Reading a Size Chart When You're Between Sizes

A size chart exists to answer one question, and most answer it vaguely. Once you know what a chart is measuring and how much room the garment should leave, picking between two neighboring sizes becomes a decision instead of a guess.

First: what is the chart measuring?

There are two kinds, and they aren’t interchangeable.

Body measurements describe the person the size is meant for. They come from the brand’s fit model and grading rules and already assume some built-in room. A chart waist of a certain number doesn’t mean the garment’s waist measures that.

Garment measurements describe the finished piece laid flat. Far more useful; look for these. If a chart has both, use the garment numbers.

A chart with only one number (usually bust) isn’t telling you how the garment was graded. Two brands can have identical bust charts and completely different hip and upper-arm measurements, which is where the fit difference actually shows up.

Ease: the number nobody prints

Ease is the gap between your body and the garment. Every wearable piece has some; how much depends on what it is.

• A structured jacket or coat needs enough to close over clothes and let you move: several centimeters (an inch or two) over the bust and across the back.
• A fitted woven dress or blouse needs enough to move without straining, not so much it floats.
• A good knit can have very little ease, even slightly less than your body, because it stretches to meet you.

That’s why one bust measurement can give you a comfy sweater and a dress that won’t zip. Between sizes, ease decides: for a structured piece with little stretch, go larger. For a knit with real recovery, the smaller size is usually right, because a knit that’s too big sags instead of adapting.

Test the stretch before you trust it

“Stretch” on a product page can mean anything from firm ponte to a light jersey that goes limp after one wash. You can measure it in a minute on something you own, and it works the same in a store.

Pinch the fabric between your hands 4 in (10 cm) apart and stretch sideways as far as it goes without distorting. Reaching about 4.75–5 in (12–13 cm) is modest stretch; 6 in (15 cm) or more is very elastic. Let go: if it stays stretched, recovery is poor, and it’ll bag at elbow, knee and seat.

Try the same on a jeans waistband or sleeve cuff and you’ll quickly know whether it’ll hold you or slowly give up.

Read the jumps, not just the numbers

Subtract each size from the next. The pattern shows what the brand assumed about the body.

Real charts make this concrete. Eloquii’s steps in 2 in (5 cm) bust jumps from size 14 to 24, then jumps 3 in from 24 (53–55 in) to 26 (56–58 in). Torrid’s goes from 52–54 in at size 24 to 56–58 in at 26, a 4 in (10 cm) leap, then 60–64 in at 28. (Both per the brands’ charts, Oct 2026.) If you sit just above 55 in, the smaller size there may be truly too small, not just snug.

If the hip jumps much more than the waist between your size and the next, the brand graded for a particular waist-to-hip difference. Yours is bigger? Take the larger size and alter the waist. Smaller? The larger size will gape and the smaller may pull across the seat.

Same with arms. A chart that grows the bust generously while the sleeve barely moves is telling you the arms will be tight first.

Choosing between two sizes

Go in order and stop at the first one that decides it.

1. Shoulder or bust fit involved? Shoulders and armholes are the priciest alterations, sometimes impossible without a rebuild. Buy for shoulder and bust.
2. Woven with no stretch? Go larger, especially if fitted through the hip.
3. Knit with good recovery? Pick the size closest to your bust or hip, no extra room added.
4. Structured, worn over other clothes? Go larger and plan to alter the waist.
5. Which can you fix afterward? Waists, hems and lengths are routine. Shoulders, crotch depth and bust seam position aren’t.

If your two sizes straddle a big jump, common at the top of extended ranges, the smaller one may simply be too small. Go larger and budget for a waist or length alteration.

Before you buy

If the chart’s thin, ask the seller for flat measurements: across bust, across waist and length. A shop that answers usually handles returns sensibly too.

Check the return window and who pays shipping before choosing which size to gamble on. With free returns, ordering both and keeping one is legit, and most plus-size shoppers end up doing it at least once per new brand. With pricey returns, order one, treat it as calibration and write down what you learn.

Keep the chart. When something fits, screenshot the chart and note the size you kept. Next season it’ll be waiting and you can skip all this.