Kameez chest 21 or 22 inches: which UK size is that?

The sum, in three steps

Pakistani brands usually publish the finished garment, not the body it is meant for, and often only half of it. Our page on body vs garment measurements shows the difference. To get from a chart figure back to a dress size:

• Double it. A chest figure anywhere between about 17 and 26 inches has to be a half measurement, taken across the front from one underarm seam to the other. Doubling it gives the full garment chest.
• Take off the ease. Ease is the room between your body and the cloth. As a rough guide, a close cut has 2 to 3 inches at the bust, a regular one 3 to 5 and a relaxed one 5 or more; our ease guide explains why. If the listing does not say, 4 inches is a sensible middle.
• Match the bust. Compare what is left with the bust column of a UK chart. Ours rises in 5 cm steps, about 2 inches a size.

Half-chest to UK size, from 19 to 24 inches

Using 4 inches of ease and the nearest reference bust on our chart:

• 19 inches: 38 round, a 34-inch bust, UK 10 (86 cm).
• 20 inches: 40 round, a 36-inch bust, UK 12 (91 cm).
• 21 inches: 42 round, a 38-inch bust, UK 14 (96 cm).
• 22 inches: 44 round, a 40-inch bust, UK 16 (101 cm).
• 23 inches: 46 round, a 42-inch bust, UK 18 (106 cm).
• 24 inches: 48 round, a 44-inch bust, UK 20 (111 cm).

If the cut is closer or looser

A close-cut kameez with only 2 inches of ease moves every line up a size: 21 inches would then suit a 40-inch bust, our UK 16. A relaxed kurta with 6 inches moves it down: the same 21 inches suits a 36-inch bust, UK 12.

If the chart is in centimetres, nothing changes but the units: a half-chest of 56 cm is 112 cm round, and with 10 cm of ease it suits a bust near 102 cm, our UK 16. The chest is also only one line of the chart: check the hip width, another half measurement, against your own hips with room to sit, then the shoulder and the length.

Working backwards from a UK 16

The reverse sum helps when a brand lists only chest widths. Our UK 16 is drawn for a 101 cm bust, about 40 inches. Add the ease for the fit you like, then halve it: 2 to 3 inches of ease gives a half-chest of 21 to 21.5 inches, 4 inches gives 22, and 5 to 6 gives 22.5 to 23. So a UK 16 looking for an everyday fit should start with a chest of about 22 inches.

Why we still ask for your numbers

A lookup like this helps you read a ready-made chart. For made to measure it is only a first step: on our quote form you can enter your measurements or choose a standard UK size from 6 to 24, and if you choose a size we confirm the key measurements with you before anything is cut.

If the thing you trust is a kameez that already fits, skip the conversion altogether: measure it flat and send those figures marked as garment measurements, as explained in using a kameez that fits as your template. We cut and stitch in Pakistan and ship to you; the UK Stitching Only page and the UK page explain how, and you can request a UK quote with your size or your measurements.