How to Measure Your Waist
Measuring your waist accurately is critical for ordering jeans, trousers, dresses, and skirts online. Your waist measurement is the primary input most clothing size charts use, but surprisingly few people measure correctly. This guide shows you exactly how to find your natural waist (not your pants waist), how to measure it with just a soft tape, and how to convert the result to US, UK, EU, and AU clothing sizes.
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Where Is Your Natural Waist?
Your natural waist is the narrowest part of your torso, which for most adults sits roughly 2.5 cm (1 inch) above your belly button, not where your jeans sit (which is usually lower). To find it: stand upright, breathe out, and feel for the narrowest point between your ribcage and hip bones. That is where you measure.
Step by Step Measurement
(1) Remove bulky clothing. Measure over a thin shirt or bare skin. (2) Stand naturally with weight evenly distributed, do not suck in your stomach. (3) Wrap a soft (cloth or vinyl) tape measure around your natural waist. (4) Keep the tape parallel to the floor, not angled. (5) Pull snug but not tight (you should be able to fit one finger under the tape). (6) Breathe out normally and read the measurement in centimeters. (7) Record and use this number, not your jeans size, in international size charts.
| Waist (cm) | US (Letter) | US (Num) | UK | EU | AU | JP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | XS | 0 | 4 | 32 | 4 | S |
| 63 | XS | 2 | 6 | 34 | 6 | S |
| 66 | S | 4 | 8 | 36 | 8 | M |
| 70 | S | 6 | 10 | 38 | 10 | M |
| 74 | M | 8 | 12 | 40 | 12 | L |
| 78 | M | 10 | 14 | 42 | 14 | L |
| 82 | L | 12 | 16 | 44 | 16 | LL |
| 87 | L | 14 | 18 | 46 | 18 | LL |
| 92 | XL | 16 | 20 | 48 | 20 | 3L |
| 97 | XL | 18 | 22 | 50 | 22 | 3L |
| 102 | XXL | 20 | 24 | 52 | 24 | 4L |
Why This Measurement Matters
International clothing size charts use natural waist in centimeters as their reference point. US jeans sizes also use waist in inches but measured at the pants waist (where the jeans actually sit on your hips), which is usually 5 to 10 cm lower than your natural waist. Mixing up these two measurements is the number one source of international clothing sizing errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use this chart?
Find your measurement in the primary column (foot length for shoes, waist for clothing), then read across for the equivalent size in every country or brand.
Are these conversions accurate?
Yes. Charts are built from standardized international size tables (Mondopoint for shoes, ISO 8559 for clothing) cross referenced against major retailer size guides.
How often is this page updated?
The sizing data on this page is reviewed quarterly and updated whenever retailers publish updated size guides.
Can I find my size without measuring?
Measuring is the only reliable method. Your clothing or shoe size can vary by one or more units between brands, countries, and even styles within the same brand.
Do these sizes work for international orders?
Yes, the charts here are the actual sizes used by international retailers. Still check brand specific size guides for best accuracy.
What if I am between two sizes?
For shoes, size up (feet swell during the day). For tops and dresses, size up for comfort. For jeans and fitted items, size down since fabric stretches.
Do men and women sizes correspond?
For shoes, yes (offset by about 1.5 in US sizing). For clothing, no. Men and women sizing systems are completely separate.
What is my size in another country?
Use our free Size Profile tool at /my-size to see your size in all 7 major sizing systems (US, UK, EU, JP, KR, CN, AU) at once.