What Is Sizing Like at The North Face clothing?

Author: Stylist at TellarDate: 2026

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

The North Face sizes are generally true to size for most women, but with one important caveat: the brand uses an athletic, slightly slim fit across many of its styles, particularly jackets and base layers, so if you're between sizes or carry any width through the shoulders and back, sizing up is almost always the right call. Get it right, and The North Face is genuinely one of the best-fitting technical outerwear brands on the market. Get it wrong, and you'll be wrestling with a shell jacket that won't close over a chunky knit. I've been there.

A few winters ago I was styling a shoot and ordered a North Face insulated jacket in what should have been the model's size. It arrived and the shoulders were pulling and the back panel was straining — classic signs of needing the next size up. We swapped it out, and it looked exactly as it should: clean lines, fitted through the body, slightly cropped. The fit on North Face, when you nail the size, is genuinely great. But that shoulder fit is unforgiving, so it's worth understanding how their sizing system actually works before you buy.

How The North Face Sizes Its Women's Range

The North Face uses standard UK/US sizing in its women's range — XS through to XXL — with some styles also available in numeric sizing (UK 8 to 18 depending on the range). The brand does produce a separate Women's Plus line for sizes 1X–3X, and a Women's Petite range in selected styles, which is genuinely useful as so many technical brands simply don't bother with either.

Here's how their standard women's sizing converts:

North Face SizeUK SizeBust (inches)Waist (inches)Hip (inches)XS832–3325–2635–36S1034–3527–2837–38M1236–3729–3039–40L1438–39.531–32.541–42.5XL1640.5–4234–35.543.5–45XXL1843.5–4537–38.546.5–48

Key tip: Always measure your bust and shoulders rather than relying on your usual clothing size alone. North Face's size guide is actually one of the more accurate ones out there — use it.

Fit by Garment Type

Not all North Face pieces fit the same way, and this is where people often go wrong. Here's what to expect category by category:

Shell & Waterproof JacketsThis is where the athletic cut shows up most. Styles like the Dryzzle and the Resolve are fitted through the torso and the sleeve length runs fairly standard. The main watch point is the shoulder seam — if it pulls or sits off the edge of your shoulder, go up. You want to be able to layer a midlayer underneath without it bunching at the back.

Insulated & Puffer JacketsThe 700-fill and 550-fill down jackets (the Nuptse being the most iconic) have a boxier, more relaxed silhouette — particularly the Nuptse, which is intentionally oversized. For the Nuptse, you can often size down if you prefer a more fitted look. For the lighter insulated styles like the Thermoball, the fit is trimmer and I'd suggest going true to size or slightly up.

FleeceThe classic 100, 200 and 300-series fleeces are relaxed and forgiving — true to size works well here and there's usually a decent amount of ease built in. Their Cragmont fleece is slightly more fitted; size up if you want a comfortable, layerable fit.

Base Layers & MidlayersThese run slim and close-fitting by design — they're made to go under a shell, not over everything else. Size up if you dislike anything tight against the body, or if you run large through the chest.

Trousers & SoftshellsNorth Face trousers come up quite slim through the leg and hip. I generally advise sizing up one from your usual if you have a fuller hip or thigh. The waist can be adjusted with drawcords on many styles, so don't be afraid to size to your hip and adjust the waist.

The North Face as a Style Piece — Not Just Kit

Let's talk about something I think gets overlooked: The North Face has genuinely crossed over into fashion. The Nuptse puffer, the 700-fill gilet, the retro denali fleece — these are all pieces that work just as well styled in the city as they do on a mountain trail, and they have done for years. The brand's collaboration history with Supreme and Gucci has only cemented that status further.

For styling, I love pairing a short Nuptse with wide-leg trousers and chunky trainers for that elevated gorpcore look — fashion's obsession with outdoorsy aesthetic isn't going anywhere, and North Face is arguably the founding father of it. Their colour palette, particularly the heritage colourways in navy, forest green and black, makes them incredibly easy to work into an existing wardrobe.

Alternatives at Every Budget

If the North Face price point doesn't work right now, or you want to explore the outdoor-meets-fashion aesthetic more broadly, here are my picks:

High Street & Accessible Brands:

Fat Face — genuinely brilliant for outdoorsy women's outerwear. Their insulated jackets and waterproofs consistently get strong reviews and the fit is more generous through the body than North Face. A real high street gem for this category.
Seasalt Cornwall — beloved for their waterproof and weather-resistant outer layers with a more relaxed, coastal aesthetic. Great quality for the price and a very honest fit.
Joules — a strong choice for country-ready outerwear. Their quilted jackets and waterproofs are well-made and the sizing is reliable. Great for transitional weather.
Barbour — the ultimate heritage outdoor brand. Their waxed cotton jackets and quilts are iconic, and the women's sizing is consistently true to size. A wardrobe investment that lasts years.
Superdry — strong technical outerwear credentials and a fashion-forward take on the outdoor silhouette. Their puffers in particular are well-reviewed and come in genuinely good colourways.
Timberland — particularly good for insulated and waterproof outerwear that straddles the line between technical performance and street style. Solid construction and honest sizing.
Sweaty Betty — for base layers and midlayers, Sweaty Betty is exceptional. Their technical fabrics and flattering cuts make them a brilliant alternative to North Face's performance innerwear pieces.

Premium Mid-Range:

Lululemon — their outerwear range has grown significantly and delivers excellent technical performance in a sleeker, more fashion-considered silhouette. Pricier than North Face in some cases but genuinely outstanding quality.
Gant — for a Scandinavian-inflected take on outdoor-ready outerwear. Their padded jackets and technical knits are beautifully made and fit with a clean, modern line.

Two Independent Picks:

Finisterre — a Cornish outdoor brand with serious sustainability credentials and a genuinely thoughtful product line. Their women's waterproofs and insulated layers are outstanding, beautifully designed, and built to last decades. If you care about where your kit comes from, this is the brand.
Páramo — a UK-based technical outdoor brand that uses directional fleece technology rather than standard waterproof membranes. Utterly brilliant for real weather and genuinely unknown outside serious outdoor circles. Once you try it, you won't go back.

Stop Guessing Your North Face Size — Use Tellar

Athletic cuts, shoulder-dependent fits, sizing that varies across jacket styles — The North Face is one of those brands where getting the size exactly right makes all the difference. That's exactly what Tellar.co.uk is built for.

Tellar is the UK's leading clothing size tool — your measurements matched to 1,500+ brands instantly. No downloads. Always free. Always honest.

Measure once — bust, waist, hips, or use a brand size you already know fits well.
Use the Tellar Store Size Lookup tool to find your precise size in The North Face and 1,500+ other brands — instantly.
Works in-browser — no app, no subscription, completely free.

And explore the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library of free, unsponsored posts from our stylists covering every fashion and sizing question you've ever had. Honest. Independent. Always free.

Find Your North Face Size → Tellar

MORE FROM TELLAR FASHION HUB

The Tellar Fashion Hub is the World's Largest, 100% Free, Fully searchable, Fashion Library. Filled with 4000+ Honest & Unbiased posts, written by our expert stylists.

No adverts, no sponsored posts, no subscriptions. We are 100% free to use.

We are paid by affiliates, but we never allow brands to influence our recommendations.

Honest, Unbiased, Accurate & Free.

Find your Perfect Size & Style!

Home Fashion Hub

FAQS Privacy Policy

Secure

GDPR