Belgian and European clothing sizes change

Published: May 27th, 2014
Written by: Editorial Team

The physical build of consumers has prompted the introduction of new Belgian clothing brand sizes.

The sizes have been created by the Hogeschool Ghent because the current sizes are no longer applicable. This is part of a plan to change clothing sizes throughout the EU. During 2012 the Hogeschool Ghent did a national study where people across the nation were measured and new sizes were introduced due to the results. The last time this type of study took place was during 1990, but the average Belgian has grown two centimeters since then. The average body of a female has changed from that of an hourglass into an H-model, but with wide hips.

The sizes were changed based on these results. An example is that a size 38 will now have three to six additional centimeters around the waist. This will allow many women to purchase a smaller size when they shop at a Belgian chain, such as JBC.

The EU has said that it wants all countries to adopt the same sizes, however the current variances are still too large. This is not only due to the countries using different charts, it is also interpreted in a different way.

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