What Is Sizing Like at John Lewis?

Across its own collections, John Lewis cuts on the classic, generous side. This isn't a fashion brand chasing a skinny silhouette — it's built for a broad range of British men, so the default is roomy through the chest and body with a bit of comfort built in. True to size, but traditional. If you've spent years buying slim-fit everything, your usual size here will feel a touch more relaxed than you expect.

There are three own-brand tiers worth knowing, and they don't all behave the same:

John Lewis (main line): the tailoring, formal shirts and smart knitwear. Classic fit unless a piece is specifically labelled slim. Reliable, true to size, cut for real shoulders.
John Lewis ANYDAY: the value casual range — tees, sweats, chinos, easy shirts. This runs relaxed, sometimes a shade oversized. If you like a neater line, take your normal size and expect room, or size down on the softer jersey pieces.
Kin by John Lewis: the Scandi-leaning design line — boxy, minimalist, deliberately loose. Kin runs large, particularly in outerwear and overshirts. Size down if you want it fitted rather than draped.

MARCUS'S TIPOne label, three different fits. Knowing whether you've picked up main-line, ANYDAY or Kin before you order is half the battle — it's the single biggest reason men send John Lewis parcels back.

Sizing by category — what to check before you buy

Shirts

Own-brand formal shirts are sized by collar in inches — 14.5, 15, 15.5 and up — which is the old-school department-store way and, frankly, the most accurate. Measure round the base of your neck with two fingers under the tape. Their default body cut is classic, so if you're lean and want it closer to the body, look for the pieces marked slim or tailored fit rather than sizing down the collar, which just strangles you.

Suits & jackets

Tailoring goes by chest measurement — a 40 jacket means a 40-inch chest — with short, regular and long options for the drop. That length choice matters more than most men realise: get the jacket length and sleeve right and an off-the-peg John Lewis suit can look properly considered. The house cut here is classic, so a slim build may want the tailored line, and a broader chap will appreciate the extra room in the standard block.

Trousers & chinos

Sized by waist in inches plus leg length (short 30", regular 32", long 34"). This is the bit worth celebrating — being able to buy an exact waist and leg beats guessing at S/M/L every time. Chinos in the ANYDAY line sit relaxed through the thigh, so if you want a tapered look, that's a size-down job or a different cut.

Knitwear & casual

Jumpers and casual tops run true but comfortable. The lambswool and merino main-line knits are a genuine highlight for the money and hold their shape well. ANYDAY sweats, as above, lean big.

A quick confession from the shop floor

Early in my styling days I kitted a groom out entirely from John Lewis on a tight budget — and it taught me everything about this place. The win: we got him into a regular-fit navy suit, took the trousers up an inch, and he looked like he'd spent triple. Nobody guessed the price. The fail, same afternoon: I grabbed him a Kin overshirt to layer for the evening do and didn't check the cut. It arrived looking like he'd borrowed his dad's. Ordered a size down, problem solved — but lesson learned. Never assume the fit across one department store's own labels. They are not the same animal.

What to buy, and how to style it

John Lewis is at its best for the quiet foundations of a wardrobe rather than statement pieces. Right now, for a smart-casual look that's very much where menswear sits this season, I'd build around:

A main-line unstructured blazer in navy or stone — thrown over a tee, it's the whole smart-casual game.
Straight or gently tapered chinos in olive, ecru or navy, hemmed to just kiss the shoe.
A stack of merino crew necks in muted tones for easy layering.
An overshirt (main-line, not Kin, unless you want it oversized) as the transitional-weather workhorse.

Keep the palette earthy and tonal, let the fit do the talking, and don't be afraid of a proper hem and a light press. Fit and finish are what separate "fine" from "sharp," and both are free once you've bought well.

Brands to know — across every budget

John Lewis is a brilliant anchor, but a complete wardrobe pulls from a few places. Here's where I'd send men who love that classic-but-considered John Lewis feel, across three tiers — none of them overlapping with what I've recommended in recent guides.

High street

COS — minimalist, architectural basics with a Scandi restraint. Sizes cleanly and true, and the heavier cottons and knits punch well above their price. Perfect if you like the Kin aesthetic but want it sharper.
Uniqlo — the undisputed king of reliable staples. Tees, merino, and the Smart Ankle trousers are wardrobe bedrock, true to size and impossible to argue with on value.

Independent & boutique

Oliver Spencer — British, relaxed tailoring with soft shoulders and gorgeous fabrics. The go-to when you want an unstructured jacket with more character than the high street offers.
Community Clothing — made in Blackburn, honestly priced, workwear-inflected staples. Straight-talking, no-nonsense kit that sits neatly alongside the "always honest" spirit I rate.
Kestin — Scottish, understated and quietly technical, with a modern-utility edge. Superb outerwear and trousers for the man building a considered, low-key wardrobe.

Designer & luxury

Sunspel — English, elevated essentials. The T-shirts and polos are the benchmark, and the fit is a clean, modern regular. Buy once, wear for years.
Margaret Howell — quiet British luxury and relaxed tailoring done with total conviction. Everything is understated, beautifully made and cut with room. The grown-up destination when budget allows.
John Smedley — the finest fine-gauge knitwear made in England. A Smedley polo or crew is the sort of piece that instantly lifts everything around it.

Mix a couple of these with a well-chosen John Lewis base and you've got a wardrobe that looks deliberate rather than bought-in-a-panic — which is really the whole job.

Never guess your size again

Here's the honest problem with a shop like John Lewis: one website, dozens of brands, dozens of size charts. A 40 in the own-brand suit isn't a 40 in the Ted Baker next to it. That's exactly what Tellar was built to fix.

Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool — your body matched to 1,500+ brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once — bust, waist, hip, or just tell us your size in a brand you already own.
Use the Store Size Lookup to get your exact size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Shop with confidence — no guesswork, fewer returns, better-fitting buys.
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And there's the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library of free posts from our stylists covering every fashion query you can think of. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free — style advice, top picks and the best brands, with no affiliate strings attached.

Find my John Lewis size How to measure

Get the fit right first time, buy fewer and better, and let a shop like John Lewis do what it does best — quietly build the backbone of a wardrobe you'll actually reach for. That's the game, and it starts with knowing your size.