You find the perfect dress on the rail. The colour is right, the fabric is right, the price is very right. Then you check the label and it says 38. Or UK 10. Or IT 42. Or just "M", which could mean anything. Welcome to one of the quiet skills of thrift shopping in Lebanon: reading size labels from every corner of the world.
A consignment store gathers clothes from dozens of closets, and those closets were filled in Paris, London, Dubai, Istanbul and online shops everywhere. So a single rack of second-hand clothes in Lebanon can carry four sizing systems at once. Here is how to decode them without a calculator, and why your tape measure matters more than any number.
The three systems you will meet most
Most labels on pre-loved fashion in Lebanon follow European (EU), UK or US sizing. For women's clothing, a rough guide looks like this:
- EU 34 is about UK 6 and US 2
- EU 36 is about UK 8 and US 4
- EU 38 is about UK 10 and US 6
- EU 40 is about UK 12 and US 8
- EU 42 is about UK 14 and US 10
- EU 44 is about UK 16 and US 12
The easy trick: subtract 28 from the EU number to get the UK size, then subtract 2 more for the US size. It is not perfect, but it gets you to the right rail fast.
Italian sizes run their own way. An Italian 42 is roughly an EU 38, so add four to the EU size to find the Italian one. If a beautiful Italian blouse says 44 and you usually wear a 40, it may be exactly your size.
Menswear: chest, waist and collar
Men's labels tend to be more literal, which is good news. Jeans often show waist and length in inches, like 32/32. Shirts may give a collar size in centimetres (39, 40, 41) or inches (15, 15.5, 16). Jackets and blazers frequently use EU sizes like 48, 50 or 52, where 50 is roughly a US or UK 40 chest. Subtract 10 from the EU jacket number and you are close.
Letter sizes (S, M, L) are where things wobble. A medium from a European high street brand and a medium from an American sportswear label can be a full size apart. Treat letters as a hint, not a promise.
Shoes: the trickiest numbers on the rack
Shoe sizing varies more than clothing, so always try before you commit. As a starting point for women, EU 38 is around UK 5 and US 7 to 7.5. For men, EU 42 is around UK 8 and US 9. Half sizes, wide fits and brand habits all shift the result, and older shoes may have stretched to the shape of their previous owner. Walk a few steps in the store before deciding.
Kids sizes: go by height, not age
Children's clothes are labelled by age (3-4 years) or by height in centimetres (104, 110, 116). Height is the more reliable of the two, because a tall five-year-old and a small seven-year-old can wear the same thing. If you are shopping second-hand for kids, measure your child's height before you leave home and match it to the label. Our kids and baby collection moves fast, so it helps to know your numbers in advance.
Why the label is only half the story
Here is the honest truth about second-hand clothes in Lebanon: the label tells you what a garment was, not always what it is now. Clothes shrink a little in the wash, knits relax, and some pieces were altered by their last owner. Vintage sizing is its own world too, since sizes have grown more generous over the decades. A vintage 12 can fit like a modern 8.
That is why smart thrifters carry their measurements, not just their size. Three numbers cover almost everything:
- Bust or chest at the fullest point
- Waist at the narrowest point
- Hips at the widest point
Add your inseam if you buy trousers, and the length from shoulder to hem of a top you love. Save them in your phone. Then lay a garment flat, measure across, double the number, and compare. It takes thirty seconds and saves a lot of disappointment.
Shopping online without guessing
Buying pre-loved fashion online in Lebanon adds one more question: will it fit when it arrives? At Why Go Less, every item is inspected, cleaned, steamed, photographed and honestly described, and online orders can be inspected at delivery and refused before you pay. So if the size is wrong, you hand it back at the door. If you want a measurement before ordering, email us at hello@whygoless.com or send a message to @whygoless on Instagram.
Browse dresses and tops with your measurements open in another tab and you will be surprised how often a "wrong" size turns out to be exactly right. For the small print on exchanges, our return and exchange policy explains it all.
Try it on in Dekwaneh
Nothing beats a fitting room. If you have been searching for a thrift store Beirut side, our consignment store in Lebanon gets new items in a fresh collection drop every 15 days, with prices in USD and labels from all over the world. Bring your measurements, ignore the number on the tag if it scares you, and trust the mirror.
Why Go Less is open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Sundays by appointment only. Second-hand Dekwaneh shopping is always better in person. Find us in Dekwaneh and come try a few sizes on. The right one is usually hiding in the next number over.
