German to UK clothing sizes

German and EU to UK size chart

The DE column applies Marks & Spencer’s published rule (DE is two below EU) to the UK 6 to 24 rows its chart covers.

Each UK size in German sizes

• UK 4 is an EU 32.
• UK 6 is an EU 34, or a DE 32 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 8 is an EU 36, or a DE 34 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 10 is an EU 38, or a DE 36 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 12 is an EU 40, or a DE 38 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 14 is an EU 42, or a DE 40 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 16 is an EU 44, or a DE 42 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 18 is an EU 46, or a DE 44 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 20 is an EU 48, or a DE 46 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 22 is an EU 50, or a DE 48 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 24 is an EU 52, or a DE 50 on charts like Marks & Spencer’s.
• UK 26 is an EU 54.
• UK 28 is an EU 56.

Which number is on the label?

The confusion comes from two numbering systems that look alike. Our sources publish the EU/FR column for UK 4 to 28. Marks & Spencer is the source that lists a German size, and it puts German two below EU: German 38 is EU 40 is UK 12. If a size guide shows a DE column, use it. If you cannot tell which system a label uses, the brand’s own measurements in centimetres settle it.

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 shirt, a relaxed coat and a stretch trouser can carry the same label and leave very different room.

Here is a worked example from the converter. Marks & Spencer lists a UK 12 at a 92 cm bust, 75 cm waist and 100 cm hips. Nordstrom’s designer conversion chart lists a US 8, which converts to UK 12, at about 89 cm bust, 69 cm waist and 95 cm hips. The labels convert cleanly, yet the waist differs by about 6 cm.

How to measure yourself

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

1. Bust: measure around the fullest part, keeping the tape level under your arms.
2. Waist: measure around the narrowest part of your natural waist, usually just above the belly button.
3. Hips: stand with your feet together and measure around the fullest part of your hips and seat.

Keep the tape snug but not tight, and wear light clothing. Then look for whether the brand's chart shows body measurements or garment measurements; a garment measurement includes the room the item is cut with. Our explainer on what "true to size" means covers how to read fit notes such as "runs small" or "relaxed fit".

A note for merchants

Shoppers search for conversions because a single size label does not tell them how a garment will fit. If you sell clothes 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
• Italian to UK clothing sizes
• UK to EU men’s suits, trousers and shirts
• UK and US shoe sizes, both ways

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