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Home/Size charts, and why measuring beats converting

Size charts, and why measuring beats converting

Conversion tables get you into the right neighbourhood. The last step always has to be a measurement, because the same nominal size varies by brand — and the label inside the item is often printed in a different system from the listing.

Reviewed 2026-10-14

On this page

  1. The method that actually works
  2. Shoes: approximate conversion
  3. Rings: inner diameter
  4. Garments: measure these four points
  5. Watches: dimensions worth asking for

The method that actually works

Measure something you already own and like, in centimetres, and compare that number against what the seller confirms in the warehouse photos. Two numbers are usually enough: insole length for shoes, chest width and body length for a top.

This approach survives brand variance, translation errors and unit confusion, because it never relies on a size letter meaning the same thing in two places.

  • Ask for measurements in centimetres, with a ruler visible in the photo
  • Ask for the size tag inside the item, not the box or the hangtag
  • Compare against your own garment, not against a chart
  • Between sizes: go with the measurement, never with the letter
All tables on this page are approximations for orientation. Brand-specific sizing varies and the seller's own measurement is the deciding figure.

Shoes: approximate conversion

US (men)EUUKInsole (cm)
740625.0
7.540.56.525.4
841726.0
8.5427.526.7
942.5827.0
9.5438.527.3
1044928.0
10.544.59.528.3
11451029.0
11.545.510.529.4
12461130.0
1347.51231.0
Sportswear brands often run about half a size small by EU equivalence, and boots frequently run large. Treat the insole figure as the number that matters.

Rings: inner diameter

USEU (ISO 8653)Inner diameter (mm)
54915.7
65216.5
75417.3
85718.1
95918.9
106219.8
116520.6
126821.4
Finger size changes with temperature and time of day. Measure at the end of the day, and if the result sits between two rows, take the larger one.

Garments: measure these four points

Rather than a chart, use the four flat measurements below on a top you already wear well. Send the numbers to the seller and ask them to confirm against the actual item. It takes one message and it removes the guesswork entirely.

  • Chest — armpit to armpit, flat, then doubled
  • Body length — high point of shoulder to hem
  • Shoulder — seam to seam across the back
  • Sleeve — from shoulder seam to cuff, measured along the top
Streetwear cuts are intentionally boxy. If your usual size measures 52 cm across the chest and the listing confirms 58 cm, you are looking at a different fit, not a different size.

Watches: dimensions worth asking for

  • Case diameter, measured across the bezel
  • Lug-to-lug, which decides how large it wears
  • Thickness, which decides whether it slides under a cuff
  • Lug width in millimetres, if you plan to swap the strap
A 41 mm case with long lugs wears visibly larger than a 41 mm case with short ones. Lug-to-lug is the number to compare with a watch you already own.
Can I trust the seller's stated size?
Trust it less than a measurement. Sellers label by the market they expect, and listings often copy a size string from elsewhere. Ask for the tag photo and a ruler measurement.
What if the item arrives in the wrong size?
Raise it before the parcel is submitted, with the warehouse photo as evidence. After international dispatch, a return normally costs more than the item.
Do these tables work for children's sizes?
No. Kids' sizing follows separate scales that vary more between brands, so measurement is even more important there.
Why do two brands with the same EU size differ?
Because EU size is derived from a last shape, not from a single linear measurement, and lasts differ. The insole length is the measurement that actually travels between brands.

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