How we measure

Every product page here carries a size table in centimetres. This page explains where those numbers come from, what they describe, and how far to trust them.

The numbers describe the garment, not the body

A flat measurement is taken with the garment laid flat and unstretched. Body length runs from the highest point of the shoulder to the hem. Waist and hip are measured straight across, and doubled where the chart reports a circumference. Sleeve runs from the shoulder seam to the cuff. None of these are body measurements: a 104 cm hip on a pair of trousers describes the trousers, not the wearer.

Where the figures come from

Each chart starts as the manufacturer’s own flat measurement table for that specific garment. We transcribe it, convert everything to centimetres, and drop any column whose units the source contradicts itself on rather than guess at a conversion. Nothing is estimated, interpolated between sizes, or copied across from a similar product.

Sizes are mapped onto one ladder

Manufacturers label sizes inconsistently — XXL, 2XL and XXXL all turn up for the same size. We map each source label onto a single ladder (XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL) and keep the original label alongside it, so the row you read is the row that was actually measured. Where we stock a size the source chart has no row for, we leave the row out rather than invent it.

Tolerance

Manual garment measurement varies. Expect 2 cm to 3 cm either way on any single figure, and more on knitted or elasticated pieces than on woven ones. If two sizes sit within 3 cm of each other on the measurement that matters to you, the difference is inside the tolerance.

How to use them

Take a garment you already own and like the fit of, lay it flat, and measure the same points. Comparing garment to garment is far more reliable than comparing a body measurement to a chart. Where a chart lists a recommended height band, that is the manufacturer’s guidance on intended proportion, not a limit.

When a chart is missing

A few products have no usable source table. Those pages show the size run we stock without invented measurements, and our collection copy counts them separately — a collection that says measurements are available for four of five garments means exactly that.

Something look wrong? Tell us and we will re-check the source chart.