EN 13402 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

EN 13402 is a European standard

Standardization

Standardization is the process of developing and implementing technical standards.The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers , compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality....

for labelling clothes sizes. It is based on body dimensions, measured in centimetre

Centimetre

A centimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one hundredth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length. Centi is the SI prefix for a factor of . Hence a centimetre can be written as or — meaning or respectively...

s. It replaces many older national dress-size systems in popular use before the year 2007. Acceptance of this form of standardization varies from country to country. For example, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs has commissioned a study 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 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
Vanity sizing
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...

", an inflation in body dimensions associated with a size, to avoid confronting aging customers with uncomfortable anthropometric
Anthropometry
Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual...

truths.
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. (This is a problem in sizing jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...

.)
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

European Committee for Standardization

The European Committee for Standardization or Comité Européen de Normalisation , is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to foster the European economy in global trading, the welfare of European citizens and the environment by providing an efficient infrastructure to interested parties for...

/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".

It is based on

body-dimensions
the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...

(SI
Si
Si, si, or SI may refer to :- Measurement, mathematics and science :* International System of Units , the modern international standard version of the metric system...

)
data from new anthropometric
Anthropometry
Anthropometry refers to the measurement of the human individual...

studies of the European population performed in the late 1990s
similar existing international standards (ISO
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...

3635, etc.)

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. All body dimensions are measured, preferably without or as few as possible clothes, 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 following body dimensions.

head girth : maximum horizontal

Horizontal plane

In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...

girth

Girth

In graph theory, the girth of a graph is the length of a shortest cycle contained in the graph. If the graph does not contain any cycles , its girth is defined to be infinity....

(circumference) of the head

Human head

In human anatomy, the head is the upper portion of the human body. It supports the face and is maintained by the skull, which itself encloses the brain.-Cultural importance:...

measured above the ear

Ear

The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....

s
neck girth : girth of the neck measured with the tape measure

Tape measure

A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible form of ruler. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fiber glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings. It is a common measuring tool. Its flexibility allows for a measure of great length to be easily carried in pocket or toolkit and...

passed 2 cm below the Adam's apple

Adam's apple

The laryngeal prominence—commonly known as the Adam's Apple—is a feature of the human neck. This lump, or protrusion, is formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx...

and at the level of the 7th cervical

Cervical vertebrae

In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...

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

Chest

The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. It is sometimes referred to as the thorax or the bosom.-Chest anatomy - Humans and other hominids:...

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

Brassiere

A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....

that shall not deform the breast

Breast

The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...

in an unnatural way and shall not displace its volume)
underbust girth : horizontal girth of the body measured just below the breast

Breast

s
waist girth : girth of the natural waist

Waist

The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On proportionate people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso....

line between the top of the hip bone

Hip bone

The hip bone, innominate bone or coxal bone is a large, flattened, irregularly shaped bone, constricted in the center and expanded above and below...

s (iliac crests) and the lower rib

Rib

In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...

s, measured with the subject breathing normally and standing erect with the abdomen relaxed
hip girth : horizontal girth measured round the buttocks

Buttocks

The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...

at the level of maximum circumference
height
Human height
Human height is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body standing erect.When populations share genetic background and environmental factors, average height is frequently characteristic within the group...

: 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

Crotch

The term crotch may be used to describe the region of an object where it splits into two or more limbs. This can include trees, animals, buildings, in wiring diagrams, etc....

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

Ulna

The ulna is one of the two long bones in the forearm, the other being the radius. It is prismatic in form and runs parallel to the radius, which is shorter and smaller. In anatomical position The ulna is one of the two long bones in the forearm, the other being the radius. It is prismatic in form...

), 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

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.
Where men’s garments use the chest girth, women’s clothes are designed for a certain bust girth.

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, leaving out the redundant words girth, length and size for better overview. Secondary dimensions are shown in parentheses.

