How to measure clothes for a Vinted listing
A size on a label means different things from one brand to the next. A few numbers in your description tell the buyer what they will really get. Here is what to measure and how.
Lay the item flat, measure it in centimetres and write the numbers in the description, next to the size on the tag. Vinted lists measurements first among the things a good description should include. A wrong size is also one of the reasons a buyer can ask for a refund.
Why the size on the tag is not enough
Vinted says it in its own size charts: international sizing is not standardised, so sizes differ between countries. The charts may not apply to every brand, and the exact measurements of an item can vary by brand or country. If a buyer is not sure about a size, precise measurements help. Source: Women's clothing size chart
Vinted even changed its own size system. A UK size 16 used to be shown as XXL, and it now sits in L / UK 16-18. If you listed women's clothes before 10 November 2025, Vinted asks you to check the sizes on those listings. Source: Guide to clothing size system updates
A buyer who sees "M" does not know which M you mean. A buyer who sees "armpit to armpit 52 cm" can take a jumper they own and compare.
What Vinted asks you to write
Vinted's guide to describing an item gives a list of what a detailed description should include. The item's measurements come first. Then extra materials, repairs or tailoring, a missing brand label, and every flaw. Vinted adds that buyers can ask to return an item if they think it is very different from the listing. Source: Describing an item
For sizes, Vinted gives two more tips. Copy the size from the tag into the description, for example "Label says UK 12". And add a clear photo of the size tag to your listing photos.
For some tops, the listing form also has its own Measurements box, with shoulder width and length. Vinted's short help page on measurements shows those same two, and tells buyers to ask the seller if they need more. Source: Measurements
How to measure, step by step
This is practical advice from selling, not a Vinted rule. It works for almost any piece of clothing.
Lay it flat
Use a table or the floor. Button or zip it closed and smooth out the creases. Do not stretch the fabric.
Use a soft tape measure
A sewing tape is best. A metal tape or a ruler works for shoes and bags. Write everything in centimetres.
Measure in straight lines
Go from edge to edge or seam to seam, the same way every time. Round to the nearest whole centimetre.
Write what you measured
Put the name of each measurement next to its number. Add "approximate" and "measured flat" at the top of the list.
Photograph the tag
Add one clear photo of the size label. It answers half the questions before they are asked.
What to measure for each item
You do not need every number for every item. These are the ones buyers ask about most.
| Item | What to measure |
|---|---|
| T-shirts, jumpers, shirts | Armpit to armpit, length from the top of the shoulder to the hem, sleeve from the shoulder seam to the cuff |
| Coats and jackets | Armpit to armpit, shoulder seam to shoulder seam, length, sleeve |
| Dresses | Armpit to armpit, waist flat, length from the shoulder to the hem |
| Trousers and jeans | Waist flat, hips flat, inside leg from the crotch seam to the hem, total length |
| Skirts and shorts | Waist flat, hips flat, length |
| Shoes | Insole length, from the heel to the toe |
For hips, measure straight across the widest part, usually level with the bottom of the zip.
Measured flat: say it clearly
A waist measured flat is half the real waist. If you write "waist 38 cm", one buyer reads 38 cm all round and thinks it is tiny. Another doubles it in their head. Write "waist 38 cm, measured flat". Or give both: "waist 38 cm flat, about 76 cm all round".
The same goes for armpit to armpit and hips. Say the word "flat" once at the top of your list and nobody has to guess.
Shoes: the insole says more than the size
Shoe sizes change between countries too. On Vinted's men's shoe chart, a UK 8 is an EU 42 and a US 9. Vinted adds that the chart may not apply to all brands, and that exact measurements help when you are not sure. Source: Men's shoe size chart
If the insole comes out, take it out and measure it from the back of the heel to the tip. If it is glued in, measure inside the shoe along the sole. Give the size on the label as well, with the country, for example "EU 42".
A wrong size can end in a refund
Vinted counts an incorrect size as "significantly not as described". Items that simply do not fit the buyer, or that they do not like, are not. Source: "Significantly not as described" items at Vinted
When Vinted says the parcel should have arrived, the buyer has 2 days to report a problem. The order is then put on hold and the money is kept from you until it is sorted out. You can offer a partial refund, a full refund, or ask for a return. A buyer asked to return an item has 5 business days to send it back. Source: Item is significantly not as described
Clear numbers in the listing help here. The buyer can check them before they pay. And if a question comes up later, you both look at the same numbers.
Flogit writes a draft description from your photos, with a spot for measurements. If you give it your numbers, it puts them in. If you do not, it leaves them out and invites the buyer to ask. It never guesses a measurement from a photo. You can read more in writing listings with Flogit.
Checked against Vinted's help centre on 29 September 2026. If Vinted changes something, tell us and we will update this page.
