What Is Sizing Like at Bode?

Bode runs relaxed. Founded by Emily Adams Bode Aujla in 2016 as a menswear-first label built around vintage American textiles, quilting and mending, the whole aesthetic leans into a generous, lived-in silhouette. In practice that means:

Roomy through the chest, arms and shoulders. The cut is boxy by design — this is workwear-meets-craft, not tailoring.
Cropped or wide hems. Trousers often sit full and shirts sit short, so the proportions read differently to a standard high-street fit.
US labelling. Bode sizes are cut to American conventions, so a UK shopper needs to translate — a US medium isn't always where you'd expect.
Piece-by-piece variation. This is the big one. Because so much is made in small runs from vintage cloth, two "large" shirts can fit noticeably differently depending on the fabric and how it was constructed.

My rule of thumb: take your usual size for the intended relaxed, draped look — or size down one if you want something closer to the body. If you're broad across the back, stay true to size; the shoulders are where a size-down will bite first.

What about the footwear?

Worth flagging because it catches people out: Bode's trainers and the Bode Rec. line run small. Go up a half to a full size versus your normal Nike or trainer size, especially if you've a wider foot.

How I'd actually style it

Bode works best when you let one piece do the talking and keep everything else quiet. A patchwork shirt or a quilted overshirt is the whole outfit — you don't need to fight it.

Anchor it with plain trousers. A wide, ecru or navy pleated trouser lets a busy Bode top breathe. Never pattern-on-pattern unless you really know what you're doing.
Keep footwear humble. A leather sandal in summer, a plain suede loafer or a beaten-in white trainer. The clothing is the event; the shoes are the usher.
Layer the overshirts. The quilted and appliqué jackets are cut to go over a plain tee or fine-gauge knit — buy your relaxed size so there's room underneath.
Roll the sleeves. Those short-sleeve camp shirts look best worn as they are; on the long-sleeve styles, a loose forearm roll keeps it looking off-duty rather than fussy.

Eight brands worth knowing in the same world

If you love what Bode does but want more range across price points — or you're building a wardrobe around that craft-led, relaxed silhouette — these are the labels I'd point you to.

High street

COS — the most Bode-adjacent thing on the high street. Boxy, considered shirting and relaxed trousers with proper fabric weight for the money. A brilliant place to practise the loose silhouette before you commit to the real thing.
Arket — sister brand to COS but warmer and more textural. Their overshirts and heavier knits nail that "quietly crafted" feel without the gallery price tag.

Independent & boutique

Story mfg. — hand-dyed, hand-woven, made with genuine reverence for natural process. If Bode speaks to you emotionally, this is the British-founded label that scratches the same itch.
YMC (You Must Create) — London's masters of the relaxed, slightly off-kilter basic. Their camp-collar shirts and drawstring trousers are the everyday version of the Bode look.
Wax London — famous for their panelled, patchwork-knit Dinton shirts. Made responsibly, brilliantly wearable, and the closest thing to a "patchwork piece" you'll find at a sensible price.

Designer & luxury

Kapital — the Japanese cult label built on boro patchwork, indigo and craft obsession. If you want to go deeper than Bode into hand-worked, storytelling clothing, start here.
Visvim — the connoisseur's choice. Hugely expensive, but the fabric development and construction are genuinely unmatched. A grail-level version of the vintage-craft ethos.
Nigel Cabourn — British heritage and military archive done properly. Cabourn's outerwear and workshirts carry the same "each piece has a history" weight Bode fans respond to.

Stop guessing your size — let Tellar do the maths

Idiosyncratic labels like Bode are exactly why we built Tellar. When a "large" can fit three different ways depending on the fabric, a generic size chart won't save you — but your actual body measurements will.

Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool: measure yourself just once (bust, waist, hip, or simply your usual size in a brand you already own) and we'll match your body to 1,500+ brands instantly. Never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once — using your body measurements or an existing brand size.
Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Arket, Reiss, Everlane and hundreds more.
Shop with confidence — no guesswork, fewer returns, better-fitting buys.
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Find Your Size → How to Measure →

And once you've sorted your size, dive into the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library of free posts from our top stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, with no adverts and nobody paying to bend our recommendations.

The honest verdict

Bode is one of the most rewarding labels a bloke can wear — but it demands a little homework. Take your usual size for that relaxed, draped look it's designed around, size down one if you want it closer to the body, and remember every piece is its own animal. Do that, and you'll own something that genuinely no one else has. Get it wrong, and you'll be reselling it on Vinted like I did. Measure properly, buy once, wear it for years.

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