Garment	Men	Women	Boys	Girls
Jacket Jacket A jacket is a hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which is outerwear... s	chest, height, waist	bust, height, hip	height, chest	height, bust
Suits	chest, waist, height, inside leg	bust, height, hip	height, chest	height, bust
Overcoat Overcoat An overcoat is a type of long coat intended to be worn as the outermost garment. Overcoats usually extend below the knee, but are sometimes mistakenly referred to as topcoats, which are short coats that end at or above the knees. Topcoats and overcoats together are known as outercoats... s	chest, height	bust, height	height, chest	height, bust
Trousers Trousers Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately... /shorts Shorts Shorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...	waist, height, inside leg	waist, height, hip, inside leg	height, waist	height, waist
Skirt Skirt A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions... s	—	waist, height, hip	—	height, waist
Dress Dress A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:Clothing in generalCostume, fancy dress... es	—	bust, height, hip, waist	—	height, bust
Knits: cardigans Cardigan (sweater) A cardigan is a type of machine- or hand-knitted sweater that ties, buttons or zips down the front; by contrast, a pullover does not open in front but must be "pulled over" the head to be worn. The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military commander,... , sweater Sweater A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top... s, T-shirt T-shirt A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line.... s	chest, height	bust, height	height, chest	height, bust
Shirt Shirt A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers... s (m), Blouse Blouse A blouse is a loose-fitting upper garment that was formerly worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women and children. It is typically gathered at the waist so that it hangs loosely over the wearer's body. Today, the word most commonly refers to a woman's shirt but can also refer to a man's shirt if... s (f)	neck, height, arm	bust, height	height, neck	height, bust
Underpants Underpants -Boxer shorts:Boxer shorts, or simply boxers, have an elasticated waistband that is at or near the wearer's waist, while the leg sections are fairly loose and extend to the mid-thigh. There is usually a fly, either with or without buttons...	waist, height	waist, height, hip	height, waist	height, waist
Vest Vest A vest is a garment covering the upper body. The term has different meanings around the world:Waistcoat :. This is called a waistcoat in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, or a vest in the US and Canada. It is often worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge...	chest, height	bust, height	height, chest	height, bust
Pyjamas, Ladies' nightdresses	chest, height, waist	bust, height, waist, hip	height, chest	height, bust
Swim-suits/wear and bodies	waist, height, chest	bust, height, hip, underbust	height, chest, waist	height, underbust, bust
Bra Brassiere A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts.... s	—	underbust, bust, cup	—	underbust, bust, cup
Corset Corset A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes... ry/upper and full body	—	underbust, bust, height, hip, waist	—	—
Corsetry/lower body	—	waist, hip, height	—	—
Pantyhose Pantyhose Pantyhose are sheer, close-fitting legwear, covering the wearer's body from the waist to the feet. Mostly considered to be a woman's and girl's garment, pantyhose appeared in the 1960s, and they provided a convenient alternative to stockings...	—	height, waist, weight	—	height
Stockings	—	foot
Sock Sock A sock is an item of clothing worn on the feet. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, as it is able to produce over of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. In cold environments, socks decrease... s	foot
Glove Glove A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each... s	hand
Headwear	head

EN 13402–3: Measurements and intervals

The third part of the standard defines preferred number

Preferred number

In industrial design, preferred numbers are standard guidelines for choosing exact product dimensions within a given set of constraints....

s of primary and secondary body dimensions.

The product should not be labelled with the average body dimension for which the garment was designed (i.e., not "height: 176 cm."). 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 cm.").

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

Height	…	160	168	176	184	192	200	…
Range	…	156–164	164–172	172–180	180–188	188–196	196–204	…

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

Height	…	156	160	164	168	172	176	180	184	188	192	196	200	…
Range	…	154–158	158–162	162–166	166–170	170–174	174–178	178–182	182–186	186–190	190–194	194–198	198–202	…

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 defined in steps of 4 cm:

Men’s standard sizes for *drop* = −12 cm
Chest girth	84	88	92	96	100	104	108	112	116	120	126	132	138	144
Range	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–106	106–110	110–114	114–118	118–123	123–129	129–135	135–141	141–147
Waist girth	72	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	108	114	120	126	132
Range	70–74	74–78	78–82	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–106	106–111	111–117	117–123	123–129	129–135

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:

