International clothing sizes share no universal standard — US, UK, EU, and Japanese systems each use different scales, and individual brands cut garments differently within the same labeled size. The tables below are cross-referenced from three major international retailers (ASOS, H&M, Zara) and represent typical equivalents. Always check the specific brand's size guide before purchasing — a size M from one label may fit like a size S from another.
Women's clothing
| Label | US | UK | EU | Japan | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 0–2 | 4–6 | 32–34 | 5–7 | 6–8 |
| S | 4–6 | 8–10 | 36–38 | 9–11 | 10–12 |
| M | 8–10 | 12–14 | 40–42 | 13–15 | 14–16 |
| L | 12–14 | 16–18 | 44–46 | 17–19 | 18–20 |
| XL | 16–18 | 20–22 | 48–50 | 21–23 | 22–24 |
| XXL | 20–22 | 24–26 | 52–54 | 25–27 | 26–28 |
UK women's sizes run 4 higher than US (US 8 = UK 12). EU women's sizes are based on bust circumference in centimeters divided by 2 (bust 80 cm → EU 40). Australian sizes typically match UK sizes.
Men's clothing
Men's EU sizes reference chest circumference in centimeters. US and UK labels are largely equivalent for men's tops; EU numeric sizes differ.
| Label | US / UK (chest, in) | EU (chest, cm) | Japan |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 32–34 | 82–86 | S |
| S | 34–36 | 88–92 | M |
| M | 38–40 | 96–102 | L |
| L | 42–44 | 106–112 | XL |
| XL | 46–48 | 116–122 | 2XL |
| XXL | 50–52 | 126–132 | 3XL |
Men's dress shirts
Dress shirts are sized by neck circumference and sleeve length. US and UK use inches; EU uses the collar circumference in centimeters (EU collar = neck in inches × 2.54, rounded to nearest cm).
| US / UK neck (in) | EU collar (cm) | US / UK sleeve (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | 35–36 | 32–33 |
| 14.5 | 37 | 32–33 |
| 15 | 38 | 33–34 |
| 15.5 | 39–40 | 34–35 |
| 16 | 41 | 34–35 |
| 16.5 | 42 | 35–36 |
| 17 | 43–44 | 35–36 |
Jeans and pants (waist size)
US and UK jeans use the same waist measurement in inches. EU jeans sizing is typically 10 higher than the US waist (US 32 = EU 42), though some European brands use different conventions — check the label.
| US waist (in) | EU size | UK waist (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | 38 | 28 |
| 30 | 40 | 30 |
| 32 | 42 | 32 |
| 34 | 44 | 34 |
| 36 | 46 | 36 |
| 38 | 48 | 38 |
| 40 | 50 | 40 |
| 42 | 52 | 42 |
| 44 | 54 | 44 |
Women's shoe sizes
| US Women | UK | EU | Japan (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2.5 | 35.5 | 22 |
| 5.5 | 3 | 36 | 22.5 |
| 6 | 3.5 | 36.5 | 23 |
| 6.5 | 4 | 37 | 23.5 |
| 7 | 4.5 | 37.5 | 24 |
| 7.5 | 5 | 38 | 24.5 |
| 8 | 5.5 | 38.5 | 25 |
| 8.5 | 6 | 39 | 25.5 |
| 9 | 6.5 | 40 | 26 |
| 9.5 | 7 | 40.5 | 26 |
| 10 | 7.5 | 41 | 26.5 |
| 11 | 8.5 | 42 | 27 |
| 12 | 9.5 | 43 | 27.5 |
Men's shoe sizes
| US Men | UK | EU | Japan (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5.5 | 39 | 24 |
| 7 | 6.5 | 40 | 25 |
| 7.5 | 7 | 40.5 | 25.5 |
| 8 | 7.5 | 41 | 26 |
| 8.5 | 8 | 42 | 26.5 |
| 9 | 8.5 | 42.5 | 27 |
| 9.5 | 9 | 43 | 27.5 |
| 10 | 9.5 | 44 | 28 |
| 10.5 | 10 | 44.5 | 28.5 |
| 11 | 10.5 | 45 | 29 |
| 12 | 11.5 | 46 | 30 |
| 13 | 12.5 | 47 | 31 |
| 14 | 13.5 | 48 | 32 |
| 15 | 14.5 | 49 | 33 |
Tips for buying clothes internationally
Measure, don't guess. For clothing, measure your chest/bust, waist, and hips in both inches and cm before consulting any size chart. Letter labels (S/M/L) vary more between brands than numeric sizes do.
Japanese sizing runs smaller. Japanese clothing brands typically cut narrower and shorter than Western equivalents. If you are between sizes, size up when buying from Japanese brands.
EU numeric sizes for women are not the same as EU shoe sizes. A woman's EU clothing size 40 and EU shoe size 40 are unrelated scales.
Denim shrinks. If buying raw or unwashed denim, size up 1–2 inches in the waist — raw denim typically shrinks 1–2 inches on first wash.
For an interactive clothing size converter, see the Clothing Size by Country →. For shoe sizes across men's, women's, and international systems, see the Shoe Size by Country →.