What Is Sizing Like at Napapijri?

By Ella Blake — Fashion Stylist | Tellar Fashion Hub — Always honest, unbiased & unsponsored

Napapijri runs true to European sizing, which typically comes up slightly smaller than standard UK sizing — so as a general rule, if you're between sizes, size up. It's a brand I genuinely love, but I'll be honest with you: the first time I bought a Skidoo anorak online, I ordered my usual size and was utterly baffled when it arrived fitting like a fitted jumper. Lesson learned the hard way. Once I sized up, it was perfect — roomy enough to layer underneath, structured enough to look intentional rather than oversized. That's the Napapijri experience in a nutshell: brilliant when you get the fit right, a bit unforgiving if you don't.

A Bit About Napapijri

Napapijri is an Italian outdoor and lifestyle brand founded in 1987, now headquartered in Switzerland and beloved across Europe for its technical performance outerwear. The brand sits in a sweet spot between serious mountain gear and street style — it's the brand you see on everyone from actual skiers to fashion-forward urbanites in East London. Their iconic Skidoo anorak and Rainforest jacket are cult pieces, and for good reason: the quality is excellent, and the styling is effortlessly cool. But they do have their sizing quirks, and that's what we're here to sort out.

Napapijri Size Conversion Table

Napapijri uses European sizing across its women's range. Use the table below to find your UK equivalent:

Napapijri LabelEU SizeUK SizeUS SizeBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)XS368482–8464–6688–90S3810686–8868–7092–94M4012890–9372–7596–99L42141095–9877–80101–104XL441612100–10482–86106–110XXL461814106–11088–92112–116

Always cross-reference with Napapijri's own size guide for specific styles, as fit can vary between their performance and lifestyle lines.

Fit by Garment Type

Not all Napapijri pieces fit the same way, and knowing which category your chosen item falls into makes a real difference. Here's my honest breakdown:

Skidoo Anoraks & Pull-overs: These are the big ones. Designed with an athletic, slightly tapered cut — not boxy. If you like to layer a chunky knit underneath (and you will, because that's the whole point), go up one size without hesitation. I wear a UK 12 in most things and bought a Medium; I should have bought a Large for comfortable layering.
Rainforest Jackets: The technical waterproof range has a slightly more generous cut than the anoraks, but still follows EU sizing. Stick to the size guide and you should be fine. If you have a broader shoulder line, consider sizing up here too.
Fleeces & Midlayers: These tend to be the most forgiving in the range. True to size is usually fine, and there's enough structure to look intentional even if there's a little extra room.
Puffer Jackets & Down Gilets: These vary by style. The more fitted styles (particularly anything from their Circular Economy line) run slim — size up. Baggier puffer styles tend to be truer to size.
T-shirts, Sweatshirts & Casualwear: Their core logo tees and sweatshirts run true to EU size, which again is one size smaller than UK. A UK 12 should take a size M comfortably here. If you prefer an oversized fit, go L.

My Honest Fit Verdict

If you're shopping Napapijri in person, try on before you buy where you can — and always try on with the layers you'd realistically wear underneath, not just a thin T-shirt. If you're shopping online (which most of us are), go one size up from your usual UK size for outerwear and anoraks specifically, and true to EU size for sweatshirts and casualwear. I know that sounds like a faff, but once you get your Napapijri size dialled in, it's a brand you'll return to again and again. The quality-to-style ratio is genuinely hard to beat at this price point.

High Street Alternatives to Napapijri

Napapijri isn't cheap, and that's absolutely fine — quality costs. But if you're looking for a similar outdoor-meets-street aesthetic at a lower price point, here are my picks:

Barbour — The British heritage brand does brilliant technical outerwear with a classic edge. Their wax jackets and quilted gilets are a wardrobe staple, and they size more generously for a UK audience.
Superdry — Often underestimated, Superdry has genuinely improved its outerwear in recent years. The down-fill jackets are solid, and sizing is fairly consistent.
Fat Face — Great for casual outdoor-inspired pieces with a relaxed, unfussy fit. Particularly good for fleeces and softshells that won't break the bank.
Seasalt Cornwall — A brilliant British brand for outdoorsy, functional women's outerwear with genuinely lovely prints and colours. Runs true to UK size.
Joules — Cheerful, well-made, and practical. Their waterproof jackets in particular punch above their weight and size generously.
Timberland — Solid heritage credentials with performance technical outerwear. Good for those who want the rugged-meets-street look at a mid-range price.
Crew Clothing — Underrated for outdoorsy smart-casual layering. Their quilted jackets and gilets are excellent quality and size true to UK.

Premium & Designer Alternatives

If Napapijri has whetted your appetite for investment outerwear, these are worth exploring:

Gant — Clean Scandinavian-influenced outdoor styling with a slightly dressier finish. Consistent sizing and great quality across their outerwear.
Tommy Hilfiger — Their outerwear line does a great job of blending function with a polished, preppy aesthetic. Worth checking during sale season for serious value.
Me&Em — A premium British brand that does beautifully considered outerwear. Not technical, but if you want elevated, refined layering pieces, they're worth every penny.

Two Independent Picks Worth Knowing

Finisterre — A Cornish brand built around cold-water surfing and outdoor adventure, Finisterre makes seriously impressive technical outerwear with strong sustainability credentials. Their sizing is helpfully true to UK and the quality is exceptional. An absolute gem of a brand.
Passenger Clothing — A brilliant independent outdoor lifestyle brand based in the UK. Ethical, considered, and with genuinely lovely outerwear that sits between high street and premium. Worth bookmarking immediately if you haven't already.

Find Your Exact Size in Napapijri — Instantly

Sizing across outdoor and technical brands can be genuinely confusing — especially when you're shopping European sizing, multiple garment types, and layering into the mix. That's exactly why Tellar exists.

Tellar is the UK's leading clothing sizing tool — match your exact measurements to 1,500+ brands in seconds, with no downloads and no fuss. Always free. Always unbiased.

✦ Measure once — enter your bust, waist, hip, or an existing brand size
✦ Get your precise size in any brand instantly, including Napapijri
✦ Never guess again — works across 1,500+ women's brands

Try the Free Store Size Lookup Tool →

And if you're looking for more honest, unsponsored fashion advice, the Tellar Fashion Hub is your go-to — a library of free posts from our top stylists covering every sizing and style question you can throw at us.

MORE FROM THE TELLAR FASHION HUB

This post is written by Ella Blake for Tellar Fashion Hub. All brand recommendations are independent and unsponsored. Tellar is free to use and does not accept payment for editorial coverage.