US to EU Men's Shirt Size Conversion
| US/UK Neck (in) | EU Neck (cm) |
|---|---|
| 14 | 36 |
| 14.5 | 37 |
| 15 | 38 |
| 15.5 | 39 |
| 16 | 40 |
| 16.5 | 42 |
| 17 | 43 |
| 17.5 | 44 |
| 18 | 45 |
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.
A unit conversion, not a coded scale
Men's dress shirt sizing is one of the few places on this site where the conversion is genuinely just arithmetic rather than a translation between separate historical scales — both US and EU shirt sizes describe the same real quantity, neck circumference, just in different units. US and UK sizing states it in inches (15, 15.5, 16); EU sizing states the identical measurement in centimetres (38, 39, 40). Converting US to EU is literally converting inches to centimetres, then rounding to the nearest size a given brand cuts.
Because it's a real unit conversion rather than an approximation across differently shaped lasts or blocks, this is one of the more mechanically reliable conversions on this site — if you know your neck measures 16 inches, that's 40.6cm, and a EU 40 or 41 shirt (depending on which increments the brand uses) should be a correct starting point regardless of brand, in a way that shoe-size conversions across different lasts simply can't promise.
Sleeve length is the number the unit conversion leaves out
US and UK dress shirts commonly state two numbers — neck and sleeve length, as in 16/34 — while many EU brands sell dress shirts in a single alpha size (S, M, L, XL) or a single neck-based numeric size without a paired sleeve figure, assuming a proportional sleeve length for that neck size. Someone with a neck-to-sleeve ratio outside the average (notably shorter or longer arms relative to neck size) can convert the neck measurement correctly and still end up with sleeves that run short or long, since the EU single-number system doesn't carry the same explicit sleeve information the US two-number system does.
Fit style varies by brand more than the size number does
Beyond the neck-to-cm arithmetic, European dress shirts are frequently cut in a slimmer overall body silhouette than mainstream American dress shirts of the nominally equivalent converted size — 'slim fit' as a European default rather than an optional cut, in some brands. A correctly converted EU neck size can still feel noticeably closer through the chest and waist than an American shirt of the equivalent size, which is a cut choice, not a sizing error.
What to check before an unfamiliar EU order
Measure your actual neck circumference directly in centimetres if you can, rather than converting a remembered US size, and check whether the EU brand publishes a separate sleeve or overall body-width measurement — particularly important if you know your sleeve length runs long or short for your neck size, since the EU alpha or single-number system may not flag that the way a US two-number size does.
Frequently asked questions
Is converting US to EU shirt sizing more reliable than converting shoe sizes?
Generally yes — shirt collar sizing is a genuine unit conversion (inches to centimetres of the same neck measurement), unlike shoe sizing, which converts between differently constructed scales built around different lasts.
Why did my EU shirt sleeves come out too short even though the neck fit correctly?
Many EU shirts are sold in a single size number or alpha size that assumes an average sleeve length for that neck size, unlike the US two-number (neck/sleeve) system — if your sleeve length is longer than average for your neck size, the EU conversion won't catch that.
Does a EU 40 shirt always fit like a US 16 shirt?
The neck measurement converts reliably, but many European dress shirts are cut slimmer through the body as a brand default, so the overall fit can feel closer than an American shirt of the equivalent converted neck size.
Should I round up or down when my neck measurement falls between two EU sizes?
Round up if you plan to wear the shirt buttoned at the collar for long periods (dress-shirt use), since a neck size that's slightly loose is more comfortable than one that's slightly tight; round to the brand's nearest stocked size either way if the exact centimetre figure doesn't correspond to a size that brand cuts.
Do EU brands ever offer a two-number neck/sleeve size like US and UK brands do?
Some higher-end or made-to-measure European shirtmakers do, but it's far less standard than in US and UK dress-shirt retail — check the specific brand's product page rather than assuming a sleeve figure will be listed.