What Is Sizing Like at Equipment?

By Ella Blake — Fashion Stylist | Tellar Fashion Hub — Always honest, unbiased & unsponsored

Equipment sizes small — this is the single most important thing to know before you shop them. The brand uses US sizing (XS through to XL, with some styles going to XXL), and that sizing consistently comes up small against UK equivalents, particularly through the shoulders and chest. As a general rule: size up one from your usual UK size when shopping Equipment, and if you're between sizes, always go up rather than down. Get that right and you'll be rewarded with one of the most beautiful silk shirts on the market.

I remember the first time I splurged on an Equipment silk blouse — the ivory Signature shirt that you see all over fashion editorials. I ordered what I thought was my correct size based on the US size conversion chart and it arrived pulling across the shoulders and tight through the upper arm. Not ideal when you've spent that much on a piece. Exchanged it for a size up and it was absolutely perfect — that effortless, slightly oversized drape that Equipment do better than almost anyone. The lesson stuck. Equipment: always go up.

First, Who Is Equipment and What Do They Make?

Equipment is a French-American brand that became iconic in the late 1970s and had a major fashion revival in the 2010s when every fashion editor seemed to be wearing their silk shirts. Their hero pieces are their luxurious silk blouses and shirts — the Signature shirt, the Brett blouse, the slim shirt — all cut from beautiful silk charmeuse or silk twill in an enormous range of colours and prints. They also do silk trousers, camisoles, and occasion pieces. The aesthetic is Parisian-inflected, effortlessly polished, and deliberately not trend-driven. These are investment pieces designed to last.

In the UK, Equipment is sold through their own website, Net-a-Porter, Selfridges, and a handful of boutiques. Prices are premium — shirts typically sit in the £250–£350 range — so getting the sizing right before you buy is really worth the effort.

Understanding Equipment's US Sizing in UK Terms

Equipment doesn't produce a UK size guide — everything is US sizing, and their conversions don't always follow the standard US-to-UK formula. Here's a practical guide to work from:

US XS (Equipment): fits approximately UK 6–8, but only if you're narrow through the shoulder. If your shoulders are broader than a UK 6, skip XS entirely.
US S (Equipment): fits approximately UK 8–10. Most UK size 10s will find this snug; a UK 8 with narrower shoulders will find it right.
US M (Equipment): fits approximately UK 10–12. This is where the majority of UK shoppers find their sweet spot, and it gives you that relaxed, un-fussy drape Equipment is famous for.
US L (Equipment): fits approximately UK 12–14. If you're a solid UK 12 and want that properly oversized, tucked-in-at-the-front look, an L is your size.
US XL (Equipment): fits approximately UK 14–16.

One thing to note: Equipment's sizing is fairly consistent across their shirt styles, but their silk trousers and more tailored pieces can run differently. The trousers in particular tend to be cut narrow through the hip — more on that below.

The Silk Shirts: How to Get the Fit Right

Equipment's silk shirts are designed to be worn with a relaxed, slightly roomy fit — this is not a brand for a tight, body-con look. The magic of an Equipment shirt is in the way the silk moves when it has room to drape properly. If you're buying a Signature or slim shirt, size up one from your usual UK conversion and you'll get that iconic, off-duty elegant look. If you prefer your shirts more fitted and tucked in, stay at your standard conversion but be prepared for it to feel quite fitted through the chest and upper arm — and check the shoulder seam sits perfectly, because on silk, nothing looks worse than a dropped shoulder seam.

For the silk blouses with more fluid, draped cuts (the Brett, the Adaline styles), the sizing has more forgiveness — the cut does a lot of the work. Still size up if you're between sizes, but you have a little more room for error. These are the pieces I'd consider the most body-shape-friendly in the Equipment range, working beautifully on everything from petite frames to curvier silhouettes.

Equipment Silk Trousers: Size Up, Full Stop

Equipment's silk trousers are where I'd urge the most caution. They are cut narrow — straight through the hip with a slim leg — and the silk has minimal stretch. If you carry any volume through the hip or thigh, size up two from your standard UK-to-US conversion, not one. They're gorgeous pieces and they work beautifully when they fit, but they will not accommodate hips in the way that, say, a pair of tailored trousers with a bit of structure and stretch would. If you're fuller through the hip, Equipment's silk trousers are honestly an awkward category. Their silk skirts are a far more flattering and forgiving route to that same luxurious look. For a full guide on getting skirt and trouser proportions right, the Ultimate Guide to Dresses & Best Buys on Tellar covers silhouette and fit in detail.

