What Is Sizing Like at La Ligne?

La Ligne runs true to size across its dresses and tailoring, but its hero knitwear — the Marin sweater and the whole striped family that made the brand famous — is cut deliberately relaxed and slouchy, so a fair few people end up sizing down for a neater finish. If you want the easy, off-duty drape the brand is known for, your usual size is spot on. If you like your knits closer to the body, go down one. That's the whole story in a sentence, and I'll spend the rest of this telling you exactly where the catches are, because La Ligne is one of those labels where one size note can be the difference between "elevated French-girl ease" and "borrowed my partner's jumper."

The quick answer on La Ligne fit

La Ligne is a New York label built on the Breton stripe — founded by three fashion editors who decided the world needed a smarter striped jumper, and honestly, they were right. The sizing follows US contemporary fitting (XS to XL on most pieces, with some numeric tailoring), and the cut is consistent and grown-up. It's not vanity-sized and it's not mean. It's just generous in the places the brand wants to feel relaxed.

Knitwear (the Marin and friends): roomy by design. The shoulders sit soft, the body has ease, the sleeves are long. Built for that thrown-on look.
Dresses: reliably true to size, with proper waist definition on the tailored styles.
Trousers and tailoring: true to size, cut for a clean line rather than a tight one.
Tees and lighter tops: true to size, sometimes a touch boxy through the body.

Where it runs relaxed — and where it doesn't

Let me tell you about my own La Ligne lesson, because it cost me. The first Marin I bought, I took in my standard size expecting a snug stripe. It arrived and it was lovely — and enormous. Gorgeous slouch, but it swallowed me when I tucked it. I should have sized down, and now I always tell clients the same: the Marin and the heavier striped knits wear at least half a size big, sometimes a full one. If you're between sizes, drop down. If you genuinely want the oversized, sleeves-past-the-wrist look, stay put and enjoy it.

The dresses are where La Ligne quietly shines for fit. I've styled their wrap and shirt-dress shapes on hourglass and pear clients alike and barely touched them — the waist lands where it should and the length is sensible rather than skimpy. The tailoring is the same: trust your number, and only the very straightest figures might want to nip the waist. The one genuine watch-out is the necklines on some knits, which sit wide and can slip off a narrow shoulder. Not a flaw — just worth a bralette you don't mind flashing.

How I'd style it

La Ligne is built for contrast. A relaxed striped knit wants something sharp underneath it — a straight-leg jean, a pressed trouser, a slim midi skirt — so the ease reads as deliberate rather than sloppy. Push the sleeves up, add a loafer or a clean white trainer, and let one good piece of gold do the talking. It's the most low-effort way to look like you've thought about it, which is exactly why editors keep buying it.

Where else to shop the look

If you love the La Ligne formula — elevated stripes, soft tailoring, the considered-but-easy thing — here's where I'd send you across every budget.

High street

COS — the closest high-street match for that pared-back, architectural ease; brilliant relaxed knits and clean tailoring.
Boden — the UK's most reliable Breton specialist; proper stripes, true sizing, real cotton.
Hush — soft, lived-in striped tees and jumpers with exactly the right amount of slouch.
Jigsaw — grown-up knitwear and trousers cut for a clean line; an underrated fit house.
Seasalt Cornwall — the Breton done with genuine heritage; relaxed, soft and forgiving.
Whistles — sharper tailoring and elevated separates for the polished half of the look.
Massimo Dutti — quietly luxe knitwear and trousers that punch well above the price.

Premium

Me&Em — clever, flattering cuts with built-in waist definition; the dress fit is exceptional.
Sézane — the French-girl reference point; stripes, soft knits and a touch of charm in every piece.

Luxury / designer

Totême — Scandinavian minimalism and the gold standard for elevated relaxed tailoring.
Brora — Scottish cashmere with proper striped knits, if you want the Marin idea in the finest yarn.

Two for the left-field

&Daughter — a small British-Irish knitwear label making heritage striped jumpers the slow, proper way; if you want one stripe to last a decade, start here.
Navygrey — an independent British essentials brand built around the perfect jumper; understated, beautifully made, and exactly the spirit of La Ligne without the New York price.

Never guess your size again — how Tellar works

Here's the part that saves you the returns label. Tellar 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.

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

And there's the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, all in one place.

Keep reading on Tellar

Find Your Perfect La Ligne Size in Seconds

Your body, matched exactly to 1,500+ brands. Always honest, always unbiased, always free.

Visit Tellar.co.uk Try the Store Size Lookup