Clothing Size Conversion Chart: US, UK, EU and Asia

A clothing size conversion chart maps the same garment across the US, UK, EU, Australian and Asian sizing systems. For women, US sizes run four numbers below UK sizes, so a US 6 is a UK 10. Men's sizing is based on chest measurement in inches, which is why US and UK numbers line up and EU numbers run ten higher. Children's sizing outside the US and UK is based on height in centimeters, which is why a label can simply read 120.

Super Label Store makes the woven and printed size labels that carry these numbers, from 5 pieces per design, so these are the charts we work with every day. This guide covers women, men and children, plus the regional systems that cause the most confusion: the UK, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico and Spain.

Size conversion is never exact. Every chart here gives the standard relationship between systems, and individual brands shift one size either way. Where a brand publishes its own body measurements in centimeters or inches, use those instead of any conversion chart, including this one.

The conversions people look up most

✓ EU 36 is a US 6 and a UK 10
✓ EU 38 is a US 8 and a UK 12
✓ UK 12 is a US 8, and UK sizes always run four above US
✓ Australian sizes are UK sizes, so an Australian 12 is a US 8
✓ A children's 120 is cut for a child 120 cm tall, roughly a US 6 to 7
✓ Asian sizes run one to two sizes small, so an Asian L is roughly a US M
✓ OS on a label means One Size

Women's clothing size conversion chart

Women's clothing sizes convert on a fixed pattern between the main Western systems. UK sizes run four numbers above US sizes, EU sizes run thirty above, French sizes thirty-two above and Italian sizes thirty-six above. A US 8 is therefore a UK 12, an EU 38, a French 40 and an Italian 44.

In plain text: add four to a US women's size for the UK and Australian size, add thirty for the EU size, thirty-two for France and thirty-six for Italy. To convert back, subtract the same number. A US 6 is a UK 10, an Australian 10, an EU 36, a French 38 and an Italian 42.

Why you see two different EU numbers for the same US size

Published conversion charts disagree by one size step on the EU column. Some align EU 36 with a US 4 and others with a US 6, and both are in wide circulation. The reason is that the EU number was never an offset from the US number in the first place: it is derived from body measurement, while US sizing uses an arbitrary scale that brands have shifted downward over the years.

The UK relationship is the stable one. UK equals US plus four in every chart, which is why a UK 12 is a US 8 everywhere you look. The EU column is where charts drift, and it drifts most between German and Scandinavian brands at the lower end of the range and French and Italian brands at the higher end.

The practical rule: when a brand publishes a bust, waist and hip measurement, use the measurement and ignore the size number entirely. When it does not, order the EU size from this chart and expect to be within one size.

UK sizes to US sizes

UK women's sizes run four numbers above US sizes. A UK 8 is a US 4, a UK 10 is a US 6, a UK 12 is a US 8, a UK 14 is a US 10 and a UK 16 is a US 12. To convert a US size to UK, add four.

UK and US men's sizes are the same through most of the range, because both are based on chest measurement in inches. The exception is at large, where a UK 42 to 44 corresponds to a US 40 to 42. UK and US children's sizes are given in years and broadly match, although UK sizes are often labeled by age alone where US sizes carry a T suffix for toddlers.

In plain text: subtract four from a UK women's size to get the US size. UK 8 is US 4, UK 12 is US 8, UK 16 is US 12.

Australian sizes to US sizes

Australian women's clothing sizes are identical to UK sizes, which means an Australian size runs four numbers above the US equivalent. An Australian 8 is a US 4, an Australian 10 is a US 6, an Australian 12 is a US 8 and an Australian 14 is a US 10. To convert a US size to Australian, add four.

Australian men's sizing follows the same chest measurement convention as the US and UK, so men's sizes convert straight across with no adjustment. Australian children's sizes are given by age in years, the same as the UK.

In plain text: subtract four from an Australian women's size for the US size, and add twenty-six for the EU size. Australian 12 equals US 8 equals EU 38. The full Australian column is included in the women's chart above.

Men's clothing size conversion chart

Men's clothing sizing is built on chest measurement, which is why US and UK numbers match and EU numbers run ten higher. A US 38 chest is a UK 38 and an EU 48. Japanese men's sizes run two below the US number at the small end of the range, and Korean sizes give the chest measurement in centimeters, which is why a US medium reads as 100 to 105 on a Korean label.

In plain text: add ten to a US men's size for the EU size. US 38 is EU 48, US 40 is EU 50, US 46 is EU 56. US and UK men's sizes are interchangeable except at large, where a US 40 to 42 is a UK 42 to 44.

