By Crossave · Updated: August 2026

US/UK/EU clothing size conversion: buying from abroad without getting it wrong

With clothing, the biggest risk when buying from abroad is not the price or the duty — it is receiving the wrong size and discovering that sending it back costs more than you saved by buying overseas. The conversion rules below help you start from a sensible estimate, but they should always be checked against that specific seller's size chart before ordering.

The general conversion rules

For womenswear, two rough rules cover most cases: subtract 32 from the EU size to get the US one (EU 42 → US 10), and add 4 to the US size to get the UK one (US 10 → UK 14) — so EU 40 ≈ US 8 ≈ UK 12. For shoes, the EU uses a unisex scale in Paris points (about two thirds of a centimetre per size): a man generally subtracts 1 from the US size to get the UK one (US 10 → UK 9), a woman subtracts 2 (US 8 → UK 6). The most reliable conversion, though, is always your foot length in centimetres checked against the manufacturer's own chart.

The real problem: sizes vary by brand too

These rules are a starting point, not an absolute: two different brands in the same country can label the same garment a size or more apart. Before ordering from abroad, the most reliable approach is to measure yourself (chest/waist/hips in centimetres, or foot length for shoes) and compare the number against that seller's specific size chart — not to trust the label alone, or a generic conversion table like this one.

Why a sizing mistake costs more when buying from abroad

A domestic return is almost always simple and cheap. An international return means shipping again — usually at the buyer's expense — and in some cases another customs procedure: it can end up costing more than the original delivery, wiping out any saving from buying overseas. So with clothing more than any other category, it is worth spending a few extra minutes checking the size before ordering rather than finding out afterwards.

On Crossave the duty and tax calculation takes the clothing category into account but — to be clear — it does not check fit or sizing: the conversion rules above are general guidance, and the seller's chart always has the final word.