Lingerie Size Guide: How to Find Your Fit Across Bodysuits, Chemises & Briefs

Sizing is where most lingerie purchases go wrong — not because women don't know their bodies, but because lingerie sizing is a mess. A small in one brand is a medium in another. A bra band number means one thing in the US and something else in France. A chemise that fits like a dream on a 5'4" frame drags on the floor at 5'9". And a bodysuit cut for a long torso will feel like a corset on someone with a short one. The point of a real lingerie size guide isn't to hand you a chart and walk away. It's to teach you how to measure, where each silhouette actually needs to fit, and what to do when your numbers land between two sizes. Let's get into it.

Before You Pull Out the Tape: What You Actually Need to Measure

Most size charts ask for bust, underbust, waist, and hips. That covers about 70% of fit. The other 30% — the part that decides whether a chemise skims or strangles — comes from torso length, cup volume, and rise preference. Skip those and you're guessing.

The Five Measurements That Matter

Use a soft fabric measuring tape. Wear an unpadded bra or no bra. Stand relaxed, not sucking in.

1. Bust — around the fullest point of your chest, tape parallel to the floor.
2. Underbust — directly under your breasts, snug but not tight.
3. Waist — the narrowest point of your torso, usually about an inch above your belly button.
4. Hips — around the fullest part of your seat, feet together.
5. Torso length — from the hollow at the base of your throat, down between your breasts, through your waist, to the seam where your thigh meets your body.

Write all five down. The first four put you on a size chart. The fifth tells you whether a one-piece will actually fit your frame.

How Often to Re-Measure

Bodies change. Weight shifts, postpartum, hormonal cycles, strength training — all of it moves your numbers. Re-measure every six months, or any time something that used to fit suddenly doesn't. Lingerie sizing isn't a one-time event.

How to Measure for Lingerie by Garment Type

Different silhouettes pull from different measurements. A bodysuit lives or dies by torso length. A chemise lives or dies by bust-to-hip ratio. Briefs live or dies by waist-to-hip drop. Knowing which number controls the fit saves you from ordering the wrong size confidently.

Bodysuits

A bodysuit has to clear three checkpoints: bust, hips, and the vertical span between them. If your bust is a size up from your hips, size to the bust and check that the hip opening has at least two inches of stretch room. If your torso is long (over 28 inches from throat to crotch seam), look for adjustable straps or styles cut for tall frames — otherwise the gusset will pull and the neckline will drop into a deep V you didn't ask for.

Chemises

Chemises forgive more than bodysuits. The cut floats away from the waist, so a half-inch of bust-to-hip mismatch won't ruin the line. What matters is shoulder-to-hem length and bust capacity. A short chemise should hit mid-thigh; a midi should land just above or below the knee. If your bust is a full cup larger than your band, size up and have the straps shortened — better than a fitted bust spilling over Calais lace trim.

Briefs

Briefs are the simplest of the three and the easiest to mis-size. Use your hip measurement, not your waist, even for high-rise styles. The waistband sits on the smaller part of your torso, but the leg openings have to clear the widest part. If you're between sizes on a lace brief, size up — lace doesn't stretch the way smooth knits do, and a too-tight leg opening cuts a line right through the silhouette you bought it for.

Lingerie Sets

Sets are where lingerie sizing gets complicated, because the top and bottom rarely match your body in the same proportion. Most women are at least one size off between bust and hip. When a set comes in a single size (S/M/L) rather than separates, choose by the piece you'll notice first — usually the bra or bralette. The brief can be tailored or layered under more easily than a too-small cup can be fixed.

Reading a Size Chart Without Getting Played

A size chart is only as honest as the brand behind it. Some run small, some run generous, some are translated from European patterns and never re-graded for American bodies. Here's how to read one.

Compare Ranges, Not Single Numbers

If a chart says "Small: bust 32-34, waist 24-26, hips 34-36," your body almost never lands cleanly in one column. You might be a 33 bust, 27 waist, 36 hip. That's small on top, medium in the middle, small/medium on the bottom. For separates, order to the measurement that controls fit (bust for bras, hip for briefs). For one-pieces, order to the largest of your three numbers and check the return policy.

Check What the Fabric Is Made Of

Stretch changes everything. A chemise in 100% silk has almost no give — order true to size or up. A bodysuit in a stretch lace blend has 4-way stretch and will compress two inches. The same numerical size in two different fabrics will fit differently on the same body. Always read the composition.

When in Doubt, Size Up on Lace

French lace — the real kind, woven on Leavers looms in Calais and Caudry — has very little stretch. It's woven, not knit. If a piece is trimmed in or built from authentic Calais lace and you're between sizes, size up. The fabric will hold its shape; your body will move inside it. The other way around and you'll feel every thread.

