Retailer sizing · UK womenswear
Simply Be size chart — real measurements from UK 8 to 32
Short answer: Simply Be grades in the middle of the UK market. At UK 16 they publish 104 cm bust and 89 cm waist — 2 cm above Yours Clothing and 1 cm below Boohoo and Dorothy Perkins. Their chart runs UK 8 to 32, which is a wider span than any other retailer we track.
The quick answer
- At UK 16, Simply Be publishes a 104 cm bust, 89 cm waist and 110 cm hips.
- On the bust that is 2 cm above Yours Clothing (102 cm) and 1 cm below Boohoo and Dorothy Perkins (105 cm).
- On the waist it is 89 cm — 2 cm wider than Yours, Boohoo and Dorothy Perkins at 87 cm, and 8 cm narrower than Roman Curve at 97 cm.
- Simply Be grades 2.5 cm per size on the bust, close to Yours' 2.5–3 cm and slower than Boohoo's 3–4 cm.
- The range is the story: UK 8 to 32 is the widest continuous chart we have verified.
Simply Be's published measurements
| UK size | Bust | Waist | Hips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 84 | 65 | 90 |
| 10 | 89 | 71 | 95 |
| 12 | 94 | 77 | 100 |
| 14 | 99 | 83 | 105 |
| 16 | 104 | 89 | 110 |
| 18 | 110 | 95 | 116 |
| 20 | 116 | 101 | 122 |
| 22 | 122 | 107 | 128 |
| 24 | 128 | 113 | 134 |
| 26 | 134 | 119 | 140 |
| 28 | 140 | 125 | 146 |
| 30 | 146 | 131 | 152 |
| 32 | 152 | 137 | 158 |
Source: Simply Be women's size chart, read directly. Figures are as published by Simply Be; nothing here is interpolated.
How Simply Be compares at UK 16
UK 16 is the size most of our readers ask about, so it is the cleanest way to see the difference. Five retailers, same label, five different garments:
| Retailer | Range | Bust | Waist | Hips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yours Clothing | Curve | 102 | 87 | 111 |
| Roman | Curve | 107.5 | 97 | 114 |
| Simply Be | Standard | 104 | 89 | 110 |
| Dorothy Perkins | Main | 105 | 87 | 113 |
| Boohoo | Main | 105 | 87 | 113 |
Sources: each retailer's own published size guide, read on 24 October 2026. See the full UK 16 comparison.
Where Simply Be sits in the market
UK retailers do not grade identically, and the differences compound as sizes rise. At UK 16 the five charts we track cluster into two groups: Yours and Roman Curve grade tighter, while Boohoo and Dorothy Perkins grade wider. Simply Be sits almost exactly between them.
That position matters at the top of the range, where small grading differences become real garment differences. At UK 20, Simply Be publishes a 116 cm bust against 113 cm at Yours and 117 cm at Boohoo. A woman measuring 116 cm on the bust is a comfortable UK 20 at Simply Be, a tight UK 20 at Yours, and between sizes at Boohoo. Same body, three different outcomes from three labels saying "20".
Does Simply Be run true to size?
On the numbers, yes, with a caveat. Simply Be's UK 16 bust of 104 cm sits within 1–3 cm of every other retailer we track — closer to the middle of the market than anyone else. Their waist at 89 cm is 2 cm more generous than Yours, Boohoo and Dorothy Perkins, which suggests their UK 16 is cut with a little more room at the middle and slightly less at the bust than Boohoo.
The practical upshot is that Simply Be is the least surprising of the five to order in your usual size — and the most likely to be too loose at the waist if you normally buy Yours.
How to measure yourself
- Bust — around the fullest part of your bust, keeping the tape level across your back.
- Waist — at the narrowest point of your torso, usually just above the navel. Do not pull the tape tight.
- Hips — around the fullest part of your hips, roughly 20 cm below your waist, feet together.
Measure over underwear or light clothing. If you fall between two sizes, the measurement that matters most is the one the garment will strain against — bust for fitted tops, hips for skirts and dresses.
Not sure which size to order?
Enter your measurements once and see your size at Simply Be and four other shops side by side.
Open the size translator