Sizing information
Size & Fitting Guide
At Surplus and Lost, we know that military sizing can be a bit of a minefield. To make things as easy as possible, we manually inspect our stock and convert most items to standard UK sizes based on actual chest or waist measurements.
Below you will find everything you need to choose the right fit, from British Army label explanations to international conversion charts.
1. Understanding British Army Sizing (NATO)
British Army clothing uses a metric system (NATO sizing) shown on the label as a series of numbers in centimetres. Here is how to read them:
Tops (Jackets, Smocks & Shirts)
Usually shown as two numbers: Height / Chest (e.g., 180/96).
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180: Fits a person approx. 180cm tall (approx. 5'9" to 5'11").
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96: Fits a person with a 96cm chest (approx. 38 inches).
Trousers
Usually shown as three numbers: Inseam / Waist / Seat (e.g., 80/88/104).
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80: Inside leg measurement in cm.
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88: Waist measurement in cm.
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104: Seat/Hip measurement in cm (usually less critical for fit).
Pro Tip: Military trousers are designed to be worn higher than modern jeans. If you plan to wear them on your hips, you may need a slightly shorter leg length.
2. General Conversion Chart (Inches, CM & Traditional Sizes)
If an item is listed by its traditional size (Small, Large, etc.), use this table to find your equivalent measurements.
| Traditional Size | Chest (Inches) | Chest (CM) | Waist (Inches) | Waist (CM) |
| Extra Small (XS) | 32" - 34" | 81 - 86 cm | 26" - 28" | 66 - 71 cm |
| Small (S) | 35" - 37" | 89 - 94 cm | 29" - 31" | 74 - 79 cm |
| Medium (M) | 38" - 40" | 97 - 102 cm | 32" - 34" | 81 - 86 cm |
| Large (L) | 41" - 43" | 104 - 109 cm | 35" - 37" | 89 - 94 cm |
| Extra Large (XL) | 44" - 46" | 112 - 117 cm | 38" - 40" | 97 - 102 cm |
| Double XL (2XL) | 47" - 49" | 119 - 124 cm | 41" - 43" | 104 - 109 cm |
3. Footwear: EU to UK Boot Conversion
Many of our boots (especially German, French, and Austrian surplus) are marked with European sizes. We convert these to UK sizes on our product pages, but you can use this chart as a reference:
| UK Size. | EU Size. | Mondopoint (NATO). | US Size (Men's) |
| 3 | 36 | 225 | 4 |
| 4 | 37 | 230 | 5 |
| 5 | 38 | 240 | 6 |
| 6 | 39/40 | 250 | 7 |
| 7 | 41 | 260 | 8 |
| 8 | 42 | 270 | 9 |
| 9 | 43 | 280 | 10 |
| 10 | 44 | 290 | 11 |
| 11 | 45 | 300 | 12 |
| 12 | 46 | 310 | 13 |
| 13 | 47 | 320 | 14 |
How to use Mondopoint:
Mondopoint is the most accurate way to find your size. Simply measure your foot from the back of your heel to the tip of your longest toe in millimetres.
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Example: If your foot measures 282mm, your NATO/Mondopoint size is 285 (always round up to the nearest 5mm).
A Note on Width:
NATO boots often include a width letter after the Mondopoint number (e.g., 280/M):
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S (Small/Narrow): For slim feet.
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M (Medium): The standard regular fit.
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L (Large/Wide): For broader feet or for wearing with thick extreme-cold weather socks.
4. Our British Army Size Graph
