What is sizing like at Dsquared2 menswear?

Dsquared2 runs small and slim, so most men are better off going up a size from their usual. It's an Italian house through and through, which means the cut sits close to the body and the numbers on the label follow the Italian system rather than a UK one. If you're borderline between two sizes, size up.

The fit, in plain terms

Dsquared2 is built around a lean, rock-and-roll silhouette. The Caten brothers cut their menswear for a slim frame, and it shows across almost everything they make. Shoulders are narrow, armholes are high, and shirts and jackets nip in at the waist. If you carry a bit of muscle through the chest or shoulders, or you simply like a touch of breathing room, that standard slim cut can feel restrictive.

The label uses Italian sizing, so you'll see numbers like 46, 48, 50 and 52 on tailoring rather than S, M, L. As a rough guide for jackets and blazers:

IT 46 ≈ UK 36 / Small
IT 48 ≈ UK 38 / Medium
IT 50 ≈ UK 40 / Large
IT 52 ≈ UK 42 / Extra Large

Because everything is cut close, that conversion is a starting point, not gospel. I'd treat a Dsquared2 "Medium" as most brands' "Small."

Denim and tailoring behave differently

Their denim is where the slim reputation really bites. The jeans are low-slung, tapered and often quite tight through the thigh and calf, especially the skinny and slim-tapered fits. Order your true waist and expect them to feel snug for the first few wears before they give a little.

Tailoring is the piece I'd be most careful with. A Dsquared2 blazer in your "normal" size will very often refuse to do up comfortably. I learned that the hard way, more on which below. Shirts follow the same story: fitted through the body with a shorter, sharper cut.

A win and a fail from my own wardrobe

The fail first, because it's the more useful one. Years ago I bought a Dsquared2 blazer in what I'd swear was my size, IT 48, without trying it on. It arrived looking sharp on the hanger and utterly refused to fasten on me. Beautiful jacket, wrong maths. The win came later with their denim: I stopped stubbornly ordering my "usual" and took the pair that felt one notch bigger. They broke in perfectly and became the jeans I reached for every weekend. The lesson stuck: with this brand, generosity with sizing is a virtue.

Brands to buy alongside it

If you love the Dsquared2 look but want options across different budgets, here's where I'd shop. Same slim, slightly rebellious energy, spread across the price ladder.

High street

AllSaints — the closest high-street match for that rock-leaning aesthetic. Slim leather, lean tailoring and denim with attitude, all at a fraction of the price.
Reiss — for the sharper, tailored end. Their slim blazers and shirts give you a clean, close cut without the Italian pricing.

Independent & boutique

Nudie Jeans — brilliant if you want considered, hard-wearing denim with a slim leg and a free-repairs ethos. A grown-up alternative to Dsquared2 jeans.
Percival — a London independent doing playful, well-cut menswear. Great for slim knitwear and shirting with a bit of personality.

Designer & luxury

Saint Laurent — the spiritual cousin. Skinny, rock-and-roll tailoring and denim cut even leaner than Dsquared2, so size up here too.
Amiri — LA luxury denim with the distressed, statement edge Dsquared2 fans tend to gravitate towards.
Diesel — Italian, premium and denim-led, currently having a real moment. A slightly more accessible luxury pick with the same slim DNA.

That's seven names to weigh up, but the fit warning carries across most of them: this whole family of brands cuts lean, so try before you commit or size up when you can't.

Stop guessing your size

Dsquared2's Italian sizing catches a lot of men out. Rather than gambling on a conversion, let Tellar do the maths. Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool — measure once and get your exact size matched instantly across 1,500+ brands. No downloads, no size guides, no guesswork, and it's completely free.

Find my Dsquared2 size How to measure

It really does take the risk out of buying a brand that runs this small. You measure once — bust, waist, hip, or just your size in a brand you already own — and the Store Size Lookup tool tells you precisely what to order everywhere else. Fewer returns, better fitting purchases, and a lot less trial and error at the checkout.

Beyond the tool, the Tellar Fashion Hub is a free library of posts from working stylists: honest, unbiased, independent and never sponsored. Style advice, top picks and the best brands for every wardrobe, all in one place.