How to Find Your Size in Pea Coats — And Get That Classic Fit Just Right

By Ella Blake, Tellar Stylist

To find your size in a pea coat, you need to measure your chest, shoulders, and waist — in that order of priority — and then account for what you plan to wear underneath. A pea coat is a structured, double-breasted outer layer, so fit is everything: too tight across the chest and it'll pull and gape; too big across the shoulders and it'll look sloppy rather than sharp. Get it right, though, and a pea coat is arguably the most flattering outerwear shape there is. It's boxy enough to skim problem areas but tailored enough to look intentional. I've owned four of them over the years. I still wear two of them.

The Measurements You Need Before You Shop

Before you even open a tab, grab a tape measure. You need three numbers:

• Chest/bust: Measure around the fullest part of your chest, keeping the tape horizontal and snug but not tight. This is your primary measurement for any structured coat.

• Shoulders: Measure from the edge of one shoulder across to the other, at the back. This is critical for pea coats specifically — the shoulder seam position defines whether a coat looks like it was made for you or borrowed from someone else entirely.

• Waist: Measure around your natural waist. Relevant if you're choosing between a more fitted silhouette or a looser, more classic cut.

Now here's the bit people forget: think about what you'll actually wear under it. A pea coat over just a shirt is a very different fit requirement to a pea coat over a thick knit jumper. If you run cold and live in chunky knitwear from October to March (same, frankly), factor in an extra centimetre or two of ease across the chest. If you're more of a fine-knit or shirt person, you can be much truer to your measurements.

The Shoulder Seam: The Make-or-Break Detail

I cannot stress this enough — and I say it to every client who's ever asked me about coat fitting. The shoulder seam of a pea coat must sit at the very edge of your natural shoulder. Not an inch below it, not riding up towards your neck. Right at the edge. This is non-negotiable because pea coats are structured and boxy by design; once that shoulder seam is off, the whole coat reads wrong, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it without serious (expensive) tailoring.

Try the coat on and hold your arms slightly out to the sides. If the seam slides down your arm, it's too big. If it's pulling up and you can feel the sleeve restricting your movement, it's too small. The sleeve should fall cleanly from that shoulder point with no diagonal drag across the back panel. That drag — that awful diagonal pull you sometimes see — means the coat doesn't fit your shoulder width, and no amount of unbuttoning will fix it.

Chest Fit and the Double-Breasted Button Question

The double-breasted front is what makes a pea coat such a classic — but it's also what makes fit across the chest so important. When buttoned, the lapels should lie flat without pulling or gaping. If you can see stress lines radiating out from the buttons, the coat is too small across the bust and chest. If the lapels are puffing out away from your body rather than lying flat, the coat is too big.

For anyone who is fuller-busted, I'd always recommend sizing to your chest measurement first, even if that means the waist is slightly roomy — you can always belt a pea coat, and many styles have a half-belt or side tabs specifically for this purpose. What you cannot fix is a chest that won't close properly.

High Street: Where to Shop and What to Know

The high street has improved enormously on pea coats in recent years. A few of my go-to picks:

• Zara — consistently does some of the sharpest pea coat silhouettes on the high street, often in premium-feeling wool blends. Sizing runs small; go up at least one size, sometimes two if you're between sizes.

• Mango — excellent for more relaxed, slightly oversized pea coat interpretations. Cut for a narrower frame, so if you're broader across the back, always check the shoulder measurement against their size guide.

• M&S — genuinely underrated for outerwear. Their wool-blend pea coats are well-constructed, fairly priced and cut with a bit more room through the body than some European brands. Reliable sizing, too.

• Reiss — sits at the premium end of the high street and their pea coats show it. The tailoring is sharp and the fabrics are proper wool or wool-cashmere blends. Their size guide is detailed and worth reading carefully before you order.

• All Saints — known for edgier, slightly looser takes on classic shapes. Their pea coats often have interesting hardware and lining details. They tend to run true to size with a slightly relaxed silhouette.

• Ted Baker — great for feminine, tailored pea coat shapes with a nipped-in waist. Sizing is generally true to size but they cut for a more defined silhouette, so bear that in mind if you prefer a more relaxed fit.

• Hobbs — one of the most reliable brands on the high street for properly structured women's outerwear. Their pea coats are classic, well-made and sized consistently. Particularly good for petite and standard sizing.

Premium and Designer: Worth the Investment?

If you're willing to spend more, the results are genuinely different — not just in fabric quality, but in the precision of the cut.

• Jigsaw — a premium high street brand that punches above its price point on coats. Their wool pea coats are beautifully cut and tend to be more generous through the body than many competitors, making them a better bet if you want to layer underneath.

• Massimo Dutti — Spanish brand known for exceptionally well-tailored outerwear at a reasonable premium price. Their pea coats are some of the best value for the quality you get. Sizing tends to run slightly smaller than UK standard, so check measurements carefully.

• Max Mara — if you're ever going to splurge on a coat, make it a Max Mara. Their outerwear is legendary for a reason: the fabrics are extraordinary, the tailoring is precise, and a Max Mara pea coat will genuinely last decades. Sizing is accurate and their in-store staff are excellent at fit advice.

For independent labels, I'd point you towards Palones — a small Manchester-based womenswear brand doing beautiful, sustainably made coats with transparent sizing information and a genuinely helpful fit guide on their website. Also worth a look: LouLou Studio, a quiet-luxury Canadian label now stocked in the UK, whose oversized pea coats in boucle and felted wool have become something of a cult buy among fashion insiders. Their sizing runs large by design, so read the product notes carefully.

Petite, Tall and Curvy: Getting the Proportions Right

A standard pea coat hits at hip level, which is great for most heights — but if you're petite, the hem can overwhelm your frame and make you look shorter. Look for a cropped pea coat or a style that explicitly comes in a petite length; M&S and Hobbs both offer petite ranges with properly adjusted proportions.

For taller women, a standard pea coat may hit higher than intended — more like a jacket length — which can work brilliantly with wide-leg trousers or midi skirts but less well over skinny jeans. Reiss and All Saints both tend to cut slightly longer in the body, making them worth prioritising if you're above 5'8".

For curvier frames, focus on shoulder fit and chest fit above all else, then consider a style with a half-belt or side-cinch detail. The double-breasted silhouette is naturally flattering for curves — it creates a strong vertical line down the front — so resist the urge to size up excessively. A coat that fits your chest and shoulders properly, even if it's relaxed through the hips, will always look better than one that's too big overall.

Find Your Exact Pea Coat Size in Seconds — with Tellar

Coat sizing varies wildly between brands — what's a size 12 at M&S might be closer to a 14 at Zara or a 10 at Max Mara. Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool, covering over 1,500 brands, and it takes all the guesswork out instantly. Measure once, and Tellar tells you the exact size to buy at any brand. No more ordering two sizes and returning one. No more coat-shaped regrets.

• Use the Store Size Lookup to find your precise size at brands like Reiss, Jigsaw, M&S, Massimo Dutti and hundreds more

• Read the Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide for a full breakdown of how sizing works across the industry

• Browse the Ultimate Guide to Jackets & Coats for more outerwear advice, body shape matching and the best buys this season

Tellar is always free, always unsponsored, and always honest. The Fashion Hub is packed with independent advice from real stylists — no brand deals, no ads, just genuinely useful content you can actually trust.

A good pea coat is one of the best investments you can make in your wardrobe — it goes over everything, works for years, and looks polished even when the rest of your outfit is decidedly not. Measure properly, know your shoulder width, and don't rush the decision. When you find the right one, you'll know immediately.