What Is Sizing Like at The Kooples?

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

The Kooples runs small — quite notably so — and if you walk in expecting your usual UK size to translate cleanly, you'll almost certainly need to go up at least one, sometimes two sizes. This is a French brand designed with a very specific, lean Parisian silhouette in mind, and the cut is uncompromising about it.

I've been a fan of The Kooples for a long time. The rock-chic aesthetic, the buttery leather jackets, those perfectly cut slim-leg trousers — when it works, it really works. But over the years I've had to talk more than a few clients off the ledge when their "usual" size turned up on their doorstep and wouldn't do up. It's not a reflection of your body. It's a reflection of a brand that designs for a very specific frame, and once you know that going in, you can shop it brilliantly.

The Sizing Basics: What You Need to Know

The Kooples is a French brand and uses EU/French sizing. Their size range typically runs from XS through XL (roughly UK 6 to UK 16), though availability gets limited above a UK 12–14. The brand is known in fashion circles for sizing down — by which I mean, their clothes come up small compared to most contemporary brands.

Here's the conversion table:

UK SizeEU / FR SizeUS SizeBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)634280628783648466911038688709512408927499144210967810316441210082107

My golden rule for The Kooples: always size up one from your usual UK size. If you're between sizes, size up two. The brand's silhouette is intentionally body-skimming and the cut through the chest and hips leaves very little room for manoeuvre. This is especially true of their denim, leather pieces and tailoring.

Garment by Garment — Where the Fit Gets Specific

The Leather Jacket (Their Hero Piece)

If you're shopping The Kooples for one thing, it's almost certainly the leather jacket — and rightly so. These are genuinely exceptional. Soft, supple, beautifully structured, and they age like a dream. However, the cut is slim and the shoulders run narrow. If you have broader shoulders or a fuller bust, I'd size up two, not one. You want to be able to layer a lightweight knit underneath without the jacket pulling across the back. A leather jacket that's even slightly too small looks immediately wrong — too tight kills the whole rock-chic vibe and makes it look cheap. Get this one right and it will last you a decade.

Dresses

The Kooples dresses are a real strength — mini lengths, slip styles, tailored midis with an edge. The fit is slim and the fabric choices tend to be unforgiving (think crepe, viscose blends, structured satin). If you have any curve through the hip or bust, you will almost certainly need to size up. Their wrap and shift styles have very little ease built in. I'd always recommend checking the specific garment measurements against your own — the brand does publish these — rather than relying on the size label alone.

Jeans & Trousers

The Kooples denim is excellent — a slim, straight cut with a slightly higher rise than their older styles and a finish that sits somewhere between polished and effortlessly undone. Exactly where a good pair of jeans should sit, frankly. That said, they run small and narrow through the thigh. My strong advice: size up on denim, always. Their tailored trousers are similarly cut close to the leg — stunning on, but you need to get the size right. These are not trousers with forgiveness built in.

Knitwear & Tops

This is where The Kooples is actually a little more accommodating. Their knitwear — particularly the slouchy, oversized styles — is designed with deliberate volume and you can usually stay true to size or even go down if you prefer a tidier fit. Fitted knits and tops, however, follow the same rule as everything else: they come up small. If you have a larger bust, going up a size here is not optional — it's essential.

Who Does The Kooples Work Best For?

Let's be honest: The Kooples is designed for a slim, straight or lean hourglass frame, and the sizing reflects that. But that doesn't mean it's off-limits if you don't fit that mould — it means you need to shop it strategically. The leather jacket in particular is universally flattering when correctly sized. The key is knowing the brand's quirks and working with them rather than against them.

The Kooples works brilliantly for:

Anyone who wants genuinely edgy, Parisian-cool pieces that don't look like they're trying too hard
Women who appreciate quality investment dressing — the brand's price point is premium but the longevity is real
Petite frames who find many brands' "slim" cuts still swamp them — The Kooples' proportions tend to work well at smaller scales
Anyone building a capsule wardrobe around one seriously good leather jacket

Great Alternatives to The Kooples

If the aesthetic speaks to you but the sizing or price point doesn't quite work, here's where I'd direct you:

High Street & Contemporary Picks:

AllSaints — the closest high street equivalent to The Kooples' rock-chic DNA. Their leather jackets in particular are genuinely excellent and the brand has a similar dark, London-cool energy. Sizing tends to be more inclusive.
Zara — consistently nails the Parisian minimalist-with-an-edge look each season. Their tailoring and leather-look pieces are strong and the sizing, while not always generous, is more predictable than The Kooples.
Mango — has been quietly delivering some of the best contemporary French-girl dressing on the high street. Strong on dresses, blouses and tailoring. Reliable sizing and great value.
French Connection — the name says it all. Parisian-influenced British dressing at a contemporary price. Their dresses and tailored pieces have a similar mood to The Kooples at a fraction of the cost.
Reiss — for polished, elevated pieces with sharp tailoring and a monochrome palette that works perfectly alongside The Kooples aesthetic. Sizing is generous and consistent.
Urban Outfitters — surprisingly strong for rock-adjacent dressing, particularly their own-brand UO collection. Great for the casual, vintage-edged pieces that complement The Kooples more structured styles.
Claudie Pierlot — a French brand with a similar Parisian sensibility but slightly softer, more feminine edge. If you love The Kooples but want something that reads a little less rock and a little more chic, Claudie Pierlot is exactly it.
Ted Baker — for occasion and evening pieces with a sophisticated, fashion-forward edge. Their dresses in particular are beautifully finished and the sizing is far more generous than The Kooples.

Two Independent Picks Worth Knowing:

Deadwood — a Swedish brand making some of the most beautifully crafted sustainable leather jackets available right now. If you love The Kooples' leather but want something with serious ethical credentials and an even more individual feel, Deadwood is your answer. Genuinely exceptional quality.
Musier Paris — a small French label that captures that exact nonchalant Parisian cool that The Kooples trades in, but with a slightly softer silhouette and more accessible sizing. Their slip dresses and tailored pieces are absolutely worth a look.

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