EN 13402 is a European standard for labeling clothes sizes.
It is based on body dimensions, measured in centimetres. It aims to
replace many older national dress-size systems, starting in the year
2006.
There are three approaches for size-labeling of clothes:
body dimensions: The product label states for
which range of body dimensions the product was designed. (Example: bike
helmet labeled "head girth: 56–60 cm", shoe labeled "foot length: 28
cm")
product dimensions: The label states
characteristic measures of the product. (Example: jeans labeled with
their inner-leg length in centimeters or inches, i.e. not the – several
centimeters longer – inner leg length of the intended wearer)
ad-hoc size: The label provides a size number or code with no obvious relationship to any measurement. (Example: Size 12, XL)
Traditionally, clothes have been labeled using many different ad-hoc
size systems. This approach has led to a number of problems:
Country-specific or even vendor-specific labels create additional costs.
Ad-hoc
sizes have changed with time, often due to "vanity labeling", an
inflation in body dimensions associated with a size, to avoid
confronting aging customers with uncomfortable anthropometric truths.
Mail-order purchasing requires accurate methods for predicting the best-fitting size.
Many garments need to be selected based on two or three body dimensions to fit adequately, and not a single scalar.
Scalar
ad-hoc sizes based on 1950s anthropometric studies are no longer
adequate, as changes in nutrition and life styles have shifted the
distribution of body dimensions.
Therefore, the European standards body CEN started in 1996 the
process of designing a new modern system of labeling clothes sizes,
resulting in the standard EN 13402 "Size designation of clothes".
It is based on
body-dimensions
the metric system
data from new anthropometric studies of the European population performed in the late 1990s
similar existing international standards (ISO 3635, etc.)
EN 13402-1: Terms, definitions and body measurement procedure
The first part of the standard defines the list of body dimensions
to be used for designating clothes sizes, together with an anatomical
explanation and measurement guidelines:
head girth
maximum horizontal girth of the head measured above the ears
neck girth
girth of the neck measured with the tape measure passed 2 cm below
the Adam's apple and at the level of the 7th cervical vertebra
chest girth
maximum horizontal girth measured during normal breathing with the
subject standing erect and the tape-measure passed over the shoulder
blades (scapulae), under the armpits (axillae), and across the chest
bust girth
maximum horizontal girth measured during normal breathing with the
subject standing erect and the tape-measure passed horizontally, under
the armpits (axillae), and across the bust prominence (preferably
measured with moderate tension over a brassiere that shall not deform
the breast in an unnatural way and shall not displace its volume)
underbust girth
horizontal girth of the body measured just below the breasts
waist girth
girth of the natural waistline between the top of the hip bones
(iliac crests) and the lower ribs, measured with the subject breathing
normally and standing erect with the abdomen relaxed
hip girth
horizontal girth measured round the buttocks at the level of maximum circumference
height
vertical distance between the crown of the head and the soles of
the feet, measured with the subject standing erect without shoes and
with the feet together (for infants not yet able to stand upright:
length of the body measured in a straight line from the crown of the
head to the soles of the feet)
inside leg length
distance between the crotch and the soles of the feet, measured in
a straight vertical line with the subject erect, feet slightly apart,
and the weight of the body equally distributed on both legs
arm length
distance, measured using the tape-measure, from the
armscye/shoulder line intersection (acromion), over the elbow, to the
far end of the prominent wrist bone (ulna), with the subject's right
fist clenched and placed on the hip, and with the arm bent at 90°
hand girth
maximum girth measured over the knuckles (metacarpals) of the open right hand, fingers together and thumb excluded
foot length
horizontal distance between perpendiculars in contact with the end
of the most prominent toe and the most prominent part of the heel,
measured with the subject standing barefoot and the weight of the body
equally distributed on both feet
body mass
measured with a suitable balance in kilograms
These dimensions are meant to be measured preferably without or as few as possible clothes.
All body dimensions are measured in centimeters, except for the body mass.
The standard also defines a pictogram that can be used in
language-neutral labels to indicate one or several of the above body
dimensions.
