What Is Sizing Like at Hollister?

Hollister runs small, and it uses US sizing in every UK store, so most men need to go up a size from their usual British fit — particularly in tops. The brand was built for slim American teenagers, and while it's grown up a bit, that lean cut is still baked in. Nail the size and there's some genuinely good, well-priced casualwear here. Get it wrong and you're wrestling a hoodie over your head at 11pm wondering where it went sideways.

Does Hollister actually run small?

Yes — but not evenly across the range, which is the part that trips people up. Here's how it breaks down after years of sizing clients into (and out of) this brand:

Tops and tees: the tightest offenders. A slim, body-hugging cut through the chest and shoulders. If you're broad or just prefer a relaxed drape, go up one size without hesitation.
Hoodies and sweats: closer to true to size, but still cut lean. If you want that oversized weekend look, size up one — plenty of my clients do this deliberately.
Denim: the most honest category. Men's jeans use a proper waist-and-length measurement (W x L in inches), so they behave much like standard American sizing rather than the vaguer alpha sizing on tops.
Shirts: narrow through the chest and shoulders — the category I'd most often push a broader chap up two sizes rather than one.

Getting the jeans right

Denim is where Hollister quietly shines, and the sizing is the least stressful part of the shop because it's measured, not guessed. A quick word of warning though: the skinny and tapered cuts run genuinely snug through the thigh and calf. I once talked a client into a tapered pair a half-size down "for the silhouette" — he could barely sit down at dinner. Lesson learned. If you carry any muscle in the legs, reach for the straight or relaxed fits; they give you room without looking baggy, and they're bang on trend right now anyway.

A note on tall sizing

If you're over 6'1" (185cm) or long in the torso, Hollister's Tall range adds around 2 inches to the body length and 1 inch to the sleeve. It's an underrated fix — I send plenty of taller clients straight to it rather than sizing up (which only makes things wider, not longer).

What to buy, and how to wear it

Hollister is at its best for laid-back, Southern-California basics — think everyday layers rather than statement pieces. My picks for the season:

The hoodies — genuinely cosy, and a size up gives you that lived-in, slouchy fit that's everywhere this year.
Straight-leg denim — pair mid-wash with a plain white tee and clean trainers for the easiest weekend uniform going.
Graphic and plain tees — buy true if you like them fitted, one up if you want them to sit softly over the waistband. Layer under an open overshirt to smarten the whole thing up.

My brand recommendations across the tiers

If you like the Hollister feel but want to shop around, here's where I'd send you — priced from high street up to designer.

High street

Abercrombie & Fitch — Hollister's grown-up sister brand; same easy vibe, slightly roomier and more considered cuts.
Jack & Jones — the reliable denim workhorse, with a far wider range of leg fits than Hollister offers.
Pull & Bear — young, trend-led and cheap, brilliant for keeping up with the relaxed-fit moment.
American Eagle — the closest like-for-like on jeans, and arguably better value per pair.

Independent & boutique

Percival — London label doing elevated casual with genuine character; their overshirts and knits are a cut above.
Wax London — beautifully made, considered basics for when you've outgrown fast fashion but still want that easy look.

Designer & luxury

Polo Ralph Lauren — the original preppy-Americana blueprint Hollister borrows from, in far better fabric.
A.P.C. — French minimalism and some of the best raw denim you'll ever own; buy once, wear for a decade.

Stop guessing your Hollister size

Because Hollister runs small and sizes in US measurements, it's exactly the kind of brand where a sizing tool earns its keep. Tellar.co.uk is the UK's leading sizing tool — it matches your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again. And the Tellar Fashion Hub is a library of free, honest, unbiased posts on every fashion question going. Always free, always independent.

Measure once — using your chest, waist and hip, or simply the size from a brand that already fits you well.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more. Not sure how to measure? Here's the how-to-measure guide.
Shop with confidence — no guesswork, fewer returns, better-fitting kit.
Always free — no downloads, works straight in your browser.

Find My Hollister Size How to Measure

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