Kids Clothing Size Table
| EU (height cm) | US | UK years | Chest (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 2T | 2-3 | 21 |
| 98 | 3T | 3-4 | 22 |
| 104 | 4T | 4 | 23 |
| 110 | Youth 5 (S) | 5-6 | 24 |
| 116 | Youth 6 (S) | 6-7 | 25 |
| 122 | Youth 7 (M) | 7-8 | 26 |
| 128 | Youth 8 (M) | 8-9 | 27 |
| 140 | Youth 10-12 (L) | 10-12 | 30 |
| 152 | Youth 14 (XL) | 12-14 | 32 |
| 164 | Youth 16 (XXL) | 14-16 | 34 |
Children's clothes come in three dialects: American letters and T's (2T, 4T, youth S-XL), British ages (3-4 years, 5-6 years), and the European system that just states the child's height in centimeters - a EU 128 fits a 128 cm child, which is the only one of the three that measures the child instead of guessing an age. The table below lines all of them up from 2T to youth XL, with chest measurements for the growth-spray years.
Bottom line: EU number = height in centimeters, so the crosswalk is one glance - a US youth medium is a EU 128, which is a UK 8-9 years, which is a chest of about 27 inches. Buy by height and chest, not by age: two eight-year-olds can stand a full head apart, and the age column on the label is the least useful number on it.
The honest part: sizing chaos peaks in childhood - US toddler T's assume diapers (extra seat room that vanishes at 5T), Slim and Husky grades split the US youth range by build, and brand drift runs a full size in either direction because children's wear is the least regulated corner of the garment world. When in doubt, size up: kids grow into clothes at roughly an inch of height per year, and a rolled cuff is free.
How to use
- Measure the child's height standing straight (or lying down for toddlers), and chest at the fullest point under the arms.
- Find the EU height row in the table - it is the anchor column - then read across to the US, UK and chest numbers.
- Between rows, size up for the growth curve; only size down for tailored pieces like blazers, where cuffs and hems cannot be faked.
Frequently asked questions
What does 2T mean in kids' clothing?
Toddler size 2 - the T stands for toddler and the number approximates the age in years, cut with extra room in the seat for diapers. 2T fits roughly 92 cm tall, 3T at 98 cm, 4T at 104 cm; after 5T the scale switches to youth numbers (4, 5, 6...) that confusingly restart, which is why the EU height-centimeter column is the sane anchor through the whole childhood range.
Is EU kids' sizing really just height in centimeters?
Yes - it is the one transparent system in children's wear: EU 116 is cut for a 116-centimeter child, EU 140 for 140 cm, straight through the teens (then it hands off to adult sizing around EU 146-152 for small-cut adults). British labels use double ages ('3-4 years', '5-6 years') which map to the same heights, and the US mixes T's with youth letters. When converting from anything to anything, go through the height column and you cannot get lost.
What size does the average 8-year-old wear?
An average-height eight-year-old stands about 128 cm - US youth medium (8), UK 8-9 years, chest around 27 inches - but the average is doing heavy lifting there: the healthy range at that age spans roughly 120 to 135 cm, a three-size spread. This is why age-based gifting misses and height-based buying lands; when buying for someone else's child, ask the height in centimeters and take the EU column's answer.
Why do kids' pants sizes come in two numbers like 8 slim?
The US youth scale grades by build as well as height - Regular, Slim and Husky (plus) share a height but change the waist and seat, because children's proportions vary more than adults' relative to height. Slim cuts the waist about an inch, Husky adds one to two. The EU system handles the same problem with adjustable waists on nearly every trouser instead - the drawstring-and-elastic approach that makes the single height number workable for every build.