Clothes-size label with EN 13402-1 pictogram and body dimensions in centimetres (found on a high-visibility jacket sold in the United Kingdom).

EN 13402 is a European standard for labelling clothes sizes. Standardization (or standardisation) is the process of developing and agreeing upon technical standards. It is based on body dimensions, measured in centimetres. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth It aims to replace many older national dress-size systems, most likely after the year 2007. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Its take-up is likely to vary from country to country. For example, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has commissioned a study [1] to categorise female body types with a view to harmonising Spanish clothing sizes with EN-13402, few other countries are known to have followed suit.

Background

There are three approaches for size-labelling of clothes:

• body dimensions: The product label states for which range of body dimensions the product was designed. (Example: bike helmet labelled "head girth: 56–60 cm", shoe labelled "foot length: 28 cm")

• product dimensions: The label states characteristic measures of the product. (Example: jeans labelled with their inner-leg length in centimetres or inches, i. e. not the – several centimetres longer – inner leg length of the intended wearer)

• ad-hoc size: The label provides a size number or code with no obvious relationship to any measurement. (Example: Size 12, XL)

Traditionally, clothes have been labelled using many different ad-hoc size systems. This approach has led to a number of problems:

• Country-specific or even vendor-specific labels create additional costs.
• Ad-hoc sizes have changed with time, often due to "vanity labelling", an inflation in body dimensions associated with a size, to avoid confronting aging customers with uncomfortable anthropometric truths. Vanity sizing, also known as size inflation is used to refer to the phenomenon of Ready-to-wear clothing of the same nominal size becoming larger over time Anthropometry ( Greek άνθρωπος man and μέτρον measure literally meaning "measurement of humans" in Physical anthropology, refers to the
• Mail-order purchasing requires accurate methods for predicting the best-fitting size.
• For many types of garments, size cannot be described adequately by just a single number, because two independent body dimensions have to match for a good fit, sometimes even three.
• Scalar ad-hoc sizes based on 1950s anthropometric studies are no longer adequate, as changes in nutrition and life styles have shifted the distribution of body dimensions.

Therefore, the European standards committee CEN/TC 248/WG 10 started in 1996 the process of designing a new modern system of labelling clothes sizes, resulting in the standard EN 13402 "Size designation of clothes". European Committee for Standardization or Comité Européen de Normalisation ( CEN) is a private non-profit organisation whose mission is to foster the European economy

It is based on

• body-dimensions
• the metric system (SI)
• data from new anthropometric studies of the European population performed in the late 1990s
• similar existing international standards (ISO 3635, etc. The metric system is a decimalised system of measurement. It exists in several variations with different choices of base units, though the choice of base units does Anthropometry ( Greek άνθρωπος man and μέτρον measure literally meaning "measurement of humans" in Physical anthropology, refers to the International standards are Standards developed by international Standards organisations International standards are available for consideration and use worldwide )

EN 13402-1: Terms, definitions and body measurement procedure

The first part of the standard defines the list of body dimensions to be used for designating clothes sizes, together with an anatomical explanation and measurement guidelines:

head girth 

maximum horizontal girth (circumference) of the head measured above the ears

neck girth 

girth of the neck measured with the tape measure passed 2 cm below the Adam's apple and at the level of the 7th cervical vertebra

chest girth 

maximum horizontal girth measured during normal breathing with the subject standing erect and the tape-measure passed over the shoulder blades (scapulae), under the armpits (axillae), and across the chest

bust girth 

maximum horizontal girth measured during normal breathing with the subject standing erect and the tape-measure passed horizontally, under the armpits (axillae), and across the bust prominence (preferably measured with moderate tension over a brassiere that shall not deform the breast in an unnatural way and shall not displace its volume)

underbust girth 

horizontal girth of the body measured just below the breasts

waist girth 

girth of the natural waistline between the top of the hip bones (iliac crests) and the lower ribs, measured with the subject breathing normally and standing erect with the abdomen relaxed

hip girth 

horizontal girth measured round the buttocks at the level of maximum circumference

height 

vertical distance between the crown of the head and the soles of the feet, measured with the subject standing erect without shoes and with the feet together (for infants not yet able to stand upright: length of the body measured in a straight line from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet)

inside leg length 

distance between the crotch and the soles of the feet, measured in a straight vertical line with the subject erect, feet slightly apart, and the weight of the body equally distributed on both legs

arm length 

distance, measured using the tape-measure, from the armscye/shoulder line intersection (acromion), over the elbow, to the far end of the prominent wrist bone (ulna), with the subject's right fist clenched and placed on the hip, and with the arm bent at 90°

hand girth 

maximum girth measured over the knuckles (metacarpals) of the open right hand, fingers together and thumb excluded

foot length

horizontal distance between perpendiculars in contact with the end of the most prominent toe and the most prominent part of the heel, measured with the subject standing barefoot and the weight of the body equally distributed on both feet

