This is why you never get the right size in H&M

We’ve got a clever hack for you

(Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))

We’ve got a clever hack for you

Now that we've figured out why we're a different shoe size in every shop, there's another little thing bothering us.

Ever noticed how it’s always so difficult to find the right size at H&M, and that more often than not, you end up buying a bigger size than you would in another shop?

Well let us reassure you, you’re not going crazy, it’s just that H&M labels are a bit unconventional.

As the clever ladies at LOOK point out, the label sown onto the garment is in European sizes, but on the tag attached to it, they’re UK sizes. So far, so normal.

h&m sizes

Except that the sizes don’t match up. H&M says a UK 12 is a EU 38, but in fact if you look at any sizing chart, you’ll know that a UK 12 is the equivalent to a EU 40.

So next time you’re in H&M, look at the sewn in label instead, and you might even save yourself the changing room queue.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.