What Is Sizing Like at High Sport?

High Sport runs true to size, uses a simple S/M/L system rather than numbered sizing, and if you're caught between two sizes you should size down – the stretch-knit fabric does so much of the work that going bigger almost always backfires. That's the short answer. The longer answer, and the one that'll save you a frustrating returns slip on a £700 pair of trousers, is worth a couple of minutes.

I've styled enough clients into the cult "Kick" pant now to have a feel for where people go wrong, so let me walk you through it properly.

First, what actually is High Sport?

High Sport is a New York label founded by designer Alissa Zachary, built almost entirely around one item that took over every fashion editor's feed: the Kick pant. It's a pull-on, cropped, flared trouser knitted from a proprietary stretch fabric (roughly 68% Italian cotton to 32% lycra), made in Italy. The genius of it is that it looks like polished tailoring but wears like a legging – which is exactly why people happily queue up to spend the better part of £700 to £800 on a single pair. At that price, the size on the label genuinely matters.

How the sizing actually works

Because High Sport works on letter sizing, each size spans a small range rather than pinning you to a single number, which is part of why it suits so many bodies. Here's what to keep in mind:

It's S, M, L – not 8/10/12. Map your usual contemporary size across: a UK 8–10 generally sits in Small, 12–14 in Medium, 16–18 in Large.
True to size. Take whatever you normally are in brands like COS or Reiss and you'll be in the right ballpark.
Between sizes? Go down. The brand says it itself, and it's right – the knit is built to be close and form-fitting, so the smaller size moulds rather than restricts.
It's high-rise and figure-hugging. This is a "shows your shape" trouser, not a forgiving palazzo. Go in expecting that and you'll love it; size up out of nerves and it'll bag at the waist.

I learned the size-down rule the hard way with a similar stretch-knit pair years ago – ordered up "to be safe," then spent an entire launch dinner discreetly hoiking them back onto my hips. Lesson logged. With this kind of fabric, snug is the point.

Don't forget the length

This is the bit most people miss. High Sport sells the Kick in three separate lengths, and the S/M/L only controls your waist and hip – the leg is a separate decision:

Short Kick – cut for shorter legs, ideal if you're around 5'4" and under.
Classic Kick – the original, designed on a 5'8" frame, the safe middle choice.
Long Kick – roughly four inches longer, for taller women who'd otherwise get an accidental ankle-grazer.

So the formula is: size for your waist/hip, then choose the length for your height. Get both right and the proportion does all the styling for you.

Which body shapes does it flatter?

Curvier / pear shapes: the stretch is genuinely generous over the hip, so buy for your waist and trust the knit to follow your shape.
Petite: the Short length is your friend – a Classic on a 5'2" frame turns a crop into a full-length.
Tall: go Long, or accept a more cropped, capri-ish line.

My own styling win with these: a Kick pant, a crisp white shirt half-tucked, a structured blazer and a pointed kitten heel. It reads expensive in about four seconds and you can sit through dinner without unbuttoning anything. That contrast – sharp on top, soft and stretchy below – is the whole trick.

If the price tag makes you wince: where else to look

High Sport is a treat, not a basic. If you want the elevated stretch-flare look for less – or simply more colours and sizes – here's where I'd send clients.

High street

Marks & Spencer – their stretch and "magic shaping" trouser range nails the smooth, no-gape waistband at an unbeatable price.
Next – reliably broad fit range with petite and tall options, so you can match the length the way High Sport lets you.
Mango – the most fashion-led high-street take on the cropped flare, refreshed every season in directional colours.
Hush – soft ponte and jersey trousers that lean into the "polished but comfy" brief beautifully.
Mint Velvet – elevated, tactile separates with a quietly luxe feel that styles up effortlessly.
Me&Em – the clever-cut British label whose jersey and ponte trousers are practically engineered to flatter.
Sweaty Betty – if you want the genuine athleisure-meets-tailoring crossover, their flares bridge gym and dinner.
Lululemon – the obvious comparison everyone makes; their stretch flares are the technical-fabric end of the trend.

Premium

Reiss – for a more tailored, structured flare when you want sharpness over softness.
Whistles – understated, fashion-literate cuts that sit perfectly between high street and designer.
Spanx – don't dismiss it as shapewear; the Perfect Pant kick-flare is a genuinely brilliant, sculpting alternative.
Paige – their stretch-denim and pull-on trousers carry that same body-skimming, premium-fabric feel.

Luxury & designer

The Row – the obvious peer for quiet-luxury minimalists who want flawless fabric and zero logos.
Max Mara Leisure – for soft, jersey-led tailoring with that unmistakable Italian polish.
Tibi – Amy Smilovic's label is the spiritual home of the "comfortable but considered" trouser.

Two left-field independents worth knowing

Grey Ven – an emerging New York label recently picked up by Neiman Marcus and widely tipped as High Sport's most credible rival. Get in early.
Splits59 – an under-the-radar LA stretch-knit specialist making elevated flares that punch well above their profile.

Never guess your size again with Tellar

Letter sizing is forgiving, but the moment you cross between brands – especially designer ones with their own quirks – the guesswork creeps back in. That's exactly the problem we built Tellar to solve.

Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool: it matches your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never have to squint at a size guide again.

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

Find your exact size in seconds

Your body, matched to 1,500+ brands instantly. Honest, unbiased, always free.

Visit Tellar Try the Store Size Lookup

Explore more from the Tellar Fashion Hub

The Fashion Hub is our library of free, honest, independent style posts – advice, top picks and the best brands, with nothing sponsored, ever. A few favourites to read next: