Confusion over clothing sizes is frustrating for both shoppers and store owners. This head-scratcher gets even more complicated if you sell apparel in both the US and the UK. To avoid returns, it’s essential to understand how UK size vs. US size measurements work when it comes to dresses, tees, shoes, bras, and other clothing items.
Is There a Difference Between UK Sizes and US Sizes?
There are major differences in clothing sizes between the UK and US markets. Clothing sizes in the UK generally run smaller than in the US. This means that a person who wears size 10 jeans in the US would typically need to buy a size 14 from stores in the UK.
Why the difference? For one thing, many US clothing companies use vanity sizing to try to make weight-conscious customers happy by labeling garments with smaller numbers than the actual measurements would suggest.
Even within the same country, a size 10 in one brand may not fit like a size 10 in another because brands target different “ideal” customers, which isn’t consistent between brands.
If your Shopify store has an international audience, traditional sizing is a rough estimate at best.
UK Size vs. US Size for Men’s and Women’s Clothing
The way brands approach clothing sizes is different for men and women. Women’s clothing conversions range from size 4 to 28 in the UK, and these sizes apply to tees, blouses, jeans, pants, skirts, dresses, shorts, and other apparel.
It’s more common for men’s clothing to follow actual measurements instead of arbitrary numbers. For example, a pair of jeans sized 36” x 32” has a 36-inch waist and a 32-inch inseam. Dress shirts and suit trousers often include short, regular, and long cuts.
S, M, L, and XL Sizing in the UK
Do online clothing shops in the UK use the same small, medium, large, and extra-large sizing? Sometimes, but not always.
Letter sizes are even less precise than numbers, as any woman who has tried to purchase a size medium top or dress knows all too well. In some US stores, a woman’s medium is the equivalent of size 8–10. In others, size 10 is large.
How Do UK and US Sizes Compare for Apparel?
Every brand has its own size measurements, so the exact difference between UK sizes and US sizes can vary. Most of the time, women’s clothing in the US runs two sizes larger than the same garments in the UK. Size 8 dresses in the US are usually the equivalent of size 12 in the UK.
Women’s Clothing Comparison Chart
The following chart can give you a general idea of size conversions between the US and UK for women’s tops, blouses, dresses, skirts, and jeans.
| Women’s Tops, Jeans, Skirts, and Dresses | |||||||
| XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | XXXL | |
| US | 2 | 4–6 | 8 | 10 – 12 | 14 – 16 | 18 – 20 | 22 – 24 |
| UK | 4 – 6 | 8 – 10 | 12 | 14 – 16 | 18 – 20 | 22 – 24 | 26 – 28 |
UK vs. US Sizes for Women’s Bras
Unlike other clothing, bra sizes are fairly standard in many countries. Band sizes are identical in the UK and US, and bra cup measurements are the same up to DD. Bra bands commonly range from 30 (XS) to 46 (XXXL).
In other words, size 34B or 40DD bras fit whether you’re in the US or the UK. After DD, sizing depends on the manufacturer. Some brands follow up with DDD, and others use E.
Men’s Clothing: Inches vs. Centimeters
Do businesses in the UK use inches or centimeters for men’s clothing sizes? Now that the UK isn’t part of the EU, stores often use inches as the default, but you’re likely to run into customers who prefer metric sizing.
Here are a few comparisons:
| Jeans, Pants, and Shorts: Waist Measurements | ||||
| S | M | L | XL | |
| US & UK – Imperial | 30 – 32in | 32 – 34 | 34 – 36 | 36 – 38 |
| UK – Metric | 76 – 81 cm | 81 – 86 | 86 – 91 | 91 – 96 |
| Shirts, Jackets, and Suit Coats | ||||
| S | M | L | XL | |
| inches | 36 – 39 | 40 – 43 | 44 – 46 | 48 – 50 |
| cm | 91 – 99 | 101 – 109 | 111 – 116 | 121 – 127 |
Sizes for dress shirts, blazers, and jackets measure the man’s chest. A jacket that is 38L (size medium) means the man’s chest circumference is 38 inches, and his arms are on the longer side.
What Are UK Sizes and US Sizes for Footwear?
Comparing US and UK sizes for shoes gets tricky. In the US, you need a shoe size conversion for men’s and women’s footwear. A size 7.5 shoe for women is a men’s size 6. In the UK, shoe sizes are the same for men and women.
To convert UK to US shoe sizes for women, figure a difference of two sizes. In other words, a size 5 in the UK corresponds to a size 7 in the US.
For men’s shoes, only add one step. The same size 10 shoe in the UK would be a 10.5 or 11 in the US.
How Can You Offer the Right Size to UK and US Customers on Shopify?
Offering the best customer experience means giving shoppers the help they need while making them feel comfortable. To accomplish this with size charts for both US and UK clients, there are three things you can do:
- Use the Sizes Your Customers Know: Even if they’re not the most precise, you should still include common sizes (S, M, L, XL, etc.) and ranges (e.g., 12-14) in your size charts.
- Provide Detailed Size Information: All product pages for apparel should have detailed charts with inch or metric sizes, such as hip, waist, and bust measurements for dresses.
- Explain How To Get the Perfect Fit: Whether you’re selling suits or lingerie, provide a helpful guide showing customers what measurements to take and how to take them. This is more effective than simply listing size options.
Size ranges, purchaser comments, and accurate pictures are also a big help for shoppers in any country. Every product page should answer the biggest questions buyers have about sizing.
Create Dynamic UK and US Size Charts and Conversions
What if your Shopify store has hundreds or thousands of clothing styles and sizes? Instead of making size charts by hand, automate the process with Kiwi Sizing’s powerful features and stylish designs.
Kiwi Sizing reduces costly returns by giving shoppers personalized fit recommendations in under 10 seconds. Its machine learning engine adapts to customer data, ensuring each buyer sees accurate size suggestions across your entire catalog.
Discover how this powerful Shopify size chart app improves your UK size and US size guides while saving you time.
