Garment Size Guide

 

European standard

There are three approaches for size-labeling of garment:

• Body dimensions: The product label states for which range of body dimensions the product was designed.
• Product dimensions: The label states characteristic measures of the product.
• Ad-hoc size: The label provides a size number or code with no obvious relationship to any measurement.

EN 13402 is a for labeling garment sizes. It is based on body dimensions, measured in centimetres. It aims to replace many older national size systems. The European standards body CEN started in 1996 the process of designing a new modern system of labeling sizes, resulting in the standard EN 13402 “Size designation of clothes”. It is based on

• body-dimensions
• the metric system
• data from new anthropometric studies of the European population performed in the late 1990s
• similar existing international standards (ISO 3635, etc.)

Acceptance of this form of standardization varies from country to country.

The standard men’s sizes and ranges for chest and waist girth are defined in steps of 4 cm.

The standard also suggests that neck girth can be associated with chest girth.

EN 13402–1 pictogram example for dress size 88–72–96

The standard dress 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).

All attempts to harmonise the size system at European level have so far failed. The system is that in some EU countries, except the UK, the same figure sizes are used, but sizes are not equal. For instance: women’s figure size 36 in Germany and The Netherlands is equivalent to 40 in France and 42 in Italy. As mentioned above, the UK uses a different system: women’s figure size 36 in Germany and The Netherlands is equivalent to 8 in the UK, 38 to 10 etc.
For the purposes of sizing all children are best grouped into infants (younger than seven years), boys and girls.

Body Sizes Infants (cm)

 

Boys’ wear body sizes (cm)

 

Girls’ wear body sizes (cm)

 

In EU sizes for men’s shirts are based on neck circumference in cm or inches and vary respectively from 37-48 cm and from 15-19 in, and can be extended with other measurements, of which arm length is the most important.

Women’s outerwear body sizes (cm)

 

Men’s outerwear body sizes (cm)

 

Size table for men’s trousers (cm)

 

The sizes XS-XXL are also used for leisure or sport shirts, also in combination with the usual shirt size. For women’s and children’s wear, the standard outerwear sizes are used.

 

Letter codes