A size label from France, Italy or elsewhere in Europe can look like a puzzle. The same garment might be marked 38, 40 or 42 depending on where the label was printed, and the number means little until you know which system it follows.
This guide shows how the main systems line up with UK sizes, where conversion stops being reliable, and why the brand's own chart should always have the last word.
Dress sizes: UK, EU and French
From UK 6 to UK 22, the EU number is the UK number plus 28. French labels add a further 2 to the EU figure, so a UK 10 is an EU 38 and a French 40.
- UK 6 = EU 34 = FR 36
- UK 8 = EU 36 = FR 38
- UK 10 = EU 38 = FR 40
- UK 12 = EU 40 = FR 42
- UK 14 = EU 42 = FR 44
- UK 16 = EU 44 = FR 46
- UK 18 = EU 46 = FR 48
- UK 20 = EU 48 = FR 50
- UK 22 = EU 50 = FR 52
Italian labels run higher still: a UK 10 is an IT 42. American sizes go the other way, so a UK 10 is a US 6. If a label shows a number and no country, check the care label or the product page to see which system it follows.
A worked example: a French label reads 42. Take 2 off for the EU figure, which is 40, then take 28 off for the UK size, which is 12.
Two more checks: an Italian label of 42 is a UK 10, and a US 6 is a UK 10 as well.
Treat every conversion as a starting point. It tells you which number to look for, but not how a particular brand cuts that size, and that is what the brand's own chart is for.
Bra bands: why 75 is not a typo
European bra bands count in fives. UK 32 is EU 70, UK 34 is EU 75, UK 36 is EU 80, UK 38 is EU 85 and UK 40 is EU 90. If you wear a 34 at home, look for a 75 on a European label. A European bra marked 85 has a UK band of 38, and the cup letter still needs the brand's chart.
EU to UK bra size conversion chart
Bands convert one to one. Cup letters follow the usual conversion below, which most European brands use.
| EU band | UK band |
|---|---|
| 60 | 28 |
| 65 | 30 |
| 70 | 32 |
| 75 | 34 |
| 80 | 36 |
| 85 | 38 |
| 90 | 40 |
| 95 | 42 |
| EU cup | UK cup |
|---|---|
| A, B, C, D | A, B, C, D |
| E | DD |
| F | E |
| G | F |
| H | FF |
| I | G |
| J | GG |
A worked example: a European 75E is a UK 34DD, and an 80G is a UK 36F.
Cup letters are the real trap. UK sizing includes double letters such as DD and FF, while European sizing simply runs D, E, F, G. From DD upwards the letters stop matching one for one, so a UK F is not automatically an EU F.
Use the cup table as a starting point, and let the brand's chart have the final word on the cup.
S, M and L: the letters change from brand to brand
Many European nightwear and lingerie labels use letters rather than numbers, and each brand publishes its own UK equivalents. They do not agree with one another.
At Irall, S is UK 8–10, M is UK 10–12, L is UK 12–14, XL is UK 14–16 and XXL is UK 16–18. At Beauty Night, S/M covers UK 8–12, L/XL covers UK 12–16 and XXL is UK 16–18. Provocative lists S/M as UK 6–10 and L/XL as UK 12–16, with one size covering UK 6–16.
That means a UK 12 is an M or an L at Irall, sits inside both of Beauty Night's S/M and L/XL ranges, and falls in Provocative's L/XL. The letter alone tells you very little.
Bras by brand
For bras, check the band range before you fall for a style. Nudea is published in bands 30–42 with cups A–GG. Confidante runs from band 28 to 36 with cups A–FF, and Gracya from band 30 to 38. All of these are UK sizes, so no conversion is needed when you shop here. If a band feels too tight or too loose but the cups fit, our sister sizes guide shows which neighbouring size keeps the same cup.
Hosiery works differently
Hosiery, including Gabriella, Ballerina and Black Secret, is sized by hip measurement and height rather than dress size, so the tables above do not apply to it.
A simple routine for any European label
First, work out which system the number follows. Second, convert it using the list above. Third, compare the result with the brand's chart on the product page, because that is the brand's own statement of what each size fits.
It helps to keep a note on your phone with your UK size, your EU size and your French size, so that any label can be checked in a moment.
If the conversion and the chart disagree, trust the chart. Our size guides page is the next place to look.
Browse our bras or lingerie sets, or use Find My Size to work out which size to order.