What Is Sizing Like at Studio Nicholson menswear?

Studio Nicholson's menswear is true to size on the chest and waist, but it's cut with real volume through the body and the leg — so the label size rarely tells the whole story. Men's pieces run on alpha sizing (XS to XL) rather than the numbered system you'll find on the women's line, and the whole house philosophy is architectural and deliberately roomy. Buy your normal size and you'll get the drape the brand is famous for. The only time I'd tell a man to size down is on the heavier oversized knits, and only if you want less width across the shoulders.

I'll be honest with you — I learned this the awkward way. The first thing I ever bought from Studio Nicholson was a pair of Sorte trousers in my usual medium, and when the box turned up I genuinely stood in the hallway wondering whether I'd been sent someone else's order. There was so much fabric. It took me about a week of wearing them before the penny dropped: the volume isn't a mistake, it's the entire point. Once I stopped fighting it and let the trousers do their thing with a boxy knit and a clean trainer, they became the most complimented item in my wardrobe. So don't panic when the parcel feels generous. That's the brand working exactly as designed.

Who Is Studio Nicholson?

Studio Nicholson was founded in London in 2010 by designer Nick Wakeman, and over the last decade it's quietly become one of the most respected names in considered menswear. The look pulls from Japanese architecture, workwear, and eighties and nineties tailoring — think high-waisted volume trousers, boxy shirts, drop-shoulder knits and outerwear that hangs beautifully rather than clinging. Fabric is the obsession here: the house Typewriter Cotton, dense Japanese weaves, proper Italian and Portuguese mills. It sits firmly in the premium bracket (trousers land around £250–£350, knitwear and outerwear higher), but the pieces genuinely last and never date, which is the whole argument for spending the money.

How the Sizing Actually Works

Here's the practical version, because the fit philosophy trips a lot of first-time buyers up:

Alpha sizing (XS–XL) for men. Unlike the women's numbered 0–3 range, menswear uses standard letter sizes. Your chest measurement is the number to trust.
True to size at the chest and waist. Wakeman is precise about the points that actually anchor a garment. A medium is a medium across the shoulders and the waistband.
Volume lives below and around that. Trousers are wide, high-rise and pleated by design; knits are dropped-shoulder and boxy; shirts are cut square. None of that is "runs large" in the faulty sense — it's the intended shape.
Only size down on the chunky knits if you specifically want a slimmer, less architectural look. Everything else, stay true.

Trousers — the signature, and where people get it wrong

The trousers are the reason most men come to Studio Nicholson, and they're the piece that needs the most understanding. Styles like the Sorte, Vital and Ellis sit high on the natural waist with a full, pleated, wide leg. Order your normal waist size — the fit at the waistband is honest — and let the leg do what it's meant to. If you're between sizes, size down rather than up, because a slightly snug waistband settles in, whereas too much room up top makes the whole silhouette collapse.

Shirts & overshirts

Cut boxy and relaxed with a generous armhole and a square hem. True to size gives you that clean, slightly oversized drape. If you prefer something you can tuck neatly and wear close, this may feel roomy — but that's the aesthetic, not a fault.

Knitwear

Drop-shoulder and substantial. On the heavier merino and wool pieces, a size down is the move if you want the shoulders to sit tighter; stay true if you like the architectural volume layered over a shirt.

Outerwear

Designed to be worn over knitwear and shirting, so the room is intentional. Buy your normal size — the coats already have the layering allowance built in, so sizing up leaves you swimming.

The Honest Verdict

Studio Nicholson doesn't "run big" in the way a badly graded high-street brand does. It runs true at the anchor points and voluminous by design everywhere else. Trust your chest and waist, resist the urge to size up on outerwear, and only size down on the chunky knits if you want them slimmer. Get that right and it's some of the best-fitting menswear money can buy.

What to Buy and How to Style It

If you're starting out, I'd build around one pair of the volume trousers first — they're the gateway piece and the thing you can't easily replicate on the high street. From there:

Trouser + boxy knit + clean trainer or leather loafer. The uniform. Keep the palette to two colours and let the proportions do the talking.
Tuck a fine-gauge knit into the high waistband to show off the rise — this is very much the direction menswear has moved for 2026, away from skinny and towards relaxed, elevated tailoring.
Overshirt over a tee, trousers cropped just above the ankle. The easy summer-into-autumn version.
Stick to earthy, muted tones — stone, navy, olive, charcoal, ecru. Studio Nicholson lives in that quiet palette and it makes everything mix.

Where Else to Shop — Brands in the Same Lane

Studio Nicholson isn't cheap, and it isn't the only name doing considered, relaxed menswear. Here's where I'd point men at three price points, all chosen because they genuinely share the same architectural, minimal DNA.

High Street

COS — the closest high-street match there is. Minimal, considered, and increasingly good at wide-leg trousers and boxy knits at a fraction of the price. The natural starting point.
Arket — Scandinavian restraint, relaxed cuts, excellent mid-weight knitwear and outerwear. Superb for building the muted, layered wardrobe Studio Nicholson lives in.
Weekday — if it's the volume denim and wide trousers you're after on a budget, this is where to look. Cut roomy, priced sensibly.

Independent & Boutique

Wax London — British label doing relaxed tailoring and brilliantly textured knits with a real focus on responsible fabric. The "Whiting" overshirt is a modern classic.
Kestin — Edinburgh-based, utility-led, with a Japanese fabric sensibility that Studio Nicholson fans clock immediately. Quietly excellent trousers and outerwear.
Folk — understated, gently boxy, colour-clever London menswear. Great for the softer, less severe end of this aesthetic.

Designer & Luxury

Lemaire — the obvious step up. French, fluid, all about volume and drape. If you love Studio Nicholson's proportions and want to go further, this is the destination.
Auralee — Japanese, and arguably the finest fabrics in menswear right now. Relaxed luxury cut with the same reverence for cloth and shape.
Margaret Howell — British, quietly luxurious, understated tailoring with workwear bones. Different mood, same values: buy once, wear for a decade.

Not Sure Which Size to Order? Let Tellar Do the Maths

Volume-cut brands like Studio Nicholson are exactly where guessing gets expensive. Rather than gambling on a size and paying to send half of it back, Tellar matches your real measurements to 1,500+ brands instantly — so you know your precise size in Studio Nicholson before you check out. Measure once, using your chest, waist and hip (or an existing brand size you already own), and never squint at a size guide again.

It's completely free, works straight in your browser with nothing to download, and it's run by stylists — honest, unbiased and unsponsored, always. The Tellar Fashion Hub is packed with free guides like this one, covering fit, styling and the best brands to buy across every category.

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