Vintage Sizing Decoded: Why a 70s Size 10 Isn't Today's Size 10

Updated

Vintage sizing is one of the most confusing parts of buying online. A dress labelled "Size 12" from 1978 might fit what's now a Size 6. A Size S from 1995 might be snug on today's S. This isn't pedantry, it's the single biggest reason people return vintage pieces.

Here's the actual story of how sizing has shifted, how to measure yourself properly, and how to translate what a vintage label says into what will actually fit.

Why the numbers don't match up

Two forces are in play.

Vanity sizing. Starting in the 1980s and accelerating through the 2000s, brands gradually labelled larger garments with smaller numbers to flatter buyers. A 2025 Size 8 in most mass brands is physically closer to a 1970s Size 12.

Body shape norms have shifted. The average Western adult is several inches broader across the shoulders, bust, and hips than in the mid-20th century. Vintage sizing was designed for a silhouette that's now less common, not wrong, just different.

Put together: the same body fits into a smaller modern number and a larger vintage number.

A rough conversion table

Use this only as a starting point. Fabric and cut vary widely, so always verify with measurements.

Modern US (2020s) 1980s–1990s 1960s–1970s 1940s–1950s
0 2–4 6–8 10–12
2 4–6 8–10 12–14
4 6–8 10–12 14–16
6 8–10 12–14 16–18
8 10–12 14–16 18–20
10 12–14 16–18 20–22

European sizing (34, 36, 38…) tracks roughly the same pattern, though each country has its own shifts.

Why you should never trust the label, only the measurements

Even within a single era, sizes vary wildly by brand, country of manufacture, and intended market. A Spanish 1970s Size 40 can fit completely differently from a French 1970s Size 40. Labels are noise. Measurements are the only truth.

How to measure yourself properly

Before buying anything vintage online, spend fifteen minutes with a soft tape measure. You'll save yourself returns for years.

Bust

Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your bust, keeping it parallel to the floor. Wear the bra you'd wear with the garment. Relax, don't breathe in or hold tight.

Waist

Your natural waist is the narrowest point of your torso, usually about an inch above your belly button. Tie a thin string around your middle and let it settle, it'll drop to your actual waist. That's your measurement point.

Hip

Around the fullest part of your hips, typically 7–9 inches below your natural waist.

Shoulder

From the bony point of one shoulder across your back to the bony point of the other.

Bust point

From the notch of your collarbone straight down to the centre of your bust. This matters for empire-line and fitted bodices, a modern body with a lower bust point won't sit right in a vintage bodice cut for a higher one.

Arm length

From the shoulder point, down a relaxed arm with a slight bend, to the wristbone.

Write these down. Keep them in your Notes app.

How to read vintage measurements in a listing

A well-listed vintage piece will give you:

  • Bust (from armpit seam to armpit seam, across the front, doubled if flat-measured)
  • Waist (narrowest point of the bodice or waistband)
  • Hip (fullest part of the skirt)
  • Length (shoulder to hem, or waistband to hem)
  • Shoulder width
  • Sleeve length

If a listing only gives you a label size, ask for measurements. Good sellers usually have them, and if they don't, a reasonable one will take them for you on request.

The garment ease rule

One more thing that confuses people: a garment's measurements aren't your body measurements. Clothing is designed with "ease", extra room for movement and comfort. Rules of thumb:

  • Fitted bodice: add 2–3 inches to your bust measurement for a comfortable fit
  • Fitted waist: add 1–2 inches
  • Relaxed fit: add 4–6 inches
  • Oversized: add 8 or more inches

If a vintage dress lists a 36-inch bust and your bust is 36 inches, it will be tight. If you want fitted-but-comfortable, look for listings with a 38–39-inch bust.

What we do in the shop

Every piece in the shop is measured by hand before it goes up. Which points I take depends on the piece, a blouse gets bust, shoulder, and sleeve; a skirt gets waist, hip, and length; a dress usually gets all of them. If a measurement you need before buying isn't on the listing, just ask and I'll go back to the piece and send it over.

If you want help translating a measurement into how something will fit you, email hi@bohemefolk.com with your measurements and the piece you're considering. I can tell you honestly whether it'll work.

Browse by measurements rather than label size:

, Victoria

Regresar al blog