I'm 5' 6" and consistently size 14 in pants. After reading the reviews regarding size and fit, I am very happy I went with the 2XL. I don't like my bathing suit bottoms any kind of tight, and these are just slightly loose on me. I have noassatall, so someone with more curves in the rear may need to size up more than someone with a flatter butt like me. I think these could fit up to a flat-bottomed size 16, but with a rounder bottom, you might only get away with being a size 12... hard to say. I'm really happy with the coverage, even with the slightly loose fit. My butt doesn't hang out when I bend over, and my (lack-of) grooming habits is kept private. They are very comfortable, and I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can swim in them!