Shopping from an American brand while in the UK (or EU) — or vice versa — is confusing because the numbers mean completely different things. A US 8 is not a UK 8. Here's the complete guide.
Women's clothing: US vs EU vs UK
Women's sizing is the most confusing because all three systems use different numbers for the same body. The key conversions:
| US | UK | EU | Bust (in) | Waist (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 32 | 31.5 | 24 |
| 2 | 6 | 34 | 32.5 | 25 |
| 4 | 8 | 36 | 33.5 | 26 |
| 6 | 10 | 38 | 34.5 | 27 |
| 8 | 12 | 40 | 35.5 | 28 |
| 10 | 14 | 42 | 36.5 | 29 |
| 12 | 16 | 44 | 38 | 30.5 |
| 14 | 18 | 46 | 39.5 | 32 |
The simple rules
US to UK women's clothing: add 4 (US 6 = UK 10). UK to EU women's: add 28 (UK 10 = EU 38). EU size approximately = chest measurement in cm at that size.
Men's clothing: US vs EU vs UK
Men's clothing sizing is simpler — US and UK use the same labelling system (S/M/L or chest inches). EU uses centimetre chest measurements:
| Label | UK / US | EU | Chest (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 34–36 | 44–46 | 34–36 |
| S | 36–38 | 46–48 | 36–38 |
| M | 38–40 | 48–50 | 38–40 |
| L | 40–42 | 50–52 | 40–42 |
| XL | 44–46 | 54–56 | 44–46 |
Shoe sizes: US vs EU vs UK
| UK | US (Women) | US (Men) | EU | CM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5.5 | — | 36 | 22.5 |
| 4 | 6.5 | 5 | 37 | 23.5 |
| 5 | 7.5 | 6 | 38 | 24.5 |
| 6 | 8.5 | 7 | 39 | 25.5 |
| 7 | 9.5 | 8 | 41 | 26.5 |
| 8 | 10.5 | 9 | 42 | 27.5 |
| 9 | 11.5 | 10 | 43 | 28.5 |
Why the systems diverged
The US, UK, and EU all developed clothing standards independently. The US system started in the 1940s from government measurements. The UK system evolved from British tailoring. EU sizing is based on body measurements in centimetres — which is why EU 38 theoretically corresponds to a 38cm half-chest measurement.
The problem is that actual garments deviate from theoretical sizes — a brand can call anything a "size 38" and it's perfectly legal. Always check brand-specific size charts rather than relying on the system conversion alone.
Convert any EU size to US or UK
Use our free converter for clothing and shoes — it accounts for brand-specific variations, not just the standard chart.
EU to US size converter →