Men's clothing sizes: suits, shirts and pants compared

Men's sizes convert garment by garment. Suits have an EU number and a UK/US number, ten apart. Shirts are sized by the neck, pants by the waist and inseam, and big and tall adds length. The tables below are copied from Ruban Size's men's templates, with inch or centimeter conversions added (2.54 cm to the inch).

The templates hold typical values that each store replaces with its own. Use them to see how the systems relate, then trust the brand's chart for a given suit or shirt.

Men's suit sizes: EU against UK and US

From the Men's suits and blazers template, body measurements:

EU	UK / US	Chest (cm)	Chest (in)	Waist (cm)
44	34	86-89	33.9-35.0	72-75
46	36	90-93	35.4-36.6	76-79
48	38	94-97	37.0-38.2	80-83
50	40	98-101	38.6-39.8	84-87
52	42	102-105	40.2-41.3	88-91
54	44	106-109	41.7-42.9	92-95
56	46	110-113	43.3-44.5	96-99

Two patterns hold across the whole chart. The EU number is about half the chest in centimeters: EU 50 covers 98 to 101 cm, so 49 to 50.5 halved. And the UK/US number is the EU number minus 10.

You may have heard that a UK or US suit size is your chest in inches. In this chart that holds from 34 to 38. From 40 up, the chest ranges sit below the size number: a UK/US 42 covers a 40.2 to 41.3 in chest.

The template's note sums up the rest: "Jacket sizes follow your chest; trousers follow your waist." Its fit note adds that the cut is tailored, so a shopper who likes room to layer takes one size up.

Shirt sizes by neck

From the Men's shirts template:

Size	Neck (cm)	Neck (in)	Chest (cm)	Sleeve (cm)
S	37-38	14.6-15.0	88-94	84
M	39-40	15.4-15.7	95-101	86
L	41-42	16.1-16.5	102-108	88
XL	43-44	16.9-17.3	109-116	89
XXL	45-46	17.7-18.1	117-124	90

The template's fit note: "Choose your collar size first, then check the chest." Measure around the base of the neck with one finger under the tape. The details, and why a finger, are in how to measure your neck for a dress shirt.

Pants by waist and inseam

From the Men's pants template, body measurements in inches, with the waist in centimeters added:

Size	Waist (in)	Waist (cm)	Hips (in)	Inseam (in)
28	28-29	71.1-73.7	34-35	32
30	30-31	76.2-78.7	36-37	32
32	32-33	81.3-83.8	38-39	32
34	34-35	86.4-88.9	40-41	32
36	36-37	91.4-94.0	42-43	32
38	38-39	96.5-99.1	44-45	32
40	40-41	101.6-104.1	46-47	32

The size is the waist in inches: a 32 fits a 32 to 33 in waist. The inseam is a second number, the same 32 in (81.3 cm) for every size here; a store that sells lengths adds a row or a tab per length. The template is set to "Runs slightly small", with the note "Slim cut: if you are between sizes, take the next size up." For the inseam itself, see how to measure inseam.

Big and tall

From the Men's big and tall template, in inches:

Size	Chest (in)	Waist (in)	Body length (in)	Sleeve length (in)
XLT	46-48	40-42	33	37
2XLT	50-52	44-46	34	37.5
3XLT	54-56	48-50	35	38
4XLT	58-60	52-54	36	38.5
5XLT	62-64	56-58	37	39

Every size is for a height of 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) and up. The template's note: "Tall sizes (T) add about 2 in to the body and sleeve length. Choose by chest first." The chest and waist are body measurements; the lengths are the garment's own, on a tab of their own. What big, tall, petite and plus each mean is in petite, tall, plus size, big and tall explained.

Why these conversions are approximate

Letters don't mean the same thing on every garment, even within one app. Ruban Size's Men's T-shirts template puts S at an 88 to 95 cm chest, the shirts template at 88 to 94. Between brands the gaps are wider, and a slim cut moves everything. Read the chart of the garment you are buying.

How a store should present men's sizes

Suits with EU and UK/US on rows or columns of their own, marked as size systems, with a switch above the table, so shoppers read the system they know.
Shirts by neck first, in centimeters and inches, with the chest and sleeve beside it.
Pants by waist, with the inseam spelled out, and one row or tab per length if you sell lengths.
One unit per chart with a cm/in switch; inches first for shoppers in the US.
Body and garment measurements in separate tabs, and a fit note for slim or tailored cuts.

How Ruban Size does it

The Men's suits template has its EU and UK / US columns marked as size systems: shoppers switch between them above the table, and the chest and waist convert between cm and in. On a test with a 99 cm chest and an 86 cm waist, Find my size answers "Your size: 50", with chest and waist both in the middle of the 50 range.

On shirts like the Men's shirts template, Find my size gives the neck a weight close to the chest's, so the collar counts as the fit note says. On the Men's pants template, the waist counts most, then the hips. The inseam, the same for every size there, is not used to choose; on a chart where it changes by size, it can tip the choice between two neighbor sizes, never more. The "Runs slightly small" fit scale shows to shoppers in words and moves the answer up to match.

The Men's big and tall template keeps body measurements and garment lengths on two tabs, so shoppers compare the right numbers.

The real size guide: Men’s suit and blazer size chart. Switch units, or open Find my size.

Tailored cut: if you prefer room to layer, take one size up.

EU	UK / US	Chest (cm)	Waist (cm)
44	34	86-89	72-75
46	36	90-93	76-79
48	38	94-97	80-83
50	40	98-101	84-87
52	42	102-105	88-91
54	44	106-109	92-95
56	46	110-113	96-99

How to measure

Chest: around the fullest part of your chest, under the arms.
Waist: around your natural waistline, the narrowest part of your torso.

Jacket sizes follow your chest; trousers follow your waist.

Questions

What is a UK 40 suit in European sizes?

An EU 50, for a chest of 98 to 101 cm (38.6 to 39.8 in) in Ruban Size's template. The EU number is the UK/US number plus 10.

How do I convert my neck size to a shirt size?

Measure around the base of the neck, one finger under the tape. In the template, 39 to 40 cm (15.4 to 15.7 in) is an M and 41 to 42 cm (16.1 to 16.5 in) an L.

What does size 32 mean on men's pants?

The waist in inches: a 32 fits a 32 to 33 in waist (81.3 to 83.8 cm). The inseam is a separate measurement.

What does T mean in men's sizes?

Tall. In the template, T sizes are for 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) and up and add about 2 in to the body and sleeve length.