A women's 3X generally corresponds to US numerical sizes 22W-24W, fitting bust measurements around 50-54 inches, waist 43-49 inches, and hips 52-58 inches, though specific measurements vary significantly by brand, so always check the size chart for the particular item.
3x is a big and tall cut vs xxl being a standard cut for men's sizes. The 3x is typically only slightly larger in the chest and waist area. This was the answer I recieved from Columbia customer care last year when I looked into it myself. Personally I have both in xl and 1x and the difference is not very noticeable.
3XL generally suits men with a 50–52 inch chest or a 48–50 inch waist. It's a popular size for men who find standard XL cuts too tight, especially around the arms and torso. If you're a big guy who likes your clothes to drape naturally rather than cling, 3XL is usually a safe choice.
The range for XXL size is between 18-20. Hence, it is a plus-size.
Traditionally, 2XL and 3XL were intended to be shorthand for XXL and XXXL. However, with the increasing availability of plus sizing, these abbreviations led to confusion and are no longer used here at Outdoor Research.
In Australia, "plus size" for women generally starts at size 18+, but the term is evolving, with some industry definitions considering size 10+ or 12+ as plus-size for models, while many Australian women (often size 14-16) identify as curvy, and some find "plus-size" offensive, preferring "curvy" or "size-inclusive". The average Aussie woman wears a size 14-16, making over half of Australian women "mid-size" (10-16) and about a third "plus-size" (18+) by traditional retail standards, notes ragtrader.com.au and mys-tyler.com.
Plus-size clothing is generally considered a women's size 18 and beyond. “Missy” or “straight” sizes range from 00–16/18, XXS–XXL, whereas plus sizes range from 12W–28W, 0X–4X and greater.
The plus sizes are referred to as 2X, 3X, 4X, and so on (22-30).
A 3XL is a straight size, while a 3X IS a #plussize and fits larger than a 2X. While it's great Nike has a plus-size mannequin, hopefully, they'll stock 4Xs in stores and offer as many #plussizeoptions as they do straight sizes.
Whether 80kg (176 lbs) is "heavy" for a woman depends on her height, body composition (muscle vs. fat), and frame, as Body Mass Index (BMI) can categorize it as overweight or obese for shorter women but might be healthy for taller individuals with significant muscle mass, though a BMI over 30 (obesity) is generally considered unhealthy for most. A single number doesn't define health; factors like fitness level, strength, and body shape matter more than just weight.
In adults, overweight, or pre-obesity, is defined as a BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m², while a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² defines obesity.