Clothing Size Converter

Navigating US, UK, EU, and international clothing sizes

Clothing sizing might be the least standardised unit system on this entire site — unlike a metre or a kilogram, a "size 10" has no fixed physical definition and means a different set of body measurements depending on the country, the brand, and even the specific garment category. This tool provides a general reference for converting between US, UK, EU, and international S–XL letter sizes for common adult clothing, giving you a reasonable starting point when shopping from an international retailer.

Why sizes shift between countries

US and UK women's sizing historically diverged by a consistent offset (a UK size is typically about 4 sizes larger in number than the equivalent US size), while EU sizing uses an entirely different numbering scale based loosely on body measurements in centimetres, generally running about 30–32 numbers higher than the equivalent US size. International S/M/L/XL letter sizing was introduced as an attempt at a simpler, brand-agnostic system, but different countries and manufacturers still map their numeric sizes onto those letters somewhat differently, which is why "size M" from one brand can fit noticeably differently from "size M" at another.

The honest limitation of any clothing size chart

Because clothing size has never had a single enforced international standard — unlike, say, the metre — any clothing size converter, including this one, is providing a general reference mapping rather than a guaranteed fit. Two garments labelled the same converted size from different brands, or even different clothing lines from the same brand, can fit differently due to variations in cut, fabric stretch, and each company's own internal sizing chart. Treat the result here as a solid starting point for choosing a size to try, not a substitute for checking a specific retailer's own measurement-based size guide when one is available.

Using body measurements as a backup

When a specific retailer provides a size chart based on actual body measurements (bust/chest, waist, hip circumference in cm or inches), using that in combination with this tool's general size conversion — rather than relying on the general conversion alone — will get you a noticeably more reliable fit, especially for close-fitting garments like tailored jackets or fitted dresses where a size or two of difference is very noticeable.

Common scenarios

Online shoppers ordering from an international retailer whose site only lists sizes in an unfamiliar country's convention, travellers shopping while abroad without access to their usual size chart, and people buying clothing as a gift for someone whose usual size is known in a different country's system all find a general clothing size reference useful as a first step before finalising a purchase.

Buying as a gift

Gift shopping is where a converted size is most likely to be wrong, since you can't try the item on the recipient first — where possible, ask for a body measurement or a brand and size they already own and trust, and treat this converter's output as a helpful starting estimate rather than a guarantee, especially for closely fitted garments.