What Is Sizing Like at The Ragged Priest?

By Ella Blake — Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder | Tellar — Always honest, unbiased, & unsponsored post

Sizing at The Ragged Priest is genuinely all over the place — their jeans run small (sometimes by a full size), while their dresses, knits and jersey pieces are designed as oversized and can swallow you whole if you order your usual size. It's one of the trickier UK brands to nail online, and honestly? I've had more fit dramas from Ragged Priest orders than from almost any other label on my radar.

So here's the no-nonsense breakdown — exactly what I'd tell any client before they hit checkout.

THE HONEST VERDICT — AT A GLANCE

Jeans — Run small. Size up, especially in the Cult Classic line.
Dresses, knits, jersey — Designed oversized. Consider going with your usual or sizing down.
Tees, tops & shirts — Closer to true-to-size, but baby tees are properly snug.
Outerwear — Generally roomy by design — great for layering.

A Quick Word on the Brand

The Ragged Priest has been doing British grunge since 2007, designed out of a Hoxton basement and built on a fanbase that wants its denim with cross-stitch back pockets, baby tees with attitude, and slouchy jersey pieces that look effortlessly dishevelled. It's stocked at ASOS, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom and a string of independents. The aesthetic is unapologetically Y2K-meets-90s grunge with a Camden Market backbone. The fanbase is loyal. The sizing logic? Less so.

The Jeans Situation — They Run Small

This is where most people come unstuck. Their jeans — particularly the popular Cult Classic line, the Butt Cut, the Pirate Pant and the Jaded — sit firmly on the small side of the spectrum. I had a client last spring who wears a 26" waist comfortably in Levi's order a Ragged Priest jean with a 30" label, thinking she'd get a relaxed slouchy fit. They were tight. Like, "I cannot get these over my hips" tight. Customer reviews echo this consistently — a 30" tag often fits closer to an XS or S.

My rule: if you're between sizes, go up one. If you want any slouch or that proper baggy '90s feel, go up two. Their denim is 100% organic cotton with no stretch, so there's no give to lean on. Wash it cold and hang to dry the first few times — the cotton can tighten in the dryer and you'll lose that initial fit.

Dresses, Knits and Jersey — Designed Oversized

Here's where the logic flips entirely. The brand explicitly designs its dresses, knits and jersey collections as oversized — it's not a sizing accident, it's the look. If you order your usual size in a knit jumper or sweatshirt dress, expect a generous, slouchy, dropped-shoulder finish.

I've seen reviews from genuinely frustrated shoppers — "this dress is five sizes too big!" — and ninety percent of the time it's because they hadn't realised oversized was the design intention. The label doesn't always flag it loudly on the product page. So if you're petite, or you prefer anything closer to a tailored shape, size down at least once and check the garment measurements on the product page — not the brand-wide chart — because they're far more reliable for these pieces.

Tops, Tees and Shirts — Closer to True-to-Size

Tees and fitted tops follow a more conventional XS–XL grid. Their baby tees are properly cropped and snug — true to size if you like them that way, size up if you want a less skin-tight finish. Their printed bowling shirts and shackets run true with a relaxed boxy cut. Cropped knits and cardigans are more fitted than the oversized jersey range, so don't apply the oversized rule across the board.

My Stylist Tips Before You Click Buy

Always check the individual garment measurements on each product page — they're more reliable than the brand-wide size chart, especially on dresses and knits.
Read the most recent customer reviews for that specific style. Fit shifts between drops at Ragged Priest more than at most labels.
Wash inside-out on cold. The jersey can shrink slightly and the printed graphics need protecting.
If you're ordering jeans for the first time, order two sizes and return one. The UK return policy is straightforward if you stay domestic.
Petite frames — measure from shoulder to hem on dresses before ordering. The oversized cuts can become floor-length tents on shorter frames.

Find Your Exact Size in 1,500+ Brands With Tellar

If you've ever stood there with a basket full of Ragged Priest pieces and three browser tabs of conflicting size guides, you'll understand why I built Tellar. It's the UK's leading sizing tool — you measure yourself once (bust, waist, hip, or just enter your usual brand size), and Tellar matches your body instantly to over 1,500 brands. The Ragged Priest included.

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Visit Tellar.co.ukStore Size Lookup Tool

If You Love That Ragged Priest Energy — Where Else to Shop

The Ragged Priest occupies a fairly specific niche — that Y2K-meets-grunge, alt-girl space — but plenty of other labels cover similar ground with sizing that's a lot easier to navigate. These are the labels I send my clients to when they want the same energy with less fit roulette.

High Street Picks

ASOS — Stocks Ragged Priest directly and runs one of the best alt/Y2K curations anywhere. Excellent returns, customer reviews, and the size guide is properly detailed.
Urban Outfitters — Closest tonal match on the high street. Y2K denim, baby tees, novelty knits and graphic prints — sizing leans US-cut, so check the guide.
Topshop — Back via ASOS, and brilliant for low-rise denim, slip dresses and grunge-cut blazers. Their Y2K revival has been one of the strongest comebacks of the last two years.
All Saints — When you want the dark, edgy aesthetic at a slightly elevated price point. Their leather jackets and oversized knits are excellent and sizing is consistent (runs slightly small — size up in fitted pieces).
New Look — Genuinely underrated for grunge-inflected pieces. Their graphic tees, wide-leg trousers and platform footwear sit comfortably in this aesthetic space.
River Island — Strong on Y2K mini skirts, embellished denim and going-out pieces. Their denim cuts have improved hugely in the last few seasons.
Levi — For vintage-cut denim with no sizing surprises. The 501s and 90s straight-leg styles pair beautifully with Ragged Priest tees and slouchy knits.
H&M — The Divided line is genuinely good for graphic tees, alternative basics and Y2K pieces at the lowest price point of this list.

Two Independent Brands Worth Knowing

Wanderdoll — A British indie label sitting squarely in that fairy-grunge, hyperfeminine-meets-alternative space. Their cut-out tops, mesh layers and slip dresses are the kind of pieces a Ragged Priest customer would magpie towards instantly. Sizing detail is per-garment and reliable.
Hades — Independent UK-Greek knitwear label with serious cult status — slogan knits, novelty patterns, and a properly editorial point of view. Brilliant if you love the Ragged Priest jumper game but want something more grown-up and unique. Sizing runs true with detailed measurements per style.

Premium Picks

Diesel — Riding a major aesthetic revival under Glenn Martens. Y2K denim done with proper craft and runway credibility. Worth the step-up if you love the Ragged Priest jean cuts but want them in a fabric that lasts.
Ksubi — Distressed, deconstructed Australian denim — the natural premium upgrade from Ragged Priest jeans. Cult favourites in the styling world for a reason.

Luxury Investment Tier

Acne Studios — For grown-up grunge. The denim, the boxy knits, the slouchy tees — every Ragged Priest reference at investment level, beautifully made.
Vetements — Pure deconstructed streetwear at the luxury end. The DNA Ragged Priest plays with, at the level Demna helped define.

The Bottom Line

The Ragged Priest is one of those brands that rewards a bit of homework before you hit buy. Jeans up a size, dresses and knits down (or your usual if you want the proper oversized cut), tees and shirts true-to-size. Once you've cracked their fit logic, the pieces themselves are some of the best in the alternative space — properly designed, distinctive, and built to last more than a single season.

And if you'd rather skip the guesswork entirely — that's exactly what Tellar's for. One measure, 1,500 brands, no more returns.

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