What Is Sizing Like at KNWLS?

KNWLS runs small and deliberately body-conscious — it’s a brand built around corsetry, draped jersey and sculpted ‘90s silhouettes, so most pieces hug far more closely than your average high street buy. If you’re between sizes, or you want a corset or waist-defining piece to feel comfortable rather than compressive, sizing up is usually the smarter move. The stretch jersey and knit styles are more forgiving and sit closer to true to size, but nothing here is cut for slouch. This is fashion designed to hold you in and show your shape.

I’m Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist and Founder of Tellar, and KNWLS is one of those labels I get asked about constantly — usually by someone who’s fallen for a corset top online and has no idea whether to order their normal size. Let me walk you through it properly.

The KNWLS fit, decoded

KNWLS is a south London label from Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, and the whole aesthetic is about reclaiming the body — deconstructed corsets, underwear-as-outerwear, sheer panels and second-skin jersey. That design philosophy is exactly why sizing trips people up. The clothes are meant to fit tight.

Here’s how it breaks down across their main categories:

Corsetry & structured tops: These run the smallest. The boning and rigid panels don’t give, so the number on the label feels a size firmer than you’d expect. If you carry anything across the bust or ribcage, size up.
Draped & ruched jersey: Closer to true to size but engineered to cling. Lovely and stretchy, but it shows every line — this is a feature, not a flaw.
Knitwear: Sized XS–XL and the most forgiving of the lot. Generally true to size.
Denim: Cut on a low, sculpted waist and sized 24–32. The rise sits high on the hip, so go by your waist measurement, not your usual jeans number.
Skirts & mini dresses: Short and snug through the hip. If your hip-to-waist ratio is pronounced, prioritise the hip.

KNWLS uses a standard UK 6–14 grid (Italian 38–46, US 2–10), but the cut is the real story, not the label. My honest advice: never order a corset or waist piece in your “hopeful” size.

A quick confession

I learned this the hard way. Years ago I squeezed into a sculpted corset top a full size too small for a brand launch — I’d convinced myself it would “settle.” It did not settle. I spent the evening unable to fully exhale and left before the canapés. The flip side: when I finally bought a draped KNWLS-style jersey midi in my actual measurements, it became the most photographed thing I own. The lesson stuck. With body-conscious design, the right size doesn’t just feel better — it genuinely looks more expensive.

How to nail your KNWLS size

Measure your waist and bust first — these decide everything in corsetry and jersey.
If you’re between sizes on a structured piece, take the larger one. You can always tighten a corset; you can’t loosen boning.
For sheer and bralette styles, check the cup and band notes per product rather than assuming.
Going-out piece you’ll dance in? Comfort wins. Size up.

Where to shop the KNWLS look for less

KNWLS sits firmly at the luxury end, so if you love the sculpted, sexy, ‘90s-corset energy but want options at every price point, these are the brands I steer clients towards.

High street

Reiss — the best high street source for elevated, sculptural going-out dresses with proper structure.
AllSaints — edgy draped jersey, leather and body-skimming cuts that share KNWLS’s attitude.
River Island — genuinely strong on trend-led corsetry and body-con at a low price.
New Look — affordable corset tops and bandeau styles for testing the look before you invest.
ASOS — vast own-brand range of corsetry and second-skin pieces; easy to filter by fit.
Nobody’s Child — sustainable, beautifully cut fitted slip and mini dresses.
Mango — excellent for ruched jersey and sculptural knit dresses that nod to the silhouette.

Premium

Maje — Parisian going-out pieces with corset detailing and a sharp, body-aware cut.
Good American — the sculpting denim and body-con specialists; their stretch holds you beautifully.
Ganni — Scandi-cool fitted styles with a playful, contemporary edge.

Luxury & designer

Mugler — the body-conscious icon; sculpted tailoring and panelling that defined this whole language.
Alaïa — the master of second-skin knit and architectural shape, if you want the heirloom version.

Two left-field independents worth knowing

Poster Girl — the London cult label behind those sculpted crochet and cut-out pieces; a true KNWLS sibling in spirit.
Nensi Dojaka — LVMH-prize-winning London designer working in sheer, asymmetry and bralette-led silhouettes. If KNWLS speaks to you, this will too.

Never guess your size again with Tellar

Body-conscious brands like KNWLS are exactly why I built Tellar — the UK’s leading sizing tool. Measure yourself once (bust, waist, hip, or just give us your size in a brand you already own) and we match your body to over 1,500 brands instantly. No more squinting at a size guide, no more hopeful guesswork, no more launch-party regrets like mine.

Measure once using bust, waist, hip, or an existing brand size.
Use our 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.

And once you’ve sorted your size, dive into the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library stacked with free posts from our stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and best brands, with no influencer noise.

A few of my favourite guides to read next:

Find your perfect KNWLS size in seconds

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