Standard sizing guides assume feminine bodies. Narrower shoulders, shorter torsos, smaller feet. They assume the customer has been navigating these racks since adolescence, building intuitive knowledge I never had the chance to develop.
At 6'3", with shoulders that fill doorframes and feet that don't stop at the end of most size charts, I've had to build that knowledge from scratch. Trial and error. Returns and regrets. Eventually, patterns.
Here's what I've learned. Here's how to find what works for you.
The Starting Point: Know Your Numbers
Before anything else, you need measurements. Not guesses. Not "about the same as my jeans." Actual numbers.
Get a flexible tape measure. Stand in front of a mirror, or ask someone you trust. Write these down:
- Chest: Around the fullest part, under your arms
- Natural waist: The narrowest point, usually above the navel
- High hip: Around the hip bones (iliac crest)
- Full hip/glutes: Around the widest point of your seat
- Inseam: Inner leg, crotch to floor
- Shoulder width: Seam to seam across the back
These numbers become your translation guide. Women's sizing varies wildly between brands, but your body doesn't change. The tape measure becomes the one constant.
At 190cm tall, I already know most standard lengths will run short. That's useful information. It saves time, saves disappointment, saves money.
Skirts and Dresses
Skirts were easier than I expected.
The waist is what matters. I wear between a 14 and 16 depending on brand, which translates to roughly a 32-36 inch waist. The key discovery: skirts are forgiving. Unlike trousers that need to accommodate thighs, hips, and inseam simultaneously, a skirt just needs to fit your waist and fall.
Length matters more than you think. At 6'3", a midi-length skirt on most women hits me mid-thigh. What's labeled "maxi" becomes midi. What's labeled "knee-length" becomes dangerously short unless I'm specifically going for that. I look for skirts marketed as maxi or long, then expect them to land somewhere around my knees.
Stretch is your ally. Pencil skirts with 3-5% elastane move with you and forgive minor measurement mismatches. A rigid pencil skirt in the wrong size is unwearable. A stretch pencil skirt in an approximate size usually works.
A-line cuts handle masculine hip structure well. We don't have the natural hip curve that pencil skirts are designed to follow. A-line skirts create their own silhouette rather than trying to trace one that isn't there. They're more forgiving on bodies still figuring out what works.
Dresses follow similar logic, but add the complication of bust fit. More on that below.
Brand notes: ASOS Curve runs slightly large in the waist. Marks & Spencer sizing is conservative. Simply Be has been consistent for me. Your mileage varies. Keep notes.
Tops and Blouses
Shoulders. Everything comes back to shoulders.
Women's tops are cut for narrower frames. A blouse that fits my chest will pull across the back. One that fits my shoulders will billow everywhere else. This is the fundamental challenge.
Stretch knits solve most problems. A fitted top in a stretchy fabric can accommodate broader shoulders and a larger chest without the structural constraints of a woven blouse. I reach for jersey, ponte, and modal blends first.
V-necks and wrap styles work. They're designed with adjustability built in. A wrap top can accommodate a larger frame because it's meant to wrap and tie rather than button at fixed points.
Avoid cap sleeves and structured shoulders. Cap sleeves assume a certain shoulder width that ends where mine continue. Structured blazers with defined shoulder padding create strange proportions. Raglan sleeves and drop shoulders are more forgiving.
Sleeve length will be short. Accept it. At 6'3", women's sleeves assume maybe 5'6". Roll them to three-quarter length and call it intentional. It actually works better for most casual looks anyway.
The honest reality: tops are harder than skirts. They require more trial, more returns, more acceptance that some styles simply weren't designed for this frame. I've made peace with that. The styles that work, work well. The others get sent back.
Bras and Lingerie
I wear a 46A most commonly, though 44A and 42A work in some styles.
The number is the band size, measured around your ribcage just below where breast tissue would sit. The letter is the cup, indicating the difference between that band measurement and the fullest point of your chest.
