GB/T 1335.2-2008 — China Official Women's Clothing Sizing Standard

Published in Size Library · Standard Reference

1. What Is GB/T 1335.2-2008?

GB/T 1335.2-2008 is the official national standard that defines the body-measurement-based sizing system used for mass-produced women's apparel in mainland China. It is the foundational reference that almost all Chinese clothing brands follow when labelling their garments.

The standard is part of a three-part series:

• GB/T 1335.1 — Men's garments
• GB/T 1335.2 — Women's garments (this article)
• GB/T 1335.3 — Children's garments

2. Core Sizing Logic: Height / Bust / Body-Type

Every Chinese women's garment size is marked in the format: Height / Bust + Body-Type Suffix

For example, 160/84A means:

• 160 (the "号" / Height): Recommended body height = 160 cm
• 84 (the "型" / Bust): Raw bust circumference = 84 cm
• A (Body-Type): Standard / average body shape

3. Body-Type Classification (A / Y / B / C)

The standard classifies female body shapes into four categories based on the difference between bust and waist circumference:

A is by far the most common body type used in mainstream Chinese women's clothing. Most size charts you encounter will default to A-body-type measurements.

4. Standard Body Measurement Table (Body-Type A — Primary Series)

The table below lists the primary size series defined in GB/T 1335.2-2008 for A-body-type women. These are the raw body measurements that Chinese garment sizes are based on.

5. How This Standard Differs From US / UK Sizing

• China: Sizing is anchored to raw body measurements (height + bust) defined by a national standard. The label tells you the body it was designed for.
• United States: No government-mandated standard. Each brand defines its own size scale, leading to significant variation (e.g. a US 6 at one brand may equal a US 8 at another).
• United Kingdom / EU: Similar to US — brand-specific scales with no universal enforcement, though EU standard EN 13402 provides a voluntary body-measurement-based framework.

6. Practical Shopping Tips Using This Standard

• Always look for the Height/Bust + Body-Type marking (e.g. 160/84A) on Chinese garments — this is more reliable than the S/M/L letter alone.
• Compare your raw bust and waist measurements to the table above to find your closest CN size, rather than converting from your US/UK dress size.
• For tailored garments (qipao, fitted blouses, silk dresses), expect the finished garment to have only 4-8 cm of ease over your raw measurements.
• For loose/oversized styles (linen shirts, casual coats), ease can be 10-20 cm or more — you may be able to size down if you prefer a less oversized fit.
• Non-stretch fabrics (silk, xiangyunsha, ramie, cotton voile) require more ease than stretch knits.