What Is Sizing Like at Tolu Coker?

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

Tolu Coker runs broadly true to size through the body, but the cut is sculpted and the waist is where things tighten — so if you carry a defined hip-to-waist difference, or you live in the mid-section like I do, you'll usually want to size on your fullest measurement rather than your usual label number. This is precision tailoring, not soft loungewear. Coker built her name on darted shirting, corsetry detailing and strong shoulders, and the whole point of those pieces is that they hold a shape on the body. That structure is gorgeous, but it doesn't forgive the way a relaxed jumper does, which is exactly why people get caught out.

First, who is Tolu Coker — and why does the fit feel so specific?

Tolu Coker is a British-Nigerian designer and Central Saint Martins graduate who launched her label in 2021 after stints at JW Anderson, Celine and Maison Margiela. The brand sits firmly in the sustainable-luxury space: locally made, built from deadstock and upcycled materials, and known for what the industry politely calls "reformative" tailoring. In real terms, that means cinched waists, pleating, sculpted shoulders and a lot of considered seaming. I styled a client into one of the cropped tailored jackets last season and the shoulder sat like architecture — beautiful, but it meant we couldn't fudge the fit with a half-size up.

Two things matter for sizing here. First, a good chunk of the collections are designed as unisex or near-unisex, so those pieces wear boxier and roomier — a relaxed shirt or overshirt will swamp you if you take your normal number. Second, the women's tailoring does the opposite: it nips in. So you genuinely have to read each garment, not the label.

The honest fit notes

Tailoring & corsetry (jackets, suiting, peplum, darted shirts): snug and shaped. Size to your bust and waist, and if you're between sizes, go up — you cannot let out a structured seam.
Unisex & relaxed pieces (overshirts, knits, coordinated denim): generous and dropped. Take your true size or even one down if you want it less oversized.
Knitwear: the fit-and-flare knit dresses cling and flare, so they're flattering but honest about the waist.
Year to year: this is the big one. Coker's sizing genuinely shifts between collections — last season's waist measurement is not a promise for this one. Never assume.

My one-line rule: with Coker, buy the structured pieces for your body's biggest number and have them taken in if needed. Taking in is easy. Letting a sculpted, panelled jacket out is a nightmare and usually impossible.

Where to find the look on the high street

If the Coker waitlist or the price tag isn't happening this month, the silhouette — sharp shoulder, defined waist, considered seaming — is very gettable on the high street.

Whistles — my first port of call for clean, modern British tailoring with a slightly fashion-forward shoulder. Their blazers echo that Coker sharpness.
Jigsaw — quietly excellent structured separates and trousers in proper fabrics. Understated, grown-up, well cut.
Hobbs — the place for occasion tailoring with real structure; their fitted dresses and jackets hold a shape beautifully.
Phase Eight — strong on fit-and-flare and cinched-waist dresses if it's the knit-dress silhouette you're chasing.
All Saints — for the deconstructed, slightly harder edge of Coker's work; brilliant leather and sculpted tailoring.
LK Bennett — polished, waist-defining tailoring and suiting that photographs as expensively as it costs.
Mint Velvet — softer take, but good for the relaxed, fluid side of the Coker wardrobe.

Worth knowing: Coker launched an 18-piece collection with Topshop in March 2026 — precision tailoring and signature pleating at a fraction of mainline prices. That collab is sized to standard Topshop fit, so it's the easiest, truest-sizing way into her actual design language.

Premium picks that bridge the gap

Reiss — the closest high-end-of-high-street match for sharp, contemporary suiting; tends to run slim, so size up for layering.
Me&Em — clever, waist-defining cuts engineered to flatter; genuinely thoughtful about the female form, which suits the Coker brief perfectly.
Massimo Dutti — refined European tailoring and beautiful wool trousers that nail the elevated, considered feel for less.

Luxury & designer — plus two you won't expect

At the top end, Roksanda is the natural companion to Coker if you love architectural, sculptural silhouettes (be warned, her fit changes dramatically between lines, so always check). And of course Tolu Coker herself, stocked at Liberty, END. and Net-a-Porter.

Now for the left-field two I'd actually send clients to. Bianca Saunders — the British-Jamaican London designer doing fluid, draped tailoring that plays with the body in a very similar, intelligent way; a real peer to Coker. And Sinéad O'Dwyer — an Irish designer building genuinely size-inclusive sculptural pieces, which feels especially right for a sizing conversation: she designs the structure around real bodies rather than forcing bodies into it.

How Tellar takes the guesswork out

Here's the thing — a "UK 12" means nothing across brands. Coker's waist this season won't match last season, Reiss runs slim, M&S runs roomy. That's the whole reason I built Tellar.co.uk, the UK's leading sizing tool. You measure once — bust, waist, hip, or just your existing size in a brand you know — and your body is matched instantly to 1,500+ brands. No more squinting at size guides, no more guessing, no more returns.

Measure once, then shop fearlessly — even at the luxury level.
Use the Store Size Lookup for your precise size in any label — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

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