Shopping for clothes online is great– it’s cheaper, and you have an enormous variety, rather than being limited to whatever stores you have near you. The one problem is that you don’t get to try things on beforehand. Returning products is much easier than it used to be, but it’s still a hassle, so it’s good to get it right the first time.
There’s no perfect answer to this, as you can’t see exactly how a new t-shirt looks on you, but you can make an extra effort to get the perfect size, which will mean you pick correctly most of the time. This isn’t just as simple as checking the size, as exact measurements differ from company to company, and country to country. With children there’s a similar issue– most may fit neatly into the age brackets, but some are smaller or larger than the average.
If you do buy clothes online, most will have a detailed size chart you can refer to, so as long as you measure your size (or your child’s) correctly, you can make sure to get everything exactly right. In this simple guide we’ll tell you how to take the different measurements correctly, and how sizing can differ, depending on which country you order from. There are also several clothing size charts you can refer to, to get the exact measurement you need.
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Which Measurements Do You Need?
Depending on what you’re buying, the sizes can come in different ways. You might just get the international S, M, L and so on, so we’ll get on to those sizes later. Normally though, you’ll get a more detailed size chart, which will include some or all of the following:
- Neck
- Chest
- Shoulder
- Sleeve
- Waist
- Hips
- Legs
Different clothes ask for different measurements. You might need to measure chest and waist for shirts and jackets, plus neck size and sleeve length for more formal ones. For your dress size, you have to measure bust, waist, and hips. Sometimes you’ll see more general measurements, such as length and width only, it refers to the longest and widest points. Clothes vary, but for tops that will usually be neck to base, and shoulder to shoulder, for pants it’s fairly clear.
Remember that the numbers you see can be body measurements or product (garment) measurements. Body measurements are your size, meaning they’ll add the extra space you need to move around, garment measurements are the actual size of the clothing, so you’d need to add the extra yourself. For relaxed-fit clothing there will be a larger discrepancy between these two measurements, so check which is being used. You may also want to add a bit if you’re taking children’s measurements, so they can grow into them.
You also need to check whether the measurements are done in inches or centimeters. While we use inches in the US, a lot of countries measure in centimeters. If you’re seeing a medium chest measurement of around 36, then it’s in inches, 92 would be in centimeters. Our tables below can help here.
How to Measure Clothing Size
To get started you’ll want a soft tape measure, if you don’t have one you can try to do it with a normal one, but it’s often easier to use a piece of string, and afterward measure the string with the tape measure. You want the tape to be snug, but not too tight. Here’s how to take each measurement.
How to Measure Chest Size
You want to take the chest measurement from the fullest part of the chest, with your arms by your side, and go all the way around. This will normally be a little higher for men than women, and we often refer to it as bust size for women. Every body is different, but it’s about two inches below the armpit for men, and three for women. Women should wear the size bra they normally wear, to make sure they have the necessary space.
How to Measure Neck Size
For neck size, you want to measure around an inch below the Adam’s Apple. It’s good to get someone else to do this, because you want to keep two fingers between your neck and the tape measure, which gives you room to breathe. Usually only needed for formal shirts.
How to Measure Shoulder Width
The next two aren’t normally needed unless you’re getting a jacket or shirt tailored. The shoulder measurement is the distance between the top of the two vertical seams where your arms start. If a shirt doesn’t have those seams, you can find one that does, or just measure to just past where your arms drop off.
How to Measure Sleeve Length
For the sleeve, start from these seams and go down to where the sleeve should end, which is at the wrist with your arms by your side. Sometimes you might want it a little longer or shorter, for example with a jacket which you want to show off your cufflinks. You may be asked for sleeve and shoulder in one measurement– this will be half the shoulder width plus the sleeve length.
How to Measure Waist & Hips
The waist measurement is the narrowest part of your torso, but only if you’re in shape. For the larger customer, you need to think about where it would be if you were in shape. It’s around where the navel is. Don’t breathe in too much while you take it, you’ll only regret it later. The hip measurement is a few inches below that, around the hip bones, and goes over the top of the buttocks.
