Size 38 does not correspond to a unique set of measurements. Depending on whether you consult a pattern chart, a brand guide, or a ready-to-wear table, the figures vary, sometimes by several centimeters for the same bust measurement. Understanding these discrepancies and knowing how to measure your own body accurately remains the only reliable method to determine if a size 38 garment will fit.
Discrepancies Between Pattern Charts and Brand Guides for Size 38
The tables used in sewing (Orageuse patterns, Petit Citron) are based on a fixed reference height. At Petit Citron, size 38 corresponds to a height of 160 cm, 88 cm bust, 70 cm waist, and 94 cm hips. Orageuse uses the same measurements, but for a height of 168 cm, which alters the sleeve length and side length of the pants.
On the brand side, the Tchibo guide positions size 38 within a range of 86 to 89 cm bust, 71 to 74 cm waist, and 96 to 98 cm hips. Here we observe a point that most mainstream articles do not clarify: brands reason in measurement ranges, not in single figures. A Tchibo size 38 does not have the same upper limits as a 38 on a sewing pattern.
This divergence comes from the purpose of the chart. A sewing pattern targets a model body on which the garment will be adjusted with darts and seams. A brand guide incorporates the ease intended in the finished garment. Directly comparing the two without considering this ease leads to frequent sizing errors, especially when trying to reliably determine the measurements for a size 38 women’s clothing.
Measuring Your Waist, Bust, and Hips with a Measuring Tape
Taking measurements conditions everything else. A two-centimeter difference in waist measurement can shift you from a size 38 to a size 40 depending on the brand.
Reliable Measurement Protocol
- Bust measurement: place the measuring tape horizontally at the fullest part of the bust, arms along the body. The tape should be parallel to the ground, without compressing or floating.
- Waist measurement: measure at the natural hollow, between the last rib and the iliac crest. Take the measurement at the end of a normal exhalation, not by sucking in your stomach.
- Hip measurement: run the tape around the widest part of the hips, feet together. Keep the tape horizontal by checking in a side mirror.
- Inseam length: from the top of the inner thigh to the sole of the foot, useful for pants and jumpsuits.
We recommend taking each measurement twice and averaging the results. A flexible fiberglass measuring tape provides more stable results than a fabric tape that stretches over time.
Common Errors That Distort the Result
Measuring over jeans or a thick sweater easily adds one to two centimeters. Standing slightly bent alters the waist measurement. The reflex to pull on the tape to get a lower number compresses soft tissues and produces an unusable value in pattern making.
Another trap: measuring the hip measurement too high. The widest point of the hips is generally about twenty centimeters below the waist, not at the level of the pants waistband.
Height and Body Shape: Why Size 38 Is Not Enough to Describe a Body
A size 38 on a woman who is 160 cm tall and a size 38 on a woman who is 168 cm tall do not fall the same way. The pattern charts clearly show this: height alters sleeve lengths, inseam lengths, and torso lengths, without changing the main measurements.
The distribution of volume is as important as the centimeters. Two women with 88 cm bust, 70 cm waist, and 94 cm hips can have very different body shapes depending on the height of the bust, the width of the shoulders, or the lumbar curvature. The ready-to-wear sizing system does not capture these parameters.
This is why ratios like 90-60-90 have no operational value for choosing a garment. These figures, inherited from old aesthetic conventions, do not correspond to either sewing charts or current brand guides. They describe an “ideal” that has no concrete translation in garment sizing.
Summary Table of Size 38 Measurements According to Sources
| Source | Height (cm) | Bust (cm) | Waist (cm) | Hips (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Citron (pattern) | 160 | 88 | 70 | 94 |
| Orageuse (pattern) | 168 | 88 | 70 | 94 |
| Tchibo (ready-to-wear) | – | 86-89 | 71-74 | 96-98 |
This table highlights an eight-centimeter difference in height between two sewing charts that share the same measurements. It also shows that ready-to-wear broadens each measurement into a range, while the pattern fixes a single number.
Knowing your precise measurements remains more useful than trying to fit into a grid. The body is not standardized, and size 38 is just a label whose content varies from one wardrobe to another. The only reliable constant is the measuring tape.