on 2001/04/10 06.05, UK Metrication list at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Dear Luke, Martin, and All,
Re:
> Clothing Sizes/Evening Standard "Nicolaides, Luke M"
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Clothing sizes "Martin Vlietstra" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> From: "Nicolaides, Luke M" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Clothing Sizes/Evening Standard
>
> I'm completely baffled by clothing sizes. I know I'm a 34 in waist. This
> converts to 86 cm for saftey clothing. However labels which give UK/EU sizes
> give 50 as the EU alternative. Can anyone explain this please, and also tell
> me what Aussies/Canadians use?
>
> Luke
> From: "Martin Vlietstra" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Clothing sizes
> A:
> If you go to M&S, you will find that there is no such thing as an EU
> clothing size - each country seems to have its own standard with the French
> the greatest flatteres of all - for woman's clothing they quote a size as
> half teh circumference when measured in centimetres.
>
> Martin
The clothing size situation in Australia is confused - but it is improving
(at glacial speed).
When Australia changed to metric in the 1970s the men's and women's clothing
groups decided to go separate ways with regard to metrication. The women
decided on centimetre measures at 5 cm intervals; for example waist sizes
might be 60, 65, 70, and so on.
The men, on the other hand decided to retain the old measures, but to hide
them with centimetre markings. They chose the average men's waist size (38
inches) and renamed this as 97 centimetres; for example waist sizes might be
87, 92, 97,102, 107, 112 and so on. As you can see they moved up and down in
5 centimetre intervals - the same as the women - but from a different basis.
Most sales people also retained their skills and their pride by constantly
quoting size numbers in inches.
>From our Australian experience since 1970 it is clear that the women's
approach proved to be the best.
>From Luke's remarks about his 34 inch waist we might conclude that English
men's clothing makers have chosen the 'world's worst practice' as well as
the Australian men.
To follow Martin's point about each country adopting it's own size code, you
might find this quote interesting. It comes from John Winks excellent
reference on the matter, called �Clothing Sizes International
Standardization¹ where he asks the pertinent question:
�Which size 12 are you?¹
He then goes on to publish this table of sizes for a woman of medium build
the manufacturer¹s mythical 'stock size'.
Country Size
Australia 14
Bulgaria 81
Canada 32
Czechoslovakia 3AA45
Denmark 40
Finland NC 40 or C 38
France 42 n
Germany 40
Holland 34
Hungary 164/80/94 or N 90
Iran 38
Ireland 12
Israel 40
Japan 92/99
New Zealand 14
Poland 164/92/96
Spain 46+2 L
Sweden C40
Switzerland 40
UK 14, 38, or 8
USA 12 or 14
USSR 164/92/96
Yugoslavia 40
Of course she could throw up her hands in horror at all this confusion and
simply say, �I don¹t care how this fits, I AM A SIZE 8, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A
SIZE 8, AND THAT IS WHAT I AM BUYING¹. There are, however, definite
limitations to this method.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin CAMS
Geelong, Australia
