General Clothing Size Information
Sizes for gloves, socks, and stockings are the same in both
the US and Europe. Sock sizes correspond to the length of your
foot.
Clothing sometimes uses approximate size measures, such as
XS (Extra Small), S (Small), M (Medium), L (Large), and XL
(Extra Large). These letters are especially common on
T-shirts. Each letter may represent a range of two or three
numbered sizes. International students from Asia should expect
their large to correspond to a medium in the United States.
But it is best to try on the clothing for fit, because there
is little consistency among manufacturers.
Men's shirt and pants sizes are more consistent than
women's clothing sizes because they reflect the actual size of
their dimensions in inches. Men's shirt sizes measures the
circumference of the neck and are mostly consistent. If a
second number is listed, it is usually the sleeve length, and
runs from 32 to 36 inches. Men's pants are sized using the
waist measurement and the inseam measurement. The inseam is
the distance from crotch to hem. Men's coats are measured
according to chest size, measuring under the arms.
Dress sizes depend on both height and figure type. A junior
size corresponds to a height between 5'2" and 5'5" with a
slender figure. A misses size corresponds to a height between
5'5" and 5'7" with a well proportioned figure. A women's size
corresponds to a height between 5'5" and 5'8" and a fuller and
rounder figure. The women's sizes do not correspond to bust
measurements. A half size is somewhat shorter than a misses
size and a bit fuller and rounder. A petite size is somewhat
shorter than a misses size, with heights running from 4'8" to
5'4". The more expensive the dress, the more likely the
manufacturer is to label the dress with a size or two smaller
than its true size.
Brassiere sizes consist of the band size (a number) and the
cup size (a letter). The band size is found by measuring
around the rib cage just below the bust line, adding 5, and
rounding up to the nearest even number. The cup size is found
by measuring along the fullest part of the bust and
subtracting the band size. The letters correspond to the
result as follows: A (1"), B (2"), C (3"), D (4"), DD (5"),
and DDD (6").
Men's hat sizes measure the diameter of the hat if it were
deformed into a perfect circle. To obtain your measurements,
measure the circumference of your head across the forehead and
just below the curve of the skull in back and divide the
result by Pi (3.14159). Women's hat sizes measure the
circumference directly.
In the US, each whole shoe size differs by 1/3 of an inch.
In Europe, whole shoe sizes differ by 2/3 of a centimeter
(about 1/4 of an inch). This makes the correspondences between
US and European shoe sizes only approximate. European shoe
sizes are the same for men and women. In the US a woman's shoe
is about 1 to 1-1/2 sizes greater than the same length men's
shoe. Infant shoe sizes run from 0 (4 inches) to 13 (8-1/4
inches). These correspond to European sizes 15 to 31. Boy's
shoe sizes run from 1 (8-1/2 inches) to 12 (12-1/4 inches).
Girl's shoe sizes run from 1 (8-1/4 inches) to 9-1/2 (11
inches). Add 1 to the boy's size to get the equivalent girl's
size. Of course, there's a lot of variability, so it is
imperative to try on a shoe before purchasing. If the shoe
fits, wear it.
Clothing sizes for babies are a nightmare, with several
systems of measurement. The most common systems are the age
system and the weight system. A good rule of thumb is to
multiply the child's age by two, so that the clothing will fit
for more than a
month.
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