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Size Guide
Size guide for retro fashion
To make sure your order fits, you need two things: your own measurements and the size chart of the item. Every brand we carry has its own chart, so the same letter size can fit differently. Here we show you how to measure, how to read the charts and how our brands really fit.
Quick start
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Take your measurements
Measure bust, waist and hips, and for trousers your inside leg, as described below. Write the values down.
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Open the size chart
Every product page has the size chart of its brand. Always compare with that chart, not with the size you usually wear.
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Body or garment?
Below each chart it says whether it shows body measurements or garment measurements. With garment measurements you add room for movement yourself.
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Choose by the key measurement
If you are between two sizes, the measurement that matters for the cut decides. Which one that is, you will find further down.
How to measure
Before you measure
Measure in underwear or close fitting clothes. For every measurement the tape lies level and comfortably against your body, without cutting in or hanging loose. Stand relaxed and breathe normally, it is easiest with a second person.
1. Bust
Place the tape around the fullest part of your bust and run it under your arms around your back. Wear the bra you would wear under the garment.
2. Underbust
Measured directly under the bust. Most size charts do not use this measurement, but it helps with corsets and close fitting tops.
3. Waist
At the narrowest part of your torso, usually a little above the navel.
4. Hips
At the widest part of your hips and bottom. Stand with your feet together.
5. Inside leg
For trousers, along the inside of your leg from the crotch to the floor, ideally without shoes. Some brands mean this body length in their chart, others the inside leg of the finished trousers.
Body or garment measurements
We use the manufacturers' own size charts. Below each chart we note which kind of measurement it shows, because you read the two differently.
Body measurements
The chart shows which body measurements a size is made for. Find the row with your own measurements and choose that size. Room for movement is already built into the cut.
- Used by
- House of Foxy, Weekend Doll, Femkit
- You compare
- your measurements with the chart
Garment measurements
The chart shows how wide the finished piece is. You add room for movement yourself. If the manufacturer gives a recommendation, you will find it right below the chart.
- Used by
- Emmy Design
- Blouses
- about 10 cm more than your bust
Example: with a bust of 92 cm, look for a blouse with a chest width of about 102 cm.
How our brands fit
From many fittings we know how the brands turn out in reality. This is a guide, the size chart of the item always comes first.
House of Foxy
True to size- Size chart
- body measurements
- Tops
- The size charts are very reliable. Blouses sometimes come up a little large.
- Trousers
- Long, also suitable for tall women.
Weekend Doll
Runs large- Size chart
- body measurements
- Tops and skirts
- Most pieces come up larger, for example the Gene and Katherine blouses, cardigans, the Lana jumper and the A line skirt. If you usually wear M, S is often enough. Between two sizes, the smaller one is usually right.
- Trousers
- True to size or slightly larger, and shorter. Suitable for women of average height and petite women.
Emmy Design
Runs small- Size chart
- garment measurements
- Woven pieces
- If in doubt, choose the larger size.
- Knitwear
- Cut a little more generously.
- Trousers
- The longest of our brands. Depending on the model, the wide hem can be let down by about 5 to 7 cm.
Femkit
Varies by piece- Size chart
- body measurements
- Waistcoats
- True to size.
- Trousers and skirts
- Usually come up larger. The trouser length sits between Weekend Doll and Emmy Design.
- Dresses
- Differ from model to model. As with every Femkit piece, the share of elastane also changes the fit. You will find it in the description.
More about how each brand fits, with examples, in our guide Which size for retro fashion?
Which measurement matters for which cut
If you are between two sizes, choose by the measurement that has the least room in that cut.
| Cut | Key measurement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Swing dress and circle skirt | Waist | The skirt falls wide, the waist seam has to sit right. |
| Wiggle and sheath dress | Hips and waist | Cut close to the body, there is little room at either point. |
| Pencil skirt | Hips and waist | Sits close, the hips are often the tighter measurement. |
| Marlene trousers | Waist and length | The high waistband sits at the waist, the wide leg needs the right length. |
| Blouse with collar | Bust and upper arm | The button placket should not pull and the sleeves should not feel tight. |
| Knitwear and cardigans | Bust | Knit gives a little, the width across the bust decides. |
UK sizes at House of Foxy and Weekend Doll
With these two brands you will also come across UK sizes, for example on the label. This is how they match the sizes in our shop:
- XSUK 8
- SUK 10
- MUK 12
- LUK 14
- XLUK 16
- 2XLUK 18
A UK size is not the same as a German dress size. So always compare the centimetres in the size chart.
Compare garment measurements with a favourite piece
With garment measurements it helps to compare with a piece that already fits you well.
Lay it flat
Lay the piece flat on a table without stretching it.
Measure the width
Measure at the same point as in the chart, for example the bust from armpit to armpit or the waist along the waistband.
Double it
Double the value to get the circumference. Example: 48 cm from armpit to armpit gives a chest width of 96 cm.
Choose a similar piece: a blouse in a firm woven fabric with another blouse, a cardigan with a cardigan. Fabrics with elastane and knitwear give a little, firm woven fabrics without stretch do not.
Not sure which size fits?
Write to us, we will tell you how a piece fits.
