How do i find my size at Kate Spade?

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

Kate Spade generally runs small — particularly in fitted dresses, structured blouses, and tailored pieces — and as a UK shopper you'll almost certainly need to size up from your usual number. I say this from experience: I ordered a Kate Spade shift dress in my standard UK 12 a few years back and could barely get it over my shoulders. The return label was printed before I'd even had a cup of tea. Once I ordered up a size, it was absolutely gorgeous — but the lesson stuck. This brand has real sizing quirks, and knowing them in advance saves a lot of faff.

The Kate Spade Aesthetic — and Why It Affects Fit

Founded in New York in 1993, Kate Spade is all about that polished, playful femininity — think scalloped hems, oversized bows, polka dots, bold colour blocking, and beautifully structured tailoring. It's the brand you reach for when you want to look put-together but not stuffy. That aesthetic, though, comes with a very specific cut: nipped waists, narrow armholes, and a silhouette built around a fairly petite American frame with a smaller bust-to-waist ratio than many of us actually have.

The brand uses US sizing throughout, which is the first hurdle for UK shoppers. A US 6 is roughly a UK 10, a US 8 is a UK 12 — but because the fit also runs small within those sizes, you'll often find yourself going up on both counts.

Kate Spade US to UK Size Conversion

Kate Spade US SizeUK Size EquivalentBust (inches)Waist (inches)Hips (inches)0043224.534.5063325.535.5283426.536.54103527.537.561236.529398143830.540.5101639.5324212184133.543.5

Use these as your starting point, not your final answer — and always go by your largest measurement when there's any doubt.

Does Kate Spade Run Small? Category by Category

The short answer is yes, but not uniformly. Here's what you actually need to know across different pieces:

Fitted & Occasion Dresses

This is where Kate Spade is most unforgiving. Structured shift dresses, wrap styles, and occasion dresses consistently run small at the bust and waist
Wrap dresses in particular tend to run a full size small all around — not just at the bust
If you're a fuller bust, I'd honestly say go up a full size without hesitation
Size advice: Size up one full US size from your usual UK equivalent

Blouses & Shirts

The armholes are Kate Spade's signature problem area — they're narrow and can feel restrictive even when the rest of the garment fits well
Boxy or relaxed-cut blouses are more forgiving; fitted button-ups are not
Broad shoulders? Definitely size up
Size advice: Go up one size if you're fuller in the bust or shoulders

Coats & Jackets

Outerwear is generally closer to true size than the rest of the range, but those narrow armholes still make an appearance
If you plan to layer a chunky knit underneath, go up one size
Size advice: True to size, or up one if layering

Knitwear & Casual Tops

This is genuinely the most forgiving part of the Kate Spade range — their jumpers, novelty knits, and casual tops have more generous proportions built in
The cute motif jumpers (hearts, florals, the iconic spade details) are particularly well-proportioned and can be true to size
Size advice: True to your UK equivalent US size

Skirts & Trousers

Non-stretch skirts and trousers can run narrow in the waist and hip — size by your largest measurement and don't try to squeeze into the waist size
A-line skirts tend to be the most flattering and give a bit more room through the hip
Size advice: Go by hip measurement and size up if between sizes

Shoes

Kate Spade footwear is generally true to size, though there's a noted inconsistency between styles — some shoppers find certain styles run slightly large
If you're between sizes, go true rather than up
Size advice: True to your usual shoe size

My Honest Stylist Verdict

The thing I always tell clients about Kate Spade is this: don't let vanity sizing get in the way of a brilliant outfit. I've seen women squeeze into a size too small because they didn't want to order a US 8 when they're usually a UK 12, and the result was a gorgeous dress ruined by pulling seams. Go up. The cut of Kate Spade clothing is so beautiful when it fits correctly — structured, feminine, polished — that the number on the label genuinely doesn't matter.

The other thing worth knowing: because this is an American brand sold internationally, sizing can vary slightly between stockists. Always check individual garment measurements where you can, and if you're buying final sale, measure yourself first rather than guessing.

Brands with a Similar Vibe — But Easier UK Sizing

Love the Kate Spade aesthetic but tired of the sizing guesswork? These are the brands I reach for when I want that same polished-with-a-personality feel in a more predictable fit:

High Street & Mid-Range

Ted Baker – The British answer to Kate Spade's playful femininity. Bows, florals, beautifully tailored dresses and blouses with consistent sizing. A genuine like-for-like swap in terms of aesthetic
Anthropologie – Brilliant for the whimsical, print-led, colour-blocked pieces that Kate Spade fans love. More relaxed in fit and with a broader size range
LK Bennett – Impeccably structured, polished, and very much in the smart-feminine lane. Their dresses and coats are beautifully cut and reliably sized
Phase Eight – Perfect for occasion dressing with feminine details — the scallops, the florals, the wrap silhouettes are all very Kate Spade in spirit, but sized for real UK women
Hobbs – Classic, structured, and grown-up without being boring. Their tailored blazers and shift dresses sit beautifully in the Kate Spade gap
Boden – A brilliant choice for the playful print and colour-block pieces. Boden's sizing is consistent and generous, and their personality-led prints hit the same note
Oliver Bonas – Fantastic for the accessories and jewellery side of the Kate Spade world, plus some genuinely lovely feminine dresses and tops that land in the same sweet spot
Whistles – For the cleaner, more minimal Kate Spade pieces — the structured blazers, the polished blouses — Whistles delivers the same quality of finish with far more predictable UK sizing

Premium

Claudie Pierlot – Parisian femininity with real structure and beautiful detailing. Sits just above Kate Spade in price but has a very similar sensibility and more consistent European sizing
Tory Burch – The most direct American-preppy-chic comparison. Similar bright colours, feminine tailoring and that polished New York energy, but cuts are generally more generous

Luxury & Designer

Carolina Herrera – If Kate Spade is your everyday polish, Carolina Herrera is the grown-up occasion version. Impeccable feminine tailoring, structured and beautiful
Alice + Olivia – Playful prints, bold colour, feminine cuts and a real sense of fun — everything Kate Spade fans love, elevated to luxury level

Independent Brands Worth Discovering

Lisou – An independent British brand producing the most gorgeous printed silk blouses and dresses with a real personality. Very Kate Spade in spirit — bold, feminine, joyful — but sized generously and beautifully made. Find them at lisou.co.uk
Suzannah London – A British occasion wear brand beloved by stylists for its beautifully structured, unapologetically feminine pieces. If you love Kate Spade for weddings and special events, Suzannah is where you graduate to

Stop Guessing Your Kate Spade Size — Use Tellar

Kate Spade's US sizing and structured cuts make it one of the trickiest brands to buy online blind. That's exactly the problem Tellar.co.uk was built to solve.

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Measure yourself once — bust, waist, and hips — and we'll send you a free tape measure to get started
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