What Is Sizing Like at Tom Ford?

Tom Ford Tailoring: Sharp, Slim and Italian-Sized, run lean and small

The suits and jackets are where people come unstuck, and it's almost always the sizing system rather than the fit itself. Tom Ford uses Italian numbering, which throws most British shoppers.

The maths: your chest in inches plus 10 gives the Italian number. A 38" chest is roughly an IT 48, a 40" is an IT 50, a 42" is an IT 52. Get that wrong and you're two full sizes out before you've started.

The cut runs lean: high armholes, a suppressed waist and a clean shoulder. If you're between sizes or carry a bit through the middle, the smaller number will feel sharp but restrictive — most blokes are happier going up one.

The signature O'Connor: Tom Ford's hero suit is cut close and structured. Brilliant on a lean-to-athletic frame, less forgiving if you want room to breathe after lunch.

Trousers: tend to sit on the slimmer side through the thigh with a clean taper. Fine for most, but rugby-player legs should try before committing.

My honest advice? Treat the off-the-peg size as a starting point and budget for a tailor. A nip at the waist or a touch off the sleeve transforms an expensive jacket from "nearly" to "yours".

Shirts, Knitwear and Shoes

Shirts

Collar sizes are in centimetres — a 16" collar is a 41, a 16.5" is a 42. The body is cut slim with a long tail, so it tucks beautifully but won't billow. If you like a relaxed shirt, this isn't that; size up one if you want ease across the chest.

Knitwear

Fine-gauge knits and polos run true-to-slightly-snug, designed to skim rather than drape. Lovely under a jacket. If you wear your jumpers loose and layered, go up.

Shoes

This is the one to watch. Tom Ford shoes — especially the loafers and the chiselled lace-ups — run narrow and a fraction long. Most people land half a size down from their usual. Try them late in the day when your feet have spread, and don't expect a wide fitting.

How to Style It (and What to Wear It With)

Tom Ford works best when you lean into the glamour rather than fighting it. The mistake I see is people buying the sharpest tailoring in the room and then dressing it down into nothing. A few things that genuinely work:

Let the tailoring lead. A single-breasted jacket with a fine roll-neck and clean trousers beats a fussy three-piece nine times out of ten.

Keep the palette grown-up: navy, charcoal, bottle green, tobacco brown. Tom Ford's strength is richness, not loudness.

Mind the proportion. Because everything is slim, your shoes and outerwear need to match the line — a chunky trainer ruins it.

On trend right now: the soft-shouldered, slightly looser tailoring everyone's moving towards. Tom Ford sits at the structured end, so balance it with relaxed knitwear rather than doubling down on stiffness.

The Brands I'd Put Around It

You don't have to be head-to-toe Tom Ford — and frankly you shouldn't be. Here's where I'd shop across the price spectrum to build the same sharp-but-easy look.

High Street

Charles Tyrwhitt — the best value formal shirting on the high street. Proper collar construction and a slim fit that holds its shape, ideal under Tom Ford tailoring without the Tom Ford shirt price.

Moss — much improved tailoring and a genuinely useful made-to-measure service. A great place to get a navy suit that flatters before you graduate to designer money.

Marks & Spencer (Autograph) — quietly excellent knitwear and wool trousers. The fine-gauge merino is a sensible stand-in for the Tom Ford roll-neck.

Independent & Boutique

Drake's — London's masters of soft, characterful tailoring and beautiful accessories. If Tom Ford is the sharp suit, Drake's is the brilliant tie, knit and odd jacket that make it feel personal.

Anglo-Italian — Marylebone-based, with an Italian-influenced cut that lives in exactly the same world as Tom Ford but with a softer, more wearable shoulder.

Private White V.C. — Manchester-made outerwear of serious quality. The kind of coat that earns its place over the top of your best tailoring for decades.

Designer & Luxury

Brioni — if you love the Tom Ford structure but want the absolute peak of construction, this is it. Roman tailoring with a touch more comfort built in.

Zegna — superb fabrics and a slightly easier cut than Tom Ford. A natural alternative if the Tom Ford slimness doesn't suit your frame.

Saint Laurent — for the leaner, rock-and-roll end of the glamour spectrum. Cut even slimmer than Tom Ford, so size carefully, but unbeatable for sharp evening pieces.

Spread your budget: a Tom Ford jacket, a Drake's knit, Charles Tyrwhitt shirts and a Private White coat will get you further than blowing the lot on one label.

Stop Guessing Your Size — Tellar Does It For You

Tom Ford's Italian sizing is exactly the sort of thing that catches people out. Tellar.co.uk is the UK's leading sizing tool — it matches your body to 1,500+ brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again. Measure once using your bust, waist and hip, or just your size in a brand you already own.

Get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.

Shop with confidence: no guesswork, fewer returns, better-fitting buys.

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Use the Store Size Lookup How to Measure

And there's the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library of free posts from our stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, all in one place.