How to Find Your Perfect Fit at Alpha Studio

By Ella Blake | Tellar Fashion Hub

Alpha Studio sizes small, runs fitted, and uses Italian sizing — which means your usual number goes out of the window before you've even touched the knitwear. But here's the thing: once you've cracked it, Alpha Studio is one of those brands you end up buying on repeat. The quality of the cashmere blends, the way their cardigans drape, the colours they choose every season — it's genuinely special. I once received an Alpha Studio mohair cardigan as a gift and spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to persuade myself it fitted when it absolutely did not. I eventually swapped it for the size up and have worn it almost every week since. Lesson learned.

What Is Alpha Studio, and Why Does Sizing Matter So Much Here?

Alpha Studio is an Italian luxury knitwear brand with roots going back to the 1980s. They specialise in fine-gauge knits — cashmere blends, mohair, alpaca, merino — and the aesthetic is quietly, elegantly Italian. Think refined cardigans, beautifully draped twinsets, and the kind of jumper that looks just as good with tailored trousers as it does with jeans.

Because it's Italian knitwear designed with Italian proportions in mind, the sizing tends to run slim. This isn't a flaw — it's very deliberate. Italian fashion is built on the idea that clothes should skim the body rather than swamp it. But if you're shopping from the UK and used to brands with a more generous cut, it's important to know this going in rather than discovering it at the checkout stage.

Italian Sizing Explained: What the Numbers Actually Mean

Alpha Studio uses Italian sizing across its collections, which is numerical and runs smaller than UK sizing. Here's a straightforward conversion to get you started:

Italian 38 — UK 6 (XS)
Italian 40 — UK 8 (S)
Italian 42 — UK 10 (S/M)
Italian 44 — UK 12 (M)
Italian 46 — UK 14 (L)
Italian 48 — UK 16 (XL)

So if you're normally a UK 12, you'd be starting at an Italian 44. That said — and this is important — always size up at least one from whatever the chart suggests, particularly for structured or fine-gauge pieces. Italian sizing charts give you the baseline; Alpha Studio's fitted cuts mean you often need a little more room than the chart implies.

Sizing by Garment Type: Where to Be Careful

Not everything in the Alpha Studio range fits the same way, which is actually good news — it means you can tailor your approach depending on what you're buying.

Fine-gauge knits and twinsets: These are the trickiest. Fine-gauge knitwear has very little stretch or give, so it will sit exactly where the seams tell it to. If you're between sizes, always go up. There's no "it'll stretch a bit" — it won't.
Mohair and fluffy knits: Slightly more forgiving because the texture adds visual and physical softness. You may be able to stick closer to your standard size here, but I'd still err on the side of caution if you're between sizes.
Cashmere-blend cardigans: These are where the brand really sings, and also where getting the size right matters most. A cashmere cardigan that pulls across the shoulders or gapes at the buttons is never a good look. Size up and thank yourself later.
Oversized or relaxed styles: When Alpha Studio does go intentionally voluminous — and they do, seasonally — these are more straightforward to size. You can generally go true to your Italian size conversion or even down one.
Cropped styles: The brand does beautifully cut cropped knits. These are often designed to sit at the waist, so fit across the chest and shoulders is the priority — the length is intentional.

How to Measure Yourself for Alpha Studio

Given how fitted the cuts are, measuring before you shop is genuinely essential rather than just a nice-to-have. Here's what to focus on:

Bust: Measure around the fullest part, keeping the tape parallel to the floor. This is the key measurement for knitwear — if anything is going to be tight, it'll be here first.
Waist: Useful for fitted styles and twinsets that are designed to nip in at the waist.
Hips: Less critical for knits than for tailoring, but worth having for longer, fitted styles.
Shoulder width: Arguably the most important measurement of all for fine knitwear — if a knit pulls across the shoulders, there's no fix for that. Measure from shoulder point to shoulder point across the back.

Once you have your measurements, compare them directly against the garment measurements (not just the size chart) wherever possible. Stockists like Net-a-Porter and Mytheresa often list these, and they're far more useful than a generic size guide.

