What Is Sizing Like at Hobbs? Your Complete Fit Guide

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

Hobbs runs true to standard UK sizing, but the fit is structured and tailored — which means it can feel noticeably snugger than high street brands you might be used to, particularly across the bust, shoulders, and hips. If you're between sizes or planning to layer, size up.

I have a slightly complicated relationship with Hobbs. For years I avoided it entirely — I'd mentally filed it under "school run mums and corporate away days" and assumed it wasn't for me. Then a client of mine turned up to a fitting wearing the most immaculate Hobbs blazer, and I completely reassessed. The tailoring was genuinely excellent. I bought one myself about six months later. It fits beautifully, but I'm not going to lie: I sized up. It was absolutely the right call, and I'll explain exactly why below.

A Bit About Hobbs

Hobbs began life as a shoe brand — originally launched in London in 1981 — before evolving into one of Britain's most respected women's clothing labels. It sits in a sweet spot between premium high street and affordable luxury: better quality than most high street names, without the eye-watering price tags of the true designer market. The brand is famous for its smart workwear, tailored occasionwear, and that very particular brand of polished, British femininity. Think clean lines, excellent fabrics, and clothes that are designed to be worn for years rather than one season. It's not a fashion-forward brand — and it doesn't pretend to be — but what it does, it does very well.

So Does Hobbs Run True to Size?

Yes — broadly, Hobbs runs true to UK sizing. You won't need to add or subtract a size the way you might with an Italian brand or some of the more generously cut Scandinavian labels. A Hobbs size 12 is, measurements-wise, a genuine UK size 12. The important caveat is this: true to size does not mean relaxed. Hobbs cuts are structured, precise, and close to the body. The brand designs clothes to skim your silhouette and show your shape, which means that even at your correct size, things can feel fitted — sometimes more fitted than you'd expect.

Real customers consistently describe Hobbs as "true to size but not generous." It doesn't vanity-size (which is actually something I respect), and it doesn't pad out the measurements. What you see on the size chart is what you get, but the cut assumes you want a tailored result rather than a comfortable one.

Sizing by Garment: What You Actually Need to Know

Blazers & Structured Jackets: This is where Hobbs sizing catches people out most. The shoulder seams sit precisely, the waist is nipped in, and there is very little ease through the upper body. If you plan to wear anything underneath beyond a thin blouse — a jumper, a knit, even a thicker shirt — size up without hesitation. I'd also recommend sizing up if you have broader shoulders or carry any weight through the chest.
Shift Dresses & Workwear Dresses: Generally true to size, but structured. Their classic sleeveless shift dresses are brilliant investments, but check the shoulder seam sits correctly before committing. If you're full-busted or carry weight around the middle, the next size up will be far more comfortable — and still look tailored rather than loose.
Occasion & Party Dresses: The structured bodices on Hobbs occasion pieces can run quite fitted. If you're wearing one for a long event — a wedding, a race day, an evening do — and want to actually breathe and eat, size up. A slightly larger size in a beautifully cut Hobbs dress will still look polished.
Trousers & Pencil Skirts: True to size but slim-cut. The silhouette is sleek and assumes a fairly straight hip-to-waist ratio. If you have a more pronounced curve — i.e., your hips are significantly wider than your waist — you may find yourself needing to size to your hip measurement and having the waist taken in.
Knitwear: Generally true to size, though merino wool pieces can feel snug initially. The good news: they do relax and soften a little with wear. Still, if you're between sizes, err on the side of sizing up for comfort.
Coats & Outerwear: Size up, especially if layering. Hobbs coats are beautifully cut but close-fitting through the chest and shoulders. A coat that's tight when you're wearing just a blouse will be genuinely unwearable once you're in a thick jumper in January.

Height & Fit: Who Does Hobbs Size For?

This is worth addressing honestly, because Hobbs has a bit of a reputation here. The brand's regular-length clothing tends to suit women up to around 5'7" very well. If you're taller — 5'9" and above — sleeve lengths and dress hemlines can fall slightly short. Multiple shoppers have flagged this over the years, and it's a genuine consideration if you're on the taller side.

Petite range: Genuinely brilliant. Hobbs is one of the better high-street-adjacent brands for petite proportioning — it's properly scaled down, not just hemmed up. Ideal for 5'3" and under.
Tall range: Limited. If you're 5'9"+, check individual garment lengths carefully before ordering, and prioritise styles where length isn't critical — knitwear, shorter jackets, and wide-leg trousers can work well.
Plus sizes: Hobbs goes up to a size 22 in most styles, though the range at larger sizes can be more limited online. Worth filtering by size before falling for something that may not be available.

