[RoseRodent]

I'm getting really confused, and really a bit tired of trying to Google this only to find that there are more sizes people refer to than there are on any of the conversion pages! It used to be that US sizes ran only one larger than UK (UK10 is US8) and many pages still show that. There seem to be odd number sizes out there too now (size 5) and ones with letters in them 4X. So rather than try to get my head around all the different numbers and what they are in the UK I wonder if people can offer similar reflections to this, using the US sizes.

Stereotypes in the UK without adjusting for people's individual body shapes in any way:

6 and 8 - skinny sizes
10 and 12 - slim sizes
14 and 16 - chubby sizes (16 used to be the first official "fat size" but I think that's changed now)
18+ - plus sizes
26+ - super plus sizes that you generally have to look for in special stores

I entirely appreciate that people are different shapes and sizes, and that many size 8 petite ladies are not skinny they are slim, and many large-framed ladies are a slim 16, I'm just trying to get an idea what people are talking about when they refer to a size 5.

Thanks.

[ValRock]

Even number sizes in the US are generally Misses and Women's sizing. The odd number sizes are usually Junior sizes and a size 5 generally runs smaller than a size 4. The sizes with X's after them are plus sizes. Once you get past XL it goes to 1x, 2x, 3x and so on.

It's very confusing but I hope that helped!

[KforKitty]

Although I live in the UK I have plenty of clothes that I have bought in the US and I'd say that US sizes are roughly 2 sizes smaller than the equivalent UK size. I'm mainly a UK 14, although slightly smaller on top so have many 12s. Most of my US clothes are a 10, although I have some sports tops and sweaters that are a US Small (size 6-8). I'm NEVER small in UK dual sized clothes more a Medium and sometimes going into a large in sports pants.

Kitty

[Pint Sized Terror]

I've always found that Juniors stay in the "odd" numbers, but still run smaller and are cut differently than women's sizes. For instance, I'm a size 8-10 in womens, but in jrs i'm generally an 11, sometimes 13.

And on a side note, I got a big old slap in the face just before Halloween. I ordered "one size fits all" leggings from a distributor out of Japan and they barely went up past my knees. Obviously their one size fits all is vastly different from American one size fits all.

[krampus]

To find your US size, I'd say subtract 1.5-2 integers from your UK size. So if you wear a UK 10, you're probably a US 6 but maybe an 8 in smaller-fitting brands.

Odd numbered sizes are juniors' sizes which are cut for narrower builds (they are essentially designed for ages 13-18). I wear a Misses' size 6 but a juniors' 7 or 9.

The 2x, 3x 4x sizes etc. are plus sizes. 2x is XXL, 3x is XXXL etc.

It's a minefield trying to determine sizing because there is so much variation between different brands, and vanity sizing to boot.

PintSizedTerror, I feel your pain on Japanese "free size" items being deceptively small. As for Japanese sizes, assume everything is made for UK size 6-10/US 2-6 unless otherwise specified; then MAAAAAYBE you could stretch to fit a UK 12/US 8. MAAAAAYBE.

[Pint Sized Terror]

These leggings were definitely size 2 or maybe smaller. They looked like they were made for someone around 10 years old.

[krampus]

Haha. Without sounding racist, you're not too far off. The average Japanese clothing model is built like a Western 10 year old.