Where to Shop Alpha Studio in the UK

Alpha Studio isn't on every high street, which is part of its charm — but it does mean you're mostly shopping online, which makes getting the size right even more important. In the UK, you can find it through luxury multi-brand retailers including Fenwick, Harvey Nichols, and independent boutiques. Online, Net-a-Porter, Mytheresa, and Luisa Via Roma all stock the brand and have good return policies, which gives you a safety net.

High Street and Premium Alternatives in the Same Spirit

If you love the Alpha Studio aesthetic — Italian-influenced, refined, beautifully made knitwear — but want something at a different price point or with a less challenging size curve, there are excellent alternatives worth knowing.

Jigsaw — Consistently one of the best places on the British high street for quality knitwear with a similarly understated European sensibility. Sizing is more straightforward and the quality is genuinely impressive.
Whistles — Does beautifully elegant knitwear season after season. Their cashmere-blend pieces in particular have a similar refined quality to Alpha Studio at a fraction of the price.
Me&Em — Brilliant for premium knitwear that fits a real UK body rather than an Italian one. Their merino and cashmere-blend pieces are consistently well-reviewed.
The White Company — For pure cashmere and fine knits, The White Company punches well above its price point. Sizing is inclusive and consistent.
Mint Velvet — If you're drawn to Alpha Studio's more textural, interesting knits — the mohair, the bouclé, the tactile pieces — Mint Velvet does this aesthetic really well at a far more accessible price.
Mango — Genuinely underrated for knitwear. Their premium line in particular does fine-gauge knits and cashmere-touch pieces that look and feel considerably more expensive than they are.
Massimo Dutti — The closest high street match to Alpha Studio's European tailoring sensibility. Sizing runs European-slim but the quality is excellent, and they're transparent about garment measurements.

For something a little more off the beaten track: Brora — the Scottish cashmere brand that's been quietly making some of the most beautiful knitwear in Britain for decades. Genuinely independent, genuinely brilliant, and sizing that's measured in UK sizes rather than Italian ones (a relief). And Herd — a smaller British brand focused on traceable, sustainable British wool knitwear that's worth knowing about if you care where your fibres come from. Both are miles from the Alpha Studio price point but share the same commitment to craft.

Stop Guessing Your Size — Let Tellar Do the Work

If the Italian sizing conversation above has given you mild anxiety, I completely understand — and I have the solution. Tellar.co.uk is the UK's leading free clothing sizing tool, and it's genuinely the best way to approach any brand with unfamiliar sizing, Alpha Studio included. You input your measurements once — bust, waist, hip, or even just your size in a brand you already know — and it instantly matches you to your correct size across 1,500+ brands. Designer, high street, European sizing, American sizing — it handles all of it.

No downloads. No subscription. Completely free. It's the kind of tool that makes you wonder how you ever shopped without it.

Step 1: Measure once — bust, waist, hip, or use your size in a brand you trust.
Step 2: Head to the Store Size Lookup tool to find your precise size across any brand — including premium and designer labels.
Step 3: Shop with total confidence. Always free. Always instant.

And while you're there, explore the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library of honest, unsponsored style guides written by real stylists. No ads, no sponsored content, no fluff. Just genuinely useful fashion advice, completely free.

A few posts from the Fashion Hub that pair well with this one:

The Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide — essential if you regularly shop across European and UK sizing
Jeans Trends 2026 — because every beautiful knit needs the right pair of jeans
Ultimate Guide to Dresses & Best Buys
Ultimate Guide to Jackets & Best Buys

The Bottom Line on Alpha Studio Sizing

Alpha Studio is one of those brands that rewards the effort of getting the size right. The knitwear is genuinely beautiful — the kind of pieces that stay in your wardrobe for years and get better with every wear. But you need to go in with your measurements in hand, a willingness to size up from your Italian size conversion, and a clear understanding that fine-gauge Italian knitwear plays by its own rules. Do that, and you'll be absolutely fine. More than fine, actually — you'll be wearing some of the loveliest knitwear you've ever owned.