I give US size estimates on many vintage garments due to expressed interest from buyers. Please keep in mind that these are estimates, and your best bet is to check the measurements of the garment against something that fits you well and is of a similar design.

My size estimates are based on an average of a handful of catalogs...I hope these are good estimates to help pinpoint the fit. I have the experience of putting on a lot of vintage garments, and so I have a first-hand idea of how an item might fit. This is the chart I look at to predict sizes:

One thing's for sure, fashion has dictated different fits through the years. For instance, a 1950s dress generally has a small waist relative to the bust and hip measurements, as compared to many other decades.

I usually estimate the size based on the most fitted dimension. In many cases it is the waist, but often it is the hip, the bust, or even the shoulder width!





A few details about my fit estimates...

I measure the garments flat, but don't just go from side to side. I try to take into account the contour, especially at the bust, which can make the measure larger than the side-to-side measurement.

With most regular-fit blouses I estimate the size based on the wearer being about 4" smaller at the bust than the blouse. This goes down a little toward smaller sizes, and up a little toward larger sizes.

With knits, I try to think how the item would look best worn. In some cases I really see stretching the knit as being "the look," in other cases I think the knit should flow more loosely.

With shoes, I lay the measuring tape flat on the insole of the shoe if at all possible. The length is toe to heel, the width is at the widest part of the ball of the foot. Remember this is the widest part on the insole, the leather or other material is wider at the center of the shoe.

With coats I try to envision how much might be worn underneath and often give a wider range of sizes, because so often coats are more free or loose in cut.

With pants and swimwear I give every possible measure I can think of, because I know these are the trickiest to fit accurately.

Always feel free to ask for further measurements, guidance regarding the size, or anything else!

I am dedicated to providing my customers the best vintage clothing I can, honestly and conscientiously described. I ship within 24 hours of being paid and I never charge anything more than what it costs to ship (I pay for packaging materials and Delivery Confirmation). I stay in touch via email every step of the way.

This is nothing new--for 10 years now I have done these things--but what is rather new is eBay's DSR (Detailed Seller Rating) system. This score is very important to all sellers because eBay uses seller ratings to determine our fees and visibility in search results. Although it isn't clear when leaving feedback, anything less than 5 stars hurts a seller. If I have given you anything less than 5-star service, please let me know how I can make it right.

I guarantee to leave all buyers feedback after I have received feedback from them. I wait to hear from buyers in this way, in order to make sure all went as expected, from shipping speed to the condition of the item.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns before leaving feedback. I appreciate my repeat buyers most of all, but no matter if you have bought 1 or 100 items from me, I really want to hear from you if anything is not as expected.

Here's some feedback for you: Thank you--again and again--for making what I do such a joy.