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Joint European standard for size labelling of clothes

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Joint European standard for size labelling of clothes

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Clothes-size label with EN 13402-1 pictogram and body dimensions in centimeters (found on a high-visibility jacket sold in the United Kingdom).

The joint European standard for size labelling of clothes, formally known as EN 13402 Size designation of clothes, is a European standard for labelling clothes sizes which has been partially adopted, and aims to make it easier to find and select fitting clothes. The standard is based on body dimensions measured in centimetres, and as such aims to allow for finding fitting clothing sizes by measuring the body with a tape measure (for instance at home) or by comparing to already fitting clothing which conforms to the EN 13402 standard. The standard can therefore contribute to more environmentally friendly trade as it can lead to less return of clothes bought on the internet.

The standard aims to replace several older national clothing size systems in popular use before the year 2007, but the degree of introduction of the new system has varied from country to country. For bras, gloves and children's clothing it is the de facto standard in most of Europe already, while China has introduced the standard for all types of clothing. Few other countries are known to have followed suit.

The Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has commissioned a study to categorize female body types with a view to harmonising Spanish clothing sizes with EN-13402.

Background

There are three approaches for size-labelling of clothes:

Body dimensions: The label states the range of body measurements for which the product was designed. (For example: bike helmet label stating "head girth: 56–60 cm" or shoes labeled "foot length: 280 mm")
Product dimensions: The label states characteristic dimensions of the product. (For example: jeans label stating inner leg length of the jeans in centimeters or inches (not inner leg measurement of the intended wearer))
Ad hoc sizes or vanity sizes: The label states a size number or code with no obvious relationship to any measurement. (For example: Size 12, XL)

Traditionally, clothes have been labelled using many different ad hoc size systems. This approach has led to a number of problems:

For many types of garments, size cannot be adequately described by a single number because a good fit requires a match between two (or sometimes three) independent body dimensions. This is a common issue in sizing jeans.
Ad hoc sizes have changed with time due to changing demographics and increasing rates of obesity. This is often portrayed in media as vanity sizing.
Scalar ad hoc sizes based on 1950s anthropometric studies are no longer adequate, as changes in nutrition and life style have shifted the distribution of body dimensions.
Mail order requires accurate methods for predicting the best-fitting size.
Country-specific and vendor-specific labels incur additional costs.

Therefore, the European standards committee CEN/TC 248/WG 10 started in 1996 the process of designing a new modern system of labelling clothes sizes, resulting in the standard EN 13402 "Size designation of clothes".

It is based on:

body-dimensions
the metric system (SI)
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

European Standard (EN 13402-1) pictogram example for a mens jacket, with chest as primary measurement, and height and waist as secondary measurements.

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. All body dimensions are measured, preferably without or as few as possible clothes, 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 following body dimensions.

head girth: maximum horizontal girth (circumference) 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 (♂ men): 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 (♀ women): 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 (♀ women): 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 (♀ women): 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

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 Where men's garments use the chest girth, women's clothes are designed for a certain bust girth.

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 (in bold) and secondary dimensions listed in the standard, leaving out the redundant words girth, length and size for better overview.

Garment	Men	Women	Boys	Girls
Jackets	chest, height, waist	bust, height, hip	height, chest	height, bust
Suits	chest, waist, height, inside leg	bust, height, hip	height, chest	height, bust
Overcoats	chest, height	bust, height	height, chest	height, bust
Trousers/shorts	waist, height, inside leg	waist, height, hip, inside leg	height, waist	height, waist
Skirts	—	waist, height, hip	—	height, waist
Dresses	—	bust, height, hip, waist	—	height, bust
Knits: cardigans, sweaters, T-shirts	chest, height	bust, height	height, chest	height, bust
Shirts (m), Blouses (f)	neck, height, arm	bust, height	height, neck	height, bust
Underpants	waist, height	waist, height, hip	height, waist	height, waist
Vest	chest, height	bust, height	height, chest	height, bust
Pyjamas, Ladies' nightdresses	chest, height, waist	bust, height, waist, hip	height, chest	height, bust
Swim-suits/wear and bodies	waist, height, chest	bust, height, hip, underbust	height, chest, waist	height, underbust, bust
Bras	—	underbust, bust, cup	—	underbust, bust, cup
Corsetry/upper and full body	—	underbust, bust, height, hip, waist	—	—
Corsetry/lower body	—	waist, hip, height	—	—
Pantyhose	—	height, waist, weight	—	height
Stockings	—	foot
Socks	foot
Gloves	hand
Headwear	head

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 labelled with the average body dimension for which the garment was designed (i.e., not "height: 176 cm."). 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 cm.").

