Women's clothing sizes: US, UK and EU compared
A women's M is US 8 to 10, UK 12 to 14 and EU 40 to 42, for a bust of 90 to 95 cm (35.4 to 37.4 in). In these charts, UK numbers run 4 above US ones and EU numbers 32 above.
Find your bust, waist and hips in the chart, then read the size in the system you need. The numbers below are copied from Ruban Size's women's templates, which start every store from the same typical values. They are a fair picture of how US, UK and EU sizes relate, and a starting point, not a standard: each brand's own chart wins.
Women's size chart: US, UK and EU
From the Dresses template, body measurements:
| Size | US | UK | EU | Bust (cm) | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 0-2 | 4-6 | 32-34 | 80-84 | 62-66 | 88-92 |
| S | 4-6 | 8-10 | 36-38 | 85-89 | 67-71 | 93-97 |
| M | 8-10 | 12-14 | 40-42 | 90-95 | 72-77 | 98-103 |
| L | 12-14 | 16-18 | 44-46 | 96-101 | 78-83 | 104-109 |
| XL | 16-18 | 20-22 | 48-50 | 102-108 | 84-90 | 110-116 |
| XXL | 20 | 24 | 52 | 109-116 | 91-98 | 117-124 |
The same measurements in inches, divided by 2.54:
| Size | Bust (in) | Waist (in) | Hips (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 31.5-33.1 | 24.4-26.0 | 34.6-36.2 |
| S | 33.5-35.0 | 26.4-28.0 | 36.6-38.2 |
| M | 35.4-37.4 | 28.3-30.3 | 38.6-40.6 |
| L | 37.8-39.8 | 30.7-32.7 | 40.9-42.9 |
| XL | 40.2-42.5 | 33.1-35.4 | 43.3-45.7 |
| XXL | 42.9-45.7 | 35.8-38.6 | 46.1-48.8 |
How to read it
- Measure your bust around the fullest part, tape level; your waist at the natural waistline, the narrowest part of the torso; your hips, feet together, around the fullest part.
- Find the size where your measurements fall. If they point to different sizes, go by the largest one: a dress too tight at the bust doesn't fit, one a little loose at the waist does.
- Read your number in the system you need, on the same column.
Each letter covers two US numbers (M is 8 to 10), and the systems move in step. In these templates, UK is always US plus 4 and EU is US plus 32: a US 8 is a UK 12 and an EU 40.
These are body measurements, the person, not the garment. A chart of the dress itself, laid flat, has larger numbers and needs reading differently: see body measurements vs garment measurements.
Tops: the same sizes, measured at the chest
The Women's tops template uses the same letters and the same US, UK and EU numbers, measured at the chest. Up to M its ranges match the Dresses template. At L and XL it runs a little wider: chest 96 to 102 and 103 to 110 cm, waist 78 to 84 and 85 to 92, hips 104 to 110 and 111 to 118. Its second tab gives the garment itself: length 60 to 68 cm and sleeve 58 to 62 cm, XS to XL.
Petite sizes
From the Petite template:
| Size | US | UK | Bust (cm) | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) | Inseam (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXS P | 00 | 2-4 | 76-79 | 58-61 | 84-87 | 71 |
| XS P | 0-2 | 4-6 | 80-84 | 62-66 | 88-92 | 71 |
| S P | 4-6 | 8-10 | 85-89 | 67-71 | 93-97 | 72 |
| M P | 8-10 | 12-14 | 90-95 | 72-77 | 98-103 | 72 |
| L P | 12-14 | 16-18 | 96-101 | 78-83 | 104-109 | 73 |
| XL P | 16 | 20 | 102-108 | 84-90 | 110-116 | 73 |
Compare it with the first chart: from XS to XL, a petite size has the same bust, waist and hips as the regular size of the same letter. Petite is about length. The template's note: "Petite sizes are cut for a height of 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) and under: shorter sleeves, legs and torso." The inseam of 71 to 73 cm is 28.0 to 28.7 in.
