Size Chart in Centimeters: Women, Men and Kids, S to XL

These are three example size charts in centimeters, from size S to XL, with bust or chest, waist and hip circumference for women, men and kids, using a typical industry progression (4 cm per size for women, a little more for men). It is an approximate example to understand how each measurement grows between sizes, not an official standard: each manufacturer adjusts its own chart and validates it with a sewn sample before producing in series.

Modeltex production guide. Updated on Sep 7, 2026.

What this size chart is and what it is for

This chart lists, size by size, the three measurements that define fit the most: bust or chest circumference, waist circumference and hip circumference, in centimeters. It works as a quick reference for choosing a retail size and as a starting point for a patternmaker who needs a progression before grading their own pattern.

It does not replace the chart of a specific brand, or the chart of a school or company that orders uniforms with its own chart: those are built from the real audience and validated separately. What follows is an example with concrete numbers, to show what a complete chart looks like, not a chart to copy as is.

Reference chart for women, sizes S to XL (in centimeters)

This chart uses a progression of 4 cm per size in bust, waist and hip, a common and reasonable criterion in women's patternmaking:

Reference chart for men, sizes S to XL (in centimeters)

For men the progression is usually a little larger than for women, because each size aims at a wider range of builds; this chart uses 5 cm per size in chest, waist and hip:

Reference chart for kids, sizes S to XL (in centimeters)

In kidswear, sizes S to XL usually come with an approximate age and height for reference, because what defines the real size is the child's body and not the exact age. This chart is an example with a progression of 4 cm in chest and hip and 3 cm in waist per size:

Why this chart is an example and not an official standard

None of these three charts is a single or mandatory standard: each is an example with a typical progression, built to show what a complete chart looks like. Real bodies vary by population, age range and commercial criteria (an M that fits closer or looser depending on the brand), and anyone producing works with the chart for their own audience, never with a generic chart downloaded from the internet.

Sizing standardization initiatives exist to move toward more consistent sizes between brands, but none sets a single mandatory chart that replaces each manufacturer's own. That is why the step you cannot skip is sewing a sample with the chosen values, fitting it on a real body or a dress form, and only then approving the chart for production markers.

How to use this chart to grade your own pattern

If you start from this chart to develop your own patterns, the middle size (M for women and for men) is the starting point: you draft the base pattern with those measurements and grade it to the rest of the size range by applying the progression, point by point, by hand with a ruler and a square or by loading the grading rules into a CAD program such as Optitex, Audaces or Gerber.

Growth is not split equally across every point of the pattern: the circumference moves more at the side seams and less at the center front or back, and back width or sleeve circumference have their own increment, smaller than that of bust or chest. This chart gives the starting point for three key measurements; the rest of the columns (waist length, back width, arm circumference, crotch depth) are added according to the garment being developed.

The full size range in a digital pattern

Modeltex digital patterns do not come with a loose chart of four sizes: every pattern includes the complete industrial size range, already graded and approved with a sewn sample, from XS to 4XL for adults (eight sizes) and from 2 to 18 for kids (nine sizes). The standard selection in the base price covers S to 2XL for adults and 4 to 16 for kids; extra sizes (XS, 3XL and 4XL for adults; 2 and 18 for kids) are added for a small per-size surcharge: US$4 for A4 PDF and US$6 for plotter PDF.

That ready-made size range saves you from repeating the work of building a chart, grading the pattern and sewing a sample for every new style in your own catalog. When the starting point is a different chart, such as that of a school or company ordering uniforms with its own chart, the route is custom patternmaking: the pattern is developed with that chart and approved the same way, with a sewn sample, before production markers are made.

Frequently asked questions

What does an industrial size chart in centimeters for women, men and kids from S to XL look like?

It is a chart that lists, size by size, bust or chest, waist and hip circumference in centimeters: in this example, 4 cm of growth per size for women (S 88/68/94, M 92/72/98, L 96/76/102, XL 100/80/106), 5 cm for men (S 92/78/96, M 97/83/101, L 102/88/106, XL 107/93/111) and 4 cm in chest and hip with 3 cm in waist for kids. It is an approximate industry example, not an official standard, and it has to be validated with a sewn sample before producing in series.

What growth progression per size does this example chart use?

A common criterion is for the circumference to grow evenly between sizes: in this chart, 4 cm per size for women and 5 cm for men, because the range of builds in each men's size is usually wider. For kids the progression is smaller: about 4 cm in chest and hip and 3 cm in waist, because the body grows differently at each stage.

Is this size chart an official standard?

No. It is an example with a typical progression; there is no single mandatory chart for adult clothing with these exact values. Sizing initiatives aim for more consistent sizes between brands, but each manufacturer still builds and validates its own chart.

How do you build a size chart for kidswear if you do not use S to XL?

You can use the S, M, L, XL logic by linking each size to an approximate age and height, as in the example in this guide, or numeric sizes (2, 4, 6, 8 and so on up to 18), like the Modeltex kids' size range. In both cases age is only a guide: what defines the real size is the child's body measurements.

Which sizes of the full size range does Modeltex sell besides S to XL?

Every Modeltex pattern includes the full size range, XS to 4XL for adults (eight sizes) and 2 to 18 for kids (nine sizes), approved with a sewn sample. The standard selection in the base price is S to 2XL for adults and 4 to 16 for kids; extra sizes are added for a small per-size surcharge.

Can I use this chart as is to make a production marker?

Not without validating it first: the mandatory step before making a production marker is to sew a sample with the chosen values, fit it on a real body or a dress form, and adjust the chart if the fit is not what you expected. Skipping that step is the most common cause of a whole production run coming out a size off.

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Sewing patterns ready for production, with the full size range, in the Modeltex catalog.