Buying guides by country · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read

Brustumfang, tour de poitrine: size-chart words in English

Brustumfang and tour de poitrine both mean bust measurement. A glossary of German, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch size-chart words, matched to our form.

Inspiration

The short answer

Brustumfang is German for bust measurement, the distance round the fullest part of the bust, and tour de poitrine is the French term for the same thing. Most European size charts follow one pattern: a word meaning “around” marks a tape-around measurement, a word meaning “width” marks a measurement across, and a word meaning “length” marks a measurement down. Learn those three and most of a chart in German, French, Italian, Spanish or Dutch becomes readable.

Around: Umfang or Weite (German), tour (French), circonferenza (Italian), contorno (Spanish), omvang or omtrek (Dutch).
Width across: Breite, largeur, larghezza, ancho, breedte.
Length: Länge, longueur, lunghezza, largo, lengte.

The three main circumferences

These are the measurements our form asks for first, and the ones every chart includes. Note that German charts often say Oberweite rather than Brustumfang, and Italian charts may say torace instead of seno; both mean bust.

Bust: Brustumfang or Oberweite; tour de poitrine; circonferenza seno or torace; contorno de pecho; borstomvang.
Waist: Taillenumfang or Taillenweite; tour de taille; circonferenza vita; contorno de cintura; tailleomvang.
Hips: Hüftumfang or Hüftweite; tour de hanches; circonferenza fianchi; contorno de cadera; heupomvang.
Underbust (not on our form): Unterbrustweite; tour de dessous de poitrine; sottoseno; contorno bajo pecho; onderborstomvang.

Widths, lengths and the smaller measurements

The rest of our form uses measurements that appear on fuller charts and on sewing pattern envelopes. Where the European word describes a slightly different line, the size guide shows exactly where our tape goes.

Shoulder: Schulterbreite; largeur d’épaules, or carrure for the width across the back; larghezza spalle; ancho de hombros or ancho de espalda; schouderbreedte.
Armhole: Armloch; emmanchure; giro manica; sisa; armsgat.
Sleeve length: Ärmellänge; longueur de manche; lunghezza manica; largo de manga; mouwlengte.
Upper arm: Oberarmumfang; tour de bras; circonferenza braccio; contorno de brazo; bovenarmomvang.
Wrist: Handgelenkumfang; tour de poignet; circonferenza polso; contorno de muñeca; polsomvang.
Thigh: Oberschenkelumfang; tour de cuisse; circonferenza coscia; contorno de muslo; dijomvang.
Inside leg: Innenbeinlänge or Schrittlänge; entrejambe; lunghezza interno gamba; entrepierna; binnenbeenlengte.
Height: Körpergröße; stature or taille; altezza; altura or estatura; lichaamslengte.

Words that trip people up

A few words do double duty. French taille can mean waist (tour de taille), size (taille 38) and height, so read the whole line. German Größe means both size and, in Körpergröße, height. Italian taglia, Spanish talla and Dutch maat all mean size, the label number, not a measurement. And a line called Gesamtlänge, longueur totale, lunghezza totale, largo total or totale lengte is the length of the garment, not of you; our kameez length runs from the top of the shoulder by the neck to where you want the hem.

Check whether a chart lists body measurements (Körpermaße, mesures du corps, misure del corpo, medidas corporales, lichaamsmaten) or the measurements of the finished garment. Garment figures include ease, so they are larger. Our page on body vs garment measurements explains the difference.

Decimal commas and filling in our form

Most of continental Europe writes decimals with a comma, so 88,5 cm means eighty-eight and a half centimetres and a height of 1,65 m is 165 cm. On our form, type the figure with a point (88.5) or round to the nearest half centimetre, and choose centimetres as the unit; measuring in inches or centimetres covers the rest. The form fields are in English, so this glossary is all you need to move numbers across from a chart you already trust.

The Europe page links each country we deliver to, including Germany, France and Italy. When your numbers are ready, request a made-to-measure quote or read how custom stitching works first.

Common questions

Is Oberweite the same as Brustumfang?

Yes. Both mean the bust measurement taken round the fullest part of the bust. Oberweite is very common on German dress and lingerie charts, and Unterbrustweite is the band underneath.

What does carrure mean on a French chart?

It is the width across the back or shoulders. It is close to our shoulder measurement, but check where the chart tells you to place the tape, because some take it lower across the back.

Should I just give you my European size number instead?

Measurements work much better. A 38 in one brand or country is not the same as a 38 in another, while centimetres are the same everywhere.

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