Sizing on Taobao where S/M/L means nothing

The tag lies, the notes tell

One store's M is another's L. The printed size is a suggestion, not a standard. The row where a buyer writes 'I'm 170/65, took L, perfect' is the only real sizing data you have.

Stack two or three of those notes and the right size stops being a gamble. Ignore them and you're guessing against a label that means nothing.

1688 factory codes vs retail sizes

1688 listings often size by chest/cm or a factory number that maps loosely to retail. Convert with the seller's own chart, not a generic search. The factory cut to its own chart, so that chart is law.

When a listing gives both a cm measure and a size label, trust the cm. It's the one number that doesn't lie about where you actually sit.

Measure flat, not dressed

For tops and trousers, lay the item flat and measure across, then compare to the seller's flat measurements — not to the size you grab in a Western store. Asian cuts run narrower through the shoulder and thigh.

Write the numbers down. The size you 'usually wear' is memory; the tape is fact. The note column exists so you don't have to remember.

Exchanges across a border don't exist

You're shipping through an agent from China. There is no 'send it back, swap a size'. Wrong size means a second order or a closet orphan. The cost of guessing wrong is real money.

That's why the height-weight notes matter more than the tag. Someone already wore your size; read it like it's the only review that counts.

Two feet, two numbers, one choice

For shoes, size to the larger foot and let the smaller get a little room. Taobao shoe sizing is the wildest of all — check the cm foot length on the product, not the EU/US label.

If the row has no size note, slow down and read reviews for fit before you commit. Guessing on a Taobao find means a second order if you're wrong.

FAQ

Further reading