Guide to Women's Clothing Sizes

If you want to look your best (and who doesn't?) it's important to find ladies clothes and accessories that truly fit. For those new to crossdressing, finding the right sizes can be a bit of a mystery. On this page you will find information that should make finding your sizes in clothes, lingerie, and women's shoes a little less bewildering.

Below are instructions and size charts for you to measure for day and evening wear, lingerie, and women's shoes. You should use the measurements charts here as a general guide to a good fit, but remember that sizes vary by designer and manufacturer.  Obviously, if an online merchant list its own size charts, you should order according to that store's sizes. Also, if you find that your measurements put you between two sizes, you are better off ordering the larger size.

Measuring for Dresses, Skirts, Blouses, and other Women's Wear

You will need to use a measuring tape to find your sizes.  It is always best if you can have someone help you take these measurements. Keep the tape snug, but not tight when measuring.  Once you have your measurements, compare them with the size charts below.

When purchasing women's day and evening wear, there are four measurements that must be considered:

Bust: Measure under your arms and around the fullest part of your chest.  It is best to wear your breast forms when measuring.  The bust size is the most important measure when buying blouses and dresses.

Waist: Measure around the smallest part of your waistline.  Your measurments should be made while you are wearing the appropriate foundation garments.  The waist size is the most important measure when purchasing skirts.

Hips: Measure around the fullest part of your hips, usually about 7 to 8 inches below your waist.

Height: Most Misses' and Women's sizes are made for ladies that are between 5'4" and 5'7" in height.  If you are taller than 5'7", look for styles in Misses' Tall sizes or Women's Tall sizes which feature longer sleeves, pants inseams, and body lengths.

With experience, you'll find that women's clothing sizes can vary widely, depending on the source. You'll usually find that more expensive garments have smaller size numbers than clothes that are less expensive. For example, a lady who wears a size 6 designer dress might actually take a size 12 in a ready to wear style. Because of the discrepancies in sizes, the charts below should give you a rough idea of your size but you can only really know if a garment fits by trying it on.

Misses' Sizes Measurement Chart

Women's Plus Sizes Measurement Chart

Finding the right size is only part of getting the right fit. Even the most expensive dresses and suits should be altered for you by a seamstress for a tailored, "just so" fit. When you find a good seamstress, consider having her custom make a dress or a gown for that special occasion.

Measuring for Panties, Bras, and other Lingerie

Measuring for lingerie can be a bit tricky.  Follow the guidelines below to find your sizes in bras, panties, slips, and girdles.

How to Measure Your Bra Size:

Your bra size is a combination of your band size in inches and your cup size which is denoted by letters. Finding your bra size is a two step process:

Step 1 - Determine your Band Size: First measure around your chest, under your arms, directly above your breasts or breast forms. This is your band size.

Step 2 - Determine your Cup Size: Next measure around the fullest part of the bust. This is the same bust measurement used when sizing blouses and dresses.

Bra Cup Size Measurement Chart

For example, if your band measurement is 38 inches and your bust measurement is 42 inches, you would take a D Cup bra. If you are in between cup sizes, order the next larger cup.  If your band size is uneven (i.e., 37 inches), round up to the next larger size (i.e., 38 inches). Finally, to get your bra size, combine your band size (not your bust size) with your cup size. If you are having difficulties finding the right bra size, you should

How to Measure for Panties:

Panties are usually sold by hip size.  You can find panties in your size by finding your hip measurement on the chart below.

Panty Measurement Chart

How to Measure for Slips:

Use your bust size to order full slips and camisoles.  Your waist size is used when purchasing half slips. 

When ordering slips, make certain to check the length is appropriate for the dress or skirt you are planning to wear. You wouldn't want your slip to show, now would you?

How to Measure for Girdles:

Girdles are sold by waist size, but you also need to make sure that they fit in the hip.  To make sure of this, subtract your waist measurement from your hip measurement and then, where listed, order a girdle that "fits hips (number of inches) larger than waist."

Measuring for Women's Shoes

Finding women's shoes in the proper size is only a matter of converting sizes.  As a basic rule, take your male shoe size, add one and a half sizes to the size and one width to the width, and you'll have your female shoe size. So, for example, someone wearing a 8½ medium width in male shoes would find the best fit in a women's size 10 wide width shoe.

When ordering women's shoes, you first need to take into account your width. Use this chart as a guide:

Standard Shoe Width to Women's Shoe Width Conversion Chart

If your shoe width is:	In womens' size choose a:
AA width	Narrow (N) width
B width	Medium (M) width
C width	Wide (W) width
D width	Wide (W) width
EE width	Wide Wide (WW) width

Since most men's shoes are a D width, many transwomen will find wide width (i.e., "W width") women's shoes the most comfortable.

When using the chart below to find your size in high heels, make sure to convert your male dress shoe size, which runs about one size smaller than your male athletic shoe size, to the appropriate women's size. Please note that shoe sizes vary from designer to designer, which makes finding a great fitting pair of high heels a bit of a challenge (but lots of fun!).

Male to Female Shoe Size Conversion Chart

US Women	US Men	Europe	UK
Size 7½ Wide	Size 6 Medium (D)	Size 37½	Size 4½
Size 8 Wide	Size 6½ Medium (D)	Size 38	Size 5
Size 8½ Wide	Size 7 Medium (D)	Size 38½	Size 5½
Size 9 Wide	Size 7½ Medium (D)	Size 39	Size 6
Size 9½ Wide	Size 8 Medium (D)	Size 40	Size 6½
Size 10 Wide	Size 8½ Medium (D)	Size 41	Size 7
Size 11 Wide	Size 9½ Medium (D)	Size 42	Size 7½
Size 12 Wide	Size 10½ Medium (D)	Size 43	Size 8½
Size 13 Wide	Size 11½ Medium (D)	Size 44	Size 9½
Size 14 Wide	Size 12½ Medium (D)	Size 45	Size 10½

find your best fit