XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL size chart: letter sizes in cm, inches and numbers for women and men

An XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL size chart tells you which body measurements each letter size is made for. A women's M fits a bust of about 90 to 97 cm (35.5 to 38 in) on Nike's chart, which is a US 8 to 10. A men's M fits a chest of about 95 to 104 cm (37.5 to 41 in). Those numbers move by a size or more between brands, and that is most of what this guide is about.

Below are letter size charts for women and men from XXS to 5XL in cm and inches, what each letter means in US, UK and EU numbers, the XXL, 2XL, 3XL and 1X naming question, and how to measure. The last part is for Shopify clothing stores.

Women's XS S M L XL XXL size chart in cm

Nike's columns are body measurements, not garment measurements. The last column is the bust range EN 13402 gives each letter, which is the only source here that goes to 5XL.

Nike and EN 13402 agree on S and M within a centimetre. From L up, the standard runs bigger. Its XXL starts at a 119 cm bust, where Nike's XXL starts at 113 cm.

Women's size chart in inches

XS to XXL size in numbers: US, UK and EU

A letter usually covers two numeric sizes. Nike and ASOS line up closely once you convert UK to US:

ASOS has no XXS or XXL on its letter chart, so those two rows come from its single-size conversion. XXS is its smallest size (UK 4, EU 32, which ASOS lists as US 1), and Nike's XXL numbers, US 20 to 22, are UK 24 to 26 and EU 52 to 54 there. Watch for two differences:

• ASOS shifts the US letter. Its chart calls a UK S a US XS, even though the numbers (UK 8 to 10, US 4 to 6) match Nike's S. A shopper reading "US XS" on a UK site may order a size too small.
• Some brands use one number per letter. Our clothing size conversion chart follows that convention (S is US 4, UK 8, EU 36), so its M is a UK 10, and a UK 12 is an L there but an M at ASOS. Plainfee's women's starter chart uses the same mapping. That article has the full numeric US, UK, EU, Italian and Japanese tables, so we don't repeat them here.

Men's size chart: XS to 4XL in cm and inches

Men's letters map to chest. Nike's men's chart also gives waist; when the two point to different sizes, Nike says to go by chest.

Men's shirts: neck and chest by letter

Dress shirts add a neck (collar) size. This table follows ASOS, which gives both for each letter:

Collar letters vary a lot between charts. ASOS puts a 16 in collar at M, while most shirt makers, including Charles Tyrwhitt and Eton, put it at L, as do our own men's shirt template and conversion chart. Our men's shirt size chart compares the brands. If you sell shirts, publish the collar number, not only the letter.

Why an XL at one brand is an XXL at another

Put the two brands side by side and the letters drift apart as sizes grow:

• Women's XL. ASOS sells XL as a UK 20 for a 116 cm (45.5 in) bust. On Nike's chart, that bust is an XXL.
• Men's XXL. ASOS's XXL fits a 44 to 46 in chest. Nike's XXL starts at 48.5 in, and a 44 to 46 in chest is a Nike XL.
• Vanity sizing. Wikipedia's article on US standard clothing sizes notes that US sizes have "drifted substantially away from this standard over time", largely through vanity sizing. Letters inherit that drift.
• Body or garment numbers. Nike's charts are body measurements. Uniqlo's size charts are measurements of the product itself, and it warns that fit may vary by 1 to 2 cm with the fabric. A 52 cm "chest" on a garment chart is usually the flat width, not your chest.

The rule that holds up is to trust the brand's own measurements over its letters.

XXL vs 2XL, 3XL vs XXXL, and 1X vs XL

The naming is less confusing than it looks:

• XXL and 2XL are the same size. Nike, ASOS and EN 13402 write XXL. Some catalogues write 2XL, such as Printify's listing for the Bella+Canvas 3001 tee, which runs XS to 5XL with 2XL and 3XL in its size guide.
• 3XL and XXXL are the same size. EN 13402 writes 3XL and spells it out as "extra extra extra large". Beyond that, sizes are numbered (4XL, 5XL).
• 1X, 2X and 3X are US women's plus sizes, not XL. They are cut fuller at the waist. Nike's 0X fits about the same bust as its XXL (44 to 47 in against 44.5 to 48.5 in), but a waist of 40 to 43 in against 38.5 to 42.5 in.