body mass 

measured with a suitable balance in kilograms

These dimensions are meant to be measured preferably without or as few as possible clothes. In Anatomy, the head of an Animal is the Rostral part (from Anatomical position that usually comprises the Brain, Eyes The ear is the sense organ that detects Sounds The Vertebrate ear shows a common biology from Fish to Humans with variations A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible form of Ruler. In Anatomy, ' cervical' is an Adjective that has two meanings of or pertaining to any Neck. A vertebra (plural vertebrae) is an individual Irregular bone in the spinal or Vertebral column ( aka ischis a flexuous and flexible column In Anatomy, the scapula, omo, or shoulder blade, is the Bone that connects the Humerus (arm bone with the Clavicle (collar The axilla (or armpit, underarm, or oxter) is the area on the human body directly under the joint where the Arm connects to the Shoulder The chest is a part of the Anatomy of humans and various other animals sometimes referred to as the Thorax. brassiere ( Brit /'bɹæzɪə(ɹ/ US /bɹə'ziɹ/ commonly referred to as a bra, /bɹɑ/ is an article of clothing that covers supports and elevates The breast is the upper Ventral region of an animal’s Torso, particularly that of Mammals including Human beings. The breast is the upper Ventral region of an animal’s Torso, particularly that of Mammals including Human beings. The Waist is the part of the abdomen between the Rib cage and hips. The hip bone, innominate bone or coxal bone is a large flattened irregularly shaped bone constricted in the center and expanded above and below In Vertebrate Anatomy, ribs ( Latin costae) are the long curved Bones which form the ribcage. The human abdomen (from the Latin word meaning "belly" is the part of the body between the Pelvis and the thorax. The buttocks (singular buttock) are rounded portions of the anatomy located on the posterior of the Pelvic region of the Apes including Humans The acromion process, or simply the acromion (from Greek akros, "highest" ōmos, "shoulder" is an anatomical feature The ulna ( elbow bone) is a long bone prismatic in form placed at the medial side of the Forearm, parallel with the radius. The metacarpus is the intermediate part of the Hand Skeleton that is located between the Phalanges (bones of the fingers Distally and the

All body dimensions are measured in centimetres, except for the body mass.

The standard also defines a pictogram that can be used in language-neutral labels to indicate one or several of the above body dimensions.

EN 13402-2: Primary and secondary dimensions

The second part of the standard defines for each type of garment one "primary dimension". This is the body measure according to which the product must be labelled.

For some types of garment, a single measure may not be sufficient to select the right product. In these cases, one or two "secondary dimensions" can be added to the label.

The following table shows the primary and secondary dimensions listed in the standard. Secondary dimensions are shown in parenthesis.

EN 13402-3: Measurements and intervals

The third part of the standard defines preferred numbers of primary and secondary body dimensions. A jacket is a type of sleeved hip - or Waist -length garment for the upper body The man's suit of clothes is a set of garments which are crafted from the same cloth The term Overcoat is a type of long coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment Trousers are an item of Clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth stretching across "Hot Pants" redirects here For the James Brown song see Hot Pants (song Shorts are a Garment worn by both men and women over A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped Garment that hangs from the Waist and covers all or part of the Legs In European culture, skirts are usually A dress (also frock, gown) is a garment consisting of a Skirt with an attached Bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece "Knit" redirects here See also KNIT and Knitted fabric. A cardigan is a type of Sweater / Jumper that ties Buttons or zips down the front by contrast a pullover does not A sweater, pullover, jumper, or jersey is a relatively heavy Shirt intended to cover the torso and arms of the human body (though in some cases A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a Shirt which is pulled on over the head to cover most of a person's Torso. A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body Originally an item of underwear worn exclusively by men it has become in American English a catch-all term for The word blouse most commonly refers to a woman's Shirt, although the term is also used for some men's military uniform jackets Undergarments are clothes worn under other clothes often next to the skin Sleeveless Jackets or coats, known as vests in the US and as waistcoats in the UK and Ireland Kids in pajamasjpg|thumb| Boys in pyjamas]] Pajamas or pyjamas (see also spelling differences) is a word with several different related meanings in brassiere ( Brit /'bɹæzɪə(ɹ/ US /bɹə'ziɹ/ commonly referred to as a bra, /bɹɑ/ is an article of clothing that covers supports and elevates A corset is a Garment worn to mold and shape the Torso into a desired shape for Aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or Pantyhose (also called tights) are sheer, close fitting coverings of the body from the Waist to the feet A stocking, sometimes referred to as hose is a close-fitting variously elastic garment covering the Foot and lower part of the Leg. A sock is a knitted or Woven type of Hosiery garment for enclosing the human foot A glove ( Middle English from Old English glof) is a type of Garment (and more specifically a Fashion Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of Clothing which is worn on one's head. In Industrial design, product developers must choose numerous lengths distances diameters volumes and other characteristic quantities.

