What is Sizing Like at Rag & Bone?

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

Rag & Bone runs small to true to size — and because they use US sizing rather than UK sizing across most of their range, you'll almost certainly want to size up one, and occasionally two, from your usual UK number. The brand's slim, tailored New York aesthetic is built into the cut from the start, which is brilliant when the fit is right and absolutely maddening when it isn't. I've sent back enough Rag & Bone pieces over the years to know that a size 4 on the label does not behave like a UK size 8 in real life. Let me explain exactly how it all works.

For anyone who hasn't encountered Rag & Bone yet — first of all, where have you been? Founded in New York in 2002 by British designer Marcus Wainwright, it occupies that very specific and very desirable sweet spot between premium and luxury. The clothes are clean, precise, unfussy — grown-up dressing with an edge. Their denim is some of the best I've worn, their knitwear is consistently excellent, and their footwear has a cult following that is entirely deserved. It's the brand I reach for when I want to look like I made zero effort whilst having, in fact, made quite a lot.

Understanding Rag & Bone's Sizing System

Rag & Bone sizes its women's ready-to-wear using US sizing — so you'll see sizes labelled as XS, S, M, L, or numerically as 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and so on. Their denim range uses a waist measurement in inches (W24, W25, W26 etc.) alongside the ready-to-wear system, which adds another layer of complexity if you're not used to it.

The key things to know before you buy:

US sizing runs smaller than UK sizing. A US 4 is broadly a UK 8, but Rag & Bone's actual cut tends to run on the slimmer side of even that. For most women, sizing up one — or going a full UK size above your usual — is the right move.
The brand is cut for a lean, straight silhouette. If you have curves — hips, bust, or both — size to your largest measurement and don't be swayed by vanity sizing. A Rag & Bone piece that fits your hips perfectly is a thing of genuine beauty. One that's straining across them is not.
Denim sizing is separate from ready-to-wear. Their jeans use a waist measurement in inches. Always measure your natural waist in inches and match it to their denim size guide — don't try to cross-reference with your dress size, it won't serve you well.
Knits have more flexibility. Their cashmere and wool styles often have more ease built in, meaning your usual size — or even one down — may work perfectly. Check the specific garment measurements where possible.

Rag & Bone Women's Size Conversion Table

* Guide measurements only. Rag & Bone's cut runs slim — if your measurements fall between sizes, size up. Always cross-check against individual garment measurements online where available.

Rag & Bone Denim Size Guide

Denim W SizeUK Dress Size (approx.)Natural Waist (inches)Natural Waist (cm)W244–624"61 cmW25625"63.5 cmW266–826"66 cmW27827"68.5 cmW288–1028"71 cmW291029"73.5 cmW3010–1230"76 cmW311231"78.5 cmW3212–1432"81 cm

* Measure your natural waist (narrowest point) for denim sizing. Rag & Bone denim is cut slim — if your hip-to-waist ratio is pronounced, consider sizing to your hip and having the waist taken in.

How Sizing Plays Out Across the Range

Rag & Bone does a lot of different things well, and each category has its own fit personality. Here's my honest breakdown:

Denim — Fit 1, Fit 2, Ankle Skinny: The Fit 1 is their classic slim straight — without question my favourite cut they make. It's cut close but not spray-on, and it's the style I recommend to practically every client who asks about Rag & Bone denim. Goes up at least one W size if you're between sizes. The Fit 2 is more relaxed through the hip and thigh — fractionally more forgiving if the Fit 1 feels snug in the seat.
Tailored Trousers & Blazers: These are where the slim New York cut is most pronounced. They're beautifully made — the kind of tailoring that makes you stand differently — but they are not generous. Size up one, and if you're buying a blazer to wear over layers, size up two. Getting the shoulder seam right is everything with tailoring, and Rag & Bone cuts narrow across the shoulder.
Knitwear: More relaxed than the tailoring. Their cashmere is outstanding and tends to have enough ease that your true size — or even a size down if you prefer a cleaner, more fitted look — works well. This is the category where you can be less anxious about sizing.
Dresses & Tops: Cut slim but with more variation depending on silhouette. Fitted styles follow the same rule — size up one. Looser, relaxed cuts are more forgiving. Read the garment description carefully before buying online and, if in doubt, go up.
Footwear: Rag & Bone shoes and boots generally run true to size, and the quality is exceptional. Their Moto boot has been a wardrobe staple of mine for years and I honestly cannot recommend it enough. Half-size up if you're between sizes or have a wider foot.