EN 13402-2: Primary and secondary dimensions
The second part of the standard defines for each type of garment one
"primary dimension". This is the body measure according to which the
product must be labelled.
For some types of garment, a single measure may not be sufficient to
select the right product. In these cases, one or two "secondary
dimensions" can be added to the label.
The following table shows the primary and secondary dimensions
listed in the standard. Secondary dimensions are shown in parenthesis.
Garment
Men
Women
Boys
Girls
Jackets
chest girth
(height, waist girth)
bust girth
(height, hip girth)
height
(chest girth)
height
(bust girth)
Suits
chest girth, waist girth
(height, inside leg length)
bust girth
(height, hip girth)
height
(chest girth)
height
(bust girth)
Overcoats
chest girth
(height)
bust girth
(height)
height
(chest girth)
height
(bust girth)
Trousers/shorts
waist girth
(height, inside leg length)
waist girth
(height, hip girth, inside leg length)
height
(waist girth)
height
(waist girth)
Skirts
—
waist girth
(height, hip girth)
—
height
(waist girth)
Dresses
—
bust girth
(height, hip girth, waist girth)
—
height
(bust girth)
Knits: cardigans, sweaters, T-shirts
chest girth
(height)
bust girth
(height)
height
(chest girth)
height
(bust girth)
Shirts
neck girth
(height, arm length)
—
height
(neck girth)
—
Blouses
—
bust girth
(height)
—
height
(bust girth)
Underpants
waist girth
(height)
waist girth
(height, hip girth)
height
(waist girth)
height
(waist girth)
Vest
chest girth
(height)
bust girth
(height)
height
(chest girth)
height
(bust girth)
Pyjamas
Ladies' nightdresses
chest girth
(height, waist girth)
bust girth
(height, waist girth, hip girth)
height
(chest girth)
height
(bust girth)
Swim-suits/wear and bodies
waist girth
(height, chest girth)
bust girth
(height, hip girth, underbust girth)
height
(chest girth, waist girth)
height
(underbust girth, bust girth)
Bras
—
underbust girth, bust girth
(cup size)
—
underbust girth, bust girth
(cup size)
Corsetry/upper and full body
—
underbust girth, bust girth
(height, hip girth, waist girth)
—
—
Corsetry/lower body
—
waist girth, hip girth
(height)
—
—
Pantyhose
—
height
(waist girth, weight)
height
height
Stockings
—
foot length
Socks
foot length
Gloves
hand girth
Head wear
head girth
EN 13402-3: Measurements and intervals
The third part of the standard defines preferred numbers of primary and secondary body dimensions.
The product should not be labeled with the average body dimension
for which the garment was designed (i.e., not "height: 176"). Instead,
the label should show the range of body dimensions from half the step
size below to half the step size above the design size (e.g., "height:
172-180").
For heights, for example, the standard recommends generally to use the following design dimensions, with a step size of 8 cm:
Height
...
160
168
176
184
192
200
...
Range
...
156-164
164-172
172-180
180-188
188-196
196-204
...
For trousers, the recommended step size for height is 4 cm:
Height
...
156
160
164
168
172
176
Range
...
154-158
158-162
162-166
166-170
170-174
174-178
Height
180
184
188
192
196
200
...
Range
178-182
182-186
186-190
190-194
194-198
198-202
...
The standard defines similar tables for other dimensions and garments, only some of which are shown here.
Men
The standard sizes and ranges for chest and waist girth are:
Chest girth
84
88
92
96
100
104
108
112
Range
82-86
86-90
90-94
94-98
98-102
102-106
106-110
110-114
Waist girth
72
76
80
84
88
92
96
100
Range
70-74
74-78
78-82
82-86
86-90
90-94
94-98
98-102
Chest girth
116
120
126
132
138
144
Range
114-118
118-123
123-129
129-135
135-141
141-147
Waist girth
104
108
114
120
126
132
Range
102-106
106-111
111-117
117-123
123-129
129-135
The above table is for drop = -12 cm, where
drop = waist girth - chest girth.