Plus sizes
From the Plus-size template, in inches, US sizes only:
| Size | US | Bust (in) | Waist (in) | Hips (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1X | 14W-16W | 42-44 | 36-38 | 46-48 |
| 2X | 18W-20W | 45-47 | 39-41 | 49-51 |
| 3X | 22W-24W | 48-50 | 42-44 | 52-54 |
| 4X | 26W-28W | 51-53 | 45-47 | 55-57 |
A W number is not the plain number with a letter added. In the templates, a US 16 (Dresses, XL) covers a 102 to 108 cm bust; a 16W (Plus size, 1X) a 42 to 44 in bust, which is 106.7 to 111.8 cm. More on how these ranges are cut in petite, tall, plus size, big and tall: what each means.
Why your size moves from brand to brand
The templates hold typical values, written to be replaced by the brand's own. Even two of them disagree a little, as the tops and dresses do at L and XL. Between brands, the gap is larger: the same US 8 can cover different measurements, which is why a medium isn't the same size at every brand. Measure, then read the brand's chart, not a conversion.
How a store should present women's sizes
- Sizes in your own labels (XS to XXL, or numbers), with US, UK and EU on rows of their own, marked as size systems, and a switch above the table. Shoppers read one system at a time.
- The first system shown follows the country: US in the United States, UK in the United Kingdom and Ireland, EU elsewhere. Remember the shopper's choice.
- The measurements in one unit, with a cm/in switch; inches first for shoppers in the US.
- Body measurements and garment measurements in separate tabs, each named.
- A fit note when a style runs small or large.
How Ruban Size does it
The Dresses template has its US, UK and EU rows marked as size systems, so only the chosen one shows, picked first by the shopper's country. Its two tabs hold the body measurements and the garment length. Shoppers switch between cm and in with one tap, and the headers follow. The size chart editor reads ranges like 90-95 as numbers, so they convert and Find my size can use them.
Find my size asks for bust, waist and hips. On the Dresses template, a bust of 92 cm, a waist of 74 and hips of 100 get "Your size: M", "Confidence: high", and one line per measurement: "Bust 92 cm: M, middle of the range". Switch "Fit I like" to Loose and the same measurements land at the top of the M ranges: "You are between M and L. We suggest M."
If a chart gives garment measurements instead, laid flat or not, Find my size detects it from the headers and the values, and adds room for the fit the shopper chose.
Questions
What is a US size 8 in UK and EU sizes?
A UK 12 and an EU 40, size M in Ruban Size's templates, for a bust of 90 to 95 cm.
Is a UK 10 the same as a US 6?
Yes, in these charts: UK numbers run 4 above US ones, and both are size S (US 4 to 6, UK 8 to 10).
What does W mean in plus sizes?
W marks the plus-size range, 14W to 28W in the template. A 16W is cut fuller than a plain US 16: a 42 to 44 in bust against 102 to 108 cm (40.2 to 42.5 in).
What height is petite?
Petite sizes are cut for 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) and under, with shorter sleeves, legs and torso, and the same bust, waist and hips as the regular sizes.
Keep reading
- Sizing explainedPetite, tall, plus size, big and tall: what each meansPetite and tall are about length: the same widths, cut shorter or longer. Plus size and big are about girth: a larger chest, waist and hips. Big and tall is both at once.6 min
- Sizing explainedWhy a medium isn't the same size at every brandA medium is a name, not a measurement. Each brand decides which body its M fits, how much room it leaves and how sizes step up, so the fix is to publish the measurements behind your M and a one-line fit note.5 min
- Sizing explainedBody measurements vs garment measurementsA body measurement is the person; a garment measurement is the product, often laid flat and halved. The gap between the two is ease, and comparing one with the other is the quickest way to a wrong size.6 min
- Size conversionRing size conversion chart: US, UK, EU and JapanA US 7 ring measures about 54.4 mm around the inside and 17.3 mm across. That is UK N 1/2, EU 54.5 and Japan 14. The full chart, from US 3 to 13, is below.6 min