What Is Sizing Like at Sandwich?

Sandwich sizing runs relaxed and generous, but here's the single most useful thing to know before you order: Sandwich labels its clothes in continental European numbering (34, 36, 38, 40 and up), not UK sizes — so a UK 12 lands at roughly a Sandwich 38, and most pieces are cut with a fluid, forgiving drape. If you've ever added a Sandwich piece to your basket, seen "38" and quietly panicked, that's exactly why I'm writing this. The number on the label is bigger than your UK size, and that's completely normal.

I've styled Sandwich on real clients for years — it's that lovely Dutch contemporary brand that's been going since 1981, all artful prints, statement jackets and beautifully layered separates. Once you understand how it's sized, it becomes one of the easiest brands to shop. Let me walk you through it.

The continental sizing catch (the bit that trips everyone up)

Sandwich uses European numeric sizing on the label, and some lines also run in XS–XL. The quick mental shortcut:

Sandwich 34 sits around a UK 8
Sandwich 36 around a UK 10
Sandwich 38 around a UK 12
Sandwich 40 around a UK 14
Sandwich 42 around a UK 16, and so on up

So don't let the higher number throw you — it isn't vanity sizing in reverse, it's just a different counting system. The honest truth is that eyeballing a conversion is where people get caught out, especially across bust, waist and hip, which rarely shift at the same rate. I'll show you a far more reliable way to nail it further down.

How the cut actually fits

Sandwich is a relaxed brand at heart. The dresses, tunics, fluid trousers and oversized knits are designed to skim and drape rather than cling, so they tend to fit roomy and forgiving. That's the whole appeal — it's grown-up, easy, mix-and-match dressing.

Where it gets more body-conscious is the fitted pieces: tailored trousers, the slimmer dresses and anything described as a "fitted" or "slim" shape. Those sit much closer to your actual measurements, so I'd size those by waist rather than by your usual letter size.

A quick confession of my own here: the first Sandwich piece I ever bought for myself was a linen-blend tunic dress, and I sized down because I assumed "38" meant it would be huge. It arrived snug across the hip and I had to send it back, genuinely annoyed at myself — I should have known better. Lesson learned: with Sandwich's drapey styles, trust the continental size, don't second-guess it.

My honest styling tips for Sandwich

For the floaty stuff, take your true continental size. Tunics, swing dresses, relaxed knits — they're meant to have room.
For fitted trousers and slim dresses, go by your waist measurement and consider sizing down if you're between two.
Treat it as a layering brand. Sandwich pieces are designed to be worn together — a longline tunic over slim trousers, a textured jacket over a fluid dress. Buy with combinations in mind.
Mind the sleeve and hem length. Sleeves can run a touch long, which is brilliant if you like that artful pushed-up look, less so if you're petite.
The fabrics are the point. Natural blends, lovely textures, gentle stretch in the jersey — if you're between sizes on a jersey piece, size down; on a stiffer woven, hold your size.

One of my proudest client wins was talking a customer out of her "I'm a UK 14 so I need the biggest size" instinct and into the correct Sandwich 40 in a sculptural cocoon coat. She'd avoided the brand for years over the numbering. That coat is now the most complimented thing she owns. That's the magic when the sizing finally clicks.

Where else to shop if you love Sandwich

If Sandwich's relaxed, characterful, European feel is your thing, these are the brands I'd send you to. I've picked them for genuine aesthetic overlap, not just name recognition.

High street & mid-market:

White Stuff — playful prints and soft, easy separates with that same grown-up-but-fun spirit.
Seasalt Cornwall — arty prints and organic-cotton layers; perfect for the coastal-creative side of the Sandwich look.
Part Two — a Danish label with the same fluid, understated European feel; superb for drapey knits and trousers.
Mint Velvet — relaxed-luxe staples with a bit of edge; their slouchy tailoring sits beautifully alongside Sandwich.
Hush — easy, lived-in basics and effortless dresses for the off-duty end of the wardrobe.
COS — clean, architectural, minimalist European cuts for when you want the sharper side of the aesthetic.
Phase Eight — occasion dresses and dressier pieces that echo Sandwich's special-occasion collections.
Boden — colour, pattern and joyful prints with a similarly characterful, grown-up sensibility.

Premium:

Toast — natural fabrics, artful simplicity and considered shapes; arguably Sandwich's closest spiritual cousin.
By Malene Birger — elevated Danish design with the drape and quiet confidence Sandwich fans love.
Me+Em — clever, polished contemporary pieces with thoughtful proportions and brilliant trousers.

Luxury & designer:

Max Mara — fluid, beautifully cut staples and coats in gorgeous fabrics for a proper investment upgrade.
Totême — pared-back Scandinavian luxury; the grown-up minimalist version of the relaxed Sandwich silhouette.
Joseph — fluid tailoring and premium knitwear with the same understated, fabric-led approach.

And two left-field independents worth knowing:

OSKA — a German lagenlook label built entirely on relaxed, layered, natural-fabric dressing. If you love Sandwich's artful layering, you'll adore it.
Sahara London — textural knits, painterly prints and easy, sculptural shapes from a genuinely independent British label.

Never guess your Sandwich size again

Here's the part I always come back to. Sandwich's continental numbering, the relaxed-versus-fitted cuts, the bust-waist-hip shifts that don't move in step — all of it is exactly the kind of guesswork that Tellar exists to remove. Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool: your body matched precisely to 1,500-plus brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once — using your bust, waist, hip, or simply your known size in another brand you already wear.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your exact size in any label — Sandwich, COS, Reiss, Arket and thousands more.
It's always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

There's also the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free: style advice, top picks and the best brands for every occasion.

Stop guessing. Start shopping smarter.

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Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder, Tellar ...