There are many different systems of clothing measurement around the world. The following tables illustrate how to convert between some of the official clothing measurement systems from different regions of the world.
It should be noted that these conversions may not be accurate in practice, as the standards used are not usually compulsory and there are known problems with vanity sizing in both men's and women's clothing. Even within a single range of clothing methods of manufacture can result in variations in actual measurement.
There is an international standard ISO 3635, Size designation of clothes - Definitions and body measurement procedure.
The European Union has produced a new standard EN 13402 intended to replace existing standards in the member countries. This is not yet in common use.
The United Kingdom has an existing standard for women's clothing BS 3666:1982, however this is rarely followed by manufacturers as it defines sizes in terms of hip and bust measurements only within a limited range. See table of sizes. This has resulted in variations between manufacturers and a tendency towards vanity sizing.
