Globalization has given us a huge selection of products from around the world. Clothing is no exception. However, when buying imported items, we often find it difficult to “non-native” size standards. This article will help dispel all the ambiguities of dimensional tables.
What size systems are there?
Nowhere can one find the exact figure of clothing size systems that exist in the world. We don’t need it. When shopping, incl. and virtual, we come across several of them:
- Russian;
- international;
- European
- US / UK system.
Russian and European clothing systems are measured in centimeters. However, the 40th size of clothing in Italy will not correspond to the same in Russia, since the standards by which the sizes are formed are different. American is measured in inches. Therefore, when buying clothes from the United States and England, keep in mind that the specified size must be multiplied by 2.5 - it is just that many times an inch longer than a centimeter.
An interesting way to build an international size system is that it is the only one where letter expressions are used instead of numbers.
International sizing system| XS | eXtra Small | Very small |
| S | Small | Little |
| M | Medium | Average |
| L | Large | Big |
| XL | eXtra Large | Very big |
| XXL | eXtra eXtra Large | Very very big |
How to take measurements
So, still, the 40th size is European - what is Russian? The first step in determining your size in various systems is to take the correct measurements. The most important thing is to measure your height, waist, chest and hips. You will need an assistant and a centimeter tape. You need to take measurements in underwear or thin light clothing, relaxing muscles and not pulling in the stomach.
- Height. Stand barefoot against the wall, straighten your shoulders - this is the optimal position for measurement. The length from the top of the head to the heels will be the desired number.
- Chest girth. A centimeter tape should fit the most protruding points of the chest, the lower parts of the shoulder blades and axillary hollows. Make sure that the tape is placed horizontally.
- Waist. The narrowest section of the body. The tape does not pull the body.
- Hip girth. The tape should horizontally pass through the most protruding part of the buttocks.
Once the measurements are ready, it's easier than ever to find out your Russian clothing size. To do this, you need to divide the chest girth indicators into two. If it is 80, then yours is 40 clothing size.
For your convenience, this women's clothing size chart
Compliance of the sizes of the USA and Russia
Knowing your Russian size, you can easily figure out American ones - for this, use this system of equivalents.
Compliance with international and Russian sizes
Here, Russian buyers are experiencing the most difficulties, since there is no clear scheme for converting sizes according to our standards to international letter ones. The Russian dress size 40, for example, will be equal to XS, the smallest.
To find out your exact size, arm yourself with this table.
Compliance with European and Russian sizes
To find out your European size, you just need to subtract from the Russian 8.
40 European size - what is Russian? It turns out that 46-48.
However, if you want to buy the most luxurious lingerie - French - then you just need to subtract from your size 4.
To make it more convenient to choose European clothes, given your height and other parameters, check out the table below.
It is worth adding that Europe only recently came to a common standard for clothing sizes - in 2004. Prior to that, the size of the EU was a real mess. For example, Italian 44 trouser sizes corresponded to 12 English, Belgian 40, German 38, and Portuguese 46. None of the countries wanted to abandon their size system. The struggle for a single standard lasted about 3 years, during which thirty European countries gradually surrendered. The Italians were the last to adopt the common system. Now it is easy to answer the question: 40 European size - what is Russian?
Now European clothing is equipped with a label indicating the parameters in centimeters against the background of a visual image of the human body. The new standard is called EN 13402. It is based on a whole set of indicators: body size, data of anthropometric studies of EU citizens, the international measurement system, as well as on previously existing standards. EN 13402 implies an indication of the main and additional dimensions. The first and forms a digital size designation. For women’s clothing, for the most part, the main shaping factor is the chest circumference - for suits, coats, jackets, dresses, knitwear, blouses, T-shirts, pajamas, swimwear. But there are exceptions. Waist circumference for trousers, skirts, underwear. For bras - girth under the chest. For tights - growth. Therefore, the question of whether the 40th size is European - which Russian is it, also depends on the nuances.
By the way, there has recently been a proposal to develop a new uniform standard for clothing sizes in the form of pictograms - a 5-digit code of numbers and letters, in which the first three numbers will be allocated for the main size, and the last two letters for two additional ones.