EU to UK and US men’s trouser sizes

EU to UK men’s trouser size chart

Each EU trouser size in UK sizes

• EU 44 is a 28 inch waist (71 cm).
• EU 46 is a 30 inch waist (76 cm).
• EU 48 is a 32 inch waist (81 cm).
• EU 50 is a 34 inch waist (86 cm).
• EU 52 is a 36 inch waist (91 cm).
• EU 54 is a 38 inch waist (97 cm).
• EU 56 is a 40 inch waist (102 cm).
• EU 58 is a 42 inch waist (107 cm).
• EU 60 is a 44 inch waist (112 cm).
• EU 62 is a 46 inch waist (117 cm).

Where the charts disagree

• Jeans: most jeans carry the waist in inches already, so no conversion is needed.
• Rise: a high-rise trouser sits above your jeans waist, so measure where that trouser will sit.
• Odd sizes: the table lists even waists from 28 to 46 inches; for an odd waist, check the brand’s centimetre chart.

Why brands still vary

A conversion maps one label to another. It cannot know how a particular brand has cut and graded its sizes.

• Labels drift. Vanity sizing means the same number can describe a larger garment than it did years ago, and brands do not drift at the same pace.
• Body and garment measurements differ. A body chart says which body a size is meant for; a garment chart measures the finished item.
• Cut and fabric change the answer. A slim cut, a relaxed coat and a stretch fabric can carry the same label and leave very different room.

How to measure yourself

A conversion only shortlists a size. Your own measurements, checked against the brand's size chart, decide it.

1. Chest: measure around the fullest part of your chest, under your arms, with the tape level.
2. Collar: measure around the base of your neck where a shirt collar sits, with one finger under the tape.
3. Waist: measure where you wear your trousers, not your natural waist, unless the brand says otherwise.

Then check whether the brand's chart shows body or garment measurements. Our explainer on what "true to size" means covers fit notes such as "slim fit".

A note for merchants

Shoppers search for conversions because a single size label does not tell them how an item will fit. If you sell clothes or shoes online, publish a size chart in centimetres for each product, say whether it shows body or garment measurements, and add a short fit note. A free size chart template is a quick place to start. On Shopify, Rendered Fits recommends a size for each product from your own size chart, so shoppers do not need a converter; there is a Free plan.

Other size conversions

• UK to US women’s clothing sizes
• US to UK women’s clothing and jeans sizes
• EU and French to UK women’s sizes
• German to UK clothing sizes
• Italian to UK clothing sizes
• UK to EU men’s suits, trousers and shirts
• UK and US shoe sizes, both ways
• US to EU women’s sizes
• EU to US women’s sizes
• Australian to US women’s sizes
• EU to UK shoe sizes
• US to EU shoe sizes
• Men’s shirt collar sizes
• EU to UK men’s suit sizes
• US to UK men’s sizes

Every table in one place: the clothing size converter, or the size conversion guides index.