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US standard clothing sizes were developed from statistical data in the 1940s-1950s. They are similar in principle to the EN 13402 European clothing size standard. However, these sizes are no longer used by U.S. clothing companies.
[edit] Women's sizes
Women's sizes are divided into various types, depending on the overall height and the relative heights of the bust and waistlines.
Misses' Sizes: 5 ft 5 in-5'6" tall, average bust, average back
Dimension/Size |
6 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
Bust |
30.5 |
31.5 |
32.5 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
Waist |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26.5 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
Hip |
32.5 |
33.5 |
34.5 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
Back-waist length |
15.5 |
15.75 |
16 |
16.25 |
16.5 |
16.75 |
17 |
17.25 |
Miss Petite: 5 ft 2 in-5'3" tall, average bust, shorter back
Dimension/Size |
6mp |
8mp |
10mp |
12mp |
14mp |
16mp |
Bust |
30.5 |
31.5 |
32.5 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
Waist |
23.5 |
24.5 |
25.5 |
27 |
28.5 |
30.5 |
Hip |
32.5 |
33.5 |
34.5 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
Back-waist length |
14.5 |
14.75 |
15 |
15.25 |
15.5 |
15.75 |
Junior Sizes: 5 ft 4 in-5'5" tall, higher bust, shorter back
Dimension/Size |
5 |
7 |
9 |
11 |
13 |
15 |
Bust |
30 |
31 |
32 |
33.5 |
35 |
37 |
Waist |
22.5 |
23.5 |
24.5 |
25.5 |
27 |
29 |
Hip |
32 |
33 |
34 |
35.5 |
37 |
39 |
Back-waist length |
15 |
15.25 |
15.5 |
15.75 |
16 |
16.25 |
Junior Petite: 5 ft 1 in tall, average bust, shorter back
Dimension/Size |
3jp |
5jp |
7jp |
9jp |
11jp |
13jp |
Bust |
30.5 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
Waist |
22.5 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
Hip |
31.5 |
32 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
36 |
Back-waist length |
14 |
14.25 |
14.5 |
14.75 |
15 |
15.25 |
Young Junior Sizes: 5 ft 1 in-5'3" tall, higher bust, shorter back
Dimension/Size |
5/6 |
7/8 |
9/10 |
11/12 |
13/14 |
15/16 |
Bust |
28 |
29 |
30.5 |
32 |
33.5 |
35 |
Waist |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
Hip |
31 |
32 |
33.5 |
35 |
36.5 |
38 |
Back-waist length |
13.5 |
14 |
14.5 |
15 |
15.375 |
15.75 |
Women's Sizes: 5 ft 5 in-5'6" tall, average bust, average back
Dimension/Size |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
Bust |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
Waist |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41.5 |
44 |
46.5 |
49 |
Hip |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
56 |
Back-waist length |
17.25 |
17.375 |
17.5 |
17.625 |
17.75 |
17.875 |
18 |
Half Sizes: 5 ft 2 in-5'3" tall, lower bust, shorter back
Dimension/Size |
10 1/2 |
12 1/2 |
14 1/2 |
16 1/2 |
18 1/2 |
20 1/2 |
22 1/2 |
24 1/2 |
Bust |
33 |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41 |
43 |
45 |
47 |
Waist |
27 |
29 |
31 |
33 |
35 |
37.5 |
40 |
42.5 |
Hip |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41 |
43 |
45.5 |
48 |
50.5 |
Back-waist length |
15 |
15.25 |
15.5 |
15.75 |
15.875 |
16 |
16.125 |
16.25 |
[edit] Men's sizes
Men's Sizes
Dimension/Size |
34 (S) |
36 (S) |
38 (M) |
40 (M) |
42 (L) |
44 (L) |
46 (XL) |
48 (XL) |
Chest |
34(86cm) |
36(91) |
38(96) |
40(101) |
42(106) |
44(111) |
46(116) |
48(123) |
Waist |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
Neckband |
14 |
14.5 |
15 |
15.5 |
16 |
16.5 |
17 |
17.5 |
Shirt sleeve |
32 |
32 |
33 |
33 |
34 |
34 |
35 |
35 |
[edit] Girls' sizes
Girls' Sizes
Dimension/Size |
7 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
Chest |
29 |
25 |
29.5 |
30 |
32 |
Waist |
23 |
23.5 |
24.5 |
25.5 |
26.5 |
Hip |
27 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
Height |
50 |
52 |
56 |
58.5 |
61 |
Back-waist length |
11.5 |
12 |
12.75 |
13.5 |
14.25 |
Chubbie Sizes
Dimension/Size |
8 1/2c |
10 1/2c |
12 1/2c |
14 1/2c |
Chest |
30 |
31.5 |
33 |
34.5 |
Waist |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
Hip |
33 |
34.5 |
36 |
37.5 |
Height |
52 |
56 |
58.5 |
61 |
Back-waist length |
12.5 |
13.25 |
14 |
14.75 |
[edit] Boys' sizes
Boys' Sizes
Dimension/Size |