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	180	184	188	192	196	200	...
Range	...	154–158	158–162	162–166	166–170	170–174	174–178	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 defined in steps of 4 cm:

Men's standard sizes for *drop* = −12 cm
Chest girth	84	88	92	96	100	104	108	112	116	120	126	132	138	144
Range	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–106	106–110	110–114	114–118	118–123	123–129	129–135	135–141	141–147
Waist girth	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	108	114	120	126	132
Range	70–74	74–78	78–82	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–106	106–111	111–117	117–123	123–129	129–135

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 neighbouring 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:

Association of neck and chest girth
Neck girth	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46.5	48	49.5	51
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	44.5–45.8	45.8–47.3	47.3–48.8	48.8–50.3	50.3–51.1
Chest girth	88	92	96	100	104	108	112	116	120	126	132	138	144

The standard further suggests that arm length can be associated with height:

Association of arm length and body height
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

EN 13402–1 pictogram example for dress size 88–72–96

Dress sizes

The standard sizes and ranges for bust, waist and hip girth are mostly based on a step of 4 cm, for larger sizes 5 cm (hip) or 6 cm (bust and waist):

Women's standard sizes for drop = −16 cm
Bust girth	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	110	116	122	128	134	140	146	152
Range	74–78	78–82	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–107	107–113	113–119	119–125	125–131	131–137	137–143	143–149	149–155
Waist girth	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	94	100	106	112	118	124	130	136
Range	58–62	62–66	66–70	70–74	74–78	78–82	82–86	86–91	91–97	97–103	103–109	109–115	115–121	121–127	127–133	133–139
Hip girth	84	88	92	96	100	104	108	112	117	122	127	132	137	142	147	152
Range	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–106	106–110	110–115	115–120	120–125	125–130	130–135	135–140	140–145	145–150	150–155

Bra sizes

EN 13402–1 pictogram for bra size 70B

The European standard EN 13402 also defines bra sizes based on the "bust girth" and the "underbust girth". Bras are labeled with the under bust girth (rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cm), followed by a letter code that indicates the "cup size" defined below, according to this table defined by the standard.

The standard sizes for brassiere are based on a step of 5 cm:

Underbust girth	60	65	70	75	80	85	90	95	100	105	110	115	120	125
Range	58–62	63–67	68–72	73–77	78–82	83–87	88–92	93–97	98–102	103–107	108–112	113–117	118–122	123–127

The secondary dimension cup size can be expressed in terms of the difference

cup size = bust girth − underbust girth

and can be labelled compactly using a letter code appended to the underbust girth:

Code	AA	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
Cup size range	10–12	12–14	14–16	16–18	18–20	20–22	22–24	24–26	26–28

Example 1: Bra size 70B is suitable for women with underbust girth 68–72 cm and bust girth from 82–84 cm to 86–88 cm.
Example 2: A woman with an underbust girth of 89 cm and a bust girth of 108 cm has cup size 19 cm (= 108 cm – 89 cm) or "D". Her underbust girth rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cm is 90 cm. Therefore, her bra size according to the standard is 90D.

Letter codes

For clothes where 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. Each range combines two adjacent size steps. The ranges could be extended below XXS or above 3XL if necessary.

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	98–107
extra large	XL	110–118	107–119
extra extra large	XXL	118–129	119–131
extra extra extra large	3XL	129–141	131–143
	4XL	141–154	143–155
	5XL	154–166	155–167

EN 13402-4: Coding system

The fourth part of the standard is still under review. It will define a compact coding system for clothes sizes. This was originally intended primarily for industry use in databases and as a part of stock-keeping identifiers and catalogue ordering numbers, but later users have also expressed a desire to use compact codes for customer communication. 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 centimetre figures on the pictogram contains a lot of redundancy and the same information can be squeezed into fewer characters with lookup tables. EN 13402-4 will define such tables.

Dismissed 2005 draft: women's clothes, 3-digit codes
Bust		68	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	110	116	122	128	134	140	146	152
Waist		52	56	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	94	100	106	112	118	124	130	136
Label		XXS		XS		S		M		L		XL		XXL		3XL		4XL
Code		0__		1__		2__		3__		4__		5__		6__		7__		8__
_0_		68		76		84		92		100		112		122		132		142
_1_	_5_	72		80		88		96		106		117		127		137		147
_2_	_6_	76		84		92		100		112		122		132		142		152
_3_	_7_	80		88		96		106		117		127		137		147		157
_4_	_8_	84		92		100		112		122		132		142		152		162
	_9_		88		96		106		117		127		137		147		157		167

Height		152		156		160		164		168		172		176		180		184		188
Code		__0		__1		__2		__3		__4		__5		__6		__7		__8		__9

An earlier draft of this part of the standard attempted to list all in-use combinations of EN 13402-3 measures and assigned a short 2- or 3-digit code to each. Some of the industry representatives involved in the standardization process considered this approach too restrictive. Others argued that the primary dimension in centimetres should be a prominent part of the code. Therefore, this proposal, originally expected to be adopted in 2005, was rejected.

Dismissed 2006 AEDT proposal: women's clothes
Primary	Bust	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	110	116	122	128	134	140	146	152
Primary	Waist	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	94	100	106	112	118	124	130	136
Secondary	Code	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J
	Hip-Bust	0	4	8	12	16	20	24	28	32	36
	Hip-Waist	16	20	24	28	32	36	40	44	48	52
	Height	152	156	160	164	168	172	176	180	184	188

Since then, several new proposals have been presented to the CEN working group. One of these, tabled by the European Association of National Organisations of Textile Traders (AEDT), proposes a 5-character alphanumeric code, consisting of the 3-digit centimetre figure of the primary body dimension, followed by one or two letters that code a secondary dimension, somewhat like the system already defined for bra sizes. For example, an item designed for 100 cm bust girth, 104 cm hip girth and 176 cm height could bear the compact size code "100BG". This proposal was agreed upon in 2006, but later disregarded. A paper by Bogusławska-Bączek published in 2010 showed that there were still significant difficulties in identifying clothing sizes.