What Is Sizing Like at Sportmax?

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

Sportmax runs small — as an Italian brand it follows Italian sizing conventions, which means you should size up at least one full size from your usual UK equivalent, and sometimes two if you're fuller through the bust or hips. A UK 12 will typically need a Sportmax 44, not a 42. Get that right from the start and the whole experience of buying Sportmax becomes significantly less stressful (and expensive — returns on designer pieces are never fun).

I'll be honest: the first time I ordered from Sportmax I didn't listen to anyone's advice and ordered my usual size. The jacket came, it was exquisite, and it barely went over my shoulders. Lesson thoroughly learned. Sportmax is the contemporary diffusion line of the iconic Italian house Max Mara — it has all the same DNA of sharp tailoring, clean architectural lines and beautifully considered fabric, but with a younger, more directional edge. Think strong shoulders, fluid trousers, oversized coats with real intention behind them. It's one of those brands that makes you stand differently the moment you put it on. But only if it actually fits.

The Sportmax Size Conversion Table

Sportmax labels its pieces in Italian (IT) sizing. Here's how it translates:

If you sit between two sizes — and with Italian sizing this is very common — always go up, not down. Sportmax cuts are structured and architectural. There is very little stretch or ease built in, and a piece that's even slightly too small across the shoulders will look pulled and wrong, no matter how beautifully it's made.

How Sportmax Fits by Garment Type

It's worth knowing that Sportmax's sizing isn't entirely uniform across categories. Here's what to expect piece by piece:

Tailored jackets and blazers: This is where Sportmax really earns its reputation, and also where fit is most unforgiving. The shoulder line is everything. If the shoulder seam is sitting off your shoulder, no amount of tailoring will fix it. Go up if you're in any doubt — a blazer that's slightly roomy through the body can be taken in; one that's pulling across the back cannot be fixed.
Coats: Sportmax coats are architectural masterpieces — often oversized in their design intent, which works in your favour. That said, the oversized look is structured, not shapeless, so you still want the correct shoulder width. Use your shoulder measurement as your guide rather than the size number alone.
Trousers and wide-leg styles: Italian cuts through the hip and thigh are typically slimmer than UK equivalents. If you're fuller through the hip, size up two from your UK size rather than one. The waist can be taken in by a good tailor, but the seat and hip seams are set. It is worth getting this right first time.
Dresses: Sportmax dresses range from fluid and draped to sharply structured. For draped styles, your bust measurement is the primary guide. For structured or shift dresses, go by the widest measurement you have — bust or hip — and size accordingly.
Knitwear: Sportmax knitwear tends to be relaxed and oversized by design, which gives you a bit more flexibility. That said, the sizing still starts from Italian conventions — size up one from your UK size as a baseline, and if you prefer a genuinely oversized look rather than just the correct fit, go up two.
Skirts: Use your hip measurement as the primary guide here. Sportmax pencil and midi skirts are cut close to the body — if your hips are towards the top of a size band, go up without question.

A Few Styling Notes — Making Sportmax Work

Sportmax is a brand that rewards commitment. The pieces have strong shapes — oversized shoulders, wide-leg trousers cut with real length, coats with exaggerated proportions — and they work best when you lean into the silhouette rather than trying to scale it back. My advice: if you're new to the brand, start with a coat or a blazer. These are the pieces where Sportmax's design language is most confident, and a well-fitting Sportmax coat is genuinely one of the most transformative purchases you can make.

Monochrome dressing is a natural fit here — the house's aesthetic is built on clean, uncluttered lines, and adding too many prints or accessories fights against what makes the clothes so good. Keep it simple, get the fit right, and let the tailoring do the talking.

Alternatives to Sportmax — High Street to Designer

Sportmax isn't an everyday purchase for most of us — but the aesthetic is very much achievable at other price points. Here's where I'd look depending on your budget:

High Street & Accessible:

COS — The most natural Sportmax neighbour on the high street. COS shares the same clean minimalist philosophy and architectural approach to shape, and their tailored pieces regularly win over fans who'd otherwise be spending three times as much. Sizing is EU-based and runs true — a good consistent fit.
Massimo Dutti — Zara's grown-up sibling, and genuinely excellent for structured tailoring at a sensible price. Their blazers and wide-leg trousers are often cited in style press alongside pieces costing far more. Sizing is EU-based, similar rules to Sportmax apply — size up from your UK size.
Zara — Zara's Studio and premium lines do a very credible job of translating Italian minimalist tailoring at high street speed. Their oversized coats in particular are worth a look each season. Sizing varies by range — their tailored pieces tend to run small.
Whistles — A quiet British hero for grown-up, considered fashion. Their tailoring and knitwear have a Sportmax-adjacent restraint to them, and the quality-to-price ratio is genuinely strong. Sizing runs true to UK standard, which is a relief after the Italian conversion gymnastics.
Jigsaw — Consistently well-reviewed for their clean tailored pieces and fluid trousers. Jigsaw has always had an editorial sensibility that sits closer to the luxury end of the high street, and their coats are reliably excellent. UK sizing, reliable fit.
Reiss — For sharp tailoring with real structure, Reiss is hard to fault. Their blazers and trousers are designed for women who want a polished look without the designer price tag. Very much the same customer as a Sportmax devotee on a different budget day.
Me&Em — Quietly brilliant for elevated British basics with a real focus on fabric and fit. Their tailored pieces and fluid trousers are well-reviewed across style press, and the sizing is clearly considered — UK-standard and consistent across the range.
Mango — Mango's premium and studio lines have genuinely raised the bar in recent seasons. Their structured coats and wide-leg trousers punch well above their price point. EU sizing — like Sportmax, you'll want to size up from your UK equivalent.

Independent & Niche Picks:

Aligne — A British sustainable womenswear brand that quietly produces some of the most beautifully cut tailoring on the independent market. Their structured blazers and wide-leg trousers are designed with real intention and made from considered fabrics. If you love Sportmax's aesthetic but want something more independent and more sustainable, Aligne is genuinely worth your time. UK sizing, consistent and true.
Envelope 1976 — A Scandinavian brand available online in the UK that deserves far more attention than it gets. Clean lines, relaxed tailoring, beautifully understated. Their trousers and outerwear have the same sense of considered restraint that makes Sportmax so appealing, at a fraction of the price. A proper hidden gem.

Stop Guessing Your Size — Use Tellar

Italian sizing is exactly the kind of thing that catches people out — and with Sportmax pieces at the prices they command, getting it wrong is a genuinely painful experience. This is precisely what Tellar was built for.

Tellar is the UK's leading clothing sizing tool — it matches your measurements to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you know your exact size before you click buy. No guesswork, no expensive returns.

Here's how it works:

Measure once — bust, waist, and hips, or use a size you already know fits well in another brand
Use the Tellar Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise recommended size across 1,500+ brands instantly — including international and Italian labels
Completely free, no downloads, works in your browser

And every post in the Tellar Fashion Hub — including this one — is completely independent and unsponsored. No brand pays to appear here. Just honest advice from real stylists.

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