With briefs, one measurement matters: hip circumference. Your dress size (36, 38, 40) is only an approximation, because a size 38 dress can have a completely different tolerance than knitted briefs. Below: the chart we use at Zeprado, how to measure and how to choose for each style – from cotton briefs to seamless and shaping ones.
How to measure your hips
- Stand up straight with your feet together.
- Run a tape measure horizontally around the fullest part of your buttocks. The tape should sit against the body without digging in.
- Check in a mirror that the tape has not slipped down at the back – the most common mistake, which lowers the result by 2–3 cm.
- Measure over thin underwear or none, not over trousers.
Women's briefs size chart
| Size | Hips | EU equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| S | 86–92 cm | 36 |
| M | 93–98 cm | 38 |
| L | 99–104 cm | 40 |
| XL | 105–110 cm | 42 |
| XXL | 111–116 cm | 44 |
Size 3XL is available in some Key, Emili and Verde Veronica styles, and 4XL in single styles by Kleo, Verde Veronica and Selene; each further size is roughly 6 cm more at the hips (equivalents 46 and 48). Julimex also offers combined sizes – XS/S, M/L and XL/2XL – where one piece covers two rows of the chart. Every product at Zeprado comes with its manufacturer's chart, because the limits between sizes differ by a few centimetres depending on the brand and the fabric.
Between two sizes: what to choose
- Cotton briefs – the larger size. Cotton stretches less than microfibre and can shrink slightly when washed hot.
- Seamless and laser-cut – the larger size. Edges without elastic stay in place thanks to the fit, but too small they dig in and show under clothes – exactly what they were meant to avoid.
- Lace – the larger size; lace stretches less than smooth microfibre, and when too tight it shows under clothes.
- Shaping and high-waisted – the size from the chart, never smaller. Shaping comes from the construction and the fabric, not from pressure; shaping briefs that are too small push tissue up instead of smoothing it.
- Thongs and Brazilian briefs – the size by your hips, without adjustments; less fabric does not mean a smaller size.
- Shorts – if you have slim hips and fuller thighs, take the larger size; the leg of shorts sits on the thigh, not the hips.
Style and where the waistband sits
The chart is based on the hips, but comfort depends on where the waistband sits:
- High-waisted briefs – the waistband sits at the waist; if your waist is clearly narrower than your hips, a style chosen by hip size will feel loose at the waist – that is normal and better than the other way round.
- Bikini and hipster – the waistband sits below the navel, on the widest part of the hips; here the chart is most accurate.
- Classic (midi) briefs – the waistband sits between the navel and the hips; the most versatile style for less standard proportions.
Signs of the wrong size
- Too small: the waistband marks your skin after an hour, the leg edges dig into your buttocks, the fabric gathers at the crotch, a horizontal line shows on your hips under a tight dress.
- Too big: the back wrinkles and shifts when you walk, the waistband does not stay at the waist, the leg openings gape.
How to match the fabric to how you wear them is covered in our comparison of cotton, microfibre, modal and bamboo, and styles for tight clothes in underwear for a tight dress. If you are matching briefs to a bra, read how to put together a lingerie set. All styles are in the women's briefs category; separately: high-waisted, cotton, lace, thongs, shorts and shaping.