Approximate Sizing Information For Women's Clothes

We appreciate the fact that most crossdressers did not grow up knowing how to measure themselves for clothing, especially women's clothing. To help you achieve the best fit possible, here are a few tips for you to use as a guide when taking your body measurements. We've also provided a size chart to assist in determining the most appropriate size. This chart gives a general idea of the sizing; however, each manufacturer is a little different. Keep in mind that wedding gowns, vintage clothes, and sewing patterns do not use this guideline (generally add two sizes for them).

Measuring

To get the most accurate measurements, have someone else measure you. Use a good cloth measuring tape (they aren't expensive). Be sure to hold the tape straight and snug to your body.

Bust: Hold the tape around the fullest part of your bust. If you usually wear bra padding, put it on before measuring. This measurement will assist you in determining your size for tops and relaxed-fitting dresses. This is not your bra size - that's a different technique.

Waist: Bear in mind that your woman's waist is going to be higher than your man's waist. Stand up straight, raise your arms, and suck in your tummy. Measure around your waist at the point where you are thinnest (this is generally at, or just above, your navel). While measuring, put a finger between your body and the tape to ensure a comfortable fit.

Hips: Measure around the fullest part of your hips, usually six to eight inches below natural waistline, depending on how much rise you need. This measurement will help you determine the most appropriate size for pants, skirts, and form-fitting dresses. If you wear extra hip padding, make sure it's on when you measure.

Skirt Lengths: This measurement refers to the distance from the waist to the skirt hemline. A good starting point for most crossdressers would be to kneel down and, keeping your back erect, hang a measuring tape to the floor - this will give you your mid-knee length. You can go shorter or longer from there.

Inseam: This measurement refers to the distance from the rise (crotch) to the pant hemline.

Misses/petites Skirts Length
Short 19" - 20"
Medium 20" - 22"
Long 24" - 25"
Misses/petites Pants

Inseam

All 30" - 31" Some manufacturers make them longer, or leave them unhemmed.

SIZE CHARTS

Select the chart that corresponds with your build and height. Neck, chest, waist and sleeve measurements determine correct size.

Misses, Talls

Misses: 5'3½"-5'7½"  •  Talls: 5'8"-5'11"  •  Ultra-Talls: 5'11½"-6'2"
Sizes XS S M L XL XXL
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Bust 31½-32 32½-33 33½-34 34½-35 35½-36 36½-37 37½-38½ 39-40 40½-41½ 42-43½ 44-45½
Waist 23½-24 24½-25 25½-26 26½-27 27½-28 28½-29 29½-30½ 31-32 32½-33½ 34-35½ 36-37½
Hips 34-34½ 35-35½ 36-36½ 37-37½ 38-38½ 39-39½ 40-41 41½-42½ 43-44 44½-46 46½-48

Juniors, Juniors Plus

Juniors:5'3½"-5"7½"
Sizes S M L XL 1X 2X 3X
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
Bust 32-32½ 33-33½ 34-34½ 35-35½ 36-37 37½-38½ 39-40 41-42½ 43-44½ 45-46½ 47-48½ 49-50½
Waist 24-24½ 25-25½ 26-26½ 27-27½ 28-29 29½-30½ 31-32 33-34½ 35-36½ 37-38½ 39-41 41½-43½
Hips 34½-35 35½-36 36½-37 37½-38 38½-39½ 40-41 41½-42½ 43½-45 45½-47 47½-49 49½-51 51½-53

Petites

Petites: 4'11"-5'3"
Sizes XS S M L XL XXL
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Bust 31-31½ 32-32½ 33-33½ 34-34½ 35-35½ 36-36½ 37-38 38½-39½ 40-41 41½-43 43½-45
Waist 23-23½ 24-24½ 25-25½ 26-26½ 27-27½ 28-28½ 29-30 30½-31½ 32-33 33½-35 35½-37
Hips 33½-34 34½-35 35½-36 36½-37 37½-38 38½-39 39½-40½ 41-42 42½-43½ 44-45½ 46-47½

Women's

Women's Petites(WP): 4'11"-5'3"  •   Women's(W): 5'3½"-5'7½"
Women's

Petites Sizes
14WP 16WP 18WP 20WP 22WP 24WP 26WP 28WP 30WP 32WP
Women's

Sizes
- 16W 18W 20W 22W 24W 26W 28WE 30WE 32WE
- 1X 2X 3X 4X 4X 5X
Bust 39½-41 41½-43 43½-45 45½-47 47½-49 49½-51 51½-53 53½-55 55½-57 57½-59
Waist 31½-33 33½-35 35½-37 37½-39 39½-41½ 42-44 44½-46½ 47-49 49½-51½ 52-54
Hips 42-43½ 44-45½ 46-47½ 48-49½ 50-51½ 52-53½ 54-55½ 56-57½ 58-59½ 60-61½

