Here's the short version: Korean golf brands run smaller than US standard sizing, and the size labels themselves aren't consistent from brand to brand. That combination trips people up. But every product has the information you need to get it right, and it's in a place most shoppers skip. This guide walks through how to read it.
Why the Label on the Tag Isn't Enough
The first thing to understand is that "S / M / L" means something different depending on which Korean brand you're looking at.
Some brands label sizes the Korean way, using numbers — you'll see a skirt marked "S (55), M (66), L (77)," where 55, 66, and 77 are the traditional Korean women's sizing system. Other brands skip the numbers and just use XS / S / M / L. And some, like MadCattos, use their own numeric system entirely.
Three different labeling conventions across the brands in one shop. If you buy by the letter on the tag — "I'm usually a medium, so I'll get the medium" — you're trusting a label that doesn't map cleanly to what "medium" means in an American brand. That's how the wrong size ends up in your cart.
The letter is a starting point, not the answer. The answer is in the measurements.
The Part Most People Skip: The Measurement Chart
Every single product page includes a detailed size chart with actual garment measurements. This is the part that matters, and it's the part most shoppers scroll past on their way to checkout.
For bottoms, the chart gives you waist, hip, and length. For tops, it gives you shoulder, chest, length, and sleeve. These are the real dimensions of the garment, and they don't lie the way a letter on a tag can.
To use them, you need one thing: the measurements of a garment you already own and love the fit of. Take a skirt or a pair of pants that fits you well, lay it flat, and measure the waist and hip. Then compare those numbers to the chart. If your favorite pants measure 28 inches at the waist and the size chart's "M" lists 27 inches, you now know that medium will be slightly snug — information the letter "M" could never have told you.
This one habit — measuring a garment you own and comparing, rather than guessing from the label — eliminates the large majority of sizing mistakes. It takes two minutes and it's the difference between a piece you wear all season and one that sits in a return pile.
The General Rule: Korean Sizing Runs Smaller
Because these garments are made in Korea to Korean fit standards, they tend to run smaller than the US equivalent. As a practical matter, this means a few things.
When you're between sizes, size up. If you comfortably wear both a small and a medium depending on the brand, choose the medium here. The smaller cut of Korean sizing makes the larger of your two options the safer call.
Match the size guidance to how you like a piece to fit. For tops especially, the right size depends on the look you're after. If you layer the piece or prefer a relaxed fit, size up. If you like a body-conscious, fitted silhouette, your usual size is likely right. The garment's cut and your styling intent both matter, not just your measurements.
None of this is universal — some pieces run truer than others, which is exactly why the per-product measurement chart is the final authority, not this general rule. But "when in doubt, size up" is the right default for Korean golf apparel.
The Smartest Way to Order the First Time
Here's advice drawn from watching how thousands of first-time customers find their fit — and how the ones who get frustrated get frustrated.
If a brand is new to you, don't order your whole wardrobe at once. The most reliable approach is to buy one top and one bottom first, see how that specific brand's sizing works on your body, and then order the rest once you know. First-time shoppers who do this settle into the right size quickly and tend to become repeat customers who order confidently, in the same size, year after year.
The approach that causes pain is the opposite: ordering fifteen or twenty styles in one go, then trying everything on and returning half while exchanging the other half. Because these pieces ship internationally, that back-and-forth is slow and cumbersome in a way domestic returns aren't. Buying a test piece or two first isn't a limitation — it's how experienced shoppers avoid the international-return headache entirely.
Returns and exchanges over sizing do happen, especially with first-time buyers, and that's normal — finding your fit in an unfamiliar brand sometimes means trying it on. But it's far less frequent among people who start small and size up when uncertain.
When You're Not Sure, Ask
There's one more resource that most shoppers don't realize is available: you can just ask before you buy.
If you tell SOKIM's customer service what athletic or golf brands you normally wear and what size you take in them — along with the brand or style you're interested in — they can help you choose the right size. It's a far better input than a generic chart, because it translates from a fit you already know into one you don't. For a first order in an unfamiliar brand, a two-line message before checkout can save a return later. You can reach customer service here.
Putting It Together
Korean golf apparel is worth the small extra effort at checkout. The design and construction are what bring people in; getting the fit right is what turns a first order into a wardrobe.
So, to recap: read the measurement chart, not just the letter on the tag. Measure a garment you already love and compare. When you're between sizes, size up. Order a test piece before you commit to a full set. And if you're unsure, ask before you buy rather than guessing.
Once you've dialed in your size in a brand, you're set — most customers find that the skirts, pants, and tops from a brand they've sized correctly fit consistently from then on. The first order is the only hard part, and now you know how to get it right. Men's pieces follow the same principles — the men's golf pants collection includes full measurement charts on every product for the same reason.
