EN 13402 - EN 13402-4: Coding System

EN 13402-4: Coding System

Parts of this article (those related to part 4 of the standard) are outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.

The fourth part of the standard is still under review. It will define a compact coding system for clothes sizes. This was originally intended primarily for industry use in databases and as a part of stock-keeping identifiers and catalogue ordering numbers, but later users have also expressed a desire to use compact codes for customer communication. Writing out all the centimetre figures of all the primary and secondary measures from EN 13402-2 can – in some cases – require up to 12 digits. The full list of centimetre figures on the pictogram contains a lot of redundancy and the same information can be squeezed into fewer characters with lookup tables. EN 13402-4 will define such tables.

Dismissed 2005 draft: women's clothes, 3-digit codes
Bust 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 100 104 110 116 122 128 134 140 146 152
Waist 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 94 100 106 112 118 124 130 136
Label XXS XS S M L XL XXL 3XL 4XL
Code 0__ 1__ 2__ 3__ 4__ 5__ 6__ 7__ 8__
_0_ 68 76 84 92 100 112 122 132 142
_1_ _5_ 72 80 88 96 106 117 127 137 147
_2_ _6_ 76 84 92 100 112 122 132 142 152
_3_ _7_ 80 88 96 106 117 127 137 147 157
_4_ _8_ 84 92 100 112 122 132 142 152 162
_9_ 88 96 106 117 127 137 147 157 167
Height 152 156 160 164 168 172 176 180 184 188
Code __0 __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 __6 __7 __8 __9

An earlier draft of this part of the standard attempted to list all in-use combinations of EN 13402-3 measures and assigned a short 2- or 3-digit code to each. Some of the industry representatives involved in the standardization process considered this approach too restrictive. Others argued that the primary dimension in centimetres should be a prominent part of the code. Therefore this proposal, originally expected to be adopted in 2005, was rejected.

Dismissed 2006 AEDT proposal: women's clothes
Primary Bust 76 80 84 88 92 96 100 104 110 116 122 128 134 140 146 152
Waist 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 94 100 106 112 118 124 130 136
Secondary Code A B C D E F G H I J
Hip-Bust 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36
Hip-Waist 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
Height 152 156 160 164 168 172 176 180 184 188

Since then, several new proposals have been presented to the CEN working group. One of these, tabled by the European Association of National Organisations of Textile Traders (AEDT), proposes a 5-character alphanumeric code, consisting of the 3-digit centimetre figure of the primary body dimension, followed by one or two letters that code a secondary dimension, somewhat like the system already defined for bra sizes. For example, an item designed for 100 cm bust girth, 104 cm hip girth and 176 cm height could bear the compact size code "100BG". This proposal was agreed upon in 2006, but later disregarded. A paper by Bogusławska-Bączek published in 2010 showed that there were still significant difficulties in identifying clothing sizes.

Read more about this topic:  EN 13402

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