US Clothing Sizes Explained: Women’s and Men’s Size Charts

US, UK and EU clothing labels use different size scales. A familiar number or letter can refer to different body measurements when you switch stores. This international clothing size chart helps you find the closest US label and compare measurements before ordering from an American store.

US means United States, UK means United Kingdom, and EU identifies the European size column used by that brand. Women’s and men’s tables are separate. For pants and jeans, you will also need waist and leg length. Regional conversions are approximate; the guide linked to your chosen product is the reference for its fit.

Contents

• Women: US, UK and EU sizes
• Men: jackets, tops and shirts
• Letter sizes and combined sizes
• Pants and jeans: waist, length and W × L
• Choosing a dress or shirt size
• Petite, regular, tall and plus sizes
• How to take your measurements
• Body measurements vs. clothing measurements
• What to check on a US product page
• Checks at the UNDbox warehouse
• Frequently asked questions

Women’s size conversion chart: US, UK and EU

Use this clothing size conversion chart in either direction: find your usual UK or EU label and read across to US. The regional labels come from BOSS womenswear for US 0-14 and the HUGO women’s regional guide for US 16-18. Their US, UK and EU columns agree where the ranges overlap. For other brands, the equivalents are approximate.

Read the country heading before using a European clothing size chart. On the BOSS page, the columns called Europe, France and Italy have different numbers. An Italian label is therefore not automatically the EU number above. A retailer may also convert a foreign brand’s labels for its US site; check which system the size selector displays.

Check bust, waist and hips after converting

The chart below is Gap’s regular women’s body measurement guide, covering US 0-18. It shows the body each size is designed for, not the dimensions of a finished dress. The letter column belongs to Gap. It should not be transferred to BOSS or another brand. Each measurement is shown as inches / centimeters; calculated centimeter values are rounded to one decimal place.

For women’s clothing size conversion, use all the measurements that affect the garment. A close-fitting dress needs enough room at the bust, waist and hips. For a full skirt, the waist may matter more than the hip measurement. If your measurements fall in different rows, check the cut before choosing; a larger size is not an automatic fix for every proportion.

The J.Crew Factory example shows a numeric size, 2, beside links to Size & Fit Information and View size chart. Open those links on the product you plan to order, even if you already know its approximate international equivalent.

Men’s clothing size conversion: jackets, tops and shirts

Men’s clothing size conversion depends on the garment. A jacket number, a T-shirt letter and a shirt collar size describe different things. For tailored jackets, the HUGO regional guide pairs US and UK 40R with EU 50. Here, R identifies regular length. Use the jacket’s own guide for short or long versions.

Tops and outerwear: start with chest circumference

The next table is from Tommy Hilfiger’s men’s outerwear guide. The US and EU labels and letters belong to that category. Chest is measured all the way around the body. The source screenshot also includes waist, arms and neck; use those extra checks when sleeve length or the neckline is important.

Shirt size conversion chart: collar and sleeve

A dress shirt labeled 15.5 / 34-35 uses a collar number and a sleeve range in inches. It is not a jacket size. These unit conversions help you read such labels; check the shirt’s chest and fit separately.

Collar size alone cannot tell you how loose the shirt will be through the torso. Slim, athletic and regular fits can have different chest and waist dimensions at the same collar label. Also check the sleeve measuring method: a measurement from the center back of the neck is longer than one starting at the shoulder seam. Compare like with like.

What do XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL mean?

Alpha sizes are letter sizes: XXS is extra-extra-small, XS extra-small, S small, M medium, L large, XL extra-large, XXL extra-extra-large, and XXXL extra-extra-extra-large. Some stores write 2XL or 3XL. These names describe a place in a brand’s range; they do not define fixed body measurements.

There is no single conversion from M to a US number. The women’s Gap table groups two numeric sizes under each letter. A men’s M follows a different chart, and another brand may group its sizes differently. Keep the women’s or men’s category selected when you open the guide.

Combined labels such as XXS/XS, S/M or L/XL are sold as one size covering two neighboring letters. Do not treat S/M as a separate universal size between S and M. Open the guide for that combined option and read the intended fit. A loose sweatshirt may use grouped sizes while a fitted dress needs a narrower range.

The smallest option also varies. Some US ranges start at 000 or 00, so 0 does not always mean the smallest size. Juniors and adult women’s ranges can use different proportions even when their numbers look similar.

