Petite, tall, plus size, big and tall: what each means

Petite and tall describe length. A petite garment has the same chest, waist and hips as a regular one, with shorter sleeves, legs and torso. A tall one is longer in the same places.

Plus size and big describe girth: the chest, waist and hips go beyond the regular range, often with labels of their own. Big and tall combines both: more girth and more length.

The four words get mixed up because they all sound like "bigger" or "smaller". They aren't. Here is what each one changes, with the numbers from Ruban Size's templates.

Petite: shorter, not smaller

The women's petite template says it in one line: "Petite sizes are cut for a height of 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) and under: shorter sleeves, legs and torso."

Compare the M P with the M of the regular dresses template: bust 90 to 95 cm, waist 72 to 77, hips 98 to 103, US 8 to 10, UK 12 to 14. Identical, down to the US and UK numbers (women's clothing sizes compared explains how those line up). What changes is the length, which the petite chart shows as an inseam of 71 to 73 cm (about 28 to 28 3/4 in).

So petite isn't a synonym for XS. A woman with 105 cm hips who is 158 cm tall is an L P: a full L around, cut for her height.

Tall: same widths, longer lengths

Tall is the mirror image. The scrubs template gives every pants size in two lengths:

The tall inseam is 8 cm (about 3 in) longer at every size, and the waist and hips don't move. A tall M is an M around and a tall length down. How to measure inseam explains which length a shopper should compare.

For tops, tall adds length to the body and the sleeves. The men's big and tall template puts it plainly: "Tall sizes (T) add about 2 in to the body and sleeve length."

Plus size: a wider range with its own labels

Plus size covers chest, waist and hips beyond a brand's regular range, often under its own size names. The plus-size women's template uses 1X to 4X, with US sizes written with a W:

In the templates, the plus range picks up around where the regular dress range ends: the dresses XXL has a bust of 109 to 116 cm (about 43 to 45.7 in), the plus 1X 42 to 44 in. The two ranges sit next to each other, with different names.

For a store, plus size is a separate chart, not two extra columns on the regular one. The sizes, the labels and often the product types differ, so the chart needs its own rule.

Big and tall: both at once

Big and tall is a men's range that grows in both directions. The men's big and tall template:

"Big" is the girth, from a 46 in chest up. "Tall" is the T, for a height of 6 ft 2 in (about 188 cm) and up. The chest and waist are body measurements; the body and sleeve lengths are measured on the garment, in their own tab.

The four ranges side by side

Setting them up in a Shopify store

Each range is its own chart. That keeps every table honest: a petite chart with petite lengths, a plus chart with plus labels. Ruban Size has a template for each, already filled in: Women's petite, Plus-size women, Men's big and tall and Scrubs and workwear with regular and tall inseams.

Then rules decide where each chart shows. A "petite" tag, a Plus collection or a product type is enough: the petite chart goes on petite products, the regular chart on the rest. When a product comes in both regular and petite, both charts can match it, and the shopper sees them as tabs (up to 20 per product). The product rules page shows the options, and the products a chart will show on are listed before you save.

For lengths inside one chart, give each length its own line under the girths, as the scrubs template does with its regular and tall inseams. Shoppers find their size around, then their length.

Find my size reads every row marked as a measurement. On a petite chart, the inseam counts for less than bust, waist and hips: in the engine's own words, a short inseam makes trousers short, not unwearable. The answer comes from the girths, with the length as a check.

Questions

What height is petite?

Ruban Size's petite template is cut for 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) and under. Brands set their own line, so check the height or the inseam in the chart rather than the word.

Is petite the same as a small size?

No. Petite is about height and length, not width. A petite range runs from XXS P to XL P, and an L P has the same hips as a regular L.

What is the difference between plus size and big and tall?

Plus size is a women's range with a larger bust, waist and hips, labeled 1X to 4X or 14W and up. Big and tall is a men's range that adds girth and length together, labeled with a T for tall (XLT, 2XLT).

What does the T in 2XLT mean?

T stands for tall: the same girth as the size it is attached to, with extra length. In Ruban Size's template, tall sizes add about 2 in to the body and sleeve length, for a height of 6 ft 2 in and up.