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If you have ever ordered activewear online in Australia and found it arrives noticeably tighter than the same nominal size in a local store, you are not imagining it. Most activewear sold online is cut on one of three different size blocks, and they do not line up.
The three blocks, and why they differ
An Australian size 10 in a department store is drafted for a body around 87cm bust, 71cm waist and 94cm hip. A US size 6 is drafted close to the same measurements. An Asian-block M — used by most activewear manufactured in the region, which is most activewear — is typically drafted one to two sizes smaller through the waist and hip.
The result is that the same letter means three different garments. A brand that lists S, M and L without saying which block it is using is leaving you to work it out from reviews.
The conversion, roughly
| Letter size | AU dress size | US | EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 8 | 4 | 36 |
| M | 10 | 6 | 38 |
| L | 12 | 8 | 40 |
| XL | 14 | 10 | 42 |
| 2XL | 16 | 12 | 44 |
| 3XL | 18 | 14 | 46 |
| 4XL | 20 | 16 | 48 |
| 5XL | 22 | 18 | 50 |
Treat this as a starting point, not a rule. It maps the letter to an AU dress size assuming a Western block. On an Asian block, shift one size up.
Measure your waist, not your dress size
Dress size is a poor input for activewear because it is driven by the bust, and leggings do not care about your bust. The two measurements that decide whether a legging fits are:
- Natural waist — the narrowest point, usually about 2cm above the navel. This is where a high waistband sits.
- Hip — the widest point around the seat, feet together.
Measure over bare skin or thin underwear, with the tape snug but not compressing. Write both numbers down somewhere you will find them again; they will serve you for every online activewear order you ever make.
How to read a size chart properly
Size charts come in two flavours, and brands rarely say which one they are giving you.
Body measurements tell you the body the garment is designed to fit. If a chart says M fits a 66–73cm waist and your waist is 70cm, you are an M.
Garment measurements tell you the flat dimensions of the item itself, unstretched. For a legging these look alarmingly small — a legging made for a 66cm waist might measure 30cm flat across the band, because the band doubles and stretches. If a chart gives you numbers that seem impossibly small, it is a garment chart, and you should compare against half your body measurement rather than all of it.
When to size up
Take the larger size if any of these apply:
- You are between two sizes on the chart.
- You are buying a textured, ribbed or scrunch knit — these are cut closer than smooth knits.
- You want the piece for lounging or walking rather than training. Compression that feels supportive in a gym feels restrictive on a couch.
- You carry more through the thigh than the waist. Waistbands stretch generously; thigh panels do not.
Stay true to size if you want maximum compression, or if you are buying a seamless knit, which has more give than a cut-and-sew one.
What we do about it
Our styles are cut on an Asian block, and we say so on the product page rather than leaving you to find out. Each listing carries an AU dress-size conversion alongside the letter size, and the size guide has the full table.
If you are at the larger end of the run, our plus size activewear goes to 5XL in the same fabrics and colourways as every other size. And if you order and the fit is wrong, you have 30 days to send it back unworn — see our returns policy.
