Use the free Clothing Size Converter below: your data never leaves your browser — all work happens on your device, and nothing is uploaded to any server.
What the clothing size converter does
Clothing sizes are famously inconsistent. A size 8 in the United States is a size 12 in the United Kingdom and a size 38 in much of Europe, and even that tidy pattern breaks down from brand to brand. This free clothing size converter translates a size you know into the other main systems, for women dresses and tops and for men shirts, so you can shop across countries without guessing. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you type leaves your device.
The tool covers two tables. The women table runs from US 0 to US 20, with matching UK, EU and international letter sizes. The men table uses chest size in inches for the US and UK columns, which is how men shirts are usually sized, with the matching EU number and letter size beside it. Pick the category first, because the two tables are different, and then pick the system your size belongs to.
How to use it
Choose women or men, then choose the system you know: US, UK, EU or international letter size. Type your size exactly as it appears on a garment that fits you, for example 8 for a women size or M for a letter size, and press Convert. The big result shows your size in all four systems at once, and the full table below lets you check nearby sizes too.
For men shirts, remember that the number is usually a chest measurement in inches, not an arbitrary size code. If you know your chest measurement, you can use it directly. If you only know a letter size, use the letter column instead. Either route lands on the same row, which is the point of having all four columns in one place.
Why sizes differ between countries
Each country built its own sizing history, and none of them agreed on a single standard. The United States and the United Kingdom share a numbering idea but offset it by four sizes for women clothing, which is why US 8 equals UK 12. Europe uses numbers based roughly on body measurements in centimetres, which is why EU sizes look much larger. International letter sizes, from XS to XXL, were meant to simplify all this, but brands stretch them too: one brand large is another brand medium.
That is why this converter is best used as a starting point. It tells you which row to look at, and then the brand size chart tells you whether that brand runs small or large. The two together beat either one alone, and they beat guessing from a size you wore in a different country five years ago.
How to measure yourself
For women tops and dresses, the bust, waist and hip measurements matter most, but for a quick conversion the size you already wear is usually enough. For men shirts, measure around the fullest part of your chest with the tape level, breathe out normally, and do not pull the tape tight. Write the number in inches. If you fall between two sizes, most people prefer the larger one for shirts, because a tight shirt pulls at the buttons and a slightly loose one can be tucked in.
Measure over light clothing or underwear, stand straight, and ask someone to help if you can. A tape that slips down at the back will read small, and a measurement taken over a thick jumper will read large. Small errors here turn into a wrong size at the other end, so take a minute and do it once, properly.
A worked example
Suppose you wear a women US size 8 and you are ordering from a British shop. Type 8 with the US system selected and convert. The result is UK 12, EU 38 and international M. You order the UK 12. If instead you wear a men shirt in size L, the converter shows US and UK 42 to 44 with EU 52 to 54, so you check which of those two chest sizes matches your own measurement before ordering.
Common questions
Is US 8 always UK 12? In the standard table, yes. In real shops, usually, but vanity sizing means some brands label a larger garment with a smaller number. Check the brand chart when the price or the return policy makes a mistake costly.
What about children sizes? This tool covers adult women and men sizes only. Children sizes follow different tables based on height and age, so do not use this converter for children clothing.
Why does my letter size change between brands? Because letter sizes have no legal definition. Brands set their own ranges, and a medium in one shop can be a large in another. Use the number systems, which are tied to measurements, whenever you can.
Limits of this tool
This converter translates between standard size systems. It cannot know how a particular brand cuts its clothes, how much stretch a fabric has, or whether you prefer a loose or fitted look. Use it to find the right row, then confirm against the brand chart and your own measurements before you buy.