The product should not be labelled with the average body dimension for which the garment was designed (i. e. , not "height: 176"). Instead, the label should show the range of body dimensions from half the step size below to half the step size above the design size (e. g. , "height: 172-180").

For heights, for example, the standard recommends generally to use the following design dimensions, with a step size of 8 cm:

For trousers, the recommended step size for height is 4 cm:

The standard defines similar tables for other dimensions and garments, only some of which are shown here.

Men

The standard sizes and ranges for chest and waist girth are:

The above table is for drop = −12 cm, where

drop = waist girth − chest girth.

Example: While manufacturers will typically design clothes for chest girth = 100 cm such that it fits waist girth = 88 cm, they may also want to combine that chest girth with neighbouring waist girth step sizes 84 cm or 92 cm, to cover these drop types (−16 cm and −8 cm) as well.

The standard also suggests that neck girth can be associated with chest girth according to this table:

The standard further suggests that arm length can be associated with height according to this table:

Women

Dress sizes

The standard sizes and ranges for bust, waist and hip girth are:

Bra sizes

See also: Brassiere measurements

The standard sizes for brassiere are:

The secondary dimension cup size can be expressed in terms of the difference

cup size = bust girth − underbust girth

and can be labelled compactly using a letter code appended to the underbust girth:

Example: Bra size 70B is suitable for women with underbust girth 68-72 cm and bust girth 84-86 cm. Brassiere sizes are commonly labeled by manufacturers with a code consisting of a number and one or more Latin Capital letters, the number referring to the circumference

Letter codes

For clothes where a larger step size is sufficient, the standard also defines a letter code. This code represents the bust girth for women and the chest girth for men. The standard does not define such a code for children.

Each range combines two adjacent size steps. The ranges could be extended below XXS or above 3XL if necessary, for example:

EN 13402-4: Coding system

The fourth part of the standard is still under review. It will define a compact coding system for clothes sizes. This was originally intended primarily for industry use in databases and as a part of stock-keeping identifiers and catalogue ordering numbers, but later users have also expressed a desire to use compact codes for customer communication. Writing out all the centimetre figures of all the primary and secondary measures from EN 13402-2 can – in some cases – require up to 12 digits. The full list of centimetre figures on the pictogram contains a lot of redundancy and the same information can be squeezed into fewer graphemes with lookup tables. In Typography, a grapheme is the fundamental unit in written language. EN 13402-4 will define such tables.

An earlier draft of this part of the standard attempted to list all in-use combinations of EN 13402-3 measures and assigned a short 2- or 3-digit code to each. ^[1] Some of the industry representatives involved in the standardization process considered this approach too restrictive. Others argued that the primary dimension in centimetres should be a prominent part of the code. Therefore this proposal, originally expected to be adopted in 2005, was rejected.

Since then, several new proposals have been presented to the CEN working group. One of these, tabled by the European Association of National Organisations of Textile Traders (AEDT), proposes a 5-character alphanumeric code, consisting of the 3-digit centimetre figure of the primary body dimension, followed by one or two letters that code a secondary dimension, somewhat like the system already defined for bra sizes. ^[2] For example, an item designed for

• bust girth: 100 cm (100)
• hip girth: 104 cm (B)
• height: 176 cm (G)

would bear (in addition to the explanatory pictogram) the compact size code "100BG". ^[3] This proposal was agreed upon in a March 2006 meeting in Florence and a final draft was produced by AEDT on 6 June 2006. ^[4]

References

Related links

• Clothing sizes
• Dress size
• Shoe size
• US standard clothing size

External links

• All change for clothes sizes – press release by the British Standards Institute
• Dress size harmonization – press release by the British Standards Institute
• Size coding – a 2004 Powerpoint presentation explaining an earlier draft of EN 13402-4
• John Scrimshaw: One size really might fit all. There are many different systems of clothing measurement around the world In Clothing, dress size refers to a set of standard dimensions for dresses and other women's garments such as tops Skirts and Trousers. A shoe size is a numerical indication of the fitting size of a Shoe for a person US standard clothing sizes were developed from statistical data in the 1940s-1950s British Standards are produced by BSI British Standards, a division of BSI Group that is incorporated under a Royal Charter and is formally designated British Standards are produced by BSI British Standards, a division of BSI Group that is incorporated under a Royal Charter and is formally designated Fashion Business International, March 2004.

Italian documents:

• Leonardo Ceriani: Allo studio sistema di codificazione delle taglie – an article on the EN 13402-4 draft (PDF, plain text) (Italian)
• Italian presentation on EN 13402(Italian)
• another Italian presentation with some EN 13402 tables(Italian)
• Leonardo Ceriani: another Italian presentation with some EN 13402 tables(Italian)