Paris labels use French sizes (the same as European sizes): a French 38 is a US 6 and a UK 10. The charts below give the usual equivalents for clothing and shoes. They are guides only: every brand cuts differently, and French luxury labels often run small. Always try on before you buy.
Most Paris shops do not stock half sizes: take the larger size if you hesitate. In Japan shoes are sized by foot length in centimetres; in China clothes often carry a code such as 160/84A (height and bust): look for the letter size or ask the sales assistant.
Buying in Paris without mistakes
Try on: fitting rooms are everywhere and staff will fetch the next size.
Returns: in a shop, an exchange is a favour, not a right; keep the receipt. Online purchases have a 14-day withdrawal right.
Tax refund: visitors from outside the EU can reclaim VAT from 100.01 EUR spent in one shop on the same day, through the shop's refund desk or kiosk.
