Product Development
Tea Towel and Apron Sizes by Market
There is no legal standard for kitchen linen sizes, so tea towels and aprons are sold to market conventions rather than a fixed ladder. A tea towel typically runs 45 to 50 cm wide by 70 to 80 cm long across the UK, US and Europe, while a full bib apron is usually around 70 cm wide by 85 cm long from chest to knee. The measurements below are the reference points major retailers sell to, to be confirmed against your buyer's own specification before ordering rather than treated as one fixed standard.
Tea towel sizes by market
The tea towel is one of the steadier items in home textiles: the sizes cluster tightly, and the differences between markets are small. The main variation is the name. What the UK calls a tea towel, the US calls a dish towel or kitchen towel, and France a torchon. The figures are typical retail sizes, not a universal specification:
| Market | Common term | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Tea towel | 47 x 76 cm (18.5 x 30 in) |
| UK, EU | Tea towel, kitchen cloth | 50 x 70 cm (20 x 28 in) |
| US | Dish or kitchen towel | 41 x 71 cm (16 x 28 in) |
| US | Larger kitchen towel | 46 x 71 cm (18 x 28 in) |
| US | Flour sack towel | 71 x 71 cm (28 x 28 in) |
| France, EU | Torchon | 50 x 70 cm (20 x 28 in) |
Our standard kitchen towel is 45 x 70 cm (18 x 28 in), which sits in the middle of this band, and it is customisable to any size a buyer specifies. The practical point for a buyer is that a single well-chosen size, near 45 to 50 cm by 70 to 75 cm, reads as correct in every one of these markets, so a range does not usually need a separate cut per country. Confirm the finished size on a sample, because the woven cloth relaxes after washing and the sewn size is not the size the buyer measures at home.
Constructions and how they change the size
The construction changes both the feel and, at the edges, the finished size. These are the common builds:
- Flat weave, plain or twill: the classic smooth tea towel in cotton or linen, and the type used as a glass cloth for polishing, because it leaves no lint. Sizes as above.
- Waffle: a honeycomb structure that holds more water in the weave, popular in linen and cotton. Waffle cloths are cut slightly larger before washing because the structure shrinks more.
- Terry: a looped pile, thicker and bulkier, so a terry kitchen towel is often a little shorter than a flat tea towel at the same visual weight.
- Flour sack: a loose, thin plain weave, sold larger at around 71 x 71 cm (28 x 28 in) because the cloth is light and folds down small.
Edges are either hemmed or fringed, and a hanging loop is common. Both the hem depth and the loop are worth stating on the spec, because they affect the finished length and the look.
Apron sizes by market
Aprons do not have a market ladder the way sheets do; they are sold by type and by a rough small, medium or large, and coverage is what matters more than a named size. The three formats below cover almost all retail and hospitality demand. Our aprons are cut to your pattern and size, so treat these as the conventions to design against:
| Apron type | Typical finished size | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Full bib apron | 70 x 85 cm (28 x 34 in) | Chest to knee |
| Chef or commercial bib | 71 x 96 cm (28 x 38 in) | Chest to below knee |
| Waist or bistro (half) | 70 to 90 cm wide, 45 cm drop (28 to 35 x 18 in) | Waist to mid-thigh |
| Cross-back or pinafore | 70 x 100 cm (28 x 39 in) | Shoulders to below knee, no neck strap |
| Child apron | 45 x 55 cm (18 x 22 in) | Age dependent |
The bib apron is the default for retail and for cooking. The waist apron suits front-of-house and lighter kitchen work, and is quicker to make because it has no bib or neck strap. The cross-back apron has grown in the design-led and cafe market because it takes weight off the neck and reads as more considered; it is cut as one piece with straps that cross at the back rather than a loop over the head.
Sizing an apron from the wearer
Coverage is set by two measurements: the drop from the neck or waist to where you want the apron to end, and the width across the body. A full bib apron that ends at the knee needs a body length of about 85 cm on an average adult; a longer commercial apron runs to 95 cm or more. Width across the bib is usually 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in), widening to the full 70 cm at the hip. For a unisex retail apron, one generous size with adjustable ties fits most wearers, which is why aprons are rarely graded the way garments are.
Ties, straps and pockets
The making details are where an apron order goes wrong if they are left off the spec. State them explicitly:
- Neck strap: fixed loop, or adjustable by buckle, slide or D-ring. Adjustable widens the fit range from one cut.
- Waist ties: long enough to wrap and tie at the front is a common preference, roughly 80 to 90 cm each side, rather than tying at the back.
- Pockets: a single front pocket, a divided double pocket, or none. Pocket size and placement should be dimensioned.
- Hem and edge: hem depth and whether the edges are topstitched, which affects both durability and the finished size.
Pot holders and oven mitts
Buyers ordering a kitchen range usually add pot holders and oven mitts to match the tea towels. Retail pot holders are around 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in), and oven mitts around 18 x 33 cm (7 x 13 in) in length. Ours are made as three layer quilted cotton, plain or printed, cut to match the pot holder to the mitt. Safety and any thermal rating are set by the buyer's market and built into the specification, so agree the standard your market requires before production rather than assuming a construction meets it.
What to specify when you order
Because none of these items has a binding standard, the specification carries the whole order. For each piece, state the finished dimensions in the buyer's own units, the construction and fibre, the hem or edge finish and any hanging loop, the tie or strap type and length for aprons, any pocket, the colour to a Pantone TCX reference, and a shrinkage tolerance so the washed size is agreed in advance. Sign these off on a counter sample before bulk.
To develop a kitchen range to your own sizes, see kitchen linen, the woven programme for the cloths these are made from, and our private label terms for minimums and sampling.
Common questions
What is the standard size of a tea towel?
There is no single standard, but most markets cluster around 45 to 50 cm wide by 70 to 80 cm long. Our standard kitchen towel is 45 x 70 cm (18 x 28 in), which reads as correct in the UK, US and European ranges, and it is customisable to any size you specify.
Are US and UK tea towels the same size?
They are close. UK tea towels are typically 47 x 76 cm (18.5 x 30 in) or 50 x 70 cm (20 x 28 in), while US dish towels run a little narrower at 41 x 71 cm (16 x 28 in) to 46 x 71 cm (18 x 28 in). The US also sells a large flour sack towel at 71 x 71 cm (28 x 28 in), which has no direct UK equivalent.
What is a standard apron size?
A full bib apron is usually around 70 x 85 cm (28 x 34 in), giving chest-to-knee coverage, with a longer commercial version near 71 x 96 cm (28 x 38 in). Half or bistro aprons are wider and shorter, around 70 to 90 cm wide with a 45 cm (18 in) drop. One generous size with adjustable ties fits most adults.
Can tea towel and apron sizes be customised?
Yes. Our standard kitchen towel is 45 x 70 cm (18 x 28 in) and is customisable, and aprons are cut to your own pattern and size. Send the finished dimensions, the construction, the tie and pocket detail and a colour reference, then confirm the measurements on a sample before bulk.