Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry Specs Explained

Merino base layers resist odor and handle stop and start activity well, while synthetic base layers dry faster, cost less and stand up better to rough use.

A bra size is a band number from your underbust plus a cup letter from the bust-to-band gap, but brands convert differently, so use each brand's own chart.

Fill power is how many cubic inches an ounce of down fills, so higher is loftier; warmth also depends on how much down a jacket holds, and synthetics work wet.

A jacket's waterproof rating in mm is the water column the fabric holds before it leaks; about 10,000 mm suits moderate rain and 20,000 mm and up storms.

Merino is fine sheep's wool, cashmere is a goat's soft undercoat with a legal fineness limit, and acrylic is a synthetic that costs less but pills sooner.

A belt size is its length in inches from the buckle to the hole you use most, which usually runs about 2 inches above your pants waist size.

Dress lengths run from mini (above the knee) to maxi (at the ankle); petite sizes are cut for women 5 feet 4 inches and under, with shorter hems and sleeves.

A 925 stamp means sterling silver, at least 92.5 percent pure; karats count gold in 24ths, so 18k has more gold than 14k, and nickel often causes allergy.

The 100, 200 and 300 on a fleece jacket describe fabric weight per square meter, not a warmth rating, and a fleece blocks far less wind than a softshell.

Hiking shoes are lighter and more flexible, hiking boots protect more on rough ground and under heavy packs, and both need a thumb's width past your toes.

A hoodie should reach your wrists and let you move freely; its GSM tells you fabric weight, from about 200 for lightweight to 350 and up for heavyweight.

A jeans size like 32x30 means a 32-inch waist and a 30-inch inseam; the fit name, such as slim or skinny, describes the shape of the leg.

Leggings and yoga pants have no fixed dividing line; squat proof means the fabric stays opaque when stretched, and sizes follow waist and hip measurements.

Neutral running shoes suit runners whose feet roll inward only a little; stability shoes add support for overpronation, and heel drop is a separate spec.

A US shoe size stands for a foot length, and the letter after it (B, D, 2E, 4E) is the width; the same letter means a different width for men and women.

Sock sizes are letter sizes that each cover a range of shoe sizes, so a men's 10 is a Large on Nike's chart; the sock's height is chosen separately.

Swimsuits are sized by bust, waist and hip, a tankini pairs a tank top with a bikini bottom, and UPF 50 fabric lets through about 1/50 of the sun's UV.

A bifold folds once and stays slimmer, a trifold folds twice and holds more, and RFID blocking stops cards being read, a risk Visa calls very unlikely.