7 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
Chest |
26 |
27 |
28 |
30 |
32 |
33.5 |
35 |
36.5 |
Waist |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
Hip |
27 |
28 |
29.5 |
31 |
32.5 |
34 |
35.5 |
37 |
Neckband |
11.75 |
12 |
12.5 |
13 |
13.5 |
14 |
14.5 |
15 |
Height |
48 |
50 |
54 |
58 |
61 |
64 |
66 |
68 |
[edit] Children's sizes
Children's Sizes
Dimension/Size |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
6X |
Chest |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
25.5 |
Waist |
19.5 |
20 |
20.5 |
21 |
21.5 |
22 |
22.5 |
Hip |
|
|
|
24 |
25 |
26 |
26.5 |
Height |
31 |
34 |
37 |
40 |
43 |
46 |
48 |
Back-waist length |
8.25 |
8.5 |
9 |
9.5 |
10 |
10.5 |
10.75 |
Finished dress length |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
22 |
24 |
25 |
[edit] Baby sizes
Toddlers' Sizes
Dimension/Size |
1/2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Chest |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
Waist |
19 |
19.5 |
20 |
20.5 |
21 |
Height |
28 |
31 |
34 |
37 |
40 |
Finished dress length |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
[edit] Conversion from catalog sizes
Catalogs have departed from the US standard sizes since approximately the 1980s. Companies now may provide the measurements for their sizes, which may vary even among different styles of the same type of garment. The sizes seen in catalogs generally have roughly the following measurements:
Catalog Misses' Sizes: 5 ft 5 in-5'6" tall, average bust, average back
Dimension/Size |
4 |
6 |
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
Closest standard size |
10 |
12 |
14 |
|
16 |
18 |
|
20 |
22 |
Est. height |
5 ft 4 in |
5 ft 4 in |
5'4.5" |
5 ft 5 in |
5 ft 4 in |
5'6.5" |
5 ft 6 in |
5 ft 6 in |
5'6.5" |
Est. weight (lbs.) |
115 |
125 |
135 |
145 |
155 |
165 |
175 |
180 |
195 |
Bust |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37 |
38.5 |
40 |
41.5 |
43 |
44.5 |
Waist |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29.5 |
31 |
32.5 |
34 |
35.5 |
Hip |
35.5 |
36.5 |
37.5 |
38.5 |
40 |
41.5 |
43 |
44.5 |
46 |
Catalog Women's Petite (Half Sizes): 5'1/2"-5'4" tall, lower bust, shorter back
Dimension/Size |
|
|
|
|
18W |
20W |
22W |
24W |
26W |
Closest standard size |
12 1/2 |
14 1/2 |
16 1/2 |
18 1/2 |
20 1/2 |
22 1/2 |
24 1/2 |
26 1/2 |
28 1/2 |
Est. height |
5' 1/2" |
5 ft 1 in |
5'1.5" |
5 ft 2 in |
5'2.5" |
5 ft 3 in |
5 ft 3 in |
5'3.5" |
5 ft 4 in |
Est. weight (lbs.) |
125 |
140 |
155 |
170 |
180 |
190 |
215 |
225 |
235 |
Bust |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
43.5 |
45.5 |
47.5 |
49.5 |
51.5 |
Waist |
28 |
30 |
32 |
34 |
35 |
37 |
39 |
41 |
43 |
Hip |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
45.5 |
47.5 |
49.5 |
52 |
53.5 |
Catalog Women's Sizes: 5 ft 5 in-5'6.5" tall, average bust, average back
Dimension/Size |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Closest standard size |
34 |
36 |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
Est. height |
5 ft 5 in |
5'5.5" |
5 ft 6 in |
5 ft 6 in |
5'6.5" |
5'6.5" |
5'6.5" |
5'6.5" |
5'6.5" |
Est. weight (lbs.) |
145 |
160 |
175 |
190 |
205 |
220 |
235 |
250 |
265 |
Bust |
38 |
40 |
42 |
44 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
Waist |
30 |
32 |
34 |
35.5 |
37.5 |
39.5 |
41.5 |
43.5 |
45.5 |
Hip |
39 |
41 |
43 |
46 |
48 |
50 |
52 |
54 |
56 |
With the average American woman's height at about 5'4", both standard and catalog size ranges attempt to address a variety of weights / builds as well as providing for the "shorter-than-average" height woman with "petite" and "half-sizes". However "taller-than-average" women (who, by the definition of average should be as numerous as "shorter-than-average") may find their size-height addressed by manufacturers less frequently, and may often find themselves facing issues of slightly too short pant legs and sleeve cuffs, as well as waist lengths.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- (1976) Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, 1st ed., Reader's Digest Association. ASIN B000CQ2THY
- Armstrong HJ. (1999) Pattern Making for Fashion Design, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-321-03423-6
[edit] External links