CM to Inches: A Clothing Size Conversion Guide for Bakers
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Size charts are inconsistent about units in a way that trips up almost everyone. A US-made blank lists inches. A European retailer lists centimetres. Some charts give both and label them badly.
On a made-to-order item, where a wrong size can't be exchanged, that inconsistency costs real money. So here's the whole thing in one place.
The conversion
1 inch = 2.54 cm
- Inches → centimetres: multiply by 2.54
- Centimetres → inches: divide by 2.54
That's it. Everything below is that sum, done for the numbers that actually come up.
Common garment measurements converted
| Inches | Centimetres | Typically |
|---|---|---|
| 16 ½″ | 42.0 cm | XS chest width (flat) |
| 18″ | 45.7 cm | S chest width |
| 20″ | 50.8 cm | M chest width |
| 22″ | 55.9 cm | L chest width |
| 24″ | 61.0 cm | XL chest width |
| 26″ | 66.0 cm | 2XL chest width |
| 28″ | 71.1 cm | 3XL chest width |
| 27″ | 68.6 cm | XS–S body length |
| 29″ | 73.7 cm | M body length |
| 31″ | 78.7 cm | XL body length |
Small measurements, for accessories
| Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|
| 8 cm | 3.15″ |
| 9.5 cm | 3.75″ |
| 11.9 cm | 4.69″ |
| 15 cm | 5.91″ |
| 20.3 cm | 8″ |
| 27.9 cm | 11″ |
| 38.1 cm | 15″ |
Those last three are the dimensions of our glass cutting boards — 20.3 × 27.9 cm (8″ × 11″) and 27.9 × 38.1 cm (11″ × 15″).
The important bit: flat width isn't body circumference
This is where most sizing mistakes actually happen, and it has nothing to do with units.
Garment charts usually list flat measurements — the shirt laid down and measured across, armpit seam to armpit seam. Your body measurement is a circumference — all the way round.
A 50 cm flat chest width is roughly a 100 cm garment circumference. If you compare your 100 cm chest to a 50 cm chart figure and conclude the shirt is tiny, that's the error.
Read the chart's label carefully. If it says "width" it's almost certainly flat. If it says "chest" and the numbers are large, it's probably circumference.
The method that beats all of this
Don't convert your body measurements at all. Measure a garment instead.
- Take a shirt or hoodie you already own and like the fit of
- Lay it flat on a table, smoothed out, buttons or zip closed
- Measure chest width — armpit seam straight across to armpit seam
- Measure body length — top of the shoulder seam straight down to the hem
- Match those two numbers to the chart
This works because you're comparing like with like: a flat garment against a flat garment chart. It removes units, body-shape guesswork, and the fact that "medium" means six different things across six brands.
Why we're this fussy about it
Everything we make is printed or embroidered after you order, which takes 2–5 business days. Nothing exists until someone buys it — which is what lets us make designs no warehouse would risk stocking, and means nothing is manufactured to sit unsold.
The trade-off is real: a wrong size can't be exchanged, because there's no stock to swap it against and the item can't be resold.
So we'd rather over-explain this than have you guess. If you're between sizes or unsure, email support@zomamoda.com with your two flat measurements and the product name, and we'll tell you which size to order. It takes us two minutes.
And if you're buying a gift and can't measure anything, choose something size-free — an apron, a cap, a notebook, or a gift card.
Common questions
How do I convert cm to inches for clothing?
Divide centimetres by 2.54. So 11.9 cm is about 4.69 inches, and 50.8 cm is exactly 20 inches. To go the other way, multiply inches by 2.54.
Is chest width the same as chest size?
No, and this causes more sizing errors than unit confusion does. Chart "width" is usually a flat measurement across one side of the garment; your chest size is a full circumference. Roughly, flat width × 2 = garment circumference.
What's the most reliable way to pick a size online?
Measure a garment you already own and like, flat — chest width armpit to armpit, and length shoulder to hem — then match those numbers to the size chart. It beats guessing your usual size, which varies between brands and styles.
ZomaModa makes sourdough and baking apparel for people who take it far too seriously. Every product page has a size chart in both cm and inches. Browse apparel.