How to Find the Right Leather Jacket Size When Shopping Online from the EU
EU buyers purchasing leather jackets from international retailers face specific challenges: different sizing systems, import considerations, and returns logistics. This guide addresses all of them.
Buying a leather jacket online from Europe involves specific practical challenges: sizing systems differ between US, UK, and EU conventions; shipping and return logistics vary significantly; and leather sizing errors are more costly to correct than fabric garment errors. This guide addresses every step of the process specific to EU buyers.
Understanding Size Labelling: US vs EU vs UK
Most international leather jacket brands, including US-based brands, label their jackets with sizes that may reference US, EU, or general S/M/L/XL conventions. Understanding which system you are reading is the first step.
General S/M/L/XL sizing, when combined with a published size chart in inches or centimetres, is the most reliable system for EU buyers because it allows direct comparison to your body measurements regardless of regional convention. Always find and read the size chart in actual measurements, not just the size label.
EU numeric sizing (44, 46, 48, 50) typically corresponds to chest measurements in even centimetres at 2cm intervals, but this convention varies enough between brands that it cannot be relied upon without checking the specific brand's size chart. A brand labelling a jacket as EU 48 may intend a chest of 96-98cm or 100-102cm depending on their specific pattern and ease conventions.
How to Take Your Measurements Correctly
Chest circumference
Wrap a soft measuring tape around the fullest part of your chest, across the shoulder blades at the back and across the widest point at the front. Keep the tape parallel to the floor. Arms relaxed. One finger of clearance between tape and body. Record in both centimetres and inches. Most international brands publish size charts in inches.
Shoulder width
Measure from shoulder tip to shoulder tip across the back. For solo measurement, use the wall method: stand with your back lightly against a wall, mark both shoulder tips, step away and measure between the marks. This is the most critical measurement for leather jackets, as the shoulder seam cannot be altered after purchase.
Convert to inches if needed
Divide your centimetre measurement by 2.54 to convert to inches. Most US brands, including Decrum, publish chest measurements in inches. A chest of 100cm is approximately 39.4 inches, which falls in the medium range for most size charts.
Find the brand's body measurement chart
Some brands publish garment measurements (the dimensions of the jacket itself). Others publish body measurements (the body size the jacket is designed for). For a leather jacket, you want body measurements. Body measurement charts tell you directly whether your chest and shoulder fit a specific size.
Check body length
Measure your own shoulder-to-natural-waistband distance and compare it to the jacket's stated body length. For bomber jackets specifically, the body length should closely match this measurement so the hem sits at the waistband. A bomber that is 4 to 6cm longer than your shoulder-to-waist distance will hem below the waistband and lose its silhouette.
EU-Specific Considerations for International Online Purchases
Import Duties and VAT
EU buyers purchasing from non-EU retailers should check whether import duties and VAT are included in the displayed price or will be charged at delivery. Since Brexit, UK-based retailers are outside the EU VAT area. US-based retailers selling to EU customers are subject to EU import regulations. Many quality international retailers now offer duty-paid shipping to EU destinations, absorbing the import cost in the displayed price. Confirm this before purchasing to avoid unexpected charges at delivery that could affect the economics of the purchase.
Returns from EU Addresses
For leather jackets, returns for fit reasons are more likely than for most garments because the consequences of a half-size error are more perceptible in leather. Before purchasing from a non-EU retailer, confirm the specific process for returns from your country: whether a prepaid return label is provided, whether return shipping costs are refunded, and what the timeline is. A 30-day return window is standard for quality retailers. Decrum offers free returns from EU addresses within 30 days.
When to Size Up for EU Winter Layering
EU buyers purchasing a leather jacket specifically for winter wear should consider sizing up one from their standard body measurement size if they plan to wear the jacket over a mid-weight knit. A leather jacket sized to your exact chest measurement will feel close-fitting over a thick wool sweater. Sizing up one adds 4 to 6cm of additional chest ease that accommodates a mid-weight knit comfortably.
The shoulder seam rule applies regardless of layering intention. Even when sizing up, the shoulder seam must sit at the shoulder tip. If sizing up one size moves the shoulder seam significantly off the shoulder tip, size back down and accept a closer chest fit with a thinner mid-layer.
For the complete EU-specific sizing approach, our main size guide at how to choose the right size when buying a leather jacket covers every dimension in detail.
Edinburgh Dark Brown Hooded Jacket
Full-grain lambskin with a removable hood. Wind-blocking and warm for European winters.
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Edinburgh Women's Hooded Jacket
Bomber silhouette with a clean-fitting hood. Full-grain lambskin.
Shop NowDecrum's EU Sizing: Runs True to Size
Decrum leather jackets are sized using body chest measurements published in inches in the size chart. EU buyers should measure their chest in centimetres and divide by 2.54 to find the equivalent in inches, then match to the chart. The jackets run true to size. If between sizes, size up. If purchasing for winter layering over a knit, size up one from the standard body measurement size.
Measure chest and shoulder in centimetres. Convert to inches (divide by 2.54). Find the brand's body measurement chart in inches. Match chest first, confirm shoulder width. Check body length against your shoulder-to-waistband measurement. Confirm return policy for your country. If between sizes or planning to layer, size up.
Frequently Asked Questions