Nike's plus chart, with its US W sizes:

So XXL is not the same as 2X. Nike's 2X starts at a 49.5 in bust, above the top of its XXL. For an XXXL dress, check whether the brand means 3XL (a straight size) or 3X (plus).

How to measure bust, chest, waist and hips

You need a soft tape measure. Steps 1 to 3 follow Nike's measuring instructions.

1. Bust or chest: around the fullest part, keeping the tape horizontal.
2. Waist: around the narrowest part, where your body bends side to side.
3. Hips: around the fullest part of the hips, tape horizontal.
4. Neck (shirts): around the base of the neck, where a collar sits.
5. Read the number in cm or inches and find the row where it falls.

If you are between sizes

Nike advises ordering the smaller size for a closer fit and the larger for a looser one. For tops, bust or chest decides when it disagrees with waist. Trousers are sized by waist and inseam instead, which our jeans size chart covers.

Unisex sizes

Unisex tees are often sold as men's tops. Printify, for example, files the unisex Bella+Canvas 3001 under men's clothing. A woman who wears a women's M may want to compare her bust with the men's chest column before ordering.

For Shopify stores: letter sizes that don't come back

We build Shopify apps, including a size chart app. This is what we would set up first in a clothing store that sells S, M and L.

Name variants so the letter carries its numbers

Shopify allows up to three options and 2,048 variants per product, so adding a number to the size value costs nothing.

Keep one spelling across products. A shopper filtering by XXL can miss everything labelled 2XL, and AI shopping agents read variant names as data.

Show cm or inches by country, and say what you measured

A US shopper measures in inches; almost everyone else uses centimetres. Shopify themes can read the shopper's selected country from the Liquid localization object, which is how a size chart can pick the unit. Then label the table as body measurements (like Nike's) or garment measurements laid flat (like Uniqlo's). Our partner guide on pit to pit and garment measurements shows how to measure a piece flat. If you are starting from scratch, see how to make a size chart.

Plainfee Size ChartsSize charts that show every shopper their own country's sizes, with how-to-measure steps in 31 languages.See how it works

Plainfee Size Charts has ready-made women's clothing, men's tops and jackets, men's shirts and T-shirt garment charts. On the women's, men's tops and shirt charts, which carry size columns for several countries, each shopper sees their own country's sizes first (the app covers 44 countries). On charts with body measurements, such as women's clothing and men's tops, measurements show inches first in the US and centimetres elsewhere, with one tap to switch. Each table says whether its numbers are body or garment measurements, and a per-product fit note ("Runs small, size up") sits above the chart. The free plan covers 3 live charts, and Pro is a flat $14.99 a month with no fees per order. Kiwi Size Chart has a fit recommender, which we do not offer; our comparison of Shopify size chart apps covers it and others.

Fit notes beat perfect tables

• Say how the style fits. "Relaxed fit, size down if between sizes" next to the picker answers the question a table can't.
• Publish your own numbers. If your supplier's M is ASOS-sized, don't paste Nike's chart.
• Set return rules. If size exchanges cost you, our comparison of Shopify return fees shows what return apps charge.

A quick checklist before you publish

• Every letter has bust or chest, waist and hips behind it, in cm and inches.
• The chart says whether it shows body or garment measurements.
• One spelling for extended sizes (XXL or 2XL, not both).
• Plus sizes (1X, 2X) have their own chart.
• Shirt charts show the collar number.
• Measuring steps sit next to the size picker.
• You checked the chart on a phone.

An M is a range of bodies, and every brand draws the range a little differently. Give shoppers your numbers in their own unit, tell them how the piece fits, and the letter stops being a guess.

Frequently asked questions