EN 13402

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

EN 13402 is a European standard for labelling clothes sizes. It is based on body dimensions, measured in centimetres. It replaces many older national dress-size systems in popular use before the year 2007. Acceptance of this form of standardization varies from country to country. For example, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has commissioned a study^[1] to categorise female body types with a view to harmonising Spanish clothing sizes with EN-13402. Few other countries are known to have followed suit.

Background

There are three approaches for size-labelling of clothes:

body dimensions

The product label states for which range of body dimensions the product was designed. (Example: bike helmet labelled "head girth: 56–60 cm", shoe labelled "foot length: 28 cm")

product dimensions

The label states characteristic measures of the product. (Example: jeans labelled with their inner-leg length in centimetres or inches: i.e., not the 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 labelled 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 labelling", 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.
• For many types of garments, size cannot be described adequately by just a single number, because two independent body dimensions have to match for a good fit, sometimes even three. (This is a problem in sizing jeans.)
• 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 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

EN 13402-1 pictogram example

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 centimetres, 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 

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

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 and secondary dimensions listed in the standard, leaving out the redundant words girth, length and size for better overview. Secondary dimensions are shown in parentheses.

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:

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

See also: Brassiere measurements

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	83–88	88–92	93–98	98–102	103–108	108–112	113–118	118–122	123–128

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	J	K
Cup size range	10–12	12–14	14–16	16–18	18–20	20–22	22–24	24–26	26–28	28–30	30–32

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.

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.

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.^[2] 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.^[3] A paper by Bogusławska-Bączek published in 2010 showed that there were still significant difficulties in identifying clothing sizes.^[4]

References

1. ^ The anthropometric study of the female population has revealed the existence of three generalised body types, which should serve as a more accurate basis for sizing
2. ^ CEN/TC 248/WG 10 N 285
3. ^ AEDT: Study on labelling of textile products
4. ^ Bogusławska-Bączek, Monika (September 2010). "Analysis of the contemporary problem of garment sizing sizes". 7th International Conference - TEXSCI 2010. http://wjoe.hebeu.edu.cn/sup.2010/Clothing%20Science%20and%20Technology/7_p_baczek.pdf. Retrieved 29 October 2011. 

Related links

• Clothing sizes
• Shoe size
• US standard clothing size
• Vanity sizing

External links

• All change for clothes sizes – press release by the British Standards Institution (11 March 2002)
• Dress size harmonization – press release by the British Standards Institution (24 October 2003)
• John Scrimshaw: One size really might fit all. Fashion Business International, March 2004.
• Karryn Miller: Sizing a headache for globalising apparel industry. just-style, 27 July 2010.
• BodyDim: program for calculating out EN13402 values