Clothing Size Converter

Clothing Size Guide

Key Differences

International clothing sizes vary substantially and the labelling conventions differ in confusing ways. For women's clothing: UK women's sizes typically run 4 sizes higher than US sizes, so a UK 12 equals a US 8. European (EU) sizes are typically the UK size plus 28, so UK 12 = EU 40 = US 8 — but EU sizing is itself inconsistent between countries (Italian, French, and German conventions sometimes differ). For men's shirts: UK and US use chest measurement in inches (15, 15.5, 16 etc. — the collar size for formal shirts, with chest size as additional measurement); EU uses chest circumference in centimetres (38, 40, 42 cm collar, or 96, 102, 108 cm chest). Suit sizes in UK/US use chest in inches plus a letter for body length (40R = regular, 40L = long), while EU uses chest in cm. For shoes: UK sizes are about 1 to 1.5 less than US for women (UK 6 ≈ US 7.5), about 0.5 less for men (UK 9 ≈ US 9.5–10). EU shoe sizes run higher than both and don't follow a simple offset — UK 6 ≈ EU 39, UK 8 ≈ EU 42, UK 10 ≈ EU 44.5. Asian shoe sizing usually labels with the foot length in centimetres (e.g. 25 cm), which is the most direct measurement. The calculator handles all the standard conversions, but knowing the rough pattern — UK women's = US + 4 = EU − 28 — gets you most of the way for shopping. Always check the brand's own size chart when ordering, as conversions vary by manufacturer.

Always Check Measurements

Size labels are notoriously inconsistent between brands, and a UK 14 in one brand may fit like a UK 12 in another and a UK 16 in a third — a phenomenon sometimes called 'vanity sizing', where brands flatter customers by labelling larger garments with smaller numbers. The same retailer's house brands often size differently from each other. This makes returning to a size you wore years ago meaningless if the brand has changed its sizing since, and makes shopping across brands frustrating. The reliable solution is to ignore the label and check actual measurements against your body. Most quality online retailers publish a size chart with key measurements (bust, waist, hips for women; chest, neck, sleeve, waist for men) in both cm and inches. Measure yourself accurately: use a soft tape measure pulled snug but not tight; for bust measurement, wear the bra you'd wear with the garment; for waist, find your natural waist (typically the narrowest part of the torso, often above the navel); for hips, measure the widest part. Hold the tape level and parallel to the floor. Compare your measurements with the chart and pick the size that fits your largest measurement — for a women's dress, that's typically the bust or hips, whichever needs the larger size. Garment-specific fit (loose, fitted, oversized) is shown in product descriptions and matters more than the size number. For international online shopping, brand size charts are essential rather than optional — and reading recent reviews to see whether items run small or large is often the deciding factor between sizes.

Asian Sizing

Asian clothing brands generally run 1–2 sizes smaller than Western equivalents for the same labelled size, sometimes more, and shoppers buying from Asian brands online frequently size up to compensate. Japanese and Korean sizing typically runs 1–2 sizes smaller — a 'Medium' in a Japanese brand is often closer to a Western 'Small'. Chinese sizing for clothing manufactured for the domestic market is similarly compact: a Chinese 'Small' often fits like a Western 'Extra Small'; Chinese sizing for export-market clothing usually uses Western conventions, but the line isn't always clear. The compactness applies less to fast-fashion brands designing for global markets (Uniqlo, for example, sizes broadly consistent with European norms) than to traditional Asian brands designing for local body shapes. For shoes specifically, Asian shoe sizes commonly use foot length in centimetres or in 'mondopoint' (foot length in millimetres divided by 10), which is the most direct and unambiguous system. A UK size 6 woman has roughly 24 cm foot length; UK 8 men ≈ 26.5 cm. Add approximately 15–18 to UK size to get the rough Korean equivalent for men's shoes (UK 9 ≈ Korean 270–275). For online shopping from Asian retailers, sizing up is almost always safer than sizing down — clothes that are too big can be tailored or worn loose, but those that are too small are useless. Read recent customer reviews, especially from buyers in the same country as you, to spot patterns ('I usually wear UK 12, ordered XL, fits like UK 14'). When in doubt, the size chart's actual measurements (not the letter/number labels) are what matter.

Travel Safety and Preparation

Before any international trip: check the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice for your destination at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice — advisories change frequently. Register your trip with the FCDO if travelling to a high-risk destination. Take two copies of all documents (passport, insurance, bookings) — one in luggage, one left at home with a trusted contact. Share your itinerary with someone at home. Travel insurance is not optional — a single overseas medical emerge