Background
BS EN 13402 is the UK adoption of a voluntary European Standard aimed at making the buying of clothes simpler for the customer throughout Europe.
At the moment, a woman with a bust of about 88cm, a waist of about 72cm and hips of about 96cm, takes a dress size:
12 in the UK
C38 in Norway, Sweden and Finland
40 in Belgium and France
38 in Germany and the Netherlands
44 in Italy
44/46 in Portugal and Spain.
(10 in the USA)
BS EN 13402 suggests a new measurement system which would remove this confusion. It takes different dimensions such as height, bust, and waist, and displays these measurements in 4cm and 8cm intervals.
For example, a woman with a waist of 71cm, hips of 96cm and a height of 172cm, would look for a skirt displaying the following measurements on the label: waist 70-74cm, hips 94-98 cm, height 170-174cm. The standard also suggests a language-neutral pictogram, on which these dimensions can be indicated, to enable easier purchasing abroad.
A final part of the standard, BS EN 13402 Part 4, is still under discussion. This would provide a coding system which could be used on labels to summarise the measurements.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Why was this standard developed?
A. The drivers for the standard include:
- Ease of purchasing for consumers while abroad in Europe
- Reduction in the number of returns to mail-order companies
- A change in body size since the traditional scalar sizing system was introduced in the 1950s means this system is out of date.
- Reduction in cost for manufacturers as all measurements are metric under this standard.
Q. Would a new system be confusing for the consumer?
A. Consumers find the variety of current systems across Europe confusing, as demonstrated by the number of returns to European mail-order companies. The advantages of this standard far outweigh the disadvantages.
Q. Will the standard make all size 14s the same along the high street?
A. No. This standard is not about standardising current dress sizes. It introduces a new measurement system. It will make buying clothes across Europe much easier for the consumer than under the current system.
Q. What would be the impact on manufacturers adopting this standard?
A. The standard should enable manufacturers to offer their customers a more accurate sizing system.
Q. Does the standard only apply to women’s clothing?
A. No, the standard can be applied to women’s, men’s and children’s clothing.
Q. Is this standard compulsory?
A. No. All standards are voluntary. It is up to individual organisations whether or not they use this standard.
If you have further enquiries on BS EN 13402 please contact Lucy Fulton on 020 8996 7248.
