What Is Sizing Like at Stouls?

Stouls sizing runs generous — the brand's stretch-leather leggings and trousers are deliberately cut to come up large, so for most styles you'll want to drop a size from your usual number to get that signature second-skin fit.

I'll be honest with you. The first time a client of mine pulled on a pair of Stouls leggings in her "normal" size, we both stood in the fitting room and laughed. They were loose. Slouchy in all the wrong places — not the look anyone spends four figures on. We sent her back out in a size down and it was a completely different garment: moulded, sleek, the sort of fit that has strangers asking where the trousers are from. That little episode taught me everything I now tell people about this brand, and it's worth knowing before you part with your money.

A Quick Word on Who Stouls Are

Stouls is a French house founded by Aurélia Stouls, and they've built their entire reputation on one thing: stretch lambskin. Their leather is canvased with a blend of cotton and Lycra, which is what gives those famous leggings their stretch and their cling. It's all made in Portugal, the pieces are genuinely machine washable (yes, really), and sizing runs from XXS through to XL. These aren't stiff, structured leather trousers — they're built to move with you, which is precisely why the sizing behaves the way it does.

So — Does Stouls Run Big or Small?

Here's the breakdown I give every client before they buy:

Most styles run large. The bestselling leggings — the Carolyn and the Jo — both come up generous. Stouls themselves recommend taking a size smaller than usual.
A few cuts fit true to size. The wider, flared trousers (like the Oswald) are cut to fit normally, so take your usual size in those.
Want it super-moulded? Size down regardless of the style. If you love that painted-on look, that's the move.
Don't go too small, though. Buy it a full size too tight and the leather can distort permanently — there's a limit to how much you should ask of it.
The leather type matters. Velvet and suede lamb relaxes slightly with wear, while dipped (plongé) lamb holds its shape more firmly. Factor that in if you're between sizes.

How the Fit Changes Over Time

This is the part people forget. Stretch leather is a living thing — it gives a touch through the day, softens to your shape, then springs back when you wash it. I always reassure nervous first-time buyers: if your Stouls feel snug straight out of the box, that's correct. They're meant to. And if they ever look a little relaxed after a long day, a wash brings them right back to that original moulded fit, the same way your favourite jeans do. Over the months they develop a beautiful patina too, which is rather the point of the brand.

My Fit Tips Before You Buy

Take an honest waist and hip measurement first — guessing is how people end up disappointed.
Caught between two sizes? Go down for a moulded look, stay true for an easier everyday fit.
Planning to wear them over boots? The Jo has a looser ankle. Tucking into boots? The Carolyn tapers in.
Don't panic about a little pooling at the ankle — on the longer styles it's intentional, and rather chic.
Each product page tells you the model's height and the size she's wearing — use it as a real-world reference point.

Where Else to Shop for Leather Trousers, Across Every Budget

Stouls sits firmly at the luxury end, so if you're building a leather-trouser wardrobe at a few different price points, here's where I'd genuinely send you.

High Street

AllSaints — the high street's true leather authority. Their real-leather trousers and biker-inspired cuts are the closest you'll get to designer attitude without the designer price.
Mango — consistently praised by the fashion press for faux-leather trousers that punch well above their price. A brilliant first leather piece.
COS — clean, architectural, minimalist leather and leather-look styles. Perfect if your taste leans understated and sculptural.
Massimo Dutti — beautifully polished real-leather trousers with a grown-up, tailored finish. Quietly excellent quality for the money.
Whistles — contemporary leather pieces with proper tailoring credentials. Great for a workwear-meets-edge look.
Mint Velvet — soft, forgiving faux-leather leggings that suit anyone nervous about a body-con fit. Very flattering.
Hush — their cult faux-leather leggings have a loyal following for good reason: they hold you in and they're hard to fault.

Premium

Reiss — elevated leather trousers with a sharp, modern cut. The step up you make when the high street no longer feels quite enough.
Me&Em — clever stretch and considered tailoring, built around how real women actually want to wear leather day to day.

Luxury / Designer

Joseph — the gold standard for designer leather trousers. If you want one investment pair that lasts a decade, start here.
By Malene Birger — Scandinavian polish and gorgeous leather pieces with a slightly directional edge. A real connoisseur's pick.

Two for the Insiders

Muubaa — a British leather specialist that flies criminally under the radar. Buttery skins, sharp cuts, and a fraction of the noise of the big names.
Gestuz — a Danish label doing brilliantly cool leather and leather-look trousers with that effortless Copenhagen attitude. One to drop into conversation.

Stop Guessing Your Stouls Size

With sizing that runs large, Stouls is exactly the kind of brand where one wrong guess costs you. Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool — match your body to 1,500+ brands instantly and never squint at a size guide again.

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Buy your true size, treat the leather kindly, and a pair of Stouls will reward you for years. Get the fit right first time — then enjoy the patina.

— Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder, Tellar