If you sell clothes, you already know how important it is to label them with the correct size information. However, it gets a bit more complicated when you want to sell your products abroad. Especially American sizes for children's clothing can cause difficulties for Europeans. To make things easier for you, we have created a short guide with comparison tables. You can print out each international size chart or save the post to your favourites to quickly convert sizes any time.
Converting Children's Clothing Sizes
When it comes to clothing for babies, toddlers and children one of the main differences you will notice on size labels is that some countries go by age (e.g. “1-2 months” or “3-4 years”) and others by height in centimetres (e.g. “68”).
American sizes look different. Numbers and letters -such as "mo" for months, "T" for toddler, "Y" for years - are used. The "T" stands for the American word "Toddler" and refers to small children aged 2-4 years.
Unfortunately, the numerical format that is common in Germany will not make much sense to your British and American customers. Even in other European countries like France and Italy, clothing sizes for babies and children are given in months and years. Brazil even uses lettered sizes instead of months or centimetres for baby clothing!
With the help of this size chart, you can convert children's sizes.
International Size Chart: Children’s sizes in Europe, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Japan
International Women’s Sizes
Women’s sizes are unfortunately even more of a minefield. Some clothing items can simply be labelled with small, medium, large etc. But even then you need to be aware that a size S in one part of the world might not be a “small” elsewhere as body types and sizes vary across the globe. For example in Brazil, sizes typically run smaller compared to international standards, with smaller measurements for waist, hips, and bust.
Trousers and other more shaped garments tend to be labelled with a number to ensure a better fit. This is where it gets confusing. For example, a size 14 in the UK and a size 14 in the US are not the same as you can see in the table below. And there are also some differences within Europe: Italian and French sizes differ from other European sizes. Once again, Brazil is a special case: other size designations are often used, e.g. P (Pequeno/Small), M (Médio/Medium) and G (Grande/Large), instead of the numbers or letters commonly used in other countries.
Our international women’s sizes comparison chart can be used as a reference.
International Size Chart: Women’s sizes in Europe, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil and Japan
Men’s Sizes: Labelling Menswear
Men's sizes are slightly different from women's sizes. For shirts and trousers, additional information is given in addition to the general size indication.
For example, on the label of jeans you will find the length of the trousers (W/L). For shirts, the collar size is also given. Menswear sizes are very often given in an internationally understandable way.
Tops and Jackets
Luckily, sizing for menswear is a bit more straightforward. T-shirts, jumpers and jackets are very often simply labelled with S,M, L etc. But again, remember that there are different body types in each country so you might need to adjust!
For more fitted tops and jackets numerical sizes are also sometimes used. The size indications for men are actually the same for the USA, UK, Brasil and Italy.
International Size Chart: Men’s sizes in Europe, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil and Japan
Shirts and Trousers
Shirts and trousers are measured either in centimetres or inches, depending on the country.
For formal shirts to fit comfortably, the right collar size is important: they usually need to be buttoned up and worn with a tie, but still allow freedom of movement.
For trousers, the size is based on the waist measurement. The length of the inner leg is also often specified.
Labelling Your Products
At this point, you hopefully know what size information you require and just need to decide how to display it on your products. There are several options to show the size of the garment. Here are a few ideas from our shop:
- Woven size labels: These small ready made tags are usually sewn into the collar at the nape of the neck and come in a variety of size indications. Our soft and flexible size labels are made from 100% recycled yarn and are OekoTex Standard 100 certified.
- Care Labels with size indication: With Wunderlabel you can design printed satin or Tyvek care labels with up to 5 laundry symbols and your own text, including the size indication. No need for a separate label!
- Bespoke woven or printed labels: Create a unique design for your product and upload it online. What you choose to display is entirely up to you! We especially recommend the spilt label option that allows you to order labels with the same design but different size indications.
- Custom hang tags: Add a hang tag with a custom design and the size to your clothing items. Our swing tags come in many different shapes and sizes and will add a prominent and professional finishing touch to your product.
We hope that this guide will help you with your international sales and drive your brand forward. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our range!
Don't miss these blog posts from Wunderlabel:
How to Sew in Size Labels for Clothing
Eye-catching Labels: Get Inspired!
