Last updated 15 October 2026
Workwear Size Charts and Bulk Size Ratios: Getting the Sizes Right First Time
On a bulk order, the size ratio costs more to get wrong than the fabric, the price or the freight — because a garment in the wrong size is not a garment you can use. The rule is simple: send us the headcount by size, or ask for a size set before bulk. Our default ratio is a starting point for a quotation, never a substitute for knowing your own workforce. We grade from S to 5XL, and women's garments are cut from a separate pattern.
Request a bulk quotation WhatsApp usKey takeaways
- A factory default ratio is an Asian distribution. If you do not specify, that is what you get — and it leaves you short on the larger sizes and long on the smallest ones.
- 2XL and above is the size that always runs out first. Order it on the first consignment, because adding a size later costs a full minimum order on that size alone.
- Grading is not a global standard. A European "large", an Asian "large" and a US "large" are three different garments. Do not assume size labels transfer between markets.
- Ask for a size set if the order is worth more than the cost of the set. It is the cheapest insurance available on a uniform programme.
- Women's garments are cut from a separate pattern, not a scaled-down men's pattern — and on hotel, healthcare and retail contracts the difference is noticed immediately.
1. Why the size ratio is the most expensive thing to get wrong
Think about what happens when a ratio is wrong. The garments are the right fabric, the right colour, the right quality and the right price. And a portion of the workforce cannot wear them. There is no partial credit: you have paid for goods you cannot issue, and you now need to place a second order at a smaller quantity, which means paying a minimum order quantity and a fresh set of freight costs for the sizes you were short of.
| What goes wrong | What it costs you | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Too few large sizes | A second order for 2XL and above, at a full minimum on that size, plus freight | Order the larger sizes on the first consignment |
| Too many small sizes | Dead stock that cannot be redistributed across sites | Run a size set first, then adjust |
| Men's pattern issued to women | Garments worn badly, altered locally, or refused | Order the women's cut from the start |
| European labels applied to an Asian-graded order | Everything arrives one size smaller than expected | Grade to body measurements, not to labels |
| One ratio for a workforce spanning several countries | Half the sites are wrong | Order per site, or at least specify per region |
2. How grading differs by market
Sizes are not a universal scale, and the difference between grading systems is larger than most buyers expect. The three families you will meet in this trade:
| Grading family | Where it comes from | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| European grading | The pattern conventions most European brands cut to | If your specification came from a European supplier and your workforce is in Asia or West Africa, the labels will not behave the way your staff expect |
| Asian grading | What most factories default to when no ratio is specified | Smaller through the mid-range. Carrying a European specification over unchanged produces garments that arrive "one size small" |
| US grading | US retail sizing, usually the most generous through the middle | Common on orders that started as promotional or retail programmes rather than industrial ones |
The practical consequence: specify body measurements, not a size label. Instead of "large", tell us the chest, waist, inseam and sleeve length you want a large to fit. That removes the grading question entirely, and it is the single most useful thing you can put in a specification. If you cannot supply measurements, ask for a size set and fit it on real people before you commit.
3. Building a ratio from your own data
The most reliable ratio is the one derived from your own workforce, and you almost certainly already have the data. Three sources, in order of quality:
- What you issued last time. If you have issued uniforms before, you know how many of each size left the store. This is the best data you have and it is free. Add back any size that ran out.
- Your existing garment labels. A stocktake of the sizes currently in use across sites gives you a distribution even without historical issue records.
- Measured headcount. If you are outfitting a new workforce or switching supplier, measuring a representative sample of 30–50 people gives a better ratio than any generic table.
The adjustment most buyers forget. Whatever ratio your data gives you, add one step to the larger sizes on the first order. Industrial workwear is worn over other clothing, and staff who have never been issued a correctly-fitting coverall will often take a size up when given the choice. Then review the ratio after every consignment — the right ratio is a moving target, not a fixed number.
4. The sizes that always run out
| Size | Why it runs out | What we recommend |
|---|---|---|
| 2XL | Under-ordered almost universally, because it sits just outside what feels like "the middle" | Treat 2XL as a core size, not an outlier. Order it on the first consignment |
| 3XL and above | Ordered in a token quantity, then exhausted by the handful of people who need it | Order slightly above your estimate. A spare 3XL is a usable garment; a missing one is a person without coveralls |
| Small | Usually over-ordered, then left on the shelf | Trim it. Most operations carry more dead small stock than they admit |
| Long or tall fittings | Not offered at all, so taller staff take a larger size and get a garment that is too wide | Ask whether the style can be graded with additional leg and sleeve length |
5. Regional ratios we actually see
The figures below come from order data across the markets we publish guides for. They are a starting point for discussion, not a specification — yours will differ by industry and by site. They are useful mainly because they show how much the distribution moves between markets.
| Region | S | M | L | XL | 2XL+ | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt | 10–15% | 20–25% | 27–32% | 22–27% | 15–25% | Broader distribution with a heavier tail above XL. 2XL is routinely under-ordered |
| South Africa | 14–18% | 28–34% | 26–30% | 20–24% | 12–20% | Skews larger through the mid-range than our West African orders |
| Kenya, Tanzania | 12–18% | 26–32% | 27–32% | 21–26% | 12–18% | Agricultural and hospitality orders skew smaller; construction and security larger |
| Ethiopia | 15–21% | 27–33% | 23–29% | 16–22% | 4–9% | Closer to Asian grading than to our other African markets |
| Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand | 12–20% | 26–33% | 24–30% | 17–24% | 5–10% | Closer to Asian grading throughout |
| Singapore | 12–18% | 25–30% | 25–30% | 18–24% | 6–12% | More size-diverse than its neighbours because of a mixed workforce |
| Vietnam | 14–20% | 27–33% | 24–30% | 17–23% | 4–9% | — |
| Egypt | 20–26% | 27–32% | 22–27% | 14–18% | 4–8% | — |
Ranges are the distributions observed across our order data for each market, rounded. They are indicative. Your own issue records are a better guide than this table, and a size set is better still.
