You must be purchasing clothing online or from a showroom. Have you ever puzzled why the same size label garments from various manufacturers don’t always give the right fit?
Currently, India lacks a standard size chart, and clothing size relies on modified size versions of other nations. Each manufacturer has a distinct size pattern and a varied interpretation of what the size numbers and letters represent.
We, at yuvti.in, hope that this article will help people learn everything there is to know about clothing sizes.
Understanding Size Formats
Women’s clothing sizes are classified into two categories –
- Top Wear – Kurties, T-Shirts, Cardigans, and Pullovers are examples of top wear. Top wear has three dimensions: Burst, Waist, and Hips. In some situations, length is also taken into account. All of these are measured in inches. It is a common practice for top wear size labels to be based on your Burst size.
- Bottom Wear – This category comprises leggings, trousers, skirts, pyjamas, and so on. Bottom wear has two dimensions: Hips and Waist. Inseam and Crotch depth are also taken into account in some situations. All of these are measured in inches. The size label for bottom wear is dependent on the size of the Hips.
You may find different formats of size label on your clothes, but the most frequent are Numbers and Alphabets. Let us try to comprehend both of them.
- Number Size Label – For women, it typically ranges from 32 to 46 for top wear and 34 to 48 for bottom wear. Plus Size refers to any size larger than that.
- Alphabets Size Label – Sizes range from XXS (OR 2XS) to XXXL (OR 3XL) for women’s tops and XS – 4XL for bottoms. Here is how you can interpret various alphabets –
X – Extra
S – Small
M – Medium
L – Large
So, if the size label says XL it means Extra Large, likewise XXL (or 2XL) means Double Extra Large. See the chart below
Top Wear
Source | Alphabet Size Label | Number Size Label | Burst (in inches) | Waist (in inches) | Hips (in inches) |
Source 1 | XXS | 30 | 24 | 33 | |
Source 2 | XXS | 32 | 32 | 26 | 36 |
Source 1 | XS | 32 | 26 | 35 | |
Source 2 | XS | 34 | 34 | 28 | 38 |
Source 3 | XS | 31 – 33 | 24 – 26 | 34 – 36 | |
Source 4 | XS | 33 – 33.5 | 30 – 32 | 38 – 39 | |
Source 5 | XS | 34 | 33 | 25 | 35 |
Source 1 | S | 34 | 28 | 37 | |
Source 2 | S | 36 | 36 | 30 | 40 |
Source 3 | S | 33 – 35 | 26 – 28 | 36 – 38 | |
Source 4 | S | 35 – 35.5 | 32 – 34 | 40 – 41 | |
Source 5 | S | 36 | 34 | 26 | 36 |
Source 1 | M | 36 | 30 | 39 | |
Source 2 | M | 38 | 38 | 32 | 42 |
Source 3 | M | 35 – 37 | 28 – 30 | 38 – 40 | |
Source 4 | M | 37 – 37.5 | 34 – 36 | 42 – 44 | |
Source 5 | M | 38 | 36 | 28 | 38 |
Source 1 | L | 38 | 32 | 41 | |
Source 2 | L | 40 | 40 | 34 | 44 |
Source 3 | L | 37 – 39 | 30 – 32 | 40 – 42 | |
Source 4 | L | 40 – 40.5 | 37 – 39 | 45 – 47 | |
Source 5 | L | 40 | 38 | 30 | 40 |
Source 1 | XL | 40 | 34 | 43 | |
Source 2 | XL | 42 | 42 | 36 | 46 |
Source 3 | XL | 39 – 42 | 32 – 35 | 42 – 44 | |
Source 4 | XL | 43 – 43.5 | 40 – 42 | 49 – 51 | |
Source 5 | XL | 42 | 40 | 32 | 42 |
Source 1 | XXL | 42 | 36 | 45 | |
Source 2 | XXL | 44 | 44 | 38 | 48 |
Source 4 | XXL | 46 – 46.5 | 43 – 45 | 43 – 55 | |
Source 5 | 2XL | 44 | 42 | 34 | 44 |
Source 2 | XXXL | 46 | 46 | 40 | 50 |
Source 5 | 3XL | 46 | 44 | 36 | 46 |
Source 2 | PLUS SIZE | 48 | 48 | 40 | 54 |
Source 5 | 4XL | 48 | 46 | 38 | 48 |
Bottom Wear
Source | Alphabet Size Label | Number Size Label | Waist (in inches) | Hips (in inches) |
Source 1 | XS | 34 | 24 | 35 |
Source 2 | XS | 34 | 24 | 35 |
Source 1 | S | 36 | 26 | 36 |
Source 2 | S | 36 | 26 | 36 |
Source 1 | M | 38 | 28 | 38 |
Source 2 | M | 38 | 28 | 38 |
Source 1 | L | 40 | 30 | 40 |
Source 2 | L | 40 | 30 | 40 |
Source 1 | XL | 42 | 32 | 42 |
Source 2 | XL | 42 | 32 | 42 |
Source 1 | 2XL | 44 | 34 | 44 |
Source 2 | 2XL | 44 | 34 | 44 |
Source 1 | 3XL | 46 | 36 | 46 |
Source 2 | 3XL | 46 | 36 | 46 |
Source 1 | 4XL | 48 | 38 | 48 |
Source 2 | 4XL | 48 | 38 | 48 |
We, at yuvti.in, advice you to take your measurements before purchasing and compare them to what the manufacturer has said. Taking a trial is also a wonderful approach to find the right fit.
How do I measure my size?
To ensure that you obtain the correct fit, all dimensions are measured in inches.
- Burst / Chest: To get the circumference of your chest, lay one end of the tape measure at the widest area of your chest and wrap it around (behind your armpits, over your shoulder blades, and back to the front).
- Waist: Take a measurement around your waist with the tape (as if it were a belt) at your natural waistline, which is positioned above your belly button and below your rib cage. (The crease that emerges when you lean to the side is your natural waistline.) Sucking in your stomach will result in an incorrect measurement. Take that measurement as well if you usually fasten your garments below your waist.
- Hips: Measure the circumference of your hips. Begin at one hip and loop the tape measure around your back, around the other hip, and back to where you started. Make sure the tape is covering the most of your buttocks. Because ensuring the tape is level back there might be difficult, do it in front of a mirror if possible.
- Inseam: This is the measurement from the top of your thigh to the bottom of your ankle. To measure without assistance, choose a pair of trousers that fit you well (they shouldn’t be too loose around the waist) and measure the inseam of the pants from the crotch to the hem.
Update on Indian Sizing Standards
Under the patronage of the Ministry of Textiles, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has taken the initiative under the project INDIAsize to create size standards for Indians. The institution will undertake a size survey in several cities of India and is scheduled to complete the survey in 2022, with the first publication scheduled for November 2022.
It has also been agreed that such polls would be conducted every ten years.
If you have any suggestions or find any piece of information incorrect then please write to us at request@yuvti.in