Jeans and other pants often only ask for one of these, and it’s generally the waist, especially with childrens clothes. Some low-rise pants will want you to measure hips though. For women it’s more common to need both, for tops, dresses or pants, as there tends to be more of a difference.
How to Measure Leg Length
This can be two measurements, the inseam and the outer seam. You’ll often just see one though, and it’ll be the inseam. This is from the bottom of the pant leg up to the point where the two legs meet under the crotch, so men should allow room for the junk. You need to think about how much room you need, and how long you want the leg (or skirt)– so again you need to check the style (if they’re ¾ lengths for example).
Measure the outer seam from the waist down to the bottom of the leg, but this is another measurement you’re unlikely to need, unless you’re getting tailored slacks. These are easier to take by getting a pair of pants you already have that you like the fit of, and measuring those.
Comparing Sizes in Different Countries
Unless you’re getting an expensive suit tailored, you don’t need all your measurements every time. It’s enough to learn if you’re an M or a 12 for example, and if you have one measurement that’s particularly large or small, so you need to keep an eye on it.
The bad news is that companies differ a little in their sizing, and countries differ even more, so you need to have your measurements noted down, so you can refer to each vendor’s size guide when you buy something new.
The USA has one number system, while the UK, Australia and New Zealand use a different one. You just add 4 though, it’s not too complicated. For Europe though, you add another 28 for some reason, and another 4 for Italy. The international lettering (S, M, L, etc.) makes things easier – each generally represents two sizes – but then can go another size either way, so you need to check for each company if you want the perfect fit. Simple right? No? Well we’ve made these size tables to help simplify things.
International Size Conversion Chart
| International | USA |
UK, Australia, New Zealand |
Europe | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXS | 0 | 2 | 30 | 34 |
| XS | 1 | 4 | 32 | 36 |
| 2 | 6 | 34 | 38 | |
| S | 4 | 8 | 36 | 40 |
| 6 | 10 | 38 | 42 | |
| M | 8 | 12 | 40 | 44 |
| 10 | 14 | 42 | 46 | |
| L | 12 | 16 | 44 | 48 |
| 14 | 18 | 46 | 50 | |
| XL | 16 | 20 | 48 | 52 |
| 18 | 22 | 50 | 54 | |
| XXL | 20 | 24 | 52 | 56 |
How to Calculate Your Dress Size
If you don’t yet know your dress size, you need to measure your bust, waist, and hips, and you can work it out with this table. You can also use this to know which size pants you need, although if you have long or short legs you should look for specific versions, which are often marked with the letters S, R, and L (small, regular, and long).
For jeans and other pants, most stores will just give you a letter, or your waist size. The same is true for men and women, which makes things a little simpler. Some companies will have separate systems for different shapes, including for tall or short people, and maternity wear needs its own system of course. If you need to convert inches to centimeters: 1 inch is 2.54 cm, but we’ve put both in the table to make things easier.
| International |
Dress Size USA |
Bust Inches (cm) |
Waist Inches (cm) |
Hips Inches (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXS | 00 | <29 (74) | <23 (58) | <31.5 (80) |
| XS | 0 | 29-30 (74-77) | 23-24 (58-61) | 31.5-33 (80-84) |
| 2 | 31-32 (78-81) | 24-25 (62-64) | 33-35 (85-89) | |
| S | 4 | 32-33.5 (82-85) | 26-26.5 (65-68) | 35-37 (90-94) |
| 6 | 33.5-35 (86-89) | 26.5-28 (69-72) | 37-38 (95-97) | |
| M | 8 | 35-36.5 (90-93) | 28-30 (73-77) | 38-40 (98-101) |
| 10 | 36.5-38 (94-97) | 30-32 (78-81) | 40-41 (102-104) | |
| L | 12 | 38-40 (98-102) | 32-33.5 (82-85) | 41-42.5 (105-108) |
| 14 | 40-42 (103-107) | 33.5-35.5 (86-90) | 42.5-44 (109-112) | |
| XL | 16 | 42-44.5 (108-113) | 35.5-37.5 (91-95) | 44-45.5 (113-116) |
| 18 | 44.5-47 (114-119) | 37.5-40 (96-102) | 45.5-48 (117-121) | |
| XXL | 20 | 47-49 (120-125) | 40-42.5 (103-108) | 48-50 (122-128) |
(For larger sizes you can keep following the same pattern.)