Association of neck and chest girth
Neck girth	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46.5	48	49.5	51
Range	36.5–37.5	37.5–38.5	38.5–39.5	39.5–40.5	40.5–41.5	41.5–42.5	42.5–43.5	43.5–44.5	44.5–45.8	45.8–47.3	47.3–48.8	48.8–50.3	50.3–51.1
Chest girth	88	92	96	100	104	108	112	116	120	126	132	138	144

The standard further suggests that arm length can be associated with height:

Association of arm length and body height
Height	156	160	164	168	172	176	180	184	188	192	196	200
Arm length	60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71
Range	59–60	60–61	61–62	62–63	63–64	64–65	65–66	66–67	67–68	68–69	69–70	70–71

Women

Dress sizes

The standard sizes and ranges for bust, waist and hip girth are mostly based on a step of 4 cm, for larger sizes 5 cm:

Bust girth	76	80	84	88	92	96	100	104	110	116	122	128	134	140	146	152
Range	74–78	78–82	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–107	107–113	113–119	119–125	125–131	131–137	137–143	143–149	149–155
Waist girth	60	64	68	72	76	80	84	88	94	100	106	112	118	124	130	136
Range	58–62	62–66	66–70	70–74	74–78	78–82	82–86	86–91	91–97	97–103	103–109	109–115	115–121	121–127	127–133	133–139
Hip girth	84	88	92	96	100	104	108	112	117	122	127	132	137	142	147	152
Range	82–86	86–90	90–94	94–98	98–102	102–106	106–110	110–115	115–120	120–125	125–130	130–135	135–140	140–145	145–150	150–155

Bra sizes

The European standard EN 13402 also defines bra sizes based on the "bust girth" and the "underbust girth". Bras are labeled with the under bust girth (rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cm), followed by a letter code that indicates the "cup size" defined below, according to this table defined by the standard.

The standard sizes for brassiere are based on a step of 5 cm:

Underbust girth	60	65	70	75	80	85	90	95	100	105	110	115	120	125
Range	58–62	63–67	68–72	73–77	78–82	83–88	88–92	93–98	98–102	103–108	108–112	113–118	118–122	123–128

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:

Code	AA	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	J	K
Cup size range	10–12	12–14	14–16	16–18	18–20	20–22	22–24	24–26	26–28	28–30	30–32

Example 1: Bra size 70B is suitable for women with underbust girth 68–72 cm and bust girth from 82–84 cm to 86–88 cm.

Example 2: A woman with an underbust girth of 89 cm and a bust girth of 108 cm has cup size 19 cm (= 108 cm – 89 cm) or "D". Her underbust girth rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cm is 90 cm. Therefore, her bra size according to the standard is 90D.

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.

Meaning	Code	Chest girth (men)	Bust girth (women)
extra extra small	XXS	70–78	66–74
extra small	XS	78–86	74–82
small	S	86–94	82–90
medium	M	94–102	90–98
large	L	102–110	98–107
extra large	XL	110–118	107–119
extra extra large	XXL	118–129	119–131
extra extra extra large	3XL	129–141	131–143
	4XL	141–154	143–155
	5XL	154–166	155–167

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 character

Character

- Art and entertainment :* Character , an agent in a work of art, including literature, drama, cinema, opera, etc.* Character , a 1997 Dutch film, based on the novel by Dutch author Ferdinand Bordewijk* Character , by Dark Tranquillity...

s with lookup tables. 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. 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. For example, an item designed for 100 cm bust girth, 104 cm hip girth and 176 cm height could bear the compact size code "100BG". This proposal was agreed upon in 2006, but later disregarded. A paper by Bogusławska-Bączek published in 2010 showed that there were still significant difficulties in identifying clothing sizes.

External links

All change for clothes sizes – press release by the British Standards Institution (11 March 2002)
Dress size harmonization – press release by the British Standards Institution (24 October 2003)
John Scrimshaw: One size really might fit all. Fashion Business International, March 2004.
Karryn Miller: Sizing a headache for globalising apparel industry. just-style, 27 July 2010.
BodyDim: program for calculating out EN13402 values

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.