6. Women's fit is a different pattern, not a smaller one
This is worth stating plainly because it is the most common shortcut in the trade. Making a "women's" garment by cutting a men's pattern two sizes down produces a garment that fits badly in the shoulders, too long in the body and wrong through the waist. It is also the kind of thing a workforce notices on day one.
Our women's garments are cut from a separate pattern: different shoulder and bust shaping, a shorter body length, a shaped waist, and a different sleeve and trouser fit. On hotel, healthcare, retail and aviation contracts — where a large share of the workforce is female — this is not a refinement, it is the difference between a uniform programme that works and one that generates complaints. Ask for a size set that includes the women's cut before you commit to bulk.
If your workforce includes women in roles where the garment must also be modest — long sleeves, a longer tunic length, a looser cut for cultural or religious reasons — tell us at enquiry stage. We make garments for those requirements routinely, and it is much easier to build in than to retrofit.
7. Measuring for a size set
A size set is one garment in each size of the range you are considering, in the style and fabric you intend to order. It is charged at sample cost and credited against the bulk order, and it takes 7–10 days.
| Measurement | How to take it | Why it decides the fit |
|---|---|---|
| Chest or bust | Around the fullest part, tape level, over a shirt | The primary grading dimension. Most of the fit problem lives here |
| Waist | At the natural waistline, not where trousers are worn | Decides whether the garment gaps or pulls |
| Hip or seat | Around the fullest part | Decides whether a coverall can be pulled on over other clothing |
| Body length | From the shoulder seam point down the front to the length you want | The most under-specified dimension on industrial workwear, and the one that makes a garment feel wrong even when the chest is right |
| Sleeve length | From the shoulder point to the wrist, arm slightly bent | Long enough to cover the wrist on site; short enough not to catch |
| Inseam | From the crotch seam to the desired trouser hem | Trouser fit, and the difference between a size that reads as "L" in two markets |
Fit the set on real people, and include the awkward sizes. A size set that is only tried on the average build tells you nothing about the 3XL or the smallest size, which are exactly the ones that generate complaints. Put the set through the people who will notice — the tallest, the broadest and the smallest on your staff — and adjust the ratio from what comes back.
8. Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
What size ratio should I order?
You should order your ratio, not ours. The best source is what you issued last time, adjusted to add back any size that ran out. If you have no history, measure a representative sample of 30–50 people. Our regional table is a starting point for discussion, not a specification.
What sizes do you grade to?
S through 5XL on coveralls, with trouser and shirt ranges to match. Women's garments are cut from a separate pattern across the same range. Long or tall fittings can be discussed for most styles.
Should I order 2XL and above on the first order?
Yes. It is the size that runs out first and the one that costs most to add later, because a size added to a subsequent order carries a full minimum order quantity on that size alone. A spare 2XL is a usable garment; a missing one is a person without coveralls.
Can I see the fit before I commit to bulk?
Yes — that is what a size set is for. It is charged at sample cost and credited against the bulk order, and it takes 7–10 days. We recommend fitting it on a range of real people including the smallest and largest, not only the average build.
Why do the sizes feel different from my last supplier?
Because grading conventions differ. A European, an Asian and a US large are three different garments, and a factory with no specified ratio will default to an Asian distribution. The fix is to specify body measurements rather than size labels — then the label becomes irrelevant.
Do you make women's workwear?
Yes, from a separate pattern with different shoulder and bust shaping, a shorter body, a shaped waist and a different sleeve and trouser fit. It is not a scaled-down men's pattern. Ask for a size set that includes the women's cut before committing to bulk.
Can you supply modest or religiously appropriate workwear?
Yes — long sleeves, longer tunic lengths and looser cuts are routine for a great many of our customers. Tell us the requirement at enquiry stage rather than after the sample, because it changes the pattern and sometimes the fabric quantity.
How do I plan sizes for a workforce spread across several countries?
Do not use one ratio across all of them. Our own data shows the distribution moving meaningfully between markets — Ethiopia and Southeast Asia sit closer to Asian grading, while our West and Southern African orders skew larger through the mid-range. Order per site, or at least per region.
Ratio checklist
- Start from what you issued last time
- Add back the sizes that ran out
- Treat 2XL and above as core, not outlier
- Trim the small sizes
- Specify measurements, not labels
- Review after every consignment
Send us your headcount by size
If you have the numbers, send them and we will price against your ratio. If you do not, ask for a size set and we will send one in 7–10 days. Either way, you will not be ordering a factory default distribution by accident.
