us to uk sizes

Hi everyone, just joined here. Im not american but my wife will be here coming in march 2014. Im wondering if any of the expats living here have ever come across a big poster featuring all the sizing differences between here and america e.g. weight, liquid, feet/inches, shoes, clothes, temperature, jewellry and who knows what else. Not important i know but ive become her personal conversion machine. I trawled the internet but nothing im looking for. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Clothing sizes tend to be 1-2 sizes (the number) different here from what they are in the US, but like so much with clothing - it depends on the store, the manufacturer, sometimes even the individual garment as there doesn't seem to be a true standard size any longer (lots of vanity sizing etc).  So for instance, if your wife wears a size 10, say, in the US - she might wear a size 12 or even 14 here in the UK. However, like I said, this varies a lot from shop to shop, garment to garment, etc.

Shoe sizes are usually 2 down here - I wore a size 9 in the US, here I'm a size 7 in shoes.

I find with both of those, it's best just to try the thing on & go from there! 

Most of the metric conversions (weight, liquid, feet/inches, temperature, etc), you can easily find conversions by doing a quick Google search. That's what I usually do, just use Google & pull up an instant converter where I put in the measure I know & it brings up the equivalent metric one.

http://www.onlineconversion.com/clothing_womens.htm

I'm an engineer and I work with people all over the world so I am constantly doing conversions.  My iPhone is my friend! 
So, if you/she has a smart phone, there are some lovely conversion apps available.

Or likewise:
http://www.unitconverters.net/

The UK is a nice middle ground with metric and "English" units but not fully "English" (United States customary) units like the US, rather than completely metric like other parts of the EU.

After a while it becomes second nature.  Even stones.  Or Gas marks.  Lol.   

The website has a conversion tool on it.  http://www.uk-yankee.com/guide/expat-guide-uk/toolbox

Under expat info above^^^^

This has saved my life a couple times when buying stuff from the UK while in the US, or making a UK recipe and now all my US recipes. 


As for clothes and shoes......try everything on.  I am normally a size 8 dress in the US but in the UK find 14 or 16 fit better for dresses and 12 or 14 for tops.  For shoes I am a 7 in the US and anything from a 4 to a 5 1/2 (when i can find half sizes) here.

 

thanks for the input but i know how to go about converting things. i was just wondering if anyone had ever come across a poster i could put up.

thanks for the input but i know how to go about converting things. i was just wondering if anyone had ever come across a poster i could put up.

As far as cooking measurements go, I've seen fridge magnets. I think Lakeland used to sell them, but that was years ago so they may not do them anymore.

Oh, I found this! Would it do?

You could make your own and print it out?

Oh, I found this! Would it do?

Fancy! 

It's probably not the most accurate approach, and therefore probably not recommended for baking in particular, but I just guestimate everything and hope for the best.  I still haven't bought a kitchen scale to figure things out in grams;  I also just use my standard tea and tablespoons for measuring, since I still don't have a set of measuring cups either. 

Nothing I've made up to this point in time has been inedible, so I'd say it's been a success even without that fancy chart. (But that fancy chart is now definitely going on my Christmas List, due to the ease/convenience factor/my mom never knowing what to get me these days!) Thanks Chary!

Fancy! 

It's probably not the most accurate approach, and therefore probably not recommended for baking in particular, but I just guestimate everything and hope for the best.  I still haven't bought a kitchen scale to figure things out in grams;  I also just use my standard tea and tablespoons for measuring, since I still don't have a set of measuring cups either. 

Nothing I've made up to this point in time has been inedible, so I'd say it's been a success even without that fancy chart. (But that fancy chart is now definitely going on my Christmas List, due to the ease/convenience factor/my mom never knowing what to get me these days!) Thanks Chary!

The one thing I made sure I brought was my measuring cups and spoons from the US so atleast I can make my US recipes in the UK.  Tho I only use them for baking.  When I am cooking a meal, I typically use the palm of my hand.  I know, especially for sauces, How many palmfuls of each spice I need.  Tho I tend to taste everything while I am cooking and am quite good at figuring out what is needed. 

Geowoody the link I posted from this site is easy to print out.  Won't be poster size, but can easily fit in a drawer to help her out

You could make your own and print it out?

I second this idea.

I'm a US citizen, and when I moved here my UK husband made me an A4 chart with kitchen-related conversions.  He gave it to me in draft form, and when I made a few tweaks he produced a final version and laminated it.  It even includes 4" of a ruler so I can measure centimeters and inches.

I had just about gotten the oven conversions in my head (from Fahrenheit to Gas Mark) when we moved and got an oven that goes by Celsius.  My little chart has all 3 on it, which is very useful indeed!

Mine is attached to the refrigerator via a magnet; I can usually get the information I need just by looking, but sometimes when I am thinking really hard about a conversion I like to hold it in my hands. 

Hope you find (or make!) something that will work for your wife.