What Is Sizing Like at Missoni?

So, does Missoni run big or small?

The honest answer: tailored and close. Missoni cuts to flatter the body rather than to drown it, and on top of that it uses Italian sizing, which already runs a touch smaller than what we're used to in the UK. Here's roughly how it breaks down across the menswear:

Knit polos & tees — slim through the chest and arms. If you like any breathing room at all, size up.
Sweaters & crewnecks — sit close to the body with refined, neat finishes. Stick to your usual size for that classic Italian fit; size up only if you want it relaxed.
Shirts & woven pieces — minimal stretch, so precision matters most here. Measure properly before you commit.
Trousers — cut clean and fairly trim. Check the waist and the thigh.
Outerwear — generally true to size, but tailored rather than oversized, so leave yourself layering room.

The Italian number thing

You'll often see Missoni in Italian numbers rather than S/M/L. As a rough guide for men: a 38" chest is around an IT 48, a 40" chest sits near an IT 50, 42" is roughly an IT 52, and 44" lands around an IT 54. Treat that as a starting point, not gospel — the knitwear and the woven pieces don't always behave the same way, even at the same size.

How to actually buy it and get it right

Buy to your measurements, not your habit. My polo disaster happened because I trusted "L" instead of a tape measure.
Decide the look first. Want the sharp, body-skimming Italian silhouette? Take your size. Want something easy you can throw over a tee? Go up one.
Mind the fabric. Fine viscose blends have almost no give — if you're between sizes on those, go up. Ribbed knits stretch a little more but cling, so they'll show everything.
Check garment measurements, not just the label. Missoni's own charts vary by product line, so a sweater and a shirt in the "same" size can fit very differently.

Who Missoni is — and why fit matters more than usual

Missoni is one of Italy's great houses, founded back in 1953 and built almost entirely on knitwear and that instantly recognisable zigzag. Most of the menswear is fine-gauge knit — lightweight, beautifully made, often in viscose-and-wool or silk blends. That's lovely on the body, but it also means the cloth has far less forgiveness than a chunky British lambswool jumper. The fabric drapes, it doesn't disguise. So the fit you choose genuinely shows.

What's worth buying right now

If you're dipping in, the knit polo is the smart entry point — it does a huge amount of work from spring through autumn. The zigzag crewneck is the icon and worth the splurge if you'll actually wear colour. And the knitted overshirt has quietly become one of the most useful things in my own wardrobe this year: tailored enough for dinner, soft enough for a Sunday.

My brand recommendations across every budget

Missoni is a treat, not a uniform. Here's where I'd shop to build around it — or to get the spirit of it for less.

High street

COS — for clean, textured knitwear that sits beautifully next to Missoni without competing with it. Quietly excellent merino at a fair price.
Reiss — your tailored, smart-casual backbone. Trousers and overshirts that hold a sharp line, which is exactly what loud knitwear needs underneath it.
Arket — for honest Scandinavian basics: heavyweight tees and merino crews that let a statement piece do the talking.

Independent & boutique

Drake's — British, characterful, brilliant with colour and texture. If you love the playfulness of Missoni but want it dialled to "London", start here.
Anglo-Italian — a small London label fluent in exactly this relaxed-Italian-tailoring language. Perfect partner trousers and jackets.
Universal Works — for laid-back overshirts and easy separates that ground a bold knit so it reads considered, not costume.

Designer & luxury

Etro — the obvious sibling. Italian, pattern-led, paisley where Missoni is zigzag. Sizing runs similarly close, so the same rules apply.
Brunello Cucinelli — when you want the finest knitwear money buys, in a quieter register. The cut is a touch more generous than Missoni.
Versace — if the colour and the confidence are the whole point. Bold, unapologetic, and cut close like its Italian peers.

How I'd style it

Let the zigzag be the only loud thing. Pair a patterned knit with plain trousers, plain shoes, done.
Knit polo + pleated trousers + loafers = the easiest smart-casual win in menswear.
Layer a zigzag crew over a crisp white tee under a navy overshirt for texture without chaos.
Keep your trousers and shoes earthy — stone, navy, brown — so the colour upstairs has room to sing.

Don't guess your Missoni size — know it in seconds

Italian sizing trips people up constantly, and Missoni is one of the worst offenders. That's exactly what we built Tellar.co.uk to fix — the UK's leading sizing tool. Measure once using your bust, waist, hip, or simply an existing brand size you already own, and Tellar matches your body to 1,500+ brands instantly. Never squint at a confusing size guide again.

Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — Missoni, COS, Reiss, Arket and more.
Shop with confidence: no guesswork, fewer returns, better-fitting buys.
Always free, no downloads — it works right in your browser.

Find My Missoni Size How To Measure

And there's the Tellar Fashion Hub — a growing library of free posts from our stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, with no one paying for a good word.

MORE FROM THE TELLAR FASHION HUB

Missoni rewards you for knowing your numbers. Get the size right and it's some of the most joyful knitwear out there — get it wrong and it's a very expensive lesson in Italian tailoring. Measure first, buy second, and let that zigzag do the rest.