The method of residual stress determination based on X-ray diffraction has been used for the study of different types of stainless steels: single phase or multiphase microstructures, different inclusion contents. A thermomechanical model associated with a finite element code is proposed for the determination of the stress field in relationship with the actual microstructure and texture of the materials. The numerical calculations are validated by comparing the obtained results to those experimentally determined and by scanning electron microscope observations on the initiation zones of microcracks.