Ferragamo Sizing: Does It Run Small, and What Size Should You Order?

By Ella Blake — Fashion Stylist | Tellar Fashion Hub — Always honest, unbiased & unsponsored

Yes — Ferragamo runs small, and in most cases you will need to size up by at least one, sometimes two sizes compared to your usual UK size. If you’ve ever looked at a Ferragamo label and felt briefly personally attacked, you’re absolutely not alone. I made the mistake of ordering my usual size in a silk blouse a couple of years ago, convinced that a luxury Italian house would just “fit nicely.” Reader, I could not do up the buttons. Size up — and then maybe size up again.

Why Does Ferragamo Size the Way It Does?

Ferragamo is an Italian luxury house, founded in Florence in 1927, and like most Italian brands, it follows European continental sizing. Italian sizing runs narrow and small across the board — the cuts are designed for a slimmer, more structured European silhouette with less ease built in than you’d get at a British high street brand. There’s a romance to wearing something so beautifully tailored, but that precision does mean you need to be quite exact about your measurements.

This applies across both their ready-to-wear clothing and their legendary footwear. The brand has always been first and foremost a shoe house — Salvatore Ferragamo was cobbler to Hollywood, after all — so shoes in particular are worth understanding before you buy.

Ferragamo Clothing Sizing: The Honest Picture

Ferragamo’s women’s ready-to-wear uses Italian sizing (38, 40, 42, 44, 46), which maps to UK sizing as follows:

UK SizeItalian / Ferragamo SizeEU Size6383484036104238124440144642164844

So far, so logical. But here’s the real-world catch: because the cuts are slim and often unlined in the lighter fabrications, the actual fit tends to run a full size small even within that conversion. My honest advice? Use the table above as your starting point, and then size up one from there. If you’re between sizes in UK terms, definitely go up rather than down.

Tailored pieces (blazers, structured dresses) — run the smallest; size up by one to two sizes
Silk blouses and tops — slightly more forgiving in the body, but the shoulders cut narrow; size up at least one
Knitwear — often has a little more ease; one size up is usually enough
Trousers — slim through the hip and thigh; if you carry volume there, definitely size up two

Ferragamo Shoe Sizing: What You Need to Know

Shoes are where Ferragamo truly lives, and getting the fit right matters enormously. Their footwear uses European sizing and, as with the clothing, tends to come up slightly narrow in width. If you have a wider foot, this is the most important thing to know before splashing out.

Length — generally runs true to size; stick to your usual conversion (UK 5 = EU 38, UK 6 = EU 39 etc.)
Width — narrower than many UK brands; if you’re wide-footed, go half a size up or look for their D-width styles
Heels and court shoes — notorious for feeling snug across the toes in the first wear; they do soften, but leather-lined shoes may need breaking in
Flat styles and loafers — tend to be more generous in fit than their heels

I’d strongly recommend trying Ferragamo shoes in person if at all possible, or buying from a retailer with a straightforward returns policy. The heel construction is exquisite, but the break-in period is real.

My Tips for Buying Ferragamo Without Getting It Wrong

I’ve helped a lot of women navigate Italian luxury sizing over the years, and the main mistakes I see are either ordering a size too small (because the number feels alarming), or going too far and ending up with something that swamps them. Here’s what I always say:

Always check your measurements against Ferragamo’s specific size chart — not just the UK-to-Italian conversion table
If you’re ordering online, prioritise retailers who provide detailed garment measurements, not just size labels
For knitwear, check whether the fabric has stretch; if so, you may be able to stick closer to your standard converted size
When in doubt with shoes, go true to length and accept the narrow width — a cobbler can stretch leather; you can’t shrink it
If you own something from another Italian house — Bottega, Gucci, Prada — use that as your sizing reference point

High Street Alternatives That Deliver a Similar Feel

Ferragamo is a serious investment. If you love the aesthetic — clean Italian tailoring, quality fabrication, understated luxury — but want to explore before committing, or simply want something similar at a gentler price point, here’s where I’d point you:

Massimo Dutti — genuinely the closest high street option for Italian-influenced tailoring; the trousers and knitwear in particular are brilliant value and the sizing is more consistent
Reiss — excellent for structured blazers and smart occasionwear with that European edge; sizes run more true for UK customers
Whistles — beautifully cut silhouettes and quality fabrics without the intimidating price tag; lovely silk tops that feel luxurious
Me&Em — British brand with a grown-up, clean aesthetic; excellent knitwear and tailoring that feels expensive without the Italian sizing headache
Jigsaw — quiet luxury before quiet luxury was a hashtag; reliable sizing and beautifully considered colour palettes
LK Bennett — for the Ferragamo occasion shoe customer; their court shoes and heels are genuinely elegant and sized for UK feet
Hobbs — classic British tailoring with a similar sensibility; the suiting pieces are particularly strong
Phase Eight — for occasion dressing with a polished, elevated feel; excellent silk and satin pieces that photograph beautifully

Two Independent Brands Worth Knowing

If you want to move slightly left of field — which I always encourage — these two deserve your attention:

Kitri — a brilliant British independent known for its beautifully constructed dresses and blouses in considered prints and palettes. Limited edition runs, genuine quality, and sizing that’s consistent and UK-friendly. Worth every penny and a brand I recommend to clients constantly.
Remain Birger Christensen — Danish brand that does the understated-but-sharp Italian-influenced tailoring thing exceptionally well. Their blazers and trousers are exceptional, and the brand has a cult following among people who care deeply about how things are cut. Slightly premium but nothing like Ferragamo prices.

Never Guess Your Size Again — Use Tellar

Ferragamo’s sizing can be genuinely confusing, and no amount of size charts quite replaces knowing your own measurements against a specific brand’s grading. That’s exactly why Tellar exists.

Tellar is the UK’s leading free sizing tool — matching your exact body measurements to over 1,500 brands instantly. No downloads, no subscriptions, no faff.

Measure once — bust, waist, hip, or use an existing brand size you already know fits
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size across hundreds of brands — from Ferragamo to COS to Reiss and beyond
Always free, works in-browser, no account needed

Plus the Tellar Fashion Hub is a free library of hundreds of honest, unsponsored fashion posts from our in-house stylists — style advice, best buys, brand guides and more. No ads, no affiliates influencing editorial, just genuine advice.

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