Clothing Size Converter: Korea (44/55/66), US, EU, UK, Japan
Unlike shoes, no country's clothing size states an actual measurement. Converting is therefore not a matter of swapping numbers — it is working out which number contains your chest and waist.
A Korean women's 55, a US 4 and an EU 36 all fail to name a dimension. Each is a bracket that a country drew across its own population, and countries drew them in different places and at different widths.
That is why this tool shows chest, waist and hip measurements next to every size. The national numbers are a starting point; the centimetres are what decides whether something fits.
Korean sizes are coarser than US ones
Korean womenswear covers the whole range in five steps: 44, 55, 66, 77, 88. US sizing covers the same range in nine — 0 through 16. Each Korean step is therefore close to twice as wide.
The consequence is that 55 straddles both US 4 and US 6. In chest terms it runs from 84cm to 90cm. Any chart that turns one Korean number into a single US number has to conceal half of that.
This tool answers with the span instead. Enter 55 and it reports US 4–6, with the 84–90cm chest range beside it to narrow down. The same applies to 66 and 77.
Women's tops
One Korean size covers two US sizes through most of the range.
| Korea | US | EU | UK | Japan | Chest (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 0–2 | 32–34 | 4–6 | 5–7 | 78–84 |
| 55 | 4–6 | 36–38 | 8–10 | 9–11 | 84–90 |
| 66 | 8–10 | 40–42 | 12–14 | 13–15 | 90–97 |
| 77 | 12–14 | 44–46 | 16–18 | 17–19 | 97–104 |
| 88 | 16 | 48 | 20 | 21 | 104–109 |
Menswear numbers are closer to measurements
Korean men's tops run 90, 95, 100, 105, and those numbers approximate the chest in centimetres. Unlike the women's scale the number carries meaning, so knowing your chest measurement tells you roughly which bracket you are in.
Bottoms are simpler still. Korea, the US and the UK all use the waist in inches, so a 32 means a 32-inch waist — about 81cm — in all three. Only the EU uses its own series starting at 44, and Japan falls back to S/M/L.
Even inches vary by brand, though. Two pairs both labelled 32 can measure two or three centimetres apart at the waistband, the effect usually called vanity sizing.
The brand's own measurements outrank any chart
Clothing has no fixed anchor comparable to the millimetre in shoe sizing. National charts summarise averages, and no individual brand is obliged to follow the average. Japanese and Korean labels in particular tend to run smaller than European ones at the same letter.
So use this chart to decide where to start, then settle it on the product page's measurement table — the one giving chest, shoulder and length in centimetres.
The most reliable method is to take the best-fitting garment you already own, lay it flat, measure it, and compare those numbers instead. Comparing garment to garment carries less error than comparing body to chart.
Measuring yourself
- •Measure the chest around the fullest point, keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
- •The waist is the narrowest part of the torso, not where you wear a belt.
- •Measure hips at the widest point, usually about 20cm below the waist.
- •Keep the tape touching but not compressing. Pulling it tight reads small.
- •Stand normally and do not hold your breath in.
- •Measure in thin clothing or underwear.
Extended FAQ
What is a Korean 55 in US sizes exactly?
There is no single answer. A 55 spans US 4 and US 6, covering a chest of roughly 84–90cm. Korean sizing is coarser than US sizing, so this tool reports the range rather than picking one. Measure your chest to narrow it.
Where do the numbers 44, 55 and 66 come from?
From an older notation that combined height with chest measurement — 55 was pegged near a height of about 155cm. Body proportions have shifted since, so the link is loose today and the numbers function as names for chest brackets.
What is a Japanese size 9?
Japanese womenswear uses odd numbers — 5, 7, 9, 11, 13. A 9 sits near a Korean 55 and a US 4–6. Japanese labels tend to run small overall, so checking the garment measurements matters more than usual.
How many centimetres is a men's 32?
Thirty-two inches is about 81cm. Brands differ by two to three centimetres at the same label, so trust the measured waist on the product page over the number on the tag.
Is anything I enter stored?
No. Everything happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.