Clothing sizes: UK, US, EU and Italian sizes compared
Quick answer: A UK women's size is four above the US size and 28 below the EU size: UK 12 is US 8, EU 40, Italian 44. Men's suit and chest sizes are the same number in the UK and US (40), and EU sizes add 10 (50). Full charts are below.
Clothing sizes are labels, not measurements. A UK 12 dress and an EU 40 dress are meant to fit the same body, but the numbers have nothing in common, and the same label can fit differently from one shop to the next. Converting the number is the first step. Checking your measurements against the shop's chart is the second.
Women's sizes
The pattern is regular. Add 4 to a US size to get the UK size, then add 28 to get the EU size used in France, Germany, Spain and most of Europe. Italian sizes run 4 above the EU size. Australian sizes match the UK. The body measurements are typical figures for each size, in centimetres.
| US | UK | EU | IT | AU | JP | Bust (cm) | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 32 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 79 | 61 | 86 |
| 2 | 6 | 34 | 38 | 6 | 7 | 82 | 64 | 89 |
| 4 | 8 | 36 | 40 | 8 | 9 | 86 | 68 | 93 |
| 6 | 10 | 38 | 42 | 10 | 11 | 90 | 72 | 97 |
| 8 | 12 | 40 | 44 | 12 | 13 | 94 | 76 | 101 |
| 10 | 14 | 42 | 46 | 14 | 15 | 98 | 80 | 105 |
| 12 | 16 | 44 | 48 | 16 | 17 | 102 | 84 | 109 |
| 14 | 18 | 46 | 50 | 18 | 19 | 107 | 89 | 114 |
| 16 | 20 | 48 | 52 | 20 | 21 | 112 | 94 | 119 |
| 18 | 22 | 50 | 54 | 22 | 23 | 117 | 99 | 124 |
Men's suits, jackets and coats
Men's tailoring is sized by chest measurement in inches in the UK and US, so a 40 is a 40 in both. European sizes are roughly the chest in centimetres divided by two, which works out as the UK size plus 10.
| US | UK | EU | IT | Intl | Chest (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 34 | 44 | 44 | XS | 86 |
| 36 | 36 | 46 | 46 | S | 91 |
| 38 | 38 | 48 | 48 | S/M | 96 |
| 40 | 40 | 50 | 50 | M | 101 |
| 42 | 42 | 52 | 52 | L | 106 |
| 44 | 44 | 54 | 54 | L/XL | 111 |
| 46 | 46 | 56 | 56 | XL | 117 |
| 48 | 48 | 58 | 58 | XXL | 122 |
How to measure
- Bust or chest: around the fullest part, under the arms, with the tape level.
- Waist: around the narrowest part, usually just above the belly button.
- Hips: around the fullest part of the hips and seat, feet together.
Keep the tape snug but not tight, and measure over thin clothing. If your measurements fall between two sizes, the larger size is usually easier to alter.
Why one size does not fit all shops
Sizes are not regulated in most countries, and many brands have drifted towards more generous cuts over the years, so a size 12 today is often larger than a size 12 was a generation ago. Fast-fashion brands, designer labels and sportswear can all differ by a full size. Treat a conversion chart as the starting point and the brand's own chart as the final word.
Read next
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