If you have ever ordered something online that advertised sizes up to 5XL, waited three weeks, and unwrapped something that would fit your niece, you have met Chinese sizing. Nothing was mislabeled and nobody lied to you. The label just means something completely different than you assumed.
The short version
Chinese clothing sizes typically run two to three sizes smaller than the same label in the US, and the gap gets wider as the numbers get bigger. As a rough starting point:
| Chinese label | Roughly equals US | Typical bust |
|---|---|---|
| XL | US 6–8 (S/M) | 36–38" |
| 2XL | US 8–10 (M) | 38–40" |
| 3XL | US 10–12 (L) | 40–42" |
| 4XL | US 12–14 (XL) | 42–45" |
| 5XL | US 14–16 (1X) | 45–48" |
| 6XL | US 16–18 (2X) | 48–51" |
| 7XL | US 18–20 (2X/3X) | 51–54" |
| 8XL | US 20–22 (3X) | 54–57" |
Treat this table as a first guess, never as an answer. There is no standard behind it. Two factories in the same city will cut a 5XL two inches apart. The only number that means anything is the centimeter measurement in the seller's own size chart — which is why the rest of this guide is about reading that instead.
How to read a Chinese size chart
Almost every listing has a size table, usually as an image, usually in centimeters, often with the column headings in Chinese. These are the words worth knowing:
| Chinese | Pinyin | Means |
|---|---|---|
| 胸围 | xiōngwéi | Bust |
| 腰围 | yāowéi | Waist |
| 臀围 | túnwéi | Hip |
| 衣长 | yīcháng | Garment length |
| 肩宽 | jiānkuān | Shoulder width |
| 袖长 | xiùcháng | Sleeve length |
| 裤长 | kùcháng | Trouser length |
| 弹性 | tánxìng | Stretch |
| 建议体重 | jiànyì tǐzhòng | Recommended body weight |
To convert centimeters to inches, divide by 2.54. A 120 cm bust is about 47". If you would rather not do arithmetic while shopping: 100 cm ≈ 39", 110 cm ≈ 43", 120 cm ≈ 47", 130 cm ≈ 51", 140 cm ≈ 55", 150 cm ≈ 59".
The weight thing nobody warns you about
Chinese listings very often recommend sizes by body weight rather than by measurement, and they do it in 斤 (jīn), a unit equal to half a kilogram. So a listing saying适合100-120斤 is recommending that size for someone weighing 50–60 kg, or roughly 110–132 lbs.
The conversion is friendlier than it looks: jīn × 1.1 ≈ pounds.
| Listing says | That's about |
|---|---|
| 100–120斤 | 110–132 lbs |
| 140–160斤 | 154–176 lbs |
| 180–200斤 | 198–220 lbs |
| 200–240斤 | 220–264 lbs |
| 260斤+ | 286 lbs+ |
Weight-based sizing is a blunt instrument — it tells you nothing about whether you carry your weight in your bust or your hips — but it is a useful sanity check. If a listing tops out at 160斤 (176 lbs), no amount of X's in the label is going to save you.
Words that signal the size range you want
If you are searching Chinese sites directly, these terms find the deep end of the chart:
- 大码 (dàmǎ) — plus size, the standard term
- 特大码 / 超大码 — extra large sizes, deeper than standard 大码
- 胖mm — informal, friendly slang for plus size women's clothing
- 加肥加大 — literally "extra wide, extra large"
- 宽松 — loose fit, which usually means more forgiving
- 弹力 / 高弹 — stretchy / very stretchy, your best friend at the size limit
The rule that actually protects you
Ignore the label completely. Find the bust, waist and hip measurements in centimeters for the largest size offered, convert them, and compare them to your own measurements plus the room you need for the fabric. If a listing has no measurement chart at all, that is not a size question — that is a seller-quality question, and the answer is no.
If you have not measured yourself yet, start here. If you want to know how much bigger than your body a garment needs to be,read the guide on ease.
Last updated 2026-08-12