What Is Sizing Like at Peregrine?

Peregrine's knitwear is broadly true to size with a regular, room-to-move cut — but it's a brand that genuinely rewards sizing up. Go up one if you're tall, layer over shirts, or just want that slightly relaxed, lived-in look that's very much where menswear is right now. The waxed jackets, by contrast, cut a little leaner, so leave room for a jumper underneath.

Who Peregrine actually are

A bit of context, because it explains the fit. Peregrine is a family-run British firm that traces its roots back to 1796, when the Glover family started knitting and selling jumpers in Leicestershire. Eight generations on, the knitwear is still made at their own factory in Manchester using British wool — much of it merino — and they've branched into waxed cotton jackets, quilted coats, overshirts and shirting. This isn't fast fashion cut to a fleeting trend; it's heritage clothing built to a traditional block. Which is exactly why the sizing behaves the way it does.

How Peregrine really fits

The knitwear (jumpers, crews, cardigans)

Regular fit as standard. Most of the jumpers sit in that classic middle ground — not clingy, not a tent. You get room across the chest and through the body without it flapping about.
True to size, but ripe for sizing up. Take your normal size and it'll fit. That said, these jumpers look their best worn a touch oversized, and a lot of tall lads find sizing up gives them the body and sleeve length they want.
Merino gives, chunky wool doesn't. The fine merino pieces have a bit of natural stretch and mould to you over time. The heavier, chunkier knits are more structured, so if you're between sizes on those, round up.
Length is generous. Bodies and sleeves run on the longer side of average — a real plus if you've ever been let down by jumpers that ride up the second you lift your arms.

The waxed and quilted jackets

Slimmer silhouette than the knitwear. The wax jackets are cut closer to the body for a sharp line, so factor in what you'll wear underneath.
Layering is the whole point. If a chunky jumper is going under it all winter, take your true size or nudge up one — don't buy it to fit over a T-shirt in the shop and then wonder why it's tight in January.

The shirts and overshirts

Relaxed, casual cut. These aren't sharp formal shirts — they're weekend, worn-open-over-a-tee pieces. True to size for a comfortable, unfussy fit.
Watch the wash. Natural fibres, so cool wash and dry flat. Wool especially will thank you and keep its shape for years.

A fit lesson I learned the hard way

Early in my styling days I kitted a client out for a countryside wedding and put him in a beautiful lambswool Peregrine crew in his "usual" medium — the size he wore in every high street brand going. On the hanger it looked spot on. On him, over a shirt, with his arms up for the group photos, it pulled tight across the shoulders and rode up at the waist. Rookie error. We swapped it for a large the next morning and it transformed him: it draped, it layered, it looked expensive. Ever since, my rule with heritage British knitwear is simple — try it over the shirt you'll actually wear it with, and when in doubt, size up. A jumper that's a hair roomy reads as considered and relaxed. One that's a hair tight reads as borrowed from your younger brother.

What to buy and how to style it

Peregrine sits right in the middle of the current menswear mood — that shift away from skin-tight everything towards softer, roomier, quietly premium pieces. Here's where I'd put my money:

The merino crew neck is the workhorse. Layer it over an oxford shirt with the collar out, or straight over a plain tee. In a neutral — oatmeal, moss, navy, charcoal — it goes with everything you own.
A shawl-collar or half-zip is the grown-up alternative to a hoodie for cooler evenings. Perfect over a plain white tee with dark denim.
The waxed jacket is your one-and-done autumn layer. Throw it over the knitwear, add some suede boots or trainers, and you've got a look that works at the pub and on a proper walk.
Texture is the trend. Chunky cable and ribbed knits are having a real moment — lean into it, and let the knit be the hero rather than piling on pattern elsewhere.

The best brands to wear alongside Peregrine

Peregrine covers knitwear and heritage outerwear brilliantly, but you'll want to round out the wardrobe. Here are the brands I'd genuinely reach for, split by budget, with a note on how each one's fit compares.

High street

Uniqlo — the smart-money knitwear pick. Their merino and lambswool crews are astonishing value and cut a touch slimmer and cleaner than Peregrine, so if you find Peregrine a little relaxed, Uniqlo is your trimmer everyday base layer. Reliably true to size.
Crew Clothing — coastal British staples with a friendly, regular fit that sits very close to Peregrine's. Good for rugbys, chinos and casual shirts to build around the knitwear.

Independent & boutique

Community Clothing — Patrick Grant's Blackburn-made label, built on the same "make it properly, keep it forever" ethos as Peregrine. Fit is honest and true to size, with generous, hard-wearing basics. A brilliant like-minded companion.
Country of Origin — British-knitted lambswool and cashmere in bold colours. The fit runs regular like Peregrine's, so your usual size carries across nicely when you want something with a bit more of a design edge.
Howlin' — Scottish-spun Shetland knits with a deliberately boxier, more relaxed cut. If you love the oversized-jumper look, this is the natural next step — just note it already runs generous, so take your true size rather than sizing up again.

Designer & luxury

John Smedley — the gold standard for fine-gauge British knitwear, made in Derbyshire. It's cut noticeably slimmer and trimmer than Peregrine, so if you're going from one to the other, expect a closer fit and don't be shy about sizing up on Smedley if you're broad.
Barbour — the obvious partner for Peregrine's wax jackets, and cut with more room through the body. Size up if you're layering knitwear underneath, exactly as you would with Peregrine's own outerwear.
Private White V.C. — Manchester-made outerwear and knitwear with a sharper, more tailored line. A proper investment brand for when you want the heritage-British look with a cleaner, more fitted silhouette.

Never guess your Peregrine size again

Getting the fit right first time is the whole game with knitwear like this — and it's exactly what Tellar is built for. Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool: measure yourself once, and we match your body to your precise size across 1,500+ brands instantly. No more squinting at size charts, no more guessing between a medium and a large, far fewer returns.

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And when you want more honest fit and styling advice, the Tellar Fashion Hub is a growing library of free posts from our stylists — always honest, always unbiased, always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, with nothing sponsored and nothing sold.