How to Style Rag & Bone — And Why the Fit Obsession is Worth It

The reason people get so precise about Rag & Bone fit is because when it's right, the clothes do something quite special. There's a pared-back confidence to the aesthetic — dark denim, clean knits, sharp tailoring — that relies entirely on the cut sitting properly. A slightly-too-big Rag & Bone blazer just looks shapeless. The right size and it looks like the most expensive thing in the room, even when it isn't.

My go-to Rag & Bone formula: Fit 1 jeans in a dark rinse, their slim-cut cashmere crew-neck, and the Moto boot. Done. It's the kind of outfit that works for a creative industry meeting, a long lunch, or a weekend gallery visit — and it requires absolutely no thought once you've committed to it. Which, frankly, is what premium fashion should do.

For evenings, their tailored trousers with a simple silk camisole tucked in and a sharp blazer over the top is a combination I keep returning to. It has that very specific New York energy of looking like you just threw something on, but every element is doing its job perfectly.

The Best Alternatives to Rag & Bone at Every Price Point

Whether you're building up to the investment or want to mix Rag & Bone pieces with other brands at different price points, here's where I'd look:

HIGH STREET PICKS

Banana Republic — Genuinely the closest the high street gets to the Rag & Bone aesthetic, and I mean that as a real compliment. Clean tailoring, grown-up basics, excellent denim — and a consistent commitment to quality that most high street brands simply don't bother with. Their blazers and straight-leg trousers in particular are outstanding for the price.
Calvin Klein — For the clean, minimal, American-heritage side of the Rag & Bone DNA. Calvin Klein's basics — the fitted tees, the slim-cut denim, the clean jersey dresses — have the same unfussy confidence. Their denim sizing also uses a W x L system, so Rag & Bone shoppers will feel immediately at home.
French Connection — Consistently underestimated. French Connection's tailoring and smart-casual pieces have a polished edge that aligns well with the Rag & Bone customer, and the quality of their jersey and woven fabrics is genuinely good. Their slim trousers and fitted blazers are particular highlights.
Tommy Hilfiger — For a slightly more heritage-American, preppy edge. Tommy's clean denim and tailored casualwear has real affinity with the Rag & Bone world — especially their straight-leg jeans, Oxford shirts, and clean knitwear. More colourful than Rag & Bone's palette, but the quality is there.
Mint Velvet — A brilliant option for the grown-up casual side of the Rag & Bone range. Mint Velvet does relaxed, wearable pieces with a polish that belies the price point — their knitwear especially gives a similar quiet-luxury feeling, and the sizing tends to be more generous and consistent than US-sized brands.
LK Bennett — For the more polished, occasion-ready end of the Rag & Bone range. LK Bennett's tailoring and dresses have a sleek precision that the brand shares, and the quality of fabric and construction is reliable. A strong option for the office or smarter social occasions.
Crew Clothing — For relaxed weekend dressing with a clean, quality-first approach. Crew's knitwear, chinos and casual shirts occupy the same easy, unpretentious territory as Rag & Bone's off-duty pieces — and the sizing is reliably true to UK standards, which makes the whole experience considerably less stressful.

PREMIUM PICKS

Citizens of Humanity — For the denim specifically, this is my top premium recommendation. COH produces some of the best straight-leg and wide-leg jeans in the market — beautifully constructed, excellent fabric, and a fit that rivals Rag & Bone's own. Their Zurie and Horseshoe styles in particular are exceptional.
Paige — Another premium denim powerhouse with a similar clean, contemporary American aesthetic. If you love Rag & Bone's Fit 1 but find the sizing tricky, Paige's Hoxton slim and straight cuts are worth exploring — the fit is slightly more accommodating, and the quality is superb.

INDEPENDENT & LEFT-FIELD PICKS

Nili Lotan — A New York-based designer with exactly the same DNA as Rag & Bone — clean lines, exceptional fabrics, understated confidence. Less well known in the UK than she deserves to be, Nili Lotan's French linen trousers, silk blouses and relaxed blazers are genuinely extraordinary. If you love Rag & Bone and want something more under-the-radar, this is your next brand.
Percival — A British brand with a devoted fashion-insider following for its beautifully made menswear-influenced pieces — particularly their knitwear and tailored casual shirts. The aesthetic has that same precise, unfussy confidence as Rag & Bone's DNA, and their women's offering has quietly grown into something really special. Very worth discovering.

Find Your Rag & Bone Size With Confidence

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