Taller by Fall

What size comes after 5T, and what comes after 16

Kids' sizes change naming twice. Toddler sizes stop at 5T, and big-kid sizes stop at 16 or 18. Here is what comes next at each step.

After 5T comes 6

5T is the last toddler size. The next size up is a 6, or a small (S) where sizes are letters.

Size 5 is not the next size. A 5T and a 5 cover almost the same heights. The 5 is cut slimmer and about an inch longer, so a kid who has outgrown 5T has very little time left in a 5.

Size	Height	Letter size
5T	41.5 to 44 in	XS
5	42.5 to 45 in	XS
6	45 to 48 in	S
6X	47 to 49 in	S or M
7	48 to 51 in	S or M

Typical heights from brand size charts. 6X is a girls' size that sits between 6 and 7. Letter sizes vary a little by brand.

The whole run, in order

Baby: newborn, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 months.
Toddler: 2T, 3T, 4T, 5T.
Little kid: 4, 5, 6, 6X (girls), 7.
Big kid: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and in some brands 18 and 20.

There is no 9, 11 or 13. From 8 up the labels go by twos, but each step is still about 3 inches of height, the same as the steps before it.

See every size with its height in the kids' size chart.

After 16, for boys

Many brands carry boys' 18 and 20. On one chart that runs that far, 18 fits 66 to 67 inches and 20 fits 68 to 70 inches. After that it is men's sizes, starting at XS or S.

A boys' XL (18 to 20) is close in length to a men's XS or small, but narrower in the chest and waist. Many boys who fill out a boys' XL can move straight to a men's small.

After 16, for girls

After girls' 16 the choice is juniors' sizes or women's sizes.

Juniors' sizes are usually odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7 and up. They are cut longer than girls' sizes, with more room at the bust and hips and a smaller waist.
There is no exact conversion. Girls' 12 to 16 roughly overlap juniors' 0 to 5, so a girl leaving a 14 or 16 usually starts at the low end of juniors' sizes.
Women's sizes, starting at XS or 00, are the other route.

Compare the bust, waist and hip numbers on the brand's chart. At this age those matter more than height.

When your kid will get there

A kid of average height moves from 5T to 6 at about 6, and reaches the top of size 16 at about 15 for boys. Many girls finish growing while still in a 14 or 16. Your kid's own timing depends on height today.

See when your kid's next size is coming

One short email when each season's markdowns begin: coats in January, swimsuits in July, costumes on November 1. Nothing else.

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