US standard clothing sizes were developed from statistical data in the 1940s-1950s. They were similar in concept to the EN 13402

EN 13402

EN 13402 is a European standard for labelling clothes sizes. It is based on body dimensions, measured in centimetres. 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...

 European clothing size standard.

However, as a result of various cultural pressures, most notably vanity sizing

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...

, North American clothing sizes have drifted substantially away from this standard over time, and now have very little connection to it. Instead, they now follow the more loosely defined standards known as US catalog sizes.

Body measurements below are given in inch

Inch

An inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...

es.

Women's sizes

Women’s sizes are divided into various types, depending on height. These charts give an indication of size only and are by no means exact as they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer - sometimes by a full inch up and down.

Overview

Height	Sizes	Bust	Back	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52	53	54
5′1″–5′3″	young junior	higher	shorter	5/6	7/8	9/10	9/10	11/12	13/14	13/14	15/16
5′1″	junior petite	average	shorter						3jp	5jp	7jp	9jp	11jp	11jp	13jp
5′1″–5′3″	miss petite	average	shorter				0mp	2mp	4mp	6mp	8mp	10mp	12mp	12mp	14mp	16mp	16mp
5′2″–5′3″	half	lower	shorter						10½		12½		14½		16½		18½		20½		22½		24½
5′4″–5′5″	junior	higher	shorter			00	0	1	3	5	7	9	11	11	13		15		17		19
5′5″–5′6″	misses	average	average					2	4	6	8	10	12	12	14	16	16	18		20
	women	average	average															38		40		42		44		46		48		50

Details

Misses’ sizes

5'5"–5'6" (165–168 cm) tall, average bust, average back
Dimension/size	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
Bust	32-34	34	34	35	36	37½	39	40½	42	44
Waist	22-24½	25½	26½	27½	28½	30	31½	33	34½	36½
Hip	33-35½	36½	37½	38½	39½	41	42½	44	45½	47½
Back-waist length	14½	14¾	15½	15¾	16	16¼	16½	16¾	17	17¼

Miss petite sizes

5'1"–5'3" (157.5–160 cm) tall, average bust, shorter back
Dimension/size	0-2mp	4mp	6mp	8mp	10mp	12mp	14mp	16mp
Bust	32-34	34	34	35	36	37½	39	40½
Waist	21-23½	24½	25½	26½	27½	29	30½	32
Hip	34-35½	36½	37½	38½	39½	41	42½	44
Back-waist length	14	14½	14½	14¾	15	15¼	15½	15¾

Junior sizes

5'4"–5'5" (162.5–165 cm) tall, higher bust, shorter back
Dimension/size	00	0	1	3	5	7	9	11	13	15	17	18
Bust	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37½	39	41	43	45
Waist	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29½	31	33	35	37
Hips	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39½	41	43	45	47
Back-waist length	13¾	14	14½	14¾	15	15¼	15½	15¾	16	16¼	16½	16¾

Junior petite sizes

5'1" (155 cm) tall, average bust, shorter back
Dimension/size	3jp	5jp	7jp	9jp	11jp	13jp
Bust	33	34	35	36	37½	39
Waist	25	26	27	28	29½	31
Hip	35	36	37	38	39½	41
Back-waist length	14	14¼	14½	14¾	15	15¼

Young junior sizes

5'1"–5'3" (155–160 cm) tall, higher bust, shorter back
Dimension/size	5/6	7/8	9/10	11/12	13/14	15/16
Bust	28	29	30½	32	33½	35
Waist	22	23	24	25	26	27
Hip	31	32	33½	35	36½	38
Back-waist length	13½	14	14½	15	15⅜	15¾

Women’s sizes

5'5"–5'6" (165–168 cm) tall, average bust, average back
Dimension/size	38	40	42	44	46	48	50
Bust	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Waist	35	37	39	41½	44	46½	49
Hip	44	46	48	50	52	54	56
Back-waist length	17¼	17⅜	17½	17⅝	17¾	17⅞	18

Half-sizes

5'2"–5'3" (157.5–160 cm) tall, lower bust, shorter back
Dimension/size	10½	12½	14½	16½	18½	20½	22½	24½
Bust	33	35	37	39	41	43	45	47
Waist	27	29	31	33	35	37½	40	42½
Hip	35	37	39	41	43	45½	48	50½
Back-waist length	15	15¼	15½	15¾	15⅞	16	16⅛	16¼

Men's sizes

Men’s sizes

Dimension/size
	S		M		L		XL		2XL		3XL		4XL
Chest	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54	56	58	60
Waist	28	30	32	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Neckband	14	14½	15	15½	16	16½	17	17½	18	18½	19	19½	20	20½
Shirt sleeve	32	33	33	34	34	35	35	36	36	37	37	37½	38	36½
Inseam	30		31		32		32		34		34		34

Girls' sizes

Girls' sizes, including plus sizes (½c)

