What Is Sizing Like at Destrée?

The short version: Destrée runs largely true to size, but the labels catch people out because every piece is cut to French (FR) sizing — so the number on the tag sits roughly four digits above your usual UK size. In practice, a UK 10 usually reaches for their size 38, and a UK 12 for their 40. Once that one quirk clicks, Destrée becomes one of the more predictable luxury labels to shop.

I've styled enough clients in this Paris-based label — all sculptural tailoring, sharp shoulders and gloriously bold colour — to know exactly where the confusion lives. So let me save you the returns faff.

Decoding those French numbers

Destrée labels its ready-to-wear in French sizing, which is why a size 38 isn't a "huge" size — it's their version of a small-to-medium. Here's how the tiers translate without me throwing a messy conversion grid at you:

FR 34 ≈ UK 6 (their XS)
FR 36 ≈ UK 8 (their S)
FR 38 ≈ UK 10 (their M)
FR 40 ≈ UK 12 (their L)
FR 42 ≈ UK 14 (their XL)

The simple rule of thumb: take your UK size and add 28. UK 10 plus 28 gives you 38. It's not glamorous maths, but it works every time.

How Destrée actually fits on the body

Numbers aside, the cut is where Destrée has personality. The brand leans into architecture — structured blazers with a defined shoulder, belted coats, sculptural midi dresses and tailoring that holds its shape rather than skimming it. A few things worth knowing before you commit:

The tailored jackets and blazers sit generously through the shoulder by design — that sharp silhouette is the point, not a fault.
Waist-defined pieces (belted knits, cinched dresses) are the most forgiving and the easiest to size, because they create shape rather than relying on a precise fit.
The fabrics — proper silk, linen, structured wool blends — have very little stretch, so if you're between sizes, the larger one almost always wins.
Across stockists like Net-a-Porter, Farfetch and Moda Operandi, the size charts can vary slightly, so always sense-check against your own measurements.

My honest, slightly embarrassing experience

My first Destrée buy was a cobalt blazer with those signature strong shoulders — and I confidently ordered "my" UK 12, forgetting French sizing entirely. What arrived was cut for someone a good deal larger: the shoulders slid halfway down my arms and the whole thing read borrowed-from-a-taller-friend. A genuine fashion fail, and an expensive one to post back. The replacement in a size 40 fitted like it had been made for me, and it's now the piece I get the most compliments on. Moral of the story: respect the French numbers, and never order a structured Destrée jacket on autopilot.

Where Destrée sits — and what to pair it with

Destrée is firmly in luxury-designer territory, so I'm often asked where to find that same sculptural, colourful, polished energy across different budgets. Here's where I'd shop.

High street that captures the look

COS — the closest high-street cousin to Destrée, all clean architectural lines and considered shapes.
Massimo Dutti — elevated tailoring and beautiful fabrics that genuinely punch above their price.
Whistles — modern, fashion-led tailoring with a quietly directional edge.
Reiss — sharp, structured separates when you want that defined-shoulder polish.
Mango — surprisingly strong on sculptural, trend-led tailoring for a fraction of the spend.
Claudie Pierlot — effortless Parisian polish that sits right in Destrée's world.
Jigsaw — grown-up, refined separates in lovely cloth.
Anthropologie — for the bold colour and statement prints Destrée does so well.

Premium step-ups

Sézane — Parisian, elevated and endlessly wearable; the natural next rung.
Ba&sh — French contemporary label doing soft tailoring and gorgeous colour.
Sandro — structured French-girl cool with that same sculptural confidence.

Luxury & designer alternatives

Roksanda — architectural colour-blocking; spiritually Destrée's sister label.
Totême — pared-back luxe tailoring for the quieter end of the wardrobe.
Jacquemus — sculptural French statement pieces with real drama.

Two left-field independents to know

Rejina Pyo — London-based designer working in colour-blocked, architectural shapes; if you love Destrée, you'll fall hard for this.
Paloma Wool — the cult Barcelona label, artful and sculptural, brilliant for one-off statement pieces nobody else will own.

Never second-guess a Destrée size again

If decoding French sizing across every stockist feels like hard work, that's exactly why I built Tellar — the UK's leading sizing tool. We match your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never have to stare at a size guide again.

Measure once — using your bust, waist and hip, or simply an existing brand size you know fits.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — Destrée, COS, Reiss, Arket and more.
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There's also the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library stacked with free posts from our stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free: style advice, top picks and the best brands, all in one place.

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