Pants size conversion chart: women’s sizes and men’s W × L

Pants need two decisions: enough room around the waist and hips, and the right leg length. Women’s US 6, a jeans label 28, and a men’s W28 are not interchangeable. Identify the label type before opening a pants size conversion chart.

Women’s numeric pants and jeans labels

For a UK or EU pants label, use the women’s regional reference above, then open the brand’s bottoms chart. For example, Tommy Hilfiger’s women’s jeans guide gives the following numeric-to-jeans labels and body measurements. These rows belong to Tommy Hilfiger, not the separate Tommy Jeans line listed on the same page.

A real denim label: Kenzo US 26

These Kenzo denim shorts were photographed at the UNDbox warehouse together with their label marked US 26. This belongs to a different size range from women’s US 0-18, so you should not look for 26 in the women’s conversion table above. Use the brand’s denim guide for the model. The label alone does not establish the shorts’ actual waist measurement.

The waist measurement is taken around the body at the point specified by the guide. The waistband of low-rise jeans sits lower than the natural waist, so its flat measurement will not necessarily match that body measurement. Check the rise and hips as well as the waist.

Men’s waist labels are not exact tape measurements

In Levi’s men’s bottoms guide, label 32 is listed for a body waist of 32.5-33 inches. This is why multiplying the number on a jeans tag by 2.54 can give the wrong body measurement.

What W × L means

W means the waist-size label; L means the inseam length in inches. W32 × L30, also written 32 × 30, combines waist label 32 with a 30-inch inseam. Use the brand’s chart for W and compare L with pants that have the leg length you want. Inseam is the distance along the inside leg from the crotch seam to the hem.

This Levi’s 511 pair was photographed at the UNDbox warehouse. Its patch shows W30 L32, with a 32-inch inseam, about 81 cm. The hangtag also says Slim and Stretch: these describe the cut and fabric, rather than the size.

These are length conversions, not EU clothing sizes or height recommendations. A cropped leg and a full-length leg can need different inseams on the same person. Check the exact style’s inseam when a store offers only Short, Regular and Long. If it sells one length, choosing a larger waist size will not reliably make the leg longer.

How to choose a dress or shirt size

For dress size conversion, start with the women’s US, UK and EU table. Then compare the brand’s body measurements with yours. The same dress conversion chart cannot tell you whether a straight dress will clear your hips or whether a fitted waist will close comfortably.

Let the construction guide the next check. For a shirt dress, compare bust and shoulders before looking at length. For a fitted bodice, check bust and waist together. For a full skirt, focus on the fitted part of the garment rather than choosing only by hip size. Read any garment measurements supplied for that style.

For men’s casual shirts sold as S-XXL, use the tops guide for that brand. For dress shirts, use collar and sleeve labels and confirm the torso fit.

Petite, regular, tall, plus and big & tall

A size range changes the proportions you are buying. Petite does not simply mean a smaller bust, and Tall does not mean a larger chest. Look for a range selector before you choose a letter or number. The Gap pants screenshot shows Regular, Tall and Petite as separate options.

Check how the store writes W. In a label such as 16W it can identify a women’s plus range; in W32 × L30 it identifies the waist label. The surrounding size options tell you which meaning applies. A 16W should therefore be checked against the plus guide, not treated as a regular 16 with a longer inseam.

Height ranges are brand-specific. Do not apply one store’s Petite cutoff to every retailer. If the circumference looks right but sleeves or the waist position are wrong, changing the proportion range may solve the problem more effectively than changing the numeric size.

How to take body measurements for a clothing size chart

Body measurements go around you. Use a flexible tape, wear light clothing or underwear, and stand naturally. Keep the tape level without pulling it tight. Record your measurements in one unit first. To convert, multiply inches by 2.54 for centimeters or divide centimeters by 2.54 for inches.

• Bust or chest: measure around the fullest part, with your arms relaxed. Keep the tape level across your back.
• Natural waist: measure around the waist position shown in the brand’s diagram. Do not automatically use the top of your jeans as the measuring point.
• Hips or seat: measure around the fullest part of your hips and seat, with your feet together.
• Inseam: for a useful clothing comparison, measure a pair of pants from the crotch seam down the inside leg to the hem. If the brand requests a body inseam, follow its diagram instead.
• Neck: measure around the base of your neck, then follow the shirt guide’s instructions on fit and allowance.
• Sleeve: use the exact starting point in the brand’s instructions. Some guides start at the center back of the neck; others measure from the shoulder.