Dimension/size	7	8	8½c	10	10½c	12	12½c	14	14½c
Chest	29	29	30	29½	31½	30	33	35	34½
Waist	23	23½	28	24½	29	25½	30	26½	31
Hip	27	28	33	30	34½	32	36	34	37½
Height	50	52	52	56	56	58½	58½	61	61
Back-waist length	11½	12	12½	12¾	13½	13½	14	14½	14¾

Boys' sizes

Boys' sizes

Dimension/size	7	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
Chest	26	27	28	30		33½	35	36
Waist	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30
Hip	27	28	29½	31	32½	34	35½	37
Neckband	11¾	12	12½	13	13½	14	14½	15
Height	48	50	54	58	61	64	66	68

Children's sizes

Children's sizes

Dimension/size	1	2	3	4	5	6	6X
Chest	20	21	22	23	24	25	25½
Waist	19½	20	20½	21	21½	22	22½
Hip	21	22	23	24	25	26	26½
Height	31	34	37	40	43	46	48
Back-waist length	8¼	8½	9	9½	10	10½	10¾
Finished dress length	17	18	19	20	22	24	25

Baby sizes

Infant sizes

Dimension/size	NB	0-3 mo	3-6 mo	6-9 mo	9-12 mo	18 mo	24 mo
Weight	5–8 lb	8–12½ lb	12½–16½ lb	16½-20½	20½–24½ lb	24½–27½ lb	27½–30 lb
Height	less than 21½ in	21½–24 in	26½–28½ in	28½–30½ in	30½–32½ in	32½–34 in.	32½–34 in.

Toddlers' sizes

Dimension/size	1/2	1	2	3	4
Chest	19	20	21	22	23
Waist	19	19½	20	20½	21
Height	28	31	34	37	40
Finished dress length	14	15	16	17	18

Conversion from catalog sizes

Catalogs have departed from the US standard sizes since approximately the 1980s. Companies now may provide the measurements for their sizes, which may vary even among different styles of the same type of garment

Clothing

Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...

. The sizes seen in catalogs generally have roughly the following measurements:

Catalog misses' sizes: 5'5"-5'6" (165–168 cm) tall, average bust, average back

Dimension/size	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20
Closest standard size	10	12	14		16	18		20	22
Est. height	5'4" (162.5 cm)	5'4" (162.5 cm)	5'4.5" (164 cm)	5'5" (165 cm)	5'4" (162.5 cm)	5'6.5" (169 cm)	5'6" (168 cm)	5'6" (168 cm)	5'6.5" (169 cm)
Est. weight lb Pound (mass) The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement... (kg)	115 (52)	125 (57)	135 (61)	145 (66)	155 (70)	165 (75)	175 (79)	180 (81.5)	195 (88.5)
Bust	34	35	36	37	38.5	40	41.5	43	44.5
Waist	25	26	27	28	29.5	31	32.5	34	35.5
Hip	35.5	36.5	37.5	38.5	40	41.5	43	44.5	46

Catalog women's petite (half-sizes): 5'1/2"-5'4" (153-162.5 cm) tall, lower bust, shorter back

Dimension/size					18W	20W	22W	24W	26W
Closest standard size	12½	14½	16½	18½	20½	22½	24½	26½	28½
Est. height	5' 1/2" (153 cm)	5'1" (155 cm)	5'1.5" (156 cm)	5'2" (157.5 cm)	5'2.5" (159 cm)	5'3" (160 cm)	5'3" (160 cm)	5'3.5" (161 cm)	5'4" (162.5 cm)
Est. weight lb (kg)	125 (57)	140 (63.5)	155 (70)	170 (77)	180 (81.5)	190 (86)	215 (97.5)	225 (102)	235 (106.5)
Bust	36	38	40	42	43.5	45.5	47.5	49.5	51.5
Waist	28	30	32	34	35	37	39	41	43
Hip	38	40	42	44	45.5	47.5	49.5	52	53.5

Catalog women's sizes: 5'5"-5'6.5" (165–169 cm) tall, average bust, average back

Dimension/size
Closest standard size	34	36	38	40	42	44	46	48	50
Est. height	5'5" (165 cm)	5'5.5" (166 cm)	5'6" (168 cm)	5'6" (168 cm)	5'6.5" (169 cm)	5'6.5" (169 cm)	5'6.5" (169 cm)	5'6.5" (169 cm)	5'6.5" (169 cm)
Est. weight lb (kg)	145 (66)	160 (72.5)	175 (79)	190 (86)	205 (93)	220 (100)	235 (106.5)	250 (113)	265 (120)
Bust	38	40	42	44	46	48	50	52	54
Waist	30	32	34	35.5	37.5	39.5	41.5	43.5	45.5
Hip	39	41	43	46	48	50	52	54	56

With the average American woman's height at about 5'4" (163 cm), both standard and catalog size ranges attempt to address a variety of weights / builds as well as providing for the "shorter-than-average" height woman with "petite" and "half-sizes". However "taller-than-average" women may find their size-height addressed by manufacturers less frequently, and may often find themselves facing issues of slightly too short pant legs and sleeve cuffs, as well as waist lengths.