For most men without hormone therapy, the cup will be small. AA, A, sometimes B if you carry weight differently. The band will be large. 42, 44, 46, depending on your frame.
Start with bralettes. They're more forgiving than structured bras. No underwires to sit wrong, no rigid cups to gape. A stretchy bralette in roughly your band size provides the shape and feeling without demanding precision. It's a good entry point.
Extended band sizes are difficult to find on the high street. Most physical stores stock bands up to 40 or occasionally 42. If you need 44, 46, or larger, you're largely limited to online shopping. ASOS, Simply Be, and Torrid in the US carry extended band sizes—they're marketing to plus-size women, but their extended ranges work for us too. A 46-band is a 46-band regardless of why you need it. The trade-off: you can't try before you buy, so expect a period of returns while you learn which brands fit your frame.
Purpose matters. Do you want support? Shape? The aesthetic of wearing it? The answer changes what you buy. A bralette under a shirt gives the right look without engineering requirements. A structured bra matters more if you're building bust or want specific shaping.
Lingerie beyond bras follows standard sizing principles but with more variation. Knickers in size 14 have worked for me. Slips and camisoles size more like tops. Start with stretch fabrics, expect to return things, build knowledge over time.
Footwear
The feet are where masculine sizing hits hardest.
I wear UK 11. That's larger than most women's size charts even acknowledge. US women's 13, EU 45-46. Standard women's shoe lines stop at UK 8 or 9. Finding heels at UK 11 requires intention.
Specialty retailers exist. Pleaser makes wide-range extended sizes. Long Tall Sally built their business around this. Amazon carries extended sizes from various brands. eBay turns up things the high street doesn't stock.
Start with block heels and low heights. Learning to walk in heels is its own skill. A 2-inch block heel is stable enough to build confidence. A 4-inch stiletto at size UK 11 is an expert-level challenge in balance and foot strength. Give yourself the learning curve.
Width matters as much as length. Men's feet tend to run wider. A shoe that's technically your length but cut for narrow feminine feet will hurt. Look for brands that offer wide fittings, or run wide naturally. Reviews help here.
Boots are often easier. They accommodate more foot volume, and the shaft can handle larger calves. Knee-high boots have been more reliably findable than pumps in my experience.
The expense is real. Extended-size women's footwear costs more than standard sizing. That's the market reality. Build the collection slowly, invest in quality for pieces you'll wear often, know that this category requires more hunting than the others.
The Methodology: Finding Your Own Fit
This guide is not gospel. It's a starting point.
Every body is different. What fits my 190cm frame won't translate directly to yours. The point isn't to copy my sizes; it's to adopt the approach.
Measure first, shop second. Know your numbers before you open a browser or enter a store. Have them on your phone. Reference them constantly.
Start with stretch fabrics. Forgiveness in the material compensates for gaps in knowledge. As you learn what works, you can graduate to more structured pieces.
Order multiple sizes. Online shopping is trial and error. Order the size you think, plus one above and one below. Return what doesn't work. This is normal. This is how everyone does it, they just don't admit it.
Keep notes. When you find a brand that fits, write it down. When something runs small or large, note it. Over time, you build a personalized sizing guide that makes shopping faster.
Accept returns as part of the process. They're not failures. They're data. Every return teaches you something about how a brand cuts, how a style falls, how your body interacts with different constructions.
This is iterative. After months of building my wardrobe, I'm still learning. New brands, new styles, new discoveries. The difference now is I know how to find out quickly rather than buying blind and hoping.
The Learning That Took Longest
Skirts are more forgiving than you think. Heels require more hunting than you expect. Tops demand patience and trial. And the tape measure is the only advice you can trust completely.
Your body is your body. The sizes I've shared are mine, earned through returns and revelations. Yours will be different. But the process works.
Measure. Try. Learn. Repeat.
The wardrobe builds itself over time.