Clothing size refers to the label sizes used for garments sold off-the-shelf. There are a large number of standard sizing systems around the world for various garments, such as dresses, tops, skirts, and trousers. Made-to-order garments require measurements to be taken, but these do not need to be converted into national standard form. There are three approaches for size-labelling of clothes:
Body dimensions: The label states the range of body measurements for which the product was designed.
Product dimensions: The label states characteristic dimensions of the product.
Ad hoc sizes: The label states a size number or code with no obvious relationship to any measurement.
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. Therefore, sizes were invented to
Horizontal torso measurements include the neck circumference, the shoulder width, the bustline measurements – over-bust circumference, the full bust circumference, the bust-point separation, and the under-bust circumference – the natural waist circumference, the upper hip circumference and the lower hip circumference.
Vertical torso measurements include the back length, the shoulder-waist length, the bust-shoulder length, the bust-waist length, and the two hip-waist lengths.
Sleeve measurements include the under-arm and over-arm lengths, the fore-arm length, the wrist circumference and the biceps circumference.
However, because of the drape and ease of the fabric, not all measurements are required to obtain a well-fitting apparel in most styles.
Standards
International
ISO
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:
EN 13402-1: Terms, definitions and body measurement procedure
EN 13402-2: Primary and secondary dimensions
EN 13402-3: Size designation of clothes. Body measurements and interng 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.
Germany
DOB-Verband
France
AFNOR NF G 03-001 - Human body - Vocabulary - Pictogram;
AFNOR EXP G 03-002 - Women Measures
AFNOR EXP G 03-003 - Men Measures
AFNOR EXP G 03-006 - Measures of babies and young children
AFNOR EXP G 03-007 - Size designation of clothes for men, women and children
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.
Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia still use the JUS standards developed in the former Yugoslavia. 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.
There is no mandatory clothing size or labeling standard in the U.S, though a series of voluntary standards have been in place since the 1930s. The U.S. 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 of the book was made a commercial standard and was even updated in 1970. But the guide was eventually degraded to a voluntary standard until it was abolished altogether in 1983. Private organization ASTM International started to release its own recommended size carts in the 1990s. Since then, the common US misses sizes have not had stable dimensions. Clothing brands and manufacturers size their products according to their preferences. 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.
Women
Comparison tables
USA
4
6
8
10
12
UK
8
10
12
14
16
France
36
38
40
42
44
Japanese
7
11
15
17
21
Bust
32"
34"
36"
38"
40"
81 cm
86 cm
91 cm
97 cm
102 cm
Waist
24"
26.5"
29"
31"
33"
61 cm
67 cm
74 cm
79 cm
84 cm
Hip
35"
37"
39"
41"
43"
89 cm
94 cm
99 cm
104 cm
109 cm
EU
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
UK
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
US
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
Dress size
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
Bust
74
77
80
83
86
89
92
96
100
104
108
112
116
120
124
Modifier
Y
A
AB
B
Additional hip girth
0
4
8
12
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. 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.
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.