Girls

Girls 7-18 Regular (Average frame and proportions)
Size S(7) S(8) M(10) M(12) L(14) L(16) XL(18)
Height 50-51½ 52-53½ 54-55½ 56-58 58½-60½ 61-63 63½-65½
Bust 25½-26½ 26½27½ 28-29 29½-30½ 31-32 32½-33½ 34-35
Waist 22½-23 23-23½ 24-24½ 25-25½ 26-26½ 27-27½ 28-28½
Hips 27½-28 28-29 29½-30½ 31-32½ 33-34½ 35-36½ 37-38½


Girls 7-16 Slim (Small frame and thin body)
Size S(7) S(8) M(10) M(12) L(14) L(16)
Height 50-51½ 52-53½ 54-55½ 56-58 58½-60½ 61-63
Bust 24-25 25-26 26½-27½ 28-29 29½-30½ 31-32
Waist 20½-21 21-21½ 22-22½ 23-23½ 24-24½ 25-25½
Hips 25½-26 26-27 27½-28½ 29-30½ 31-32½ 33-34½


Girls 10½-20½ Plus (Fuller body in proportion to height)
Size M(10½) M(12½) L(14½) L(16½) XL(18½) XL(20½)
Height 54-55½ 56-58 58½-60½ 61-63 61½-63½ 61½-63½
Bust 30½-31½ 32-33 33½-34½ 35-36 36½-38 38½-40
Waist 27-28 28½-29 29½-30 30½-31 31½-33 33½-35
Hips 32½-33½ 34-35½ 36-37½ 38-39½ 40-41½ 42-43½

Lingerie

Panties

Panties are typically sized by the hips measurement.

Size: 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Hips 36 - 37 38 - 39 40 - 41 42 - 43 44 - 45 46 - 47 49 - 51½ 52 - 55½ 56 - 59½ 60 - 63½

Bra Size

BAND OR BODY SIZE: Measure around the chest, just under the arms, above the bust. If your measurement ends in a fraction or is an odd number, round up to the next even size.

CUP SIZE: Measure around the fullest point of the bust, keeping the tape level without pulling tight. Refer to the chart at right, the difference between the measurements determines the cup size.

Note: Slips, corsets, bustiers, and teddies are usually sized according to your band size. Slips may also have a length indication.

Cup Size
Difference Cup size is
0" AA
1" A
2" B
3" C
4" D
5" DD
6" F(DDD)
7" G
8" H
9" I

Measuring Tips and Other Stuff

  • After measuring your waist, tie a string around your waist. This forms a reference for other measurements, such as hip and back-waist length.
  • With a properly fitting collared blouse, shirt, or dress on, locate the bottom of the collar (inside, not the part that folds over). This will generally be around your second vertebra. Standing erect, measure from there down the string around your waist. This is your back waist length. For GG's this is generally 16-17 inches; for most crossdressers (and tall GG's) it will be more. On auction sites, this may be listed as the bodice length or shoulder-to-waist length. You need this to help keep from buying short-waisted dresses and tops.
  • Remember when you measured for your bra cup size? The total measurement is often listed in auctions as the bust size, as it is easier for the seller to measure the total width of the garment.
  • You will most likely find that you don't fit neatly in any size in the charts. For one-piece garments, like dresses, it is usually your bust or shoulders that will determine what size you need. For separates (skirts and blouses), you can either figure out different sizes or adjust your padding.
  • Wearing a leotard or body suit (i.e. tucked as usual), measure from your crotch down to the lower part of your ankles. This is roughly the inseam you need for pants.
  • Measure from the string at your waist to the top of your knee. This is the starting point for knowing what skirt length you need. Add this to your back-waist length (above), and you have a starting length for dresses and slips (a slip should be about two inches shorter than your skirt) .
  • Measure the outside of your leg from the waist string to the upper edge of your foot. This is your "outside leg" length. You can add that to the back-waist length for gowns.
  • Locate the ends of your shoulder bones. Measure between them for your shoulder width. Most manufacturers assume this to be 16-17 inches. You may be wider; if so, it may control what kinds of tops you can wear.
  • As long as you've located your shoulder, measure from there to your wrist for your sleeve length. This will be considerably smaller than a man's measurement, because men measure from the center of the back.
  • Are you on the tall side? Try out some raised (empire) or dropped (princess) waistlines. This disguises where your real waist is, and these styles are often more flattering on crossdressers.
  • Generally a crossdresser is going to be more "solid" than a GG of the same weight. We have found that the "average" crossdresser can deduct 10-15 pounds when looking at pantyhose charts.
  • Bridal sizes and sewing patterns use some really old size charts (much like vintage clothing), so generally you will have to one to two sizes larger for those.

 

As with all things, labels are only starting points for finding things you like or can wear. In time, you will find some things that work better than others. It may also serve you well to note which manufacturers (and sizes) fit you best and search them out first.

Learning to sew well enough to make alterations will allow you a wider range of items to wear. It might also help you feel more feminine.