Children's and toddler clothing sizes

US children's sizes are given in years, with a T suffix for toddlers, while European and Asian sizes are given as the child's height in centimeters. A US 2T and a European 92 describe the same garment from two directions: one by age, one by the height of the child it is cut for.

In plain text: a US 2T is a European 92 to 98 cm and an Australian 3. Measure the child rather than going by age, because height and age drift apart from around two years old onward.

What size is 120 in children's clothes?

A children's size 120 means the garment is cut for a child 120 cm tall, which is roughly a US size 6 to 7 and an age of 6 to 7 years. The number is a height measurement and not a size code, so a child who measures 120 cm wears a 120 whatever their age.

Two systems use this convention. Japanese, Korean and Chinese brands step in units of ten: 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160. European brands step in units of six: 92, 98, 104, 110, 116, 122, 128, 134, 140. Both mean the same thing, which is the height of the child the garment fits.

In plain text: 100 cm is a US 4 to 5, 110 cm is a US 5, 120 cm is a US 6 to 7, 130 cm is a US 8, 140 cm is a US 10, 150 cm is a US 12 and 160 cm is a US 14. Measure the child barefoot against a wall and buy the height rather than the age.

Asian sizes to US sizes

Asian clothing sizes run one to two sizes smaller than US sizes, so an Asian large is roughly a US small to medium and an Asian XL is roughly a US medium. This is the most common sizing mistake when ordering from Japanese, Korean or Chinese sellers, and it is why a garment bought from an Asian brand often arrives a size tighter than expected.

Japan uses odd numbers for women's clothing: 7, 9, 11, 13, 15. Korea uses chest measurement in centimeters alongside an older numeric scale, so a label reading 95 means a 95 cm chest. China uses letter sizes and height-and-chest codes such as 160/84A, where 160 is the height in centimeters and 84 the chest.

In plain text: go up one to two letter sizes when buying from an Asian brand. An Asian L is a US M and an Asian XL is a US L. Where the seller publishes a chest or length measurement in centimeters, use that instead, because letter sizes vary more between Asian brands than between Western ones.

Spanish and Mexican sizes

Spanish clothing sizes are EU sizes. A Spanish 38 is an EU 38, a US 8 and a UK 12, because Spain uses the same numeric scale as the rest of the European Union. Spanish labels also use the letter sizes XS, S, M, L and XL in the same way.

Mexican sizing uses letters rather than numbers on most garments: Ch for Chico, M for Mediano, G for Grande and EG for Extra Grande. These correspond to small, medium, large and extra large. Mexican numeric sizing for women runs on odd numbers and varies more between brands than the letter sizes do, so the letters are the reliable conversion.

In plain text: Spanish sizes equal EU sizes, so subtract thirty for the US size. Mexican Ch is a US small, M is a US medium, G is a US large and EG is a US extra large.

Men's shoe sizes

Men's shoe sizes run one number below the US size in the UK and Australia, and use a separate scale in Europe and Japan. A US 9 is a UK 8, an EU 43 and a Japanese 27, where the Japanese number is the foot length in centimeters.

In plain text: subtract one from a US men's shoe size for the UK and Australian size. The Japanese number is the length of the foot in centimeters, so it can be measured directly rather than converted.

What does OS mean in clothing sizes?

OS on a clothing label means One Size. The same garment is also labeled O/S, OSFA for One Size Fits All and OSFM for One Size Fits Most, which are four ways of writing the same thing. A one size garment is cut to a single set of measurements with enough give to fit a range of bodies, rather than being produced in a size run.

In US women's clothing, a one size garment typically fits a US 4 to 12, or a small through large. The fit depends on the cut. Wrap dresses, ponchos, scarves, oversized knitwear and anything with an elastic or drawstring waist work as one size, while anything structured through the shoulder, bust or hip does not. OSFM is the more precise of the two labels, because it states what OSFA implies: the garment fits most people in a range.

Brands use one size labeling to reduce inventory complexity, since a single stock item replaces five. For the customer it means the published body measurements carry more weight than usual, because there is no second size to move to.

Super Label Store weaves and prints one size labels as part of any size label run alongside the standard XS to XXL set, and stocks pre-made One Size Fits All labels in black and white.

Why clothing sizes differ between countries

Each sizing system was built around the average body measurements of its own population and in its own unit, inches in the US and UK and centimeters in Europe and Asia. No single international standard obliges brands to follow a common scale, so the numbers never lined up to begin with.

