MEASURE

The word size may refer to how big something is. In particular:

• Measurement
• Dimensions: length, width, height, diameter, perimeter, area, volume
• Clothing sizes such as shoe size
• Body dimensions (Anthropometry)
  • Human height
  • Human weight

Measurement is the process or the result of determining the magnitude of a quantity, such as length or mass, relative to a unit of measurement, such as a metre or a kilogram.
The word measurement stems, via the Middle French term mesure, from Latin mēnsūra, and the verb metiri.
The science of measurement is also called the field of metrology.

There are many different systems of clothing measurement around the world. In clothing, dress size refers to a set of standard dimensions for dresses and other women's garments such as tops, skirts, and trousers.

Types of measurements in standard sizes
These standard sizes describe combinations of body measurements that are commonly seen in the general population:

• Horizontal torso measurements that can be specified include the neck circumference, the shoulder width, the over-bust circumference, the bust circumference, the bust-point separation, the under-bust (rib-cage) circumference, the natural waist circumference, the upper hip circumference and the lower hip circumference.
• Vertical torso measurements that can be specified include the back (neck-waist) length, the shoulder-waist length (not the same as the back length, due to the slope of the shoulder), the bust-shoulder length, the bust-waist length, and the two hip-waist lengths.
• Sleeve measurements that can be specified include the under-arm and over-arm lengths, the fore-arm length, the wrist circumference and the biceps circumference.

However, because of the drape and ease of the fabric, relatively few measurements are needed to obtain a well-fitting dress in most styles.

Standards
There are several ISO standards related to Size designation of clothes.

• ISO 3635:1981 Size designation of clothes -- Definitions and body measurement procedure
• ISO 4416:1981 Size designation of clothes -- Women's and girls' underwear, nightwear, foundation garments and shirts
• ISO 5971:1981 Size designation of clothes -- Pantyhose
• ISO 8559:1989 Garment construction and anthropometric surveys -- Body dimensions
• ISO/TR 10652:1991 Standard sizing systems for clothes

The European Union has produced a standard EN 13402 intended to replace existing standards in the member countries. This is not yet in common use.
The United Kingdom has an existing standard for women's clothing BS 3666:1982, however this is rarely followed by manufacturers as it defines sizes in terms of hip and bust measurements only within a limited range. See table of sizes. This has resulted in variations between manufacturers and a tendency towards vanity sizing.
The standard sizes have not had stable names, however. For example, the dimensions of two size 10 dresses from different companies, or even from the same company, may have grossly different dimensions; and both are almost certainly larger than the size 10 dimensions described in the US standard. Vanity sizing may be partly responsible for this deviation (which began in earnest in the 1980s).
The new European standard EN 13402 seeks to address this problem, since it is an absolute scale and mandatory; there is no mandatory clothing size standard in the U.S. In the US there exists a US standard clothing size.