100 size readings — Korean "55" means 155 cm tall, 85 cm bust
Give a chest, waist or height and get the Korean size number and the international letter. The 44/55/66 series is not arbitrary — it comes from a 1981 standard — and men’s tops run on a different ruler entirely.
The 44/55/66 series is not arbitrary
A 1981 clothing standard took what was then the average woman — 155 cm tall with an 85 cm bust — and called it 55. Each step up adds 5 cm of height and 3 cm of bust, while the label itself goes up by 11. So 66 means 160 cm and 88 cm; 44 means 150 cm and 82 cm. One number tells you the whole body the garment was cut for.
Men’s sizes use a different ruler
A men’s top is labelled with the chest measurement itself: 100 means a 100 cm chest, and 95/100/105 step in fives. The same "100" on the women’s scale points at a far larger body, so comparing the bare numbers across the two ranges will mislead you.
Only bottoms are called in inches
Tops are in centimetres but trousers are in inches. An 80 cm waist is 31 inches, and shops usually stock even numbers like 30 and 32. The inch figure is the waist divided by 2.54 with no ease added, so if you want to be comfortable sitting down, look one size up.
Brands differ by a centimetre or three
These figures follow the standard; real garments are cut to each brand’s own pattern and the same size number can differ by one to three centimetres. Treat the table as where to start looking, not the final answer — when a product page lists its own flat measurements, those always win.
These figures are a starting point
Measure the chest at its fullest point under the arms and the waist at navel height, with the tape snug but not pulled tight. The 44/55 labels are slowly giving way to S/M/L, and many garments now carry both.
Find it by measurement
Korean size · International size
women’s topsWhat is measured: chest
women’s bottomsWhat is measured: waist
men’s topsWhat is measured: chest
men’s bottomsWhat is measured: waist
children’s wearWhat is measured: height
The body this size assumes
- 44150cm · 82cm · XS
- 55155cm · 85cm · S
- 66160cm · 88cm · M
- 77165cm · 91cm · L
- 88170cm · 94cm · XL
How to read this
- Chest, waist and height here are body measurements, not the garment laid flat.
- Women’s sizes move from 55 (155 cm, 85 cm bust) by 5 cm of height and 3 cm of bust per step.
- A men’s top is labelled with the chest itself; men’s bottoms use the waist in inches.
- Brands differ by one to three centimetres. A product page’s own measurements always win.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does Korean size 55 mean?
It assumes someone 155 cm tall with an 85 cm bust. A 1981 standard took the average woman of the day and called her 55.
Q. How much bigger is 66 than 55?
Five centimetres in height and three in the bust. Every step moves by exactly that much.
Q. What chest is a men’s 100?
100 cm. A men’s top is labelled with the chest measurement itself, so the number reads straight off.
Q. How many inches is an 80 cm waist?
31 inches — the centimetres divided by 2.54. Shops usually stock even numbers like 30 and 32.
Q. Why do garments of the same size fit differently?
Because each brand cuts to its own pattern, differing by one to three centimetres. If the product page lists real measurements, trust those first.