Chinese Size Converter: Clothing Labels and Shoe Sizes

Convert an EU shoe size from a Weidian listing

A widely used sneaker size chart. Brands differ by half a size or more, so check the listing's own chart when it has one.

Chinese sellers sometimes list shoes by foot length in millimetres instead — "250" means a 25 cm foot. Measure your foot from heel to longest toe, standing, in the evening when feet are largest, and compare with that number rather than your usual size.

What does 170/88A mean on a Chinese clothing label?

Chinese garment labels follow a national sizing standard: the first number is the wearer's height in centimetres, the second is chest girth for tops or waist girth for bottoms, and the letter is the body type — Y slim, A regular, B and C fuller. So 170/88A is a top for someone about 170 cm tall with an 88 cm chest and a regular build.

Typical fits based on the height/chest standard; Western brands vary. Measurements in the listing's chart override this table.

The letters are where people go wrong. A Chinese "L" for a 175 cm / 92 cm chest is roughly a Western M. That's why "size up one" is the standard advice — but streetwear listings on Weidian are often cut oversized already, and then your normal size is right. The only reliable test is the chart.

The measure-first method that beats any size chart

1. Pick a garment you own that fits the way you like. Same type — a hoodie for a hoodie.
2. Lay it flat and measure chest width (armpit to armpit), length (shoulder seam to hem) and sleeve length, in centimetres.
3. Open the listing's size chart. Chinese charts usually give flat or full-round measurements in cm — check which. Full chest is roughly twice the flat width.
4. Choose the size whose numbers are closest to yours, allowing 1–2 cm for measuring differences.
5. Ask your agent to measure the item at QC if you're between sizes. Most agents will take a tape-measure photo on request.

For trousers, the waist figure in a Chinese chart is often the relaxed waist of the garment, not your body. Measure a pair you own across the waistband and double it.