Understanding Chinese Sizes As might be expected, Chinese sizes differ considerably from current US sizing standards. For example, clothes from China are sometimes labeled with two numbers, e.g., 165/80. In this figure, the first number represents the height of the wearer in centimeters. The second number expresses the circumference of the wearer’s chest or bust in centimeters. Alternatively, Chinese clothes—especially those intended for export—often are labeled in basic alpha sizes (XS, S, M, etc.). In this case, please remember that Chinese alpha sizes, as most Asian sizes, tend to run smaller than their US or UK counterparts, so in many cases, an M should rather be regarded as an S.