What Is Sizing Like at Clements Ribeiro?

Clements Ribeiro fits true to size, with a relaxed, slightly generous cut. If you usually wear a UK 12, take your normal size and the cashmere will do the rest. The brand sizes most of its knitwear as XS–L rather than UK numbers, and because almost everything is knitted from soft Scottish cashmere, there’s a gentle give that makes the fit forgiving without ever tipping into shapeless.

I’ve been styling cashmere for the best part of two decades, and Clements Ribeiro is one of the few labels I genuinely trust to behave. Years ago I talked a client out of sizing up in a striped cashmere jumper she was convinced would cling — she stuck with her usual M, and it’s still in her wardrobe, still the first thing she reaches for on a cold morning. That’s the brand in a nutshell: easy to wear, hard to get wrong.

What you’re actually buying

Clements Ribeiro is a London knitwear house, founded in 1993 by Suzanne Clements and Inacio Ribeiro, and it has spent thirty-odd years doing colour and pattern better than almost anyone — Vogue once named the duo among fashion’s “Magnificent Seven”. Today the collection is built around cashmere knitted in Scotland: think bold stripes, intarsia motifs, hand-framed cardigans and the occasional gloriously loud jumper.

Here’s what that means for fit:

Relaxed, not oversized. The cut skims rather than clings. A size M sits comfortably on a UK 10–12 with room to layer a shirt underneath.
Cashmere relaxes with wear. Like all good cashmere, it softens and gives a touch after the first few wears, so don’t panic if a new jumper feels a little snug on day one.
Sleeves run generous. A house signature — lovely if you like to push them up, worth knowing if you’re petite.
XS–L sizing. Most knits skip UK numbers entirely. As a loose guide, XS suits a UK 6–8, S an 8–10, M a 10–12 and L around a 14.

A word on the vintage and resale pieces

A lot of people meet Clements Ribeiro through resale — Vinted, Vestiaire, The RealReal — and the older printed silks, skirts and tea dresses fit quite differently from the current knitwear. Those archive pieces tend to be more body-conscious and feminine, cut on European and UK numbered sizing, and they can run a touch small on the waist. My honest advice: check the flat measurements in the listing rather than trusting the label, especially for anything that pre-dates the knitwear relaunch. For the cashmere, you’re safe taking your usual size.

How to choose your size with confidence

A few stylist habits that save returns:

Measure your bust and compare it to the listing, particularly for anything fitted or vintage.
Size down only if you want a neat, cropped look — otherwise stay true to size.
For a gift, M is the safe middle ground, thanks to that forgiving knit.

Where to shop if you love the Clements Ribeiro look

If you adore the colour-drenched cashmere but want options at every price, here’s exactly where I’d send you.

High street

M&S — genuinely brilliant cashmere for the money, with a colour range that gets stronger every season.
Uniqlo — my go-to for affordable cashmere crews and rollnecks in clean, bright shades.
COS — for architectural, slightly arty knits with that quiet gallery-shop polish.
Boden — unbeatable for cheerful stripes and a bit of intarsia spirit at a friendly price.
Seasalt Cornwall — painterly prints and soft, colourful knits with a lovely coastal warmth.
Jigsaw — grown-up, beautifully coloured knitwear that wears well for years.
Whistles — clean, modern jumpers with a considered, wearable palette.
Mint Velvet — relaxed, tonal knits if you want the soft-luxe feel for less.
Hush — easy, lived-in knits with a quietly stylish edge.

Premium

Brora — Scottish cashmere royalty, and the closest spiritual cousin to Clements Ribeiro’s colour and craft.
Ganni — for that playful, print-led, slightly offbeat energy.
Sézane — Parisian knitwear with effortless, feminine charm.

Luxury / designer

Max Mara — investment knitwear with impeccable cut and timeless colour.
Ralph Lauren — heritage cashmere and the kind of jumper you keep forever.
Totême — minimalist, quietly expensive knits if you prefer pared-back to print.

Two to discover

Genevieve Sweeney — a British label making joyful, properly made knitwear in bold colour, much of it knitted in the UK and Portugal.
Quinton Chadwick — under-the-radar British designers turning out witty, textured lambswool knits with real personality.

How Tellar takes the guesswork out of it

Switching between XS–L knitwear, vintage UK numbers and your usual high-street size is exactly the kind of fiddly maths that puts people off buying something they’d love. That’s the whole reason I built Tellar — the UK’s leading sizing tool. You measure once, using your bust, waist and hip (or simply an existing brand size you already trust), and we match your body to more than 1,500 brands instantly. No more squinting at size guides.

Want to know your exact size at a specific label before you order? Use our Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and hundreds more. It’s always free, works straight in your browser, and there’s nothing to download.

And once you’ve nailed your size, the Tellar Fashion Hub is a library stacked with free posts from our stylists — honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, with no sponsored fluff.

Stop guessing your size

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Written by Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder of Tellar. Honest, unbiased and never sponsored.