How Do I Apply My Body Measurements to a Size Chart?

You apply your measurements to a size chart by finding the size column that your largest relevant measurement falls into, then adjusting for fit from there — never by averaging your bust, waist and hips into one "roughly a 12". Fabric can be taken in; it cannot be conjured out of nowhere. That single rule solves about 80% of the returns problem, and the rest comes down to knowing whether the chart in front of you is describing your body or the garment.

I have been dressing clients for years and I still see the same mistake weekly: someone reads the chart top to bottom, picks the row where two of their three numbers line up, and ignores the one that doesn't. Then the dress doesn't zip. Here is how to do it properly.

Step One: Measure Yourself Correctly

Bad measurements make a perfect chart useless. Do this in your normal, everyday bra — not a sports bra, not a push-up you wear twice a year.

Bust — around the fullest part, tape level all the way round and parallel to the floor. Don't pull it tight.
Waist — the narrowest part of your torso, usually about an inch above your belly button. Bend sideways; the crease is your waist.
Hips — the fullest part of your bottom, usually 20–22cm below the waist. Feet together.
Inside leg — from crotch seam to floor, barefoot, for trousers and jeans.
High hip — around the top of the hip bones. Worth having for straight skirts and low-rise jeans, which sit here rather than on the full hip.

Write them down in centimetres and inches. UK brands mix the two constantly and converting on the fly is where errors creep in. Re-measure every six months or so — bodies change, and a chart is only as good as the numbers you feed it.

Step Two: Work Out Which Kind of Chart You're Looking At

This is the part almost nobody checks, and it changes everything.

Body measurement charts tell you the body the size is designed to fit. Most high street brands use these. You match your numbers directly.
Garment (flat) measurement charts tell you the finished dimensions of the actual item. Here your numbers must be smaller than the listed figures, or you won't get into it.

If a size 12 top is listed with an 88cm bust and your bust is 88cm, you need to know which chart you're reading. On a body chart, that's your size. On a garment chart, that's a zero-ease squeeze with no room to breathe or move.

Step Three: Add Ease to the Equation

Ease is the difference between your body and the garment. Roughly:

Negative to zero ease — jersey, ribbed knits, bodycon, swimwear. Match your exact measurements or size down.
2–5cm ease — tailored dresses, fitted shirts, blazers. Take your true chart size.
10cm+ ease — oversized shirting, relaxed knitwear, boyfriend blazers. Size on your bust and shoulders only; the waist and hip figures are largely irrelevant.

Read the product description too. "Relaxed", "slouchy" and "model wears size S for an oversized fit" are the brand telling you exactly how much ease it has built in. Believe it.

Step Four: What To Do When You Span Two or Three Sizes

Most of us do. I'm a 10 on the bust and a 14 on the hip, which means no single row on any chart describes me. My rules:

Dresses and jumpsuits — size to the largest of bust or hip, then take in the waist. A £15 alteration beats a garment you never wear.
Tops, jackets and coats — size to the bust and shoulders. Shoulders are the hardest thing on earth to alter.
Skirts and trousers — size to the hip, then take in the waistband.
Jeans — go by waist and let stretch do the rest. Rigid denim: size up. Anything with 2% elastane will give a good 2–3cm within a day.
Between two sizes on everything — size up in woven fabrics, size down in stretch.

My worst-ever fashion fail was a wedding-guest dress from an Italian label. I sized to my waist because it was the number that matched the chart most neatly, ignored a 6cm gap on the bust, and spent the entire ceremony unable to lift my arms above shoulder height. My best fit win was the opposite instinct: I measured a blazer I already loved flat on the bed, compared it to a brand's garment chart, and ordered a size I'd never normally touch. It fitted perfectly, straight out of the bag.

Brands Whose Size Charts Actually Deserve Your Trust

Some brands publish detailed, honest measurements. Others publish a vague grid and hope for the best. These are the ones I send clients to.

High Street

COS — publishes clear centimetre body measurements and flags oversized cuts in the product copy. Generous through the shoulder, so size on the bust.
Uniqlo — one of the few that gives you both body and flat garment measurements. Their charts are the gold standard for accuracy.
Marks & Spencer — reliable charts plus petite, regular and long options, which is what most in-between bodies actually need.
Boden — measurements in both cm and inches, with genuinely useful fit notes and a strong petite and tall range.
Whistles — detailed per-garment fit information and consistent sizing across seasons, so once you know your size you know it.
Jigsaw — cuts close to its published chart, so if you measure and follow it, it works. Slightly narrow through the shoulder.
Massimo Dutti — beautiful tailoring but a European cut. Take your chart size seriously here and size up if you're between.
Seasalt Cornwall — relaxed, generous ease built in. Their charts are body measurements, so don't size up out of habit.
Reiss — sharp tailoring cut lean through the bust and waist. Measure before you commit; many people take one size up from their usual.

Premium

Me+Em — outstanding fit information, plus long-length options designed for taller frames. Their sizing is consistent season to season.
The Fold — publishes model height and garment measurements on every product. If you're buying tailoring online, this is how it should be done.
Sézane — French sizing, cut small through the bust and arms. Convert carefully rather than assuming your UK size transfers.

Luxury & Designer

Max Mara — Italian sizing runs small and precise. Their coats are cut to be layered, so trust the chart rather than instinctively sizing up.
Totême — deliberate volume built into almost everything. Size on shoulders and bust and ignore the waist figure entirely.
Joseph — narrow, elegant tailoring with very little ease. If your measurements sit at the top of a size range, take the next one up.

Two Independents Worth Knowing

Lora Gene — a London-based independent label with a broad size range and unusually transparent garment measurements on each piece.
Peachy Den — small London studio doing relaxed, considered separates, with fit notes that tell you honestly how much ease you're getting.

Or Skip the Chart Entirely

Honestly? Reading charts properly is a skill, and it shouldn't have to be. That's exactly why I built Tellar — the UK's leading sizing tool, matching your body to 1,500-plus brands instantly so you never have to squint at a size guide again.

Measure once — use your bust, waist and hip, or simply enter a brand size you already know fits.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool — get your precise size in any brand, from COS and Reiss to Everlane and Arket.
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And when you want the styling detail behind the numbers, the Tellar Fashion Hub is a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free — style advice, top picks and best brands.

Never Read a Size Chart Again

Measure once and Tellar matches your body to your exact size across 1,500+ brands, instantly. Free, unbiased and no downloads.

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