Lingerie size guide

Lingerie sizing is the single biggest reason for a return, and it is almost always solved with a tape measure and two minutes. Sizes on these garments follow the maker, not a standard, so measure yourself once and use the numbers instead of the label you wear in a shop.

Measure yourself first

Use a soft tape measure, wear no bra or a thin unpadded one, and keep the tape level all the way round without pulling it tight.

Underbust: directly under the breasts, where a bra band sits. This gives the band size.

Bust: across the fullest point of the chest, standing relaxed.

Waist: the narrowest point, usually just above the navel.

Hip: the widest point around the seat, normally twenty centimetres below the waist.

Height matters for one thing only, and that is anything in one piece: bodystockings and catsuits and stockings.

What one size actually means

Most of the lingerie in this shop is stretch lace or mesh, so a single size covers a range rather than a point.

One size usually fits roughly EU 36 to 42, which is UK 8 to 14 and US 4 to 10.

S/M covers roughly EU 36 to 38, L/XL roughly EU 40 to 44.

These are guides. Where the product page gives centimetres, the centimetres win.

One size is most reliable on babydolls, robes and fishnet, because none of them is fitted. It is least reliable on anything with cups or boning.

Bra sizes across countries

A bra size is a band number plus a cup letter, and the two move together. If the band changes, the cup letter has to change with it to keep the same volume.

EU and FR bands differ by fifteen: EU 75 is FR 90. Both describe the same underbust.

UK bands are in inches: EU 70 is UK 32, EU 75 is UK 34, EU 80 is UK 36, EU 85 is UK 38.

Cup letters are the difference between bust and underbust: about twelve centimetres is A, fourteen is B, sixteen is C, eighteen is D, twenty is E. UK and EU cups agree up to D and then diverge, so check the product page for anything above that.

A band that rides up your back is too big, not too small. That is the most common error and it is fixed by going down a band and up a cup.

Corsets and bustiers

Corsets are sized by waist, not by dress size, and the rule is to take your natural waist measurement and subtract ten to fifteen centimetres for a proper reduction.

A corset with laces at the back has real adjustment: a five centimetre gap at the laces is normal and correct, and it gives you room in both directions.

A bustier without laces has almost none. Take your true measurement there.

A new corset wants breaking in. Lace it loosely for the first few hours of wear rather than pulling it closed straight away.

Plus size

Plus size lingerie here is generally marked as one size plus, XL/XXL or in numbered sizes, and it typically covers EU 44 to 52.

Do not size up in a straight-size garment as a substitute. Plus size patterns are cut differently across the bust and the hip, not simply scaled up, and the fit is not the same.

For one-piece garments check the height range as well as the width, because that is the measurement that most often runs short.

Stockings and hold-ups

These are sized by height and weight together, not by shoe size. Two people with the same build and twenty centimetres of height between them need different lengths.

A stocking that is too short pulls its own band downwards, and people blame the silicone for that.

Over about 1.80 metres, look for queen size or for an explicit height range on the product page.

Between sizes, and what to do

Go up for anything with cups, boning or a closed crotch, because those are the places that pinch.

Go down for stretch lace and net that has no structure at all, because too large simply looks slack.

When a product page gives a measurement range in centimetres, use it and ignore the dress size entirely. The centimetres are the only number the maker actually guarantees.

Frequently asked questions