What Is Sizing Like at Max Mara?

Max Mara runs true to Italian sizing, which in practice feels slightly smaller and sharper than your usual UK high street fit — particularly in their structured tailoring. The coats are the exception: they're cut long and generous through the body so you can layer a chunky knit underneath. So if you normally take a UK 10, don't just assume an Italian 42 will behave the way your Whistles 10 does. It won't, and that's exactly where so many women come unstuck.

I've styled clients in Max Mara for years — everything from the iconic camel coats to a slim crepe blazer for a wedding — and the sizing has a personality all of its own. Let me walk you through it properly.

The short answer on fit

Max Mara, founded in Reggio Emilia in 1951, has never gone in for vanity sizing. They use precise Italian measurements without the extra ease British retailers love to sneak in "just in case". That gives you that beautiful, expensive, clean-lined silhouette — but it also means there's nowhere to hide. The headline things to know:

Tailoring runs fitted. Blazers, dresses and trousers sit close to the body. Size up if you're between sizes or fuller through the bust.
Sleeves run long. Their pieces are cut for a taller frame — coats are deliberately designed to show a flash of wrist, not swallow your hands.
Knitwear is forgiving. Jumpers and cardigans have a relaxed drape, so your standard size usually works.

How the famous coats actually fit

The coats are why most of us fall for Max Mara in the first place — the 101801 and the Manuela camelhair are genuine modern classics. Here's my honest experience: they're tailored through the shoulder and armhole, then relaxed and long through the body. I once ordered my "usual" size in a Manuela and the armholes were snug over a jumper — a classic rookie error. The fix is simple:

Layering or broader shoulders? Size up. The body has room, but the upper arm is where it pulls.
Petite and want it structured? Size down — the relaxed cut can otherwise drown you.
Always try it on with the actual bra and knit you'll wear underneath. With tailoring this precise, swapping a thin bra for a thick one genuinely changes the fit.

The sub-lines are where people trip up

This is the bit nobody warns you about. "Max Mara" is really a family of labels, and they don't all fit the same. Mainline Max Mara and Max Mara Studio are the sharpest and most formal. 'S Max Mara sits in between. Weekend Max Mara is noticeably more relaxed and casual — British shoppers often find it generous. So your Weekend size and your Mainline size can genuinely differ by a notch. Check which line you're buying before you commit, especially online.

Dresses, trousers and the snug-bust warning

Their structured crepe and wool dresses are gorgeous but can feel tight across the bust, because Max Mara simply doesn't pad out the cut. If you're bustier relative to your waist, size to your top half and have it nipped in elsewhere. Trousers are high-rise and classic, fitted at the waist and narrow through the hip and thigh — measure your hips honestly here.

Where else to shop that timeless Max Mara look

If you love the quiet-luxury, tailored-coat aesthetic but want options across budgets, these are the brands I send clients to.

High street & mid-market

Massimo Dutti — the closest high street cousin; elevated wool coats and camel tailoring with a real Italian-Spanish polish.
Reiss — sharp, structured outerwear and beautifully cut blazers for a fraction of the price.
Jigsaw — British-tailored quality with contemporary ease; lovely longline coats.
Hobbs — classic, ladylike coats and trousers cut for UK proportions.
COS — minimalist, architectural wool coats with that clean Scandi-Italian line.
Mint Velvet — relaxed luxe; brilliant for the softer, draped end of the look.
Me&Em — contemporary British luxury with genuinely thoughtful proportions for tall and petite.
Boden — surprisingly strong wool coats with reliable, consistent UK sizing.

Premium

Theory — clean, modern tailoring; the trouser suits are exceptional.
Joseph — luxe minimalism and some of the best coats outside Italy.
By Malene Birger — Scandinavian elegance with a bit more drama for occasion dressing.

Luxury & designer

Totême — the modern heir to the camel coat; pared-back, expensive-looking, endlessly wearable.
Ralph Lauren — timeless tailoring and outerwear with that heritage polish, if you want longevity over trend.

And two left-field independents worth knowing

Ottod'Ame — a Florence-based label doing beautifully elevated tailoring and coats with proper Italian sensibility, at a far gentler price.
Aligne — a London independent making sharp, sustainable modern tailoring; their coats and blazers punch well above their price tag.

Stop guessing your size — how Tellar helps

Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool. We match your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never have to squint at a size guide again — and crucially, Tellar reads the difference between Mainline, Studio and Weekend Max Mara for you.

Measure once — using your bust, waist, hip, or simply a brand size 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 once you're sorted on size, the Tellar Fashion Hub is a library of free posts from our stylists — honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands for every occasion.

A few of our most-loved guides:

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