US Clothing and Shoe Size Conversion Charts

The United States uses its own sizing system, and it does not match the UK, EU, South African, or Australian numbers you grew up with. That mismatch is why so many newcomers order online and end up with something a size or two off. These charts give you a reliable starting point.

Use the tables below to translate the size you already know into a US size. They cover the most common standard conversions for women's and men's clothing, plus separate shoe charts. Treat every number as a close estimate rather than a guarantee, because US sizing is not regulated and two brands can label the same garment differently.

Women's clothing sizes

South African women's clothing generally follows UK numbering, so if you know your SA size you can read it straight off the UK column. Australian sizing also tracks closely to the UK system.

For South African sizes, read the UK column (an SA 14 is about a US 10). Letter sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL) are common in the US too and map loosely onto these numbers: S is roughly US 4 to 6, M is 8 to 10, L is 12 to 14, and XL is 16 and up.

Men's clothing sizes

Men's tops are simpler in one respect: US, UK, and South African dress shirts are usually sold by neck measurement in inches (15, 16, 17 and so on), so that number travels with you unchanged. EU shirts use centimeters instead (a 15 inch neck is about a 38). For suits and jackets, the US and UK share the same chest number (a 40 jacket is a 40 in both), while the EU adds 10 (a US 40 is an EU 50). Casual tops sold as S, M, L, and XL follow the same letter pattern everywhere.

Men's trousers in the US are usually labeled by two inch measurements, waist by inseam (for example 32x32), rather than a single number, so check both figures when you buy.

Shoe sizes

Shoes are where conversions trip people up most, because the gap between US and UK numbers is not the same for women and men. South African and Australian shoe sizes generally follow the UK scale, so use the UK column for those.

Women's shoes

Men's shoes

For women's shoes the US number is usually about 2 higher than the UK number, while for men's it is usually about 1 higher. EU shoe sizes are the same scale for men and women, so the same EU number can be a different US size depending on which department you shop in.

Kids' sizes

Children's sizing in the US is the least consistent of all. Clothing is often sold by age (2T, 3T, 4T for toddlers, then 4, 5, 6 and up), but the number can also reflect height and weight, and it varies a lot between brands. Kids' shoes run on their own scale that restarts more than once as a child grows, so a toddler "size 8" and a youth "size 8" are very different shoes. For children, measuring the foot and the child's height in inches and checking each brand's own chart is far more reliable than converting a number.

Practical tips

A few habits will save you returns and disappointment:

Brands vary, so the same labeled size can fit differently between two US retailers. Treat the charts as a starting point, then confirm against the specific brand's measurements. Try before you buy whenever you can, especially for shoes and tailored items. And get comfortable with inches: US measurements for chest, waist, neck, inseam, and foot length are all in inches, so a tape measure marked in inches is the single most useful tool you can keep at home. When a product page lists actual measurements, trust those over the size label.