What Is Sizing Like at Gauge81?

Gauge81 runs small and follows European sizing, so most UK shoppers find their usual size sits a touch tighter than expected — particularly in the sculpted knit dresses and slip styles the brand is famous for. If you normally wear a UK 10, you'll often want to think of yourself as the brand's S rather than reaching for the smallest thing that technically matches your number. This is a label built to skim and hug the body on purpose, and once you understand that, dressing it becomes a joy rather than a guessing game.

I've styled a lot of Gauge81 over the past couple of years, and I'll be honest — the first piece I ever ordered, the brand's signature deep-V knit dress, arrived and I genuinely thought they'd sent the wrong size. It clung in places I wasn't braced for. Two minutes in the mirror later and I understood: that is the dress. It's meant to do that. I just hadn't sized for the cling.

Why Gauge81 Fits the Way It Does

Gauge81 is an Amsterdam-based label that lives somewhere between daywear and eveningwear — think sculptural knits, sharp little blazers, asymmetric necklines and that quiet, expensive-looking minimalism. The fit is deliberately body-conscious. The stretch knits are designed to mould to you, and the tailoring is cut close and narrow rather than roomy. None of this is a flaw; it's the whole point of the brand. But it does mean your instincts from the high street won't always carry over.

A few things worth knowing before you buy:

It's European sizing. That already feels snugger than UK high street if you're used to generous fits.
The knits are the trickiest. Bodycon and ribbed styles grip the bust and hips, so they're the most likely to feel a size out.
Fabric changes everything. A fluid satin slip behaves completely differently to a dense rib — don't assume one size carries across the whole brand.

How Each Piece Tends to Fit

Here's my honest stylist breakdown, piece by piece, so you can order with confidence:

Knit & bodycon dresses: The famous ones. They run small around the bust and hips and the fabric can pull if you size down. If you're between sizes or fuller through the chest, take the larger one — you lose nothing in shape and gain a lot in comfort.
Blazers & tailored coats: Sharp shoulders, narrow cut. Lovely lines, but tight if you want to layer a jumper underneath. I size up here almost every time.
Trousers: Fitted at the waist with very little give. Some styles feel a full size smaller than the label suggests, so go gently.
Tops & slips: The most forgiving category. Fluid fabrics drape rather than grip, so your true size usually behaves.

My one real Gauge81 fail? I once styled a client into a tailored pair in her "normal" size for a press day, didn't check the waist, and spent the morning quietly praying she wouldn't need to sit down for long. We got away with it — but I size that trouser up now without thinking. My win, for balance: a bride's mother in the deep-V knit, one size up from her instinct, looked like she'd been poured into it in the best possible way. Photographs beautifully.

Where to Shop for the Same Look

If you love the Gauge81 aesthetic but want options at every price point — or something more forgiving while you learn the fit — these are the brands I reach for to get that same sculpted, minimal, day-to-night feel.

High Street

COS — the closest high-street match in spirit: architectural, minimal, and brilliant for sculptural knits.
Mango — surprisingly elevated tailoring and slinky knit dresses at a fraction of the price.
Massimo Dutti — quietly luxurious knitwear and clean tailoring with that understated polish.
Hush — relaxed-luxe slip dresses and soft knits, lovely for the off-duty version of the look.
Mint Velvet — easy, body-skimming knits with a soft, modern edge.

Premium

Whistles — sleek slip dresses and contemporary minimalism, very much in Gauge81's lane.
Reiss — sharp tailoring and occasion knits when you want structure with a bit of drama.
Me&Em — clever, body-conscious jersey and day-to-night dressing that flatters genuinely.

Luxury / Designer

Max Mara — the gold standard for sculptural knitwear and impeccable tailoring.
Toteme — pared-back Scandi minimalism with the same quiet-luxury restraint.

Two Independents Worth Knowing

Bevza — a Ukrainian minimalist label doing sculptural jersey and knits that feel like Gauge81's spiritual cousin.
Aligne — a British independent with sharp, sustainable tailoring and slip dresses, often more forgiving in the fit.

How to Nail Your Size Without the Guesswork

My genuine advice with Gauge81: don't shop the number, shop the cut. A knit dress and a satin slip in the "same" size can fit completely differently, so size the piece, not the label. When in doubt between two sizes on anything ribbed or tailored, take the larger — the cut does the sculpting, you don't need the fabric fighting you for it.

How Tellar Works

This is exactly what we built Tellar to solve. It's the UK's leading sizing tool — your body matched precisely to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once, using your bust, waist and hip — or just your size in a brand you already wear.
Use the Store Size Lookup to get your exact size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

And there's the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, with no sponsored nonsense.

Find Your Exact Gauge81 Size in Seconds

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