Is 24 months the same as 2T?

Not quite. Here 18-24M is cut for 86 cm and 2T for 92 cm, and the T sizes are cut for a walking toddler — roomier through the middle and longer in the leg.

What is a US kids' size 6 in Europe?

EU 116 — which is simply the height in centimetres the size is cut for, 116 cm.

How often should I re-measure a child?

Every three months up to about three years old, then twice a year. Feet and height move in bursts rather than steadily, so a measurement taken last spring is not a measurement.

Do European labels really mean the child's height?

Yes — an EU children's size is the height in centimetres the garment was cut for, which is why it maps so cleanly onto a tape measure and so badly onto a birthday.

Kids' clothing sizes by age and height

Kids' sizes by age and height

The age printed on a children's label is a guess about an average child. Every other country has quietly stopped pretending otherwise and labels by height instead.

American and British children's clothes are sized by age: 3-6M, 2T, 6. Europe, Japan, Korea and China size the same clothes by height in centimetres. The second approach wins, and not narrowly — children of the same age differ enormously, and a garment fits a body, not a birthday.

The good news is that the two are the same ladder read two ways. A US 2T is a European 92 because that European number is the height in centimetres it was cut for: 92 cm.

The full ladder, newborn to 14

NB – 14 on one continuous scale, with the height and chest each step is cut for. Find the child's height in the first column; everything to the right of it is the same size in six systems.

Children's — Shirt / T-shirt by Height
cmHeight	inHeight	USUnited States	EUEurope	UKUnited Kingdom	JPJapan	KRKorea	CNChina
50	19.7	NB	50	NB	50	50	52
56	22	0-3M	56	0-3m	60	60	59
62	24.4	3-6M	62	3-6m	70	70	66
68	26.8	6-9M	68	6-9m	70	70	73
74	29.1	9-12M	74	9-12m	80	80	80
80	31.5	12-18M	80	12-18m	80	80	80
86	33.9	18-24M	86	18-24m	90	90	90
92	36.2	2T	92	2y	90	90	90
98	38.6	3T	98	3y	95	95	95
104	40.9	4T	104	4y	100	100	100
110	43.3	5	110	5y	110	110	110
116	45.7	6	116	6y	115	115	115
122	48	7	122	7y	120	120	120
128	50.4	8	128	8y	130	130	130
140	55.1	10	140	10y	140	140	140
152	59.8	12	152	12y	150	150	150
164	64.6	14	164	14y	160	160	160

Children's — Shirt / T-shirt by Height

cmHeight

inHeight

USUnited States

EUEurope

UKUnited Kingdom

JPJapan

KRKorea

CNChina

19.7

0-3M

0-3m

24.4

3-6M

3-6m

26.8

6-9M

6-9m

29.1

9-12M

9-12m

31.5

12-18M

12-18m

33.9

18-24M

18-24m

36.2

38.6

104

40.9

104

100

110

43.3

110

116

45.7

116

115

122

120

128

50.4

128

130

140

55.1

140

10y

140

152

59.8

152

12y

150

164

64.6

164

14y

160

Chest matters too once a child is out of babygrows — the same height can carry a very different build, and a jacket that is right on height but tight across the chest is a jacket that gets left on the peg.

Children's — Shirt / T-shirt by Chest
cmChest	inChest	USUnited States	EUEurope	UKUnited Kingdom	JPJapan	KRKorea	CNChina
41	16.1	NB	50	NB	50	50	52
43	16.9	0-3M	56	0-3m	60	60	59
45	17.7	3-6M	62	3-6m	70	70	66
46	18.1	6-9M	68	6-9m	70	70	73
48	18.9	9-12M	74	9-12m	80	80	80
49	19.3	12-18M	80	12-18m	80	80	80
51	20.1	18-24M	86	18-24m	90	90	90
52	20.5	2T	92	2y	90	90	90
53	20.9	3T	98	3y	95	95	95
55	21.7	4T	104	4y	100	100	100
57	22.4	5	110	5y	110	110	110
59	23.2	6	116	6y	115	115	115
61	24	7	122	7y	120	120	120
63	24.8	8	128	8y	130	130	130
68	26.8	10	140	10y	140	140	140
73	28.7	12	152	12y	150	150	150
80	31.5	14	164	14y	160	160	160

