Making Sense of Clothing Size Charts: A Technical Guide to Sizing Clarity

Clothing size charts were meant to bring order to fashion shopping. Instead, they’ve become a source of widespread confusion, inconsistent fits, and rising returns—particularly for online shoppers. If you’ve ever been unsure whether to choose a UK 10, EU 38, or Medium in a specific brand, you’re not alone.

In this article, we break down why clothing size charts are so inconsistent, how they differ between brands, countries and even product lines—and how tools like tellar.co.uk provide clarity through personalisation, accuracy, and scale.

Why Size Charts Are So Hard to Trust

Despite the appearance of standardisation, there is no universal sizing system in the fashion industry. Each brand defines sizes based on their own fit models, customer base, and style ethos. Some use decades-old templates. Others actively adopt vanity sizing—the practice of labelling larger garments with smaller size numbers to appeal to consumer psychology.

A UK size 12 in one brand might measure:

• Bust: 92 cm

• Waist: 74 cm

• Hips: 100 cm

Whereas in another brand, the same size 12 may have:

• Bust: 89 cm

• Waist: 71 cm

• Hips: 96 cm

The result is unpredictable shopping experiences and a lack of trust in the labels themselves.

Understanding the Structure of a Size Chart

A typical clothing size chart maps body measurements to labelled sizes (e.g. 6, 8, 10, S, M, L). It typically includes:

• Bust/Chest: Widest part around the bust or chest

• Waist: Narrowest point of the torso

• Hips: Widest part around the seat

Some advanced charts may also reference inseam, rise, shoulder width, or torso length for fitted items.

These charts come in two forms:

1. Body Measurement Charts – tell you what size you should wear based on your body.

2. Garment Measurement Charts – tell you the dimensions of the actual product.

Most shoppers don’t realise the difference. A garment with a bust measurement of 96 cm might be labelled as a "Size 10" even if your actual bust is 88 cm, because the garment includes ease for movement and design.

International Variations in Sizing

A UK 10 is not the same as a US 10, EU 38, or IT 42. Below is a generalised cross-reference—but even these vary by brand:

Some brands follow alpha sizing (XS to XL), which is even more subjective. Alpha sizing relies on manufacturer interpretation and may not reflect consistent measurements across retailers.

Why Static Size Charts Fail Online Shoppers

The shift to e-commerce has made size clarity essential. But traditional size charts suffer from:

• Lack of standardisation across brands

• No accounting for body proportions

• No translation of sizing between brands

• Inconvenient manual comparison

Most importantly, they assume the user knows how to interpret measurements correctly. The majority of consumers do not regularly take their own measurements—making even the best chart less useful.

The Role of AI and Sizing Technology

To resolve these issues, several solutions have emerged:

• AI-based prediction tools: These use weight, height, age, and shopping history to estimate sizes. However, they are often inaccurate due to lack of body-specific input.

• 3D scanning apps: Require specialised hardware or photos. While promising, adoption is limited.

• Data scraping plugins: Rely on purchase data and crowdsourcing. These provide averages, not precision.

While innovative, these tools are rarely transparent, often inaccurate, and don’t work across different retailers.

Introducing Tellar.co.uk – A Standardised Approach to Real Sizing

tellar.co.uk is a UK-based sizing platform that solves the clothing size chart dilemma by using your real body measurements to recommend the best-fitting size across 1,500+ brands.

How Tellar Works:

1. You enter your bust, waist and hip measurements – once.

2. Tellar stores your secure sizing profile.

3. Any time you look up a brand, Tellar tells you:

   • Your best-fitting size

   • If the brand runs large/small/true

   • Equivalent sizing in other stores

   • Whether they offer petite, curve, or tall fits

4. You stay logged in and get real-time recommendations.

Try it now:

🟢 Create your free profile

🟢 Use the size lookup tool

Why Tellar.co.uk Is More Accurate Than Any Size Chart

Tellar isn’t just a chart—it's an intelligent fit system tailored to your shape, preferences, and the clothes you actually want to wear.

Common Mistakes Shoppers Make When Using Size Charts

1. Assuming you’re the same size in every store

2. Relying on alpha sizing (S, M, L) without measurements

3. Using outdated charts from different regions (e.g. US instead of UK)

4. Not accounting for body shape vs garment cut

5. Guessing based on your last order

Tellar removes the need for guesswork, saves time, and significantly reduces returns caused by poor fit.

The Impact on Returns, Confidence, and Sustainability

In the UK, over 30% of online clothing purchases are returned—most due to fit. Size mismatches cost retailers billions annually and frustrate shoppers.

Using a tool like tellar.co.uk can:

• Reduce returns by over 25%

• Improve consumer trust and loyalty

• Support sustainable fashion through fewer emissions and waste

• Enable more confident shopping decisions

Try Tellar Today

Whether you're shopping at Zara, Whistles, Reiss, Mango, ASOS, or Ted Baker, you’ll see your exact recommended size—every time—with tellar.co.uk.

No guessing. No maths. Just your perfect fit.

🟢 Create your free profile here

🟢 Try a store lookup now

Stay Connected

Follow Tellar for style fit tips, size breakdowns and industry insight:

• Instagram: @Tellarsizing

• Facebook: TellarSizing

• Twitter/X: @TellarSizing

• Pinterest: TellarUK

Final Word

Clothing size charts were never built for the multi-brand, digital-first world we shop in today. They are fragmented, inconsistent, and often misleading. If you're tired of returns, sizing doubt, and guessing your way through checkout, it’s time to move beyond static charts.

tellar.co.uk is the smarter way to shop—built for real people, real bodies, and real brands. It’s free, fast, accurate, and made for the modern consumer.