New sizes for Belgian, European clothing brands

Body has evolved

The new sizes are based on a 2012 national study from the Hogeschool Ghent, which measured people all across the nation and suggested new sizes based on the results. The last time such a study had taken place was in 1990, but since then the average Belgian citizen grew 2 centimeters. The average woman’s body also changed from an hourglass figure into an H-model with wide hips.

Based on these results, the sizes were altered. For example, a size 38 will get 3 to 6 more centimeters around the waist, which means that a lot of women will soon be able to buy a smaller size when they go to a Belgian chain like JBC.

The European Union has already stated that it wants every country to adapt the same sizes in the future, but currently, the differences are still too big. That is not only because different countries use different charts, they also interpret them differently. Hogeschool Ghent’s research is part into a larger European measuring campaign.