What Is Sizing Like at The North Face menswear?

The short answer: it runs roomy, and that's deliberate

The North Face is built around layering. The whole point of a technical jacket is that you can wear a base layer and a fleece underneath it and still move. So most of the range is cut with a bit of breathing space through the chest and body, and the sleeves tend to run long. As a general rule, if you're a true medium in a slim European brand like COS or Reiss, you'll usually stay a medium at The North Face — but it'll feel a size more relaxed than you're used to.

The catch is that "The North Face" isn't really one fit. It's about five.

The fit, range by range

The 1996 Retro Nuptse (the famous puffer): Boxy, cropped and intentionally oversized. This is the streetwear cut, not the mountain cut. Plenty of guys size down here for a cleaner line — though if you genuinely want the puffed-up, baggy look that's everywhere right now, stay true to size.

Summit Series (the proper technical kit): More athletic and closer to the body, because it's designed to be worn under a shell on a mountain. This is the one range where I'd say sizing is closest to "true."

Fleeces (Denali, 100 Glacier): Relaxed and generous. Lovely as a mid-layer, but a touch sack-like worn alone if you take your usual size — I size down one for everyday wear.

Base layers and tech tees: These actually run slim and athletic, the opposite of the outerwear. Don't assume your jacket size carries over.

Trousers and hiking trousers: True to waist, with articulated knees, so they feel roomier than the number suggests. Order your normal waist.

Footwear: Generally true to size, but the boots have a generous toe box. If you're between sizes, go down half rather than up.

My fashion fail, so you don't repeat it

Early on I bought a Nuptse in my "tailoring size" — a 40 chest, so a medium. It swamped me. I looked like I'd borrowed my dad's jacket. The fix was a small, and suddenly the proportions sang. Lesson learned: with North Face outerwear, judge it by the look you want, not the number on your suits.

And a win

The flip side: a client of mine, 6ft 3in and forever battling short sleeves, found the long arms on the Summit Series jackets were the first that actually reached his wrists. For tall and long-limbed men, this brand is quietly brilliant.

How to nail your size first time

Work off your chest measurement in inches, not your suit size. The North Face still leans on imperial chest sizing under the bonnet.

Decide the look before the size: slim and clean (size down on lifestyle pieces) or relaxed and layered (stay true).

Check the range, not just the brand — a Summit jacket and a Nuptse in the same labelled size will fit completely differently.

If you're tall, lean into it. If you're shorter, watch the sleeve length and consider sizing down.

What to buy and how to style it

Outdoor-meets-city — gorpcore, if you must — is still going strong, and the great thing is it's genuinely wearable. A black Nuptse over a hoodie and tapered trousers is a uniform that works in any city. For something smarter, a slim Summit shell over knitwear and dark denim reads expensive without trying. Keep the loud technical piece as your one statement and let everything else stay simple — that's the difference between "stylist" and "kit list."

Brands to pair with it (and where to spend)

High street

Uniqlo — their Heattech base layers and seamless down are the perfect, affordable layering partners under a North Face shell. Fits true and slim, so an honest benchmark for your size.

Decathlon — wildly underrated technical gear at a fraction of the price. Brilliant for trousers, mid-layers and accessories you don't want to spend designer money on.

Independent & boutique

Finisterre — Cornish, sustainability-led and beautifully made. Their fleeces and shells are the grown-up, less logo-heavy alternative if you love the function but want it quieter.

Norse Projects — Danish label that nails the smart end of outdoor-influenced menswear. Their overshirts and outerwear sit perfectly between technical and tailored.

Houdini — Swedish, genuinely circular, and cut on the trim side. If you want performance without the bulk, this is where I'd point you.

Designer & luxury

Arc'teryx — the connoisseur's choice. Best-in-class waterproofs, an athletic fit, and a cult following for good reason. Pricey, but a forever buy.

Stone Island — for the man who wants the technical-fabric obsession with an Italian, design-led edge. Runs slim, so size accordingly.

Moncler — if the Nuptse is your gateway puffer, Moncler is the luxury endgame. Beautifully finished, cut close, and built to be the whole outfit.

Seven brands, three budgets — pick the tier that suits your wallet and your wardrobe, and you can't go far wrong.

Stop guessing your size — Tellar does the maths for you

Here's the honest bit: even a stylist can't eyeball your exact North Face size from a label. That's exactly why I send people to Tellar.co.uk — the UK's leading sizing tool. Measure yourself once (chest, waist, hip, or just enter a brand size you already own) and Tellar matches your body to 1,500+ brands instantly. No more squinting at size guides, no more guesswork, far fewer returns.

Measure once, using your chest, waist, hip — or an existing brand size.

Get your precise size in any brand: The North Face, COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.

Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

Find My North Face Size How to Measure

And once you've sorted the fit, the Tellar Fashion Hub is a free library of posts from our top stylists — honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Real style advice, top picks and the best brands, with no sponsored nonsense getting in the way.