Knitwear and Non-Silk Pieces

Equipment do a smaller range of cashmere and wool knitwear — less well-known than their silk pieces but worth knowing about. Their knitwear follows a slightly different sizing logic: it runs closer to true US size, which means the gap between US and UK sizing is less pronounced. For knits, a US M will generally fit a UK 12 well. Check the Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide on Tellar for a comprehensive breakdown of how knitwear sizing works across premium brands.

Practical Tips Before You Buy Equipment

Take your shoulder measurement before ordering — Equipment's fit lives or dies on the shoulder seam sitting correctly. Measure from the edge of one shoulder to the other across your upper back, and compare to their size guide.
Your bust measurement is your primary guide for shirts — allow 3–4 inches of ease on top of your actual bust measurement for the right Equipment drape.
For trousers and skirts, go by hip measurement — and be generous. Silk has no give.
Net-a-Porter's size guide for Equipment is more detailed than Equipment's own website — worth checking there even if you plan to buy direct.
If you're buying for the first time, Net-a-Porter and Selfridges both offer free returns in the UK, which makes sizing up to try much less of a risk.
The Signature shirt is the most size-forgiving piece Equipment make — a great starting point if you're new to the brand.

Is Equipment Worth the Investment?

Genuinely, yes — but only once you've got the size right. A well-fitting Equipment silk shirt is one of those wardrobe pieces that makes everything else around it look more considered. Worn over straight-leg trousers with barely-there heels, thrown over a swimsuit on holiday, tucked into wide-leg tailored trousers for the office — it works everywhere. The colour range is exceptional, the quality of the silk is outstanding, and they don't date. Get the sizing right once and you'll be ordering them for years. For more on building a wardrobe around investment outerwear and layering pieces, take a look at the Ultimate Guide to Jackets on Tellar.

Get Your Exact Equipment Size in Seconds — Free on Tellar

Equipment is one of over 1,500 brands on Tellar.co.uk — the UK's leading free sizing tool. Enter your measurements once and get your precise size instantly across every brand, with no guesswork and no expensive returns.

Measure once — bust, waist, hips, or use an existing brand size you trust
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→ The Ultimate Clothing Sizing Guide→ Jeans Trends 2026→ Ultimate Guide to Dresses & Best Buys→ Ultimate Guide to Jackets & Best Buys

Love Equipment's Silk Aesthetic? These Brands Deliver a Similar Feel

Equipment sits firmly in the premium-to-luxury space. Here are the brands I'd recommend depending on your budget and style direction:

High Street — that silk-adjacent feel without the price tag

Whistles — consistently one of the best high street options for silk and satin blouses with an elevated, grown-up feel. Their sizing is true to UK sizes and their silk-look blouses are genuinely impressive for the price.
Cos — brilliant for minimal, architectural pieces in fluid fabrics. Not silk in the Equipment sense, but their fabric quality and cut is excellent and their sizing is reliably consistent.
Massimo Dutti — Zara's more sophisticated sibling, and one of the best high street sources for silk and silk-look blouses. Their pieces sit closer to Equipment's aesthetic than most high street alternatives. Sizing runs true to slightly small.
Anthropologie — a brilliant source for printed silk-style blouses with a more feminine, artistic sensibility. Sizing is US-based like Equipment, so apply the same size-up logic.
Reiss — particularly strong for fluid blouses and shirts that work for both office and occasions. Sizing is consistently true to UK size and their quality is excellent at the mid-premium price point.

Premium — closer to Equipment's quality level

Claudie Pierlot — French brand with a beautifully curated range of silk and satin tops, dresses and blouses. Parisian in spirit, similar quality to Equipment at a comparable price point. Sizing follows French/EU sizing and runs small — size up.
Citizens of Humanity — best known for denim, but their non-denim pieces — particularly their fluid trousers and casual separates — sit in the same effortlessly cool, premium-casual space as Equipment. Sizing runs small in the same US-sizing way.

Two independent brands that deserve a place in this conversation:

Asceno — a London-based brand making some of the most beautiful silk pyjama sets, blouses and trousers on the market. Often described as the more accessible, contemporary answer to Equipment — similar quality, similar aesthetic, with a strong sustainability ethos and clear, reliable sizing. Absolutely worth knowing if Equipment is on your radar.
Desmond & Dempsey — another brilliant London indie, best known for their printed silk pyjama sets but with a growing ready-to-wear line. If you love Equipment's silk quality but want something with more personality and print interest, Desmond & Dempsey is a genuine discovery. Sizing is true to UK size and their quality is exceptional.