Common Sizing Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Buying for the Body You Want, Not the One You Have

The most expensive mistake in lingerie. A chemise sized for the body you're working toward will sit in a drawer for six months. Buy for now. Replace later if you need to. Lingerie that fits today is worth ten pieces that might fit eventually.

Trusting Bra Size Alone

Your bra size tells you about your bust and underbust. It tells you nothing about your hips, your waist, or your torso length. Don't order a bodysuit or a chemise off your bra size and hope.

Ignoring the Strap Drop

On a chemise or slip, the distance from shoulder seam to bust apex is called the strap drop. If the drop is too long, the bust line falls below your actual bust and the whole garment hangs wrong. Most quality pieces have adjustable straps for exactly this reason. Use them.

Returning Without Re-Measuring

If a piece doesn't fit, don't just order the next size up or down on instinct. Measure yourself again, compare to the brand's chart, and figure out which dimension was off. Otherwise you'll make the same mistake in a different size.

FAQ

How do I measure my bust correctly for lingerie?

Wear an unpadded bra or no bra at all. Stand relaxed with your arms at your sides, then bring a soft tape measure around the fullest part of your chest, keeping the tape parallel to the floor. Don't pull tight — the tape should sit flat against the fabric without compressing. Take the underbust measurement separately, directly beneath your breasts, snug but not constricting. The difference between the two numbers gives you cup volume, which matters more than the bust number alone.

What if I'm between two sizes in a lingerie size guide?

It depends on the fabric and the cut. For pieces with significant stretch — bodysuits in stretch lace, soft jersey briefs — size down for a closer fit. For woven fabrics with little give, especially silk chemises and authentic Calais lace, size up. The fabric won't move with you, so your body needs the room. When the piece is fitted at the bust (chemises, slip dresses), prioritize the bust measurement. When it's fitted at the hips (briefs, high-leg bodysuits), prioritize the hip.

Does French lingerie sizing run smaller than American?

Often, yes. French and European patterns are typically graded for slightly leaner frames than American patterns, and the cup-to-band ratios run different. A French 36B is roughly an American 34C. Reputable brands publish a conversion chart or list both sizes — Openme uses American sizing on all listings, with French heritage in the fabric, not the grade. When buying directly from a French brand, always check whether the chart is in EU, UK, or US sizing before ordering.

How should a chemise actually fit?

A chemise should skim, not cling. The bust panel sits flush without spilling, the body falls straight from the bust to the hem with no horizontal pull lines, and the hem hits where the design intends — mid-thigh for short, just below the knee for midi, ankle for long. Straps should be snug enough that the neckline holds its shape when you raise your arms but loose enough to slide a finger under. If the silk pulls across your hips, size up.

Can I tailor lingerie if it doesn't fit perfectly?

Some pieces, yes. Strap length, hem length, and minor side-seam adjustments on chemises and slips are straightforward for any tailor familiar with delicate fabrics. Bodysuits and underwire bras are much harder to alter — the construction depends on precise grading, and a tailor without lingerie experience can ruin the line. For lace pieces, find a specialist. The cost of one good alteration is often less than buying a replacement, especially for silk and Calais lace pieces meant to last years.

Featured Pieces

Felling rosy — $22 rose lace briefs cut to sit at the natural hip. Order to your hip measurement, not your waist. The lace has minimal stretch, so if you're between sizes, take the larger one — your call, but the lace will thank you.

Love Clinic — $58 roleplay set with a fitted bodice and adjustable closures. Size by your bust, then check the waist. The closures give you about an inch of play, which means a borderline measurement won't lock you out. Playful on the surface, considered in the cut.

FLORA — $70 lingerie set in a single coordinated size run. When the bra and brief don't quite match your proportions, prioritize the bra — it's the harder piece to fudge. The brief sits low on the hip and runs true to size.

Faye — $119 chemise with adjustable straps and a forgiving drape. Order to your bust measurement; the body skims everything below. If your torso runs long, the straps adjust enough to keep the bust line where it belongs. Soft mornings, slow mornings, the kind of piece that earns its keep.

The Lotus — $199 silk-and-lace midi chemise, hand-finished with Calais lace trim. Pure silk has almost no give, so this is the piece to size up on if you're between numbers. The midi length hits just below the knee on most frames; if you're over 5'9", expect it to read as a short midi.

Sizing isn't a personality test — it's a measurement plus a fabric plus a cut. Get those three right and the piece does what it was built to do. Browse the Openme lingerie collection when you're ready to find your fit.