Hobbs Size Conversion Guide

UK SizeEU SizeUS SizeBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)6342806287836484669110386887095124089274991442109678103164412100821071846141089011520481611698123

Hobbs Sizing: Quick Summary

✅ True to standard UK sizing numerically
⚠️ Structured and close-fitting — especially blazers, coats, and occasion dresses
⚠️ Size up if between sizes, broad-shouldered, full-busted, or layering underneath
✅ Petite range is genuinely well-proportioned
⚠️ Can run short for taller women — check garment lengths if you're 5'9"+
✅ Knitwear relaxes with wear; still worth going up a size if in doubt
✅ No vanity sizing — the numbers are honest

Alternatives to Hobbs: High Street, Premium & Luxury

Love the Hobbs aesthetic but want to explore the field? Here's where I'd send you, depending on your budget and what you need from your clothes.

High Street

Whistles — My first recommendation for anyone who loves Hobbs but wants something a little more relaxed in fit. Whistles has the same polished British aesthetic, the same quality fabrics, but with slightly more ease built into the cuts. It's the Hobbs of the fashion-forward world. Sizing is true to size, often with more forgiveness.
Jigsaw — A brilliant Hobbs alternative for women who want sophisticated classics without the rigid tailoring. Jigsaw cuts tend to be a touch more relaxed, particularly through the hips — great if you find Hobbs's structured silhouettes a little unforgiving.
Phase Eight — Particularly strong for occasionwear. Where Hobbs can feel stiff in formal pieces, Phase Eight tends to offer more ease and drape. A really solid alternative for weddings and smart events, and their sizing is slightly more generous.
Massimo Dutti — A consistently underrated high street option for tailoring. Spanish-owned, premium quality, and the blazers and smart separates are genuinely excellent. The fit has more Mediterranean ease than Hobbs — slightly less structured, still very polished.
Mint Velvet — For the slightly more relaxed, boho-leaning version of Hobbs style. Mint Velvet does smart occasionwear and workwear with softer silhouettes, which suits women who find Hobbs's precision tailoring too constricting.
COS — A completely different aesthetic, but worth mentioning for the Hobbs customer who wants to modernise her wardrobe. COS does architectural, minimalist tailoring that lasts for years — the quality is excellent and the fit is more relaxed and fashion-forward.
Reiss — Directly comparable to Hobbs in terms of price point and occasion, but cuts slightly smaller in my experience. Great quality tailoring, particularly in blazers and dresses, though be aware it can run a size small through the shoulders.
LK Bennett — The closest spiritual twin to Hobbs on the high street. Similar customer, similar aesthetic, similar price point. LK Bennett tends to be slightly more feminine in its detailing — more satin, more print — but the sizing is comparable and the workwear is excellent.

Premium

Me+Em — If you can stretch the budget a little beyond Hobbs, Me+Em is genuinely worth it. The tailoring is modern and precise, the fabrics are exceptional, and the fit has far more thought given to real bodies. A brilliant step up from Hobbs without going full designer.

Luxury / Designer

Max Mara Weekend — The luxury version of the Hobbs customer. Beautifully cut, Italian-made, with that same emphasis on timelessness and craft. Max Mara sizes tend to be generous for Italian fashion — check their size chart carefully, as it often runs a size up compared to their mainline.
Claudie Pierlot — The French answer to Hobbs. Impeccably tailored, feminine without being fussy, and with the kind of understated Parisian polish that makes Hobbs look a little conservative. Runs true to EU sizing — convert from UK by adding 2 sizes numerically.

Two Independent Brands Worth Knowing:

Albaray — Founded by the team behind Warehouse, Albaray is a British independent label producing beautifully made, sustainably focused tailoring and separates. It has the quality feel of Hobbs but with a more contemporary edge and more generous proportions. If Hobbs feels too structured or narrow for you, Albaray is a brilliant alternative that deserves far more attention than it gets.
With Nothing Underneath — If you've ever struggled to find a shirt that actually fits properly, this brand will change your life. Founded to create shirts designed specifically for women's bodies (rather than just men's shirts made smaller), the quality and cut are outstanding. Perfect pairing for Hobbs trousers, and the sizing is refreshingly intuitive.

Nail Your Hobbs Size Every Time — Use Tellar

Hobbs's structured tailoring means getting the right size really matters — a size too small in a Hobbs blazer and you'll know about it. Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool, instantly matching your exact measurements to the right size across 1,500+ brands, including Hobbs, Whistles, Jigsaw, Reiss, and hundreds more.

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