UK to US Women's Top Size Conversion
| UK | US |
|---|---|
| 6 | XS |
| 8 | S |
| 10-12 | M |
| 14-16 | L |
| 18-20 | XL |
| 22 | XXL |
Sizing conventions vary by brand and by cut — this table shows the standard published conversion. Always check the garment's own size chart when one is available. See how these tables are compiled.
Converting a British top size for a US purchase
UK tops generally follow the same roughly four-number offset from US sizing that UK dresses do, but that gap is looser for tops than for dresses because tops as a category range from close-fitting knitwear to deliberately oversized styles within a single brand's size run — a fit variation that a dress size number rarely carries to the same degree.
US sizing has drifted smaller through vanity sizing more than UK sizing over recent decades, and tops sizing specifically seems to show this drift somewhat unevenly across a single US brand's range, since a size 8 relaxed tee and a size 8 fitted cardigan from the same US label may not represent comparable actual chest measurements.
Fit intention matters more than the number here
A UK top described as fitted assumes a closer bust-to-waist relationship than a UK top described as relaxed or oversized, and converting the size number alone doesn't carry that style information across — check whether the specific US brand's chart describes the equivalent style the same way, since 'fitted' and 'oversized' aren't standardized terms across brands or countries.
Judging fit before a first US top order
Compare bust measurement directly against the specific US brand's own chart for fitted styles, and treat the size-number conversion as more reliable for relaxed or oversized tops, where the extra ease built into the style absorbs small sizing differences that would matter on a closer-fitting garment.
Knitwear thickness is its own variable
A heavy cable-knit jumper and a lightweight cotton top can share an identical converted size while fitting very differently, since the knit's own bulk adds to the finished measurement in a way a thin woven fabric doesn't — worth factoring in specifically for UK jumpers and cardigans converting into US sizing, more than for wovens where fabric thickness barely affects the finished silhouette.
Fit range matters more for tops than the size number alone
Because tops span everything from close-fitting knitwear to deliberately oversized styles within one brand’s numbering, checking whether a specific UK listing is described as fitted, relaxed, or oversized matters as much as the converted US number itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is the UK-to-US tops offset the same as the dress offset?
Roughly similar as a starting point, but tops sizing spans a wider range of intended fits (fitted to oversized) within one brand's range than dress sizing typically does, so it's a looser guide here than for dresses.
Why does my converted US size feel right for a relaxed tee but wrong for a fitted cardigan?
Fitted styles are less forgiving of small sizing-number imprecision than relaxed or oversized styles, which have enough built-in ease to absorb the difference — check bust measurements directly for anything close-fitting.
Does US vanity sizing affect tops as unevenly as it seems to affect dresses?
It appears to, and arguably more so — tops sizing covers a wider range of fit intentions within a single brand's numbering, so the same size label doesn't reliably represent comparable actual measurements across different top styles.
How should I interpret 'fitted' versus 'relaxed' across UK and US brands?
Cautiously — these style descriptors aren't standardized between brands or countries, so check the specific garment's own bust and body measurements rather than assuming a shared definition of 'fitted'.
Should heavy UK knitwear be sized differently than a light top when converting to US?
It's worth considering — a heavy knit's own bulk contributes to the finished fit in a way a thin woven top's fabric doesn't, so the same converted size can feel snugger in a chunky knit than in a lightweight tee.