Example: While manufacturers will typically design clothes for chest girth = 100 cm such that it fits waist girth = 88 cm, they may also want to combine that chest girth with neighboring waist girth step sizes 84 cm or 92 cm, to cover these drop types (-16 cm and -8 cm) as well.
The standard also suggests that neck girth can be associated with chest girth according to this table:
Neck girth
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
Range
36.5-37.5
37.5-38.5
38.5-39.5
39.5-40.5
40.5-41.5
41.5-42.5
42.5-43.5
43.5-44.5
Chest girth
88
92
96
100
104
108
112
116
Neck girth
45
46.5
48
49.5
51
Range
44.5-45.8
45.8-47.3
47.3-48.8
48.8-50.3
50.3-51.1
Chest girth
120
126
132
138
144
The standard further suggests that arm length can be associated with height according to this table:
Height
156
160
164
168
172
176
180
184
188
192
196
200
Arm length
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
Range
59-60
60-61
61-62
62-63
63-64
64-65
65-66
66-67
67-68
68-69
69-70
70-71
Women
Dress sizes
The standard sizes and ranges for bust, waist and hip girth are:
Bust girth
76
80
84
88
92
96
100
104
110
Range
74-78
78-82
82-86
86-90
90-94
94-98
98-102
102-107
107-113
Waist girth
60
64
68
72
76
80
84
88
94
Range
58-62
62-66
66-70
70-74
74-78
78-82
82-86
86-91
91-97
Hip girth
84
88
92
96
100
104
108
112
117
Range
82-86
86-90
90-94
94-98
98-102
102-106
106-110
110-115
115-120
Bust girth
116
122
128
134
140
146
152
Range
113-119
119-125
125-131
131-137
137-143
143-149
149-155
Waist girth
100
106
112
118
124
130
136
Range
97-103
103-109
109-115
115-121
121-127
127-133
133-139
Hip girth
122
127
132
137
142
147
152
Range
120-125
125-130
130-135
135-140
140-145
145-150
150-155
Bra sizes
The standard sizes for brassiere are:
Underbust girth
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
Range
58-62
63-67
68-72
73-77
78-82
83-88
88-92
93-98
Underbust girth
100
105
110
115
120
125
Range
98-102
103-108
108-112
113-118
118-122
123-128
The secondary dimension bust size can be expressed in terms of the difference
cup size = bust girth - underbust girth
and can be labeled compactly using a letter code appended to the underbust girth:
Code
AA
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Cup size range
10-12
12-14
14-16
16-18
18-20
20-22
22-24
24-26
Example: Bra size 70B is suitable for women with underbust girth 68-72 cm and bust girth 84-86 cm.
Letter codes
For clothes were a larger step size is sufficient, the standard also
defines a letter code. This code represents the bust girth for women
and the chest girth for men. The standard does not define such a code
for children.
Meaning
Code
Chest girth (men)
Bust girth (women)
extra extra small
XXS
70-78
66-74
extra small
XS
78-86
74-82
small
S
86-94
82-90
medium
M
94-102
90-98
large
L
102-110
98-106
extra large
XL
110-118
107-119
extra extra large
XXL
118-129
119-131
extra extra extra large
3XL
129-141
131-143
Each range combines two adjacent size steps. The ranges could be extended below XXS or above 3XL if necessary.
EN 13402-4: Coding system
The fourth part of the standard is still under review and is
expected to be published in early 2006. It describes a compact coding
system for clothes sizes. It is mostly intended for industry to use in
databases and as a part of stock-keeping identifiers and catalogue
ordering numbers. Writing out all the centimetre figures of all the
primary and secondary measures from EN 13402-2 can in some cases
require up to 12 digits. The full list of centimeter figures on the
pictogram contains a lot of redundancy and the same information can be
squeezed into fewer digits with lookup tables. EN 13402-4 defines
several such tables. They list all in-use combinations of EN 13402-3
measures and assign a short 2- or 3-digit code to each.
This article is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Original article can be found here.