Children's — Shirt / T-shirt by Chest

cmChest

inChest

USUnited States

EUEurope

UKUnited Kingdom

JPJapan

KRKorea

CNChina

16.1

16.9

0-3M

0-3m

17.7

3-6M

3-6m

18.1

6-9M

6-9m

18.9

9-12M

9-12m

19.3

12-18M

12-18m

20.1

18-24M

18-24m

20.5

20.9

21.7

104

100

22.4

110

23.2

116

115

122

120

24.8

128

130

26.8

140

10y

140

28.7

152

12y

150

31.5

164

14y

160

2T, 24M and the gap nobody explains

Toddler sizes and baby sizes overlap in the label and not in the garment. In this chart 18-24M is cut for 86 cm and 2T for 92 cm — a real step up, not a synonym. The T sizes are also cut for a child who is walking and, usually, still in nappies: more room through the middle, longer in the leg, and no snap crotch.

Practically: if a child has just started walking, the T size is the one that fits, even if the month range on the other rail says the same number.

Kids' shoes

Shoes run on their own ladder, 0C – 6Y, and it is pure length — measure the foot and read across. There is no age on it at all, which is exactly right.

Children's — Shoes by Foot length
cmFoot length	inFoot length	USUnited States	EUEurope	UKUnited Kingdom	JPJapan	KRKorea	CNChina
8.5	3.3	0C	16	0	8.5	85	16
9	3.5	1C	17	0.5	9	90	17
9.5	3.7	2C	18	1.5	9.5	95	18
10.5	4.1	3C	19	2.5	10.5	105	19
11	4.3	4C	20	3.5	11	110	20
12	4.7	5C	21	4.5	12	120	21
12.5	4.9	6C	22	5.5	12.5	125	22
13.5	5.3	7C	23	6.5	13.5	135	23
14.5	5.7	8C	25	7.5	14.5	145	25
15	5.9	9C	26	8.5	15	150	26
16	6.3	10C	27	9.5	16	160	27
17	6.7	11C	28	10.5	17	170	28
18	7.1	12C	30	11.5	18	180	30
19	7.5	13C	31	12.5	19	190	31
19.5	7.7	1Y	32	13.5	19.5	195	32
20.5	8.1	2Y	33	1	20.5	205	33
21	8.3	3Y	34	2	21	210	34
22	8.7	4Y	35	3	22	220	35
23	9.1	5Y	36	4	23	230	36
24	9.4	6Y	38	5	24	240	38

Children's — Shoes by Foot length

cmFoot length

inFoot length

USUnited States

EUEurope

UKUnited Kingdom

JPJapan

KRKorea

CNChina

8.5

3.3

8.5

3.5

0.5

9.5

3.7

1.5

9.5

10.5

4.1

2.5

10.5

105

4.3

3.5

110

4.7

4.5

120

12.5

4.9

5.5

12.5

125

13.5

5.3

6.5

13.5

135

14.5

5.7

7.5

14.5

145

5.9

8.5

150

6.3

10C

9.5

160

6.7

11C

10.5

170

7.1

12C

11.5

180

7.5

13C

12.5

190

19.5

7.7

13.5

19.5

195

20.5

8.1

20.5

205

8.3

210

8.7

220

9.1

230

9.4

240

Re-measure a toddler every three months and a school-age child twice a year. Children rarely complain that shoes are too short; they just curl their toes.

Buying for someone else's child

Ask for the height, not the age. "How tall is she now?" is an easy question that gets you an exact answer. "What size is she?" gets you a guess.
Size up for a gift, not down. A child grows into a big coat and never grows back into a small one. One step up is generous; two is next winter.
Watch the season. A summer size bought in autumn will be worn at a different height than the one you measured.

Common questions

Is 24 months the same as 2T?: Not quite. Here 18-24M is cut for 86 cm and 2T for 92 cm, and the T sizes are cut for a walking toddler — roomier through the middle and longer in the leg.
What is a US kids' size 6 in Europe?: EU 116 — which is simply the height in centimetres the size is cut for, 116 cm.
How often should I re-measure a child?: Every three months up to about three years old, then twice a year. Feet and height move in bursts rather than steadily, so a measurement taken last spring is not a measurement.
Do European labels really mean the child's height?: Yes — an EU children's size is the height in centimetres the garment was cut for, which is why it maps so cleanly onto a tape measure and so badly onto a birthday.

Kids' sizes by age and height

The full ladder, newborn to 14

2T, 24M and the gap nobody explains

Kids' shoes

Buying for someone else's child

Common questions

The charts behind this

More guides