What Is Sizing Like at Acne Studios?

Acne Studios broadly runs true to size, but the number on the label tells you far less than the fit description does — because this is a brand that deliberately designs across oversized, relaxed and classic cuts, all on European sizing. The same person could genuinely wear three different sizes within one collection, and that's by design, not an accident.

I've been styling clients in Acne for years, and the biggest mistake I see is people ordering their "usual" size without reading what kind of fit they're actually buying. Get that right and Acne fits beautifully. Get it wrong and you'll be back at the post office by Friday. Let me walk you through it properly.

First, the European sizing thing

Acne Studios is a Stockholm fashion house, and it labels everything in European sizing. For UK shoppers that's the first hurdle — your usual UK number won't be printed on the tag. Rather than wrestle with conversions, I tell clients to ignore the label maths entirely and work from measurements instead. Acne lists garment measurements in centimetres on every product page; measure a piece you already own and love, lay it flat, compare, and you'll be right far more often than guessing off a size number.

Knitwear and sweatshirts: oversized on purpose

This is where people panic. Acne's jumpers, cardigans and sweatshirts are known for that slouchy, draped, slightly-too-big silhouette — and when you read the measurements they can look enormous. That's intentional. The relaxed knits are meant to swamp you a little.

Want the proper Acne look? Take your true size and enjoy the volume.
Genuinely dislike oversized? Size down one — but only after checking it isn't already a "regular fit" style, or you'll end up with something skimpy.

I once ordered one of their mohair jumpers convinced it would drown me, and it draped exactly as the campaign promised — a proper win. The lesson: trust the cut.

Denim and trousers: true to size, with a catch

Acne's denim runs true to size, but because a lot of it has stretch, you can often go a size down on the waist for that clean, worn-in fit. Waist sizing is in inches, so you're buying it more like proper denim than dress sizing.

Stretch styles: consider sizing down on the waist.
Rigid, non-stretch styles: stick to true to size.
Taller than around 5'9"? Check the leg length and size up in length rather than width.

My one real Acne fail came early on: I bought a stretch pair in my "normal" jeans size and they'd gaped at the waist within the hour. Sized down — perfect. Don't repeat my mistake.

Shirts, dresses and tailoring

Classic-fit shirts and tailored pieces are true to size and beautifully cut. The oversized shirts and relaxed dresses, again, run generously on purpose. The rule never changes: read whether a piece says "regular", "classic", "relaxed" or "oversized", and size from there rather than from habit.

Shoes: true to size, but narrow

Acne footwear follows European sizing and is mostly true to size, but the brand cuts on the narrow, sleek side.

Average-to-narrow feet: order your usual size.
Wider feet or half sizes: size up to the nearest whole.
Leather boots give a little with wear, so a snug start is fine.

My quick Acne fit rules

Always read the fit description before the size label.
Check the centimetre garment measurements against a piece you already own.
Size down on stretch denim, true to size on rigid.
Embrace the oversized knits — they're meant to be roomy.
Go up a whole size in shoes if you're between sizes or wider-footed.

Love the Acne look but want options?

Acne sits at the premium-to-luxury end, so here's where I send clients chasing that relaxed, Scandi-minimalist feel at different budgets.

High street

COS — the closest high-street match going; architectural, pared-back, Scandi to its bones.
Massimo Dutti — elevated fabrics and quietly relaxed tailoring for a fraction of the price.
Uniqlo — unbeatable for clean, well-cut knit and trouser basics, especially the U range.
Whistles — modern British contemporary with that easy, undone polish.
Jigsaw — understated, quality-led pieces that age well and layer beautifully.
Mango — surprisingly strong on minimalist tailoring and relaxed denim right now.
Hush — soft, lived-in separates with a similar off-duty ease.
Levi's — for honest, properly-cut denim if Acne's jean prices sting.

Premium

Totême — Scandinavian minimalism at its most polished; the natural step up from Acne.
By Malene Birger — Danish, elevated, and brilliant with texture and drape.
Toast — for that artful, fabric-led, gently relaxed wardrobe.

Luxury / designer

Max Mara — if you want to trade up into proper luxury tailoring, coats and camel-toned classics.

My two left-field independents

Hope (Stockholm) — a Swedish label doing relaxed, androgynous tailoring that feels genuinely Acne-adjacent and deserves far more UK love.
Aiayu — a quiet Danish brand built on natural fibres and understated, slow-fashion ease.

Never guess your Acne size again

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