What Is Sizing Like at Skims?

Skims runs broadly true to size — but the honest, stylist’s answer is that it depends entirely on which line you’re buying. The sculpting shapewear runs small and snug, the Fits Everybody range is true but tight, and the Soft Lounge and seamless pieces run generous enough that I almost always size down. Get that distinction right and Skims is some of the most flattering kit you can own. Get it wrong and you’ll be wrestling a bodysuit at 7am wondering where it all went wrong (more on that disaster later).

I’ve styled enough shoots and dressed enough real bodies to tell you that Skims is brilliantly made — but it is absolutely not a “buy your usual size and forget about it” brand. Here’s exactly how it fits, line by line.

First, the sizing system

Skims doesn’t use UK dress numbers. Most pieces run in letter sizing from XXS to 4X, with bras going from roughly 30AA to 46H. The whole system is built on US measurements, so don’t assume your UK 12 maps neatly onto it — go by your actual bust, waist and hip measurements every single time. The flip side of all that is genuine size inclusivity, which is a big part of why Skims has become such a wardrobe staple rather than a one-off purchase.

How each line actually fits

This is where most people come unstuck, so let me break it down properly:

Sculpting & Solutionwear — runs small. This is deliberate; the compression is doing its job. Stick to your true size for the smoothing effect, and only size up if you’re genuinely between sizes or want all-day ease over maximum hold.
Fits Everybody — true to size, but snug. The high-stretch fabric is forgiving, so your usual size is right. The bralettes are clever too — a single Skims size can span several traditional bra sizes.
Soft Lounge & Seamless — runs large. These stretchy, drapey pieces are where I size down for that sleek, liquid finish.
Cozy — relaxed by design. The fluffy loungewear is meant to be slouchy, so buy your normal size unless you actively want it oversized.

My honest win and fail

A fail first, because it’s the more useful one. I once ordered a Sculpting Bodysuit in my “comfortable” size — one up — for a client fitting, assuming bigger would mean comfier. It gaped, did absolutely nothing, and sat like a deflated balloon under a bias-cut slip dress. Lesson well and truly learned: with shapewear, trust the compression and buy true.

Now the win. A Soft Lounge slip dress in my true size completely swamped me, so I sized down on a hunch — and it became the single most-photographed piece I own. That second-skin drape only works when it’s snug. Same brand, same week, opposite rules. That’s Skims in a nutshell.

Where else to shop for the Skims look

Skims isn’t the only game in town, so here are the brands I genuinely reach for when I want the same smoothing, layering or loungewear effect — sorted by budget.

High street

Marks & Spencer — the UK’s quiet shapewear champion; their seamless and smoothing ranges rival Skims for a fraction of the fuss.
Uniqlo — AIRism and HEATTECH bodysuits and seamless basics are unbeatable value for a smooth, invisible base layer.
H&M — affordable shaping bodysuits and lounge sets that consistently punch above their price.
Next — a broad, reliable shapewear and loungewear offer with properly extended size ranges.
ASOS — ASOS DESIGN bodysuits and shaping pieces in a huge spread of sizes, lengths and shapes.
Hush — soft, grown-up loungewear that looks far more expensive than it actually is.
Sweaty Betty — for the sculpting-meets-athleisure crossover, their compressive leggings are superb under everything.

Premium

Spanx — the original shapewear authority; their bodysuits and faux-leather leggings are genuine icons for a reason.
Commando — seamless, raw-cut pieces that truly disappear under clothes, with no dreaded VPL.
Good American — Khloé Kardashian’s size-inclusive line, brilliant for bodysuits and denim with the same body-positive ethos as Skims.

Luxury & designer

Wolford — the gold standard for luxury bodysuits and hosiery; honestly, nothing else fits or lasts quite like it.
Hanro — exquisite Swiss-made loungewear and underwear in barely-there cotton and modal, for when you want quiet luxury next to the skin.

And two left-field independents I love

Stripe & Stare — a British indie label making the softest micromodal knickers and lounge pieces you’ll ever pull on.
Nudea — a fit-obsessed British underwear brand with a clever bra-fit tool and beautifully made, well-considered bodysuits.

The stylist’s bottom line

Buy Skims by line, not by habit. Size true for shapewear and Fits Everybody, size down for Soft Lounge and seamless, and always check your measurements against the product’s own size note — Skims includes one on every page for a reason. Do that and you’ll skip the returns carousel entirely.

Never guess your Skims size again

This is exactly why my co-founder and I built Tellar — the UK’s leading sizing tool. Match your body to 1,500+ brands instantly and never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once using your bust, waist, hip or an existing brand size.
Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

Visit Tellar → Try the Store Size Lookup →

Plus there’s the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free.

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Written by Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder of Tellar. Always honest, always unbiased, never sponsored.