Question about vintage dress sizing in different countries

[Dbelle]

Hi all!

So I have a question about vintage dress sizing and despite all my research I can’t find the answer! I would like to know if there was ever a time that

a) UK and US dress sizing were the same (possibly it was before our modern way of sizing came about?) and

b) if there was ever a time that US and Canada sizing were different

My impression was UK and US sizing were always different from each other and that US and Canada were always the same but I have 2 different kilt skirts (found in Canada but at least one is Scottish made) that imply otherwise.

The one kilt shows the sizes for GB, which I’m assuming is Great Britain, and US to be the same size 12 - for reference the waist measures 27 inches so would be around a modern size small.

The second skirt shows 2 different sizes for Canada and US.

Its a small little detail I guess but it's things like this that my crazy brain gets caught up on until I find the answer :P




Thank you!
Delana

 

[retro ruth]

That's interesting. I haven't seen that before, the US and UK size showing as the same .

I don't have an answer for you but my crazy brain loves this kind of thing too

 

[Dbelle]

I don't have an answer for you but my crazy brain loves this kind of thing too

I'm glad I'm not the only one!

 

[retro ruth]

I'm sure you are in good company here!

 

[Midge]

Just my two cents - the label on the first skirt is weird. It has different sizes for Germany (D) and Switzerland (CH). Swiss and German sizes are basically the same since the modern sizing came in some time post-WWII, when you see 38, 40 etc. (they might have been different earlier - I never compared my 40s sewing magazines which show different sizes sometimes). And I've never before seen a label showing different sizes for these two countries.