Old clothing labels contain a wealth of information — if you know how to read them. This guide decodes US, European, UK and Soviet vintage size labels.
| EU | US | UK | USSR/RU | Chest cm | Chest in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | XS/34 | 34 | 44 | 88 | 34.6" |
| 46 | S/36 | 36 | 46 | 92 | 36.2" |
| 48 | S/38 | 38 | 48 | 96 | 37.8" |
| 50 | M/40 | 40 | 50 | 100 | 39.4" |
| 52 | M/42 | 42 | 52 | 104 | 40.9" |
| 54 | L/44 | 44 | 54 | 108 | 42.5" |
| 56 | L/46 | 46 | 56 | 112 | 44.1" |
| 58 | XL/48 | 48 | 58 | 116 | 45.7" |
| 60 | XXL/50 | 50 | 60 | 120 | 47.2" |
| 62 | 3XL/52 | 52 | 62 | 124 | 48.8" |
Reading Soviet Labels
Soviet clothing labels (этикетка) typically show: size (размер), height (рост) in cm, and GOST standard number. A label reading '48-3 / ГОСТ 17521-72' means size 48, height group 3, per GOST standard from 1972.
US Vintage Label Eras
US labels pre-1971 often show a single number (12, 14, 16). After 1971, XS/S/M/L/XL letter sizes became more common. RN or WPL registration numbers can help date US vintage garments precisely.