What Is Sizing Like at Tara Jarmon?

Tara Jarmon uses French sizing (34 to 44), and in my experience styling clients in it, the cut runs true-to-generous — relaxed pieces and outerwear come up roomy, while the more structured shift dresses can sit a touch close through the body. So if you're hovering between two sizes, the right call depends entirely on the piece, not the label on the rail.

I've pulled a lot of Tara Jarmon for shoots over the years — it's that very Parisian, print-led, grown-up-but-playful French label — and the sizing question comes up every single time. Here's everything you actually need to know before you buy.

The short answer

Tara Jarmon runs on the French 34–44 system rather than UK dress sizes, so the numbers on the tag will look smaller than you're used to. Don't panic at that — it's the system, not your body. The brand is cut for a slim-to-straight frame with a defined waist, which is the classic French silhouette. Most pieces land true to the brand's own measurements, but the personality of the fit changes a lot depending on what you're buying.

How the fit actually feels

Dresses: The wrap and bias styles are forgiving and flattering. The tailored shift dresses are the one place I'd watch — a few clients have found them a little snug across the bust and upper arm, so if you carry width there, consider the next size up.
Coats and jackets: These run the most generous of anything Tara Jarmon makes. I once dressed a client who's normally a 38 and she swam in a 34 trench — outerwear is built with layering room, so stick to your true size or even size down rather than going up.
Trousers and jeans: Cut for a longer, leaner leg with a neat waist. Lovely if that's your shape; if you're shorter in the leg, just budget for a hem.
Tops and knits: The most reliably true-to-size category. Buy your usual and you'll be fine.

The fabrics matter here too. A lot of the dresses are viscose, cotton and polyester blends with very little stretch, so there's not much give to fall back on — the measurements are doing the work, not the cloth.

My honest styling tips

Here's a real fail of mine: early in my career I ordered a Tara Jarmon blazer online in a size up "to be safe," and it arrived looking like I'd borrowed it from my dad. Lesson firmly learned — with this brand, structured tailoring is the thing you size down or keep true on, never up.

My wins came when I stopped reading the French number as a UK one and started measuring clients against the brand's own chest, waist and hip figures instead. That's the whole game with French labels: ignore the number on the tag, trust the tape measure.

Check the specific garment, not just the brand. Tara Jarmon's fit swings more by style than most labels, so a 38 dress and a 38 coat will genuinely feel like different sizes.
Mind the returns policy. Some Tara Jarmon stockists offer exchange or store credit rather than a refund, so it pays to get the size right first time where you can.

Where else to shop if you love Tara Jarmon

If the Parisian-print, feminine-tailoring look is what draws you in, here's where I'd send clients across every budget.

High street

Boden — the closest high-street match for that bold-print, bright-colour, grown-up-feminine energy, and the dresses come in proper lengths and cup options.
Whistles — clean contemporary tailoring and beautifully cut midi dresses; the fit is true and modern.
Jigsaw — elevated, understated separates for when you want the quality without the loud print.
Hobbs — the best high-street shout for structured occasion dresses with a defined waist.
Phase Eight — print-led occasionwear that fills the Tara Jarmon dress gap for a lot less.
Reiss — sharper, more minimal tailoring; runs slightly slim, so size up in the fitted styles.
L.K. Bennett — polished, Parisian-leaning dresses and shoes; a natural half-step up from the rest.

Premium

Sézane — the French label everyone reaches for next; same Parisian spirit, with a slightly more relaxed cut.
Ba&sh — Parisian, easy and forgiving fits with lovely seasonal prints.
Cefinn — British, brilliant for workwear dresses that have both structure and a bit of stretch.

Luxury / designer

Max Mara — the gold standard for a tailored coat if you want one investment piece that lasts decades.
By Malene Birger — bold colour and print at a luxe level, cut a touch more generously through the body.

Two independents worth knowing

Pink City Prints — a small British label doing hand-block-printed cotton dresses; joyful, ethical and genuinely different from anything on the high street.
Kemi Telford — independent, colour-drenched and unapologetically bright, made for anyone who buys Tara Jarmon purely for the prints.

Never guess your size again

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Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — Tara Jarmon, COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
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Beyond the tool, there's the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library stacked with free posts from our stylists covering style advice, top picks and the best brands for every body shape. No sponsorship, no spin, just straight answers.