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What do old vintage sizes W, WMS, WMNS, WX, OS and XOS mean?
A puzzling system of sizing was often used on British vintage labels, called the 'Alpha' system.
Vintage sizes such as 'WMS', 'WMNS', 'WX', 'OS' and 'XOS' can be difficult to understand these days and the actual sizes varied quite a bit between manufacturers. A vintage sizing comparison chart like the one below can only give approximate guidance. Therefore our advice would be to use this vintage system of sizing as a very rough guide only and use the actual measurements of each garment instead - only that way can you be absolutely sure of accuracy.
- W / WMS size means 'Women's' (Standard)
- WMNS also means 'Women's', which is the same as WMS.
- WX size means 'Women's Extra'
- OS size means 'Outsize'
- XOS size means 'Extra Outsize'
- XXOS size means 'Extra Extra Outsize'
British made garments displaying the same size regularly had a margin of error of up to 2 inches until 1951 when the BS1445 standard was introduced in order to inspire trust and confidence in sizing for shoppers.
One of the reasons this archaic and confusing system of sizing clothing was eventually discontinued was that women with a fuller figure understandably resented being described as "extra outsize" (XOS) or "outsize" (OS) when buying clothes in shops.
To make matters more confusing still there was a similar but different system in use in mid-century Australia that appears to be finer than the British system and used terms such as XSSW, SSW, SW, W, SOS, OS and XOS.
More information about the vintage WMS, WX, OS clothing sizing system:
Even back in the 1960's, the WMS, WX, OS vintage clothing sizing system was being described as "mysterious", as can be seen in this 1966 newspaper article. It seems that even in those days, this confusing labeling system was proving unpopular with consumers.
Even earlier still, as this 1958 British newspaper article points out, the "older" "SW, W and WX" system was adding to the confusion of shoppers as various clothing manufacturers used different sizing systems. This suggests me that this original Alpha system of labeling dates to the earlier 1950's and 1940's at least.
"It would be nice if stores and the people who make women's clothes could get to
Going back further still, to 1942, this newspaper article outlines further changes to the wartime CC41 Utility Mark clothing regulations abandoning the established SW, WMS, WX, etc. sizing system for a new one using letters of the alphabet - a true 'Alpha' system. As to some small extent the old WMS, OS etc. label system is still used today, I wonder if these proposals were ever really enforced.
A British newspaper ad from 1958 showing vintage sizes like WMS, WX and OS.
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