunk masses, coppices, clonal colonies, or even more exotic tree complexes. Most champion tree programs focus finding and measuring the largest single-trunk example of each species. There are three basic parameters commonly measured to characterize the size of a single trunk tree: tree height measurement, tree girth measurement, and tree crown measurement. Foresters also perform tree volume measurements. A detailed guideline to these basic measurements is provided in The Tree Measuring Guidelines of the Eastern Native Tree Society by Will Blozan.