German lingerie tags read in centimeters, and the jump from an inch-based band to a German one catches a lot of first-time importers off guard. Germany follows the same cm-band, +16-offset logic as the rest of continental Europe, with cup letters that largely track the EU standard.
German lingerie tags read in centimeters, and the jump from an inch-based band to a German one catches a lot of first-time importers off guard. Germany follows the same cm-band, +16-offset logic as the rest of continental Europe, with cup letters that largely track the EU standard.
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How Germany Sizing Actually Works
Germany follows the same cm-band, +16-offset logic as the rest of continental Europe, with cup letters that largely track the EU standard.
Germany’s underwear industry is large and export-heavy, so German-made bras show up on shelves well outside the country — worth knowing the conversion even if you’re not shopping there directly.
Convert Your Size
Use the calculator above to see your size across all 7 systems this site supports, Germany included. If you already know your size in another system, enter it into the Global Bra Size Converter instead of doing the math by hand.
Getting an Accurate Starting Point
No conversion is more accurate than the measurement it’s based on — How to Measure covers the exact technique this calculator assumes, and the Sister Size Calculator is worth trying if your first result doesn’t feel quite right.
A Worked Example for Germany
Say your underbust measures 36 inches and your bust measures 40 inches — a US 36DD. Converted to Germany’s system, that becomes roughly 105cm E using the formula above. Run your own numbers through the calculator on this page rather than eyeballing the conversion — small rounding differences near a size boundary can shift the result by a full cup letter.
Shopping Locally vs. Importing in Germany
German retailers tend to publish detailed cm-based charts with measurement diagrams, which makes self-checking a converted size against the brand’s own numbers unusually easy here.
Common Sizing Mistakes Shoppers Make in Germany
German shoppers sometimes convert their band size but forget the cup ladder shifts too, ending up trying on a technically-correct band with the wrong cup entirely.
Another German-market slip is not accounting for the fact that some budget retailers round bands to the nearest 10cm rather than the standard nearest-5cm convention.
A Note on Retail Fitting in Germany
German retailers commonly post detailed measurement diagrams directly in the fitting room, which makes self-checking a size against the brand’s own chart straightforward.
Germany’s Role in the Broader EU Sizing System
Germany is one of several countries that share this same underbust-plus-cup convention, so a size that works in a German retailer’s chart generally translates directly to neighboring countries using the same system.
A Market Known for Precise Fit Culture
German retail has a strong tradition of technical, precision-oriented fit guidance, which shows up in how thoroughly many German lingerie retailers document their own size charts compared to some other EU markets.
One of the Larger EU Markets for Extended Sizing
Germany’s large population and retail infrastructure mean a genuinely wide range of extended and specialty sizes are available through domestic retailers, reducing the need to import compared to smaller EU markets.
Precision Culture Extends to Product Descriptions
German retail listings often include unusually detailed fabric composition and construction specifications compared to some other markets — worth reading closely since these details can predict fit and comfort as much as the size number alone.
FAQ
No — Germany uses the same continental EU band/cup logic as France and Spain.
It's centimeters, not inches — an 80 roughly corresponds to a 34-36 in the US/UK system.
Generally yes, but always check the specific brand's chart since cut varies by manufacturer everywhere.
A converter gets you close, but cut and construction still vary by brand — treat the converted number as your starting point for trying on, not a guarantee.
Yes — conversions get less reliable at the extremes of any scale, since brands often adjust proportions rather than just scaling a size up or down uniformly.
Reasonably reliable as a starting point, but always check whether the chart is retailer-wide or specific to the exact product — the two aren't always identical.
It can add cost and delivery time, and in some cases customs duties — factor this in especially for a size you're not fully confident about, since returns get more expensive across borders.
After — get your baseline size from the calculator, then check that exact product's own chart, since retailer-wide conversions are a starting point, not a guarantee for every individual style.
No — Germany uses the same EU band-in-centimeters convention as its EU neighbors; the perception of extra precision comes from retail culture, not a different measuring method.
