What Is Sizing Like at AVAVAV?

AVAVAV uses Italian (standard European) sizing, and across both its clothing and its cult footwear it tends to run small and narrow — so unless you’re buying one of its deliberately oversized pieces, you’re usually safest going up a size. That’s the short answer. The longer one is more interesting, because AVAVAV isn’t a brand you can size by the usual rules.

If you don’t know the label: AVAVAV is the Florence-based, Swedish-founded house run by Beate Karlsson, the woman behind the viral “finger shoes”, the gloopy platform boots and those wider-than-wide jeans all over your feed. It’s avant-garde luxury streetwear built largely from Italian deadstock fabric, and the design language is sculptural, exaggerated and a little bit feral. None of which makes for predictable sizing. So let me talk you through it as I would a client standing in my studio holding a returns label.

The system: Italian numbers, not your usual letters

AVAVAV labels its clothing in Italian sizing — IT 38, 40, 42 and so on — which is the same as standard EU sizing. A rough translation is that IT 38 sits around a UK 8–10, IT 40 a UK 10–12, IT 42 a UK 12–14. I’m giving you ballparks deliberately, because the cut matters far more here than the number on the tag.

How it actually fits, piece by piece

Tops and tailoring run small and short in the body. The fabrics have little to no stretch and the cuts are often cropped or asymmetric, so they catch you out across the shoulders and through the torso. If you’re long in the body or fuller on the bust, size up.
The wide-leg jeans are the exception. They’re engineered to be enormous — that’s the whole point — so take your true waist size and let the volume do its thing. Sizing up here just drowns you.
The shoes run small and narrow. Classic Italian footwear behaviour, made worse by the chunky, sculptural shapes. For the platforms and the “feet” styles especially, I’d go up half a size to a full size.
Limited drops mean limited mercy. Pieces are made in tiny runs from deadstock, so your size may simply not come back. Get it right first time.

My own AVAVAV lesson came via a pair of the platforms. I ordered my usual EU 39 feeling smug, and spent an evening with my toes filing a formal complaint. The 40 was perfect. Learn from my squashed feet: with this brand, faith in your “normal” size is misplaced confidence.

Styling it without looking like you’re in fancy dress

AVAVAV is loud, so let one piece do the shouting and keep everything else quiet. The wide-leg jeans want a slim, tucked top and a heel or a clean trainer to balance the proportion. The statement shoes need plain trousers or a simple dress so the footwear is the event. Treat each piece as the centrepiece and build a calm room around it — that’s how you read as deliberate rather than costume.

Where to shop the look (and the fit) elsewhere

AVAVAV is a commitment of both nerve and budget, so here’s where I’d send clients for the same sculptural, statement energy at every price point.

High street

Zara — the fastest route to a directional, sculptural piece on a budget; brilliant for trend-led tailoring and statement shoes.
COS — minimalist, architectural cuts with proper weight to the fabric; the grown-up way to do “art piece”.
Urban Outfitters — the home of exaggerated, youth-led streetwear and wide-leg denim if you want the AVAVAV silhouette for less.
ASOS — sheer range means the statement platforms and oversized jeans are always somewhere on the site; read the reviews for fit.
AllSaints — edgy leather and a darker, sharper mood; great for the rebellious side of this aesthetic.
Topshop — back, and still one of the strongest spots for trend-forward denim and a confident heel.
Mango — elevated, fashion-week-adjacent pieces with a European cut that suits this kind of drama.
River Island — surprisingly good for chunky, statement footwear when you want the shape without the spend.

Premium

Ganni — Scandi, playful and slightly subversive; the closest premium brand in spirit to AVAVAV’s sense of humour.
The Kooples — Parisian edge with a rock undertone; perfect for the sharper, leather-leaning end of the look.
Zadig & Voltaire — luxe-grunge staples that take a statement shoe seriously without tipping into costume.
AGOLDE — if it’s purely the wide-leg denim you’re chasing, this is the premium denim to do it properly.

Luxury / designer

Maison Margiela — the original disruptor of the silhouette and the spiritual godparent of AVAVAV’s split-toe footwear.
Rick Owens — for sculptural, dystopian drama and platforms that make a genuine statement.
Acne Studios — Scandinavian, conceptual and beautifully made; the polished version of this whole mood.

Two left-field independents worth knowing

Chopova Lowena — the London label behind the carabiner skirts; sculptural, collectible and gloriously odd.
Di Petsa — wet-look draping and body-sculpting pieces from London; AVAVAV’s sensual cousin.

Never guess an AVAVAV size again

This is exactly the kind of brand Tellar was built for — the labels where your “usual” size is a trap. Tellar is the UK’s leading sizing tool: match your body once to 1,500-plus brands and never squint at a size guide again.

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

And then there’s the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands — no sponsored fluff.

Keep reading:

The Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide
Jeans Trends 2026 — essential before you commit to those AVAVAV wide-legs
The Ultimate Guide to Dresses & Best Buys
The Ultimate Guide to Jackets & Best Buys

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