How to Find Your Perfect Fit at Akira

BRAND SIZING GUIDE · ELLA BLAKE

By Ella Blake  |  Tellar Fashion Hub  |  Updated 2026

Akira runs small — often a full size, sometimes two — and if you order blind, you will get it wrong. Here's exactly how to nail your size, every single time.

I still remember the first time I ordered from Akira. A gorgeous cut-out bodycon dress for a birthday dinner, size 12 as usual, totally confident. It arrived looking like a bandage. I am not exaggerating. My friend found it genuinely hilarious. I did not. That dress went straight back and I spent the evening in something from my wardrobe that I'd worn a hundred times before. Not exactly the fashion moment I had planned.

The good news is that Akira sizing is actually very consistent once you understand how it works — it just doesn't follow the same rules as your usual British high street. Akira is a Chicago-based retailer stocking a mix of in-house and curated contemporary brands, and the sizing skews American contemporary, which means fitted, bodycon-friendly, and often cut for a narrower silhouette than you might be used to. Once I cracked the code, I've had nothing but wins. So let me save you the bandage-dress moment.

How Does Akira Actually Size?

Akira stocks a wide mix of brands — some of their own label pieces, plus names like Lulus, NBD, and various trend-led contemporary lines. This means sizing isn't 100% uniform across everything on the site, but there are consistent patterns:

• Akira own-label pieces typically run one full size small. If you're a UK 12, start with a UK 14 equivalent (a US 10 or Akira M/L).

• Bodycon and stretch styles can be sized up even further — the fabric is designed to cling, not to ease.

• Blazers, coats and structured pieces tend to run closer to true size, so check product-specific reviews before sizing up automatically.

• Dresses and going-out tops are where most people go wrong. Always check the measurements, not just the label.

The Akira Size Guide: What the Numbers Actually Mean

Akira uses US sizing on most of its pieces. Here's a rough conversion guide for reference — but please do always cross-check with the individual product measurements, as fit varies across brands on the site:

UK SizeUS Size (Akira)Akira Label SizeApprox. Bust (inches)Approx. Waist (inches)UK 8US 4XS34"26"UK 10US 6S35–36"27–28"UK 12US 8M37–38"29–30"UK 14US 10L39–40"31–32"UK 16US 12XL41–42"33–34"UK 18US 14XXL43–44"35–36"

My honest advice? Ignore the label size entirely. Take your measurements — bust, waist, hips — and compare them directly to Akira's product-level measurements. That single habit has given me a near-perfect hit rate with every order since.

My Personal Sizing Rules for Shopping Akira

• Always measure yourself first. Bust and waist are usually the most critical for Akira styles. Hips matter most for midi skirts and wide-leg trousers.

• Size up by one for bodycon. This is almost never wrong for their going-out dresses and crop-top styles.

• Read the reviews. Akira's customer reviews often include height and size details — this is gold dust. A reviewer who is 5'6" and a UK 12 telling you she sized up to a US 10 is exactly the intel you need.

• Check the fabric composition. Higher stretch fabrics (anything 10%+ elastane or spandex) are more forgiving. For all-polyester or structured pieces, be more cautious.

• Don't trust "one size fits all." On Akira, OSFA typically fits UK 8–12 comfortably, and can be a squeeze above that.

How Akira Compares to Other Brands You Already Know

If you've already cracked sizing at some of the high street's going-out staples, here's where Akira tends to sit in relation to them:

• Zara — Akira runs similarly small to Zara, so if you size up at Zara, apply the same rule here. Zara is brilliant for occasion-ready pieces with a more European cut.

• ASOS — ASOS has much more generous, consistent sizing with detailed fit guides. A great fallback for going-out looks if you want less guesswork. Their own-label tends to run true to size.

• River Island — Runs slightly generous compared to Akira, so if you know your River Island size well, drop down slightly for Akira equivalent styles.

• Topshop — For those who loved old Topshop (now stocked via ASOS), it ran slim and similar to Akira's contemporary bodycon fit.

• Urban Outfitters — The sizing is more relaxed and slouchy than Akira, particularly on their own-label pieces. Different vibe, similar US-influenced sizing system.

• Mango — Also runs small, particularly through the waist. If you size up at Mango, size up at Akira too. Mango's premium lines are particularly good for structured work-to-evening pieces.

• All Saints — Consistent, generally true to size, and known for beautifully cut contemporary pieces. A solid point of comparison for Akira's more structured or leather-look styles.

• Warehouse — Usually runs true to UK size; you'd likely find yourself in a size larger at Akira than your usual Warehouse pick.

A Couple of Independent Brands Worth Knowing

Since we're talking contemporary going-out fashion, two smaller brands worth bookmarking alongside Akira:

• Femme Luxe — A UK-based independent brand with brilliant bodycon and co-ord sets at accessible price points. Their sizing is also on the small side, so a good comparison reference for Akira shoppers.

• Lasula — A small Birmingham-based fashion brand with great occasion dresses. Tend to run true to UK size, making them a brilliant reference point when you're unsure whether to size up at Akira.

Stop Guessing Your Size — Use Tellar

Here's the thing about all of this: you shouldn't have to keep a mental spreadsheet of which brands run small, which run large, and which use US sizing. That's exactly what Tellar.co.uk was built to fix.

Tellar is the UK's leading free clothing sizing tool — you measure once (bust, waist, hips, or just plug in an existing brand size you trust), and it matches your body to over 1,500 brands instantly. No downloads. No subscriptions. No faff.

• Measure once using your bust, waist, hip, or an existing brand size you already know fits.

• Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise recommended size across brands — including contemporary US-sizing brands like Akira.

• Always free, works in-browser with no account needed.

I use Tellar constantly when I'm shopping brands I don't know well. It's the difference between ordering with confidence and sending things back at your own inconvenience.

While you're there, dive into the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library of free, honest, unsponsored style guides written by stylists (not algorithms). No ads, no affiliate-driven bias. Just genuinely useful fashion advice. A few favourites to explore:

• The Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide — the most comprehensive breakdown of how sizing actually works across brands.

• Jeans Trends 2026 — what to wear, what to skip, and which brands actually deliver.

• The Ultimate Guide to Dresses — styles, body shapes, and where to find the best buys.

• The Ultimate Guide to Jackets — fit, style, and the brands worth knowing.

The Bottom Line

Akira is genuinely one of the most exciting places to shop for going-out and occasion fashion — the aesthetic is bold, the range is huge, and the price points are reasonable for what you get. But you have to go in armed. Measure yourself, size up for bodycon, trust customer reviews, and use Tellar to take the guesswork out entirely. Do that, and I promise you'll have far more fashion wins than bandage-dress disasters.

This post is editorially independent. Tellar does not accept sponsorship or payment for brand mentions. All opinions are our own.