The Gap diagram below shows bust and waist measuring positions. It illustrates measurements around the body, not the width of a top laid on a table. A mirror or another person can help you check that the tape stays horizontal.

Body measurements vs. garment measurements

A body measurement describes the person; a garment measurement describes the item. A body chart helps select a size. A garment chart helps compare the item with clothing you already own. Look for headings such as Body measurements, Garment measurements or Product measurements before comparing numbers.

A width measured across a closed vest laid flat is not a chest circumference. For a comparable garment circumference, that flat width is approximately doubled. Even then, padding, stretch and the measuring position affect the comparison. Do not equate the result directly with your body chest measurement.

Choose a similar item that fits you, close it, lay it flat and measure it using the seller’s method. Compare widths with widths and full circumferences with full circumferences. For outerwear, allow for what you plan to wear underneath. There is no single amount of extra room that works for every fabric and style.

If a chart gives only body measurements and you need a specific garment width, ask for that width. A label conversion cannot supply a measurement the retailer has not published.

What to check on a US product page before ordering

Open Size Guide or Size Chart beside the size selector. In the Gap pullover screenshot, the arrow points to this link. Select the correct women’s or men’s category, then the relevant range. Switch IN to CM if that makes the measurements easier to compare.

Before paying, check: category and country system; fit and proportion range; body or garment measurements; model height and size worn; fabric and stretch; return eligibility and deadline. For international orders, check which delivery date starts the return window and how a return must reach the store. Do this while the order can still be checked in the US.

Two dresses sold in size S: what actually differs?

The Gap Denim Drop-Waist Mini Dress is described as classic fit with a fit-and-flare shape. The page shows a 5-foot-9 model, about 175 cm, wearing S. Its denim is described as low stretch and contains 1% elastane. The screenshot below shows where Gap lists the fit, length description and model’s size. Use the measurements to choose S; the model’s height alone cannot establish your size.

The Athleta Signature Rib Tee Dress also offers S, but is described as fitted. Its published body lengths are 35¼ inches for Petite, 37¼ for Regular and 39¼ for Tall, approximately 89.5, 94.6 and 99.7 cm. The page does not identify these lengths as specific to S. They show why the range matters, not that the two dresses have equal dimensions in S.

The same US size can have different body measurements

Compare Gap Regular and Tommy Hilfiger women’s dresses and tops at US 6. Their official charts give the same waist measurement here, but different bust measurements. If the bust is the tighter part of your dress, that difference matters.

What UNDbox can check before international shipping

The warehouse photos below show a vest measured flat across the body and hem, and a glove measured across its width. These checks help you compare the item with one you own before international forwarding. The glove’s flat width should be compared with another glove measured the same way, rather than with the distance around your hand.

Request a clear photo of the size label and the specific measurements you need. For example: “Please photograph the label, close the vest, measure its width from underarm to underarm and measure its back length.” Compare the results with a similar item at home. If there is a mismatch, ask about a return before international forwarding, subject to the store’s terms and deadline.

To order from a US store, follow the UNDbox self-order instructions and use the warehouse address in your account. Check shipping estimates and service costs separately. For store ideas, see our guides to US clothing stores and online outlet shopping.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this as a clothing size converter?

Yes. Find your current country label in the relevant women’s or men’s table and read across. For an actual purchase, match your measurements to the selected brand and garment category. A regional label match cannot guarantee the fit.

Why does my US size in EU clothes differ between stores?

Stores may use different brand charts or convert imported labels for their market. Check whether the selector displays US, EU, French or Italian sizing. Use the chart linked to that exact product rather than a general country formula.

What should I do if I am between two sizes?

Check the measurement that could restrict movement or prevent the item from closing, then read the fit and stretch details. A fitted waist and a loose sweatshirt need different decisions. Request garment measurements if the choice remains unclear.

Should I size down in an oversized style?

Not automatically. Oversized describes the intended shape. Check the product measurements before sizing down, since a smaller option can also change sleeve length, neckline or overall length.

Can children’s sizes be converted with the adult tables?

No. Use the children’s guide for the brand and compare height, chest and waist. An age label is only a starting point. Women’s US numbers, men’s jacket numbers and children’s labels use separate ranges.

Do these tables cover shoes and bras?

No. Use the international shoe size conversion guide for footwear. Bras need their own band and cup guide. Neither can be selected with a women’s dress size or a men’s chest label alone.