Buying Clothes From Another Country: A Size-Chart Checklist

Identify the regional listing

A multinational retailer may publish local size labels and guidance. Save the actual product and chart you plan to order from rather than using a remembered chart from another market. The brand’s country of origin does not automatically tell you which chart the store uses.

Compare measurement definitions

Check inches versus centimeters, body versus product measurements and flat width versus circumference. UNIQLO publishes both body and garment measurement guidance, illustrating why these definitions matter. A letter conversion cannot correct a comparison between different kinds of measurements.

Match a similar garment

Measure a piece you like in comparable fabric and cut. Compare the most important dimensions, including lengths that a generic S/M/L table omits. If ordering a tailored or structured item, consider whether practical alterations are possible before committing.

Check the cost of a wrong fit

Read return eligibility, deadlines, return-shipping charges and alteration restrictions on the current retailer’s terms. Do not assume cross-border returns are free or that trying two sizes has no cost. These conditions are seller-specific and can change more often than sizing conventions.

Before you order

1. Confirm country, size system and exact product.
2. Convert units without mixing measurement types.
3. Compare a similar garment’s dimensions.
4. Read the current return and alteration conditions.