Clothing sizes never match across countries because each system numbers a different chart. As a rough rule for women's clothes, a UK size is the US size plus 4, a French or Spanish size is the UK size plus 28, and a German or Dutch size is the UK size plus 26, so a UK 10 is a US 6, a French 38 and a German 36. Sewing patterns add a second layer: many commercial pattern companies use older body charts, so a body that buys a US 6 in shops often needs a 12 in a sewing pattern. The only reliable way to choose is by body measurements.
How do women's EU, US and UK sizes convert?
This is the standard chart Sewly uses for women's sizes, with the body measurements behind each size (not garment measurements). Many brands are within a couple of centimeters of it, but none matches it exactly.
| EU | US | UK | Bust | Waist | Hip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 0 | 4 | 76 cm (29 7/8 in) | 60 cm (23 5/8 in) | 85 cm (33 1/2 in) |
| 34 | 2 | 6 | 80 cm (31 1/2 in) | 64 cm (25 1/4 in) | 89 cm (35 in) |
| 36 | 4 | 8 | 84 cm (33 1/8 in) | 68 cm (26 3/4 in) | 93 cm (36 5/8 in) |
| 38 | 6 | 10 | 88 cm (34 5/8 in) | 72 cm (28 3/8 in) | 97 cm (38 1/4 in) |
| 40 | 8 | 12 | 92 cm (36 1/4 in) | 76 cm (29 7/8 in) | 101 cm (39 3/4 in) |
| 42 | 10 | 14 | 96 cm (37 3/4 in) | 80 cm (31 1/2 in) | 105 cm (41 3/8 in) |
| 44 | 12 | 16 | 100 cm (39 3/8 in) | 84 cm (33 1/8 in) | 109 cm (42 7/8 in) |
| 46 | 14 | 18 | 106 cm (41 3/4 in) | 90 cm (35 3/8 in) | 115 cm (45 1/4 in) |
| 48 | 16 | 20 | 112 cm (44 1/8 in) | 96 cm (37 3/4 in) | 121 cm (47 5/8 in) |
| 50 | 18 | 22 | 118 cm (46 1/2 in) | 102 cm (40 1/8 in) | 127 cm (50 in) |
| 52 | 20 | 24 | 124 cm (48 7/8 in) | 108 cm (42 1/2 in) | 133 cm (52 3/8 in) |
| 54 | 22 | 26 | 130 cm (51 1/8 in) | 114 cm (44 7/8 in) | 139 cm (54 3/4 in) |
The EU column follows the French and Spanish numbering. Sizes step by 4 cm (about 1 5/8 in) up to EU 44, then by 6 cm (about 2 3/8 in). The sewing size converter converts in either direction, and the size charts page has the men's and children's charts in full.
Why isn't "EU size" one system?
Because Europe has at least three common women's numberings:
| UK | US | France, Spain, Belgium | Germany, Netherlands | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 4 | 36 | 34 | 40 |
| 10 | 6 | 38 | 36 | 42 |
| 12 | 8 | 40 | 38 | 44 |
| 14 | 10 | 42 | 40 | 46 |
| 16 | 12 | 44 | 42 | 48 |
A label that says "EU 38" can mean the French 38 or, from a German or Dutch brand, a size closer to a French 40. When a shop says only "EU", check its chart in centimeters.
Why is my sewing pattern size bigger than my clothing size?
Many commercial sewing pattern companies, including the big envelope brands (Simplicity, McCall's, Butterick and Vogue), base their sizes on body charts that have changed little in decades, while ready-to-wear numbers have drifted downward, the effect often called vanity sizing. At the time of writing, their published charts put a misses' size 12 at about an 86 cm (34 in) bust and a size 14 at about 91 cm (36 in): roughly what many shops sell as a US 4 to 6 and a US 8. So the same body often wears a number 4 to 6 higher in a pattern than in a shop. Our comparison with the Big 4 patterns covers the rest of the differences.
Independent pattern designers use their own charts again, and some draft for a taller height or a fuller cup. Always read the size chart of the pattern you are using, and the finished garment measurements when they are given. For why shop sizes drift in the first place, see why store-bought clothes do not fit.
How do men's and children's sizes compare?
Men's sizes are simpler. Tops follow the chest (S, M, L, or a chest number in inches in the US and UK), and trousers follow the waist and inseam. In much of Europe, a men's jacket size is roughly half the chest in centimeters: a 98 cm chest is about a 48 or 50.
| Sewly men's size | Chest | Waist |
|---|---|---|
| XS | 86 cm (33 7/8 in) | 74 cm (29 1/8 in) |
| S | 92 cm (36 1/4 in) | 80 cm (31 1/2 in) |
| M | 98 cm (38 5/8 in) | 86 cm (33 7/8 in) |
| L | 104 cm (41 in) | 92 cm (36 1/4 in) |
| XL | 110 cm (43 1/4 in) | 98 cm (38 5/8 in) |
| XXL | 116 cm (45 5/8 in) | 104 cm (41 in) |
| 3XL | 122 cm (48 in) | 110 cm (43 1/4 in) |
Children's clothes are sized by height in much of Europe (92, 104, 116 cm and so on) and by age in the US and UK. Height is the better guide: two children of the same age can be a whole size apart. Sewly's children's sizes run from 2 years (92 cm, about 36 in) to 14 years (164 cm, about 64 1/2 in).
How should I choose a pattern size?
- Measure bust, waist, hip and height in close-fitting underwear. See how to take body measurements.
- Ignore the number on your clothes. Compare your measurements with the pattern's body chart, not its size labels.
- Choose by the area that is hardest to alter. For tops and dresses, the bust or high bust, because shoulders are hard to change; for skirts and trousers, the hip.
- Blend between sizes if your bust, waist and hip fall in different sizes: draw a smooth line from one size's cutting line to the other's.
- Check the finished measurements to see how much ease the designer added.
Our guide on choosing your size goes through blending step by step.
Can I skip sizes altogether?
Yes. A made-to-measure pattern is drafted from your body measurements, so the size label stops mattering. In Sewly, you can start from a standard size in the chart above, or enter your own measurements (height, bust, waist and hip are enough; the rest are filled in from the nearest size and can be refined) and the pattern is drafted to them. On a paid plan, the PDF prints at true scale with a 5 cm and 2 in test square, whichever units you think in.