They have drifted further apart since. US and UK sizing has moved downward over several decades, so a garment labeled US 8 today is cut larger than a US 8 from the 1970s. European sizing, being anchored to body measurement, has moved less. That drift is why two garments both labeled US 8 from different brands can differ by several centimeters at the bust and waist, and why the published measurements are reliable where the size number is not.

Putting size information on your own garments

A brand selling across borders needs its size information in two places: a size chart on the product page, and a size label in the garment itself. The chart prevents the wrong order and the label prevents the wrong return, because a customer who has cut the tag out can no longer tell what they bought.

Three things make a size chart work. Publish body measurements in both centimeters and inches rather than only a size number, since a US 8 means something different at every brand. Show the conversion for the markets you actually ship to rather than all of them. And put the same number on the garment itself, so the information survives the first wash.

Super Label Store makes woven size labels from 5 pieces per design and printed size and care labels from 100 pieces, in sizes from 0.4 x 0.4 inch upward, with production in 8 to 12 business days or 4 to 8 business days with rush production. Pre-made size label packs cover standard XS to XXL runs, and any size, letter or number combination can be woven or printed to your own design. The size label usually sits in the neck or side seam alongside the care label, and our guide to laundry symbols covers what belongs on that one.

Frequently asked questions about clothing size conversion

What size is 36 in US sizes?

An EU 36 is a US 6 and a UK 10 in women's clothing. EU women's sizes run thirty numbers above US sizes, so subtract thirty from any EU number for the US equivalent.

What is a US size 8 in Europe?

A US 8 is an EU 38, a UK 12, a French 40 and an Italian 44. For women's clothing, add thirty to the US number for the EU size.

How do UK sizes convert to US sizes?

UK women's sizes run four numbers above US sizes. A UK 8 is a US 4, a UK 10 is a US 6, a UK 12 is a US 8 and a UK 14 is a US 10. UK and US men's sizes are the same through most of the range, except at large, where a UK 42 to 44 is a US 40 to 42.

What size is 120 in children's clothes?

A children's size 120 is cut for a child 120 cm tall, which is roughly a US size 6 to 7 and an age of 6 to 7 years. The number is a height measurement rather than a size code, so measure the child instead of going by age.

What size is 140 in children's clothes?

A children's size 140 fits a child 140 cm tall, which is roughly a US size 10 and an age of 9 to 10 years.

What size is 130 in US sizes?

A children's size 130 is cut for a child 130 cm tall, which is a US size 8 and an age of around 8 years.

What does OS mean on a clothing label?

OS means One Size. It is also written O/S, OSFA for One Size Fits All and OSFM for One Size Fits Most. In US women's clothing a one size garment typically fits a US 4 to 12.

Are Australian sizes the same as UK sizes?

Yes, Australian women's clothing sizes are identical to UK sizes. An Australian 12 is a UK 12 and a US 8. Australian men's sizes follow chest measurement in inches, the same as the US and UK.

How much smaller are Asian sizes than US sizes?

Asian sizes run one to two sizes smaller than US sizes. An Asian large is roughly a US small to medium and an Asian XL is roughly a US medium. Where the seller lists a chest or length measurement in centimeters, use that rather than the letter size.

Are Canadian clothing sizes the same as US sizes?

Yes, Canadian clothing sizes are identical to US sizes for women, men and children. A garment sold in Canada carries the same number as the same garment sold in the United States.

Are Spanish sizes the same as EU sizes?

Yes, Spanish clothing sizes are EU sizes. A Spanish 38 is an EU 38, a US 8 and a UK 12. Mexican sizing uses the letters Ch, M, G and EG, which correspond to small, medium, large and extra large.

Why do published conversion charts disagree?

Charts differ by one size step on the EU column because the EU number is derived from body measurement while the US number sits on an arbitrary scale that brands have shifted over time. The UK relationship of US plus four is stable across every chart. Where a brand publishes measurements, those settle the question.

What is 2T in European sizes?

A US 2T is roughly a European 92 to 98 cm, which is cut for a toddler around two years old. US toddler sizes are given in years with a T suffix, while European sizes give the child's height in centimeters.

What size is XXL in numbers?

In US women's clothing, XXL is a size 22 to 24, which is a UK 26 to 28 and an EU 52 to 54. In men's clothing, XXL is a 48 chest in the US and UK and a 58 in the EU.

What size label should a garment carry?

A garment sold internationally carries the size in the convention of the market it is sold in, and brands shipping across borders often print two, for example "US 8 / EU 38". The size label sits with the care label and the brand label in the neck or side seam, and Super Label Store makes all three as woven labels from 5 pieces per design or printed labels from 100 pieces.