How to Calculate Men's Sizes
Most men’s clothing just comes in the international S, M, L, etc., and you usually just need to measure chest size for the top half, and waist size for the bottom. Men with long or short legs will also need to buy from companies with long or short versions. To calculate your size, have a look at the table below.
| International |
Chest Inches (cm) |
Waist Inches (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| XS | 32-34 (81-85) | 25-27 (63-69) |
| S | 34-37 (86-95) | 28-30 (70-77) |
| M | 38-41 (96-104) | 31-34 (78-87) |
| L | 42-44 (105-113) | 35-38 (88-97) |
| XL | 45-48 (114-123) | 39-42 (98-107) |
| XXL | 49-52 (124-133) | 43-46 (108-118) |
| 3XL | 53-56 (134-143) | 47-50 (119-127) |
How to Calculate Children's Sizes
Children’s clothes are measured by age, and the ages are calculated by height and weight. Companies will start to introduce waist and/or chest measurements from about 12-14 years old. If your child is average height and weight, you can just use the ages, and if you’re not sure– take a look at this table.
|
US Size (Age) |
Height Inches (cm) |
Weight Pounds (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 17-21 (43-53) | 4-8 (1.8-3.6) |
| 3 Months | 19-23 (48-58) | 8-12 (3.6-5.4) |
| 6 Months | 24-26 (59-67) | 12-15 (5.4-6.8) |
| 12 Months | 29-30 (73-77) | 18-20 (8-9) |
| 18 Months | 31-32 (78-82) | 21-23 (9.5-10.5) |
| 2 Years | 33-35 (83-90) | 24-30 (11-13) |
| 3 Years | 36-39 (91-100) | 31-33 (14-15) |
| 4 Years | 39-41 (101-105) | 34-38 (16-17) |
| 5 Years | 42-45 (106-115) | 38-42 (17-19) |
| 6 Years | 45-47 (116-121) | 43-48 (20-22) |
| 8 Years | 51-53 (129-135) | 59-68 (26-31) |
| 10 Years | 54-55 (136-139) | 69-86 (31-39) |
| 12 Years | 56-59(140-151) | 87-95 (39-43) |
| 14 Years | 60-62 (152-157) | 96-110 (44-50) |
What to Do If I’m Between Sizes?
If you check all the measurements it’s usually pretty straightforward to pick out the right size, but some people will be between two sizes, or be one size for one measurement, but another for another. If this is the case, there are a couple of things you can do:
- Check the style, and read all the info. Some garments give you more or less space in some areas. Sometimes you’ll be able to see this, and sometimes it’ll be written down.
- Check reviews, you’ll often find people have left reviews of a product, and if you see a lot of people saying that the garment was bigger, or smaller, than expected, this can help you pick your size.
- Look for clothes tailored to different body shapes. There’s more awareness of different body shapes nowadays, so if you’re especially tall, or have a larger top half relative to the bottom, you can often find companies or clothing ranges that will cater to that.
- Don’t forget the material. Whether a dress is a little stretchy or not can determine whether you want the larger or the smaller size.
- If you still can’t decide, contact customer service. You can’t always be sure of a helpful or fast response, but it’s always worth a try. Social media is often the best way to do this.
Take a Measured Approach
For people still not comfortable buying online, the key is to start with something low-cost that doesn’t matter too much, and work your way up until you’re comfortable whatever you’re buying. As we said at the start, returns processes have generally gotten simpler, even if it’s still a hassle. If you get your measurements right, you’ll find you quickly get used to it, and rarely need to send things back.
If you’d like to give it a try, maybe you could experiment with some quality, affordable blank apparel from Wordans, where ordering clothing in different sizes has recently become even easier! Give it a go yourself– you’ll soon get the measure of it.
Once you have your measurements correct, it’s time to get shopping. At Wordans we have everything you need: shirts, dresses, pants, and much much more. Take a look at our website and see what you like the look of. For more ideas, follow us on Instagram @wearewordans.
