Second Female Sizing: How Their Pieces Actually Fit (And Where to Buy Alongside Them)

By Ella Blake – Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder | Tellar — Always honest, unbiased & unsponsored

Second Female generally comes up true to your usual size, but it's cut with a deliberately relaxed, boxy line — so the fit reads roomier than the number on the label suggests. If you love that easy, slightly oversized Copenhagen look, your normal size is spot on. If you prefer a sharper, more defined silhouette, you'll want to size down on the looser styles. That single distinction is the thing most people get wrong with this brand, and it's the difference between looking effortlessly cool and looking like you've borrowed your taller friend's wardrobe.

I learned this the slightly expensive way. The first Second Female piece I bought — an oversized cotton shirt — I took in my "safe" size out of habit, and it swamped me at the shoulder so completely that I looked like I was wearing a tent with buttons. Lovely fabric, beautiful colour, entirely the wrong proportions on my frame. So let me save you the return postage.

Who Is Second Female, and How Does the Sizing Work?

Second Female is a Danish label, and like a lot of Scandi brands it's built around understated, minimalist pieces — flowing dresses, boxy knits, sharp shirting and easy tailoring, all in a muted, grown-up palette. The clothes are designed to drape rather than cling, which is a huge part of their appeal.

A few practical things to know before you order:

They use EU sizing on the label, so the numbers will look unfamiliar if you're used to UK sizes. Don't panic — it maps neatly onto your usual size, you just need to translate it.
The cut is relaxed and generous across most of the range, so the "feel" of a garment is roomier than the equivalent UK number.
Fit is fairly consistent season to season, which makes it a reliable brand to build a wardrobe around once you know your size in it.

Rather than wrestle with conversions in your head at the checkout, pop your measurements into the free Store Size Lookup tool and it'll tell you your exact Second Female size instantly — more on that below.

How Each Style Fits

Second Female isn't one fit — it varies quite a bit by garment, so here's my piece-by-piece take as a stylist who's dressed a lot of bodies in this label:

Knitwear: Boxy and relaxed by design. Take your usual size for that intentional slouchy look, or size down one if you want something neater under a blazer. The drape is gorgeous; resist the urge to size up "for comfort" — you'll lose the shape.
Dresses: Whether tiered, midi or shirt-style, these are cut to skim and float rather than hug. True to size works beautifully. If you're between sizes, go down — the fabric does the rest.
Shirts & blouses: The trickiest category. They can run wide at the shoulder, so if you're narrow up top, this is the one place I'd genuinely consider sizing down or checking the shoulder measurement first.
Trousers & tailoring: More fitted than the knits, closer to true to size. Stick with your usual unless you want a relaxed leg.

If You're Between Sizes

My rule of thumb with Second Female: size down for structure, stay true for softness. On the relaxed knits and floaty dresses, the smaller size gives you definition without ever feeling tight. On a shirt or anything tailored, only size down if your shoulders are on the narrow side. And if you carry more on the bust or hip, the brand's loose cut is actually your friend here — it skims rather than strains.

Best Brands to Shop Alongside Second Female

If you love the Second Female aesthetic — quiet, considered, beautifully cut — here's where else I'd send you, by budget. I've picked these for their relevance to that Scandi-minimal look, not just because they're well known.

On the high street:

COS — the closest high-street match for that pared-back, architectural Scandi feel. Brilliant for boxy knits and clean dresses.
Part Two — a Danish label in its own right, so the design language overlaps beautifully. Effortless, grown-up, easy to wear.
Whistles — sharp minimalism and lovely shirting if you want a slightly more defined silhouette.
Jigsaw — understated, quality fabrics and the kind of quiet pieces that last for years.
Mango — the best of the high street for trend-led minimalism at a gentle price.
Hush — relaxed, lived-in basics with a Scandi-adjacent softness — great for layering.
Mint Velvet — relaxed-luxe knits and drapey separates that sit right alongside Second Female in a wardrobe.

Premium:

Massimo Dutti — elevated tailoring and knitwear with that European polish; superb for trousers and structured pieces.
ME+EM — considered, clever design and genuinely flattering cuts; a step up in fabric and finish.
Reiss — for when you want the sharper, more tailored end of the minimal look.

Luxury & designer:

Max Mara — the gold standard for minimalist investment dressing; coats and knits that outlive trends entirely.
Totême — Swedish, sleek and endlessly editorial; the natural luxury upgrade from the Second Female mood.

Two independents worth knowing:

Skall Studio — a Danish independent doing organic, beautifully cut minimalism with real soul. If you want the Second Female feel with even more craft behind it, start here.
House of Dagmar — a family-run Swedish label with gorgeous knitwear and quietly sophisticated tailoring. Genuinely under-the-radar and worth the discovery.

The Verdict

Second Female is one of those brands that rewards getting the sizing right. Buy true to size for the relaxed, drapey magic it's known for; size down a touch when you want definition or you're narrow at the shoulder. Get that one decision right and you'll have pieces that look quietly expensive and last for years — which is exactly the point of Scandi dressing.

Never Guess Your Size Again

Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool — your body matched to 1,500+ brands instantly. Never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once, using bust, waist, hip — or just your existing size in a brand you already own.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads — it works straight in your browser.

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