Clothing sizes, like units of measurement, have existed for centuries and greatly facilitate the comparison of similar items. The list of units of measurement is endless and encompasses not only clothing sizes but also distances, weights, paper sizes, scales, memory of electronic devices, and much more.
The fact that there are so many units of measurement makes it sometimes difficult to remember the relationship between them and how to compare them. In addition, in many cases, the origin of these units dates back to other times or comes from other languages and/or cultures.
For example, in the case of clothing sizes, which is the topic of today’s article, the following question may arise: Is L bigger than M?
For some, this question may seem pointless, as if you know the origin of the letters that represent the size, then comparing them is very easy. However, if this is not the case, and to avoid you continuing to read, we will answer your question:
Is L Bigger than M?
A size L is bigger than a size M. They are two consecutive sizes, where L stands for Large Size and M stands for Medium Size.
The Origin of the Letters Representing Each Size and Equivalence Between Them
The most widely used clothing sizes today are those represented by the following letters: XS, S, M, L, XL, and a long etcetera of Xs that can go both before the S and the L.
Although it may seem overwhelming at times, these sizes could have been conceived by the creators of Sesame Street since they are based on three very simple concepts:
- Small (S)
- Medium (M)
- Large (L)
And now, you may be wondering where the X comes from that sometimes accompanies the S and the L, and sometimes repeatedly.
The X comes from the word “eXtra” and acts as a multiplier of the preceding letter, so:
- XS means “extra small”
- XL means “extra large”
And as you may have seen occasionally, that X can be used as many times as necessary to cover the range of sizes offered by the brand.
- XXS or 2XS, XXXS or 3XS, XXXXS or 4XS, …
- XXL or 2XL, XXXL or 3XL, XXXXL or 4XL, …
Size Comparison Table: Where is Size L and Size M in the Table?
| Size | US Men’s | US Women’s | UK Men’s | UK Women’s | EU Men’s | EU Women’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXS | 26-28 | 0-2 | 30 | 4 | 42 | 30 |
| XS | 28-30 | 4-6 | 32 | 6 | 44 | 32 |
| S | 32-34 | 8-10 | 34 | 8 | 46 | 34 |
| M | 36-38 | 12-14 | 36 | 10 | 48 | 36 |
| L | 40-42 | 16-18 | 38 | 12 | 50 | 38 |
| XL | 44-46 | 20-22 | 40 | 14 | 52 | 40 |
| XXL | 48-50 | 24-26 | 42 | 16 | 54 | 42 |
| 3XL | 52-54 | 28-30 | 44 | 18 | 56 | 44 |
| 4XL | 56-58 | 32-34 | 46 | 20 | 58 | 46 |
Conclusion on the question: Is L bigger than M?
As we have seen, size L is bigger than size M. The reason behind is because L means large and M means medium, so you will no longer have any doubts when choosing a size when shopping.
Other Clothing Size Comparisons
Photo by Kai Pilger
