What Is Sizing Like at Urban Outfitters? A Stylist's Honest Guide

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

Urban Outfitters sizing runs small to true to size depending on the range — their own-label BDG pieces tend to come up snug, particularly in denim, while their looser, vintage-inspired styles are deliberately oversized and you'll want to size down if you prefer a more fitted look. It sounds contradictory, I know, but once you understand the logic of how they label their clothes, it all starts to make sense.

I've been shopping at Urban Outfitters since my student days — it was where I bought my first pair of wide-leg jeans long before they were everywhere — and the one thing I've always said is that you genuinely cannot assume anything from the label. A medium in one range can fit like a small in another. They operate across multiple sub-brands and bring in third-party labels too, so getting to grips with their sizing takes a little patience. Let me break it down properly for you.

How Urban Outfitters Sizes Their Clothes

UO uses US sizing across most of their own-brand range, which means the number sizing runs approximately two sizes below UK. So a UK 10 is roughly a US 6, and a UK 12 is a US 8. However, much of their range is sold in XS through to XL rather than numbered sizes, which is where it gets a bit murky. The table below gives you a clear reference point for their standard women's sizing:

UK SizeUS SizeEU SizeUO LabelBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)6234XS8061868436S84659110638S / M88699612840M9374101141042L9879106161244XL10384111

One thing worth knowing: Urban Outfitters' sizing stops at XL / UK 16 for most of their own-label range. Third-party brands stocked on the site — Levi's, Champion, Dickies and others — will follow their own individual sizing conventions, so always check the specific brand guide rather than assuming UO's standard table applies.

BDG Denim — Size Down

BDG is UO's in-house denim label and honestly it's one of the better affordable denim brands out there right now. Their barrel-leg, wide-leg and low-rise styles have been all over the fashion press for the past couple of years — and rightly so. But here's the thing: BDG denim runs small. I'd say comfortably half a size to a full size small, particularly if you're fuller in the hips or thighs.

My rule of thumb? If you're a UK 12 everywhere else, try a UK 14 / W30 or W31 in BDG before committing. The fabric does have a little stretch but not as much as you'd hope if you've sized too tight. On the flip side, their jeans drop beautifully once they've relaxed to your shape — they're worth the effort of getting the fit right first time.

BDG barrel jeans — size up one full size
BDG wide-leg — size up half to one full size
BDG mom jeans — true to size with a little room
BDG skinny styles — true to size, some stretch

Tops, Tees & Knitwear

UO's casualwear and knitwear is where the oversized aesthetic really comes into play. A lot of their graphic tees, sweatshirts and hoodies are intentionally cut roomy — think drop shoulders, relaxed body, longer hems. If you want to wear them slouchy (which is the whole point), order true to size. If you prefer a neater, more fitted look, size down one. This is genuinely how they're designed to be worn, so don't be alarmed when your usual M arrives looking generously proportioned.

Their knitwear is similarly relaxed but tends to be true to size in terms of length and sleeve. Tighter-knit styles in particular are more accurate to the table above, so trust the measurements there.

Dresses & Occasionwear

UO does a lovely range of mini dresses, slip dresses and boho-style midi dresses — and these tend to be their most consistently true-to-size pieces. The boning and structure on occasion dresses means they're cut more precisely, so stick to your standard UK size here. Their slip dresses are cut lean and silky — if you're between sizes, go up. Nothing worse than a slip that's pulling across the hips.

Urban Renewal — The Vintage Range

Urban Renewal is UO's reworked vintage line, and I absolutely love it — but sizing is a whole other conversation here. These pieces are either genuinely vintage (and will be labelled with their original vintage sizing, which runs small by modern standards) or are remade vintage-inspired styles. For the reworked pieces, treat them like their standard casualwear. For true vintage items, size up one to two sizes as a general rule, and always read the individual measurements listed on the product page.

Styling Urban Outfitters — How to Get the Most From It

The UO customer is someone who understands that fashion is supposed to be fun — there's a joyful irreverence to how they put collections together that I genuinely admire. Here's how I'd style some of their key pieces right now:

BDG wide-leg jeans + a cropped vintage-style band tee + mule heels — that effortless 90s revival look that's all over the pages of Grazia and Vogue right now
Oversized knit co-ord + chunky loafers + a structured mini bag — the sort of outfit that looks like you tried but didn't
Slip dress + fitted long-sleeve tee underneath + ankle boots — the layering trick that takes a summer piece straight through to autumn
Cargo trousers + a fitted ribbed vest + an oversized blazer — the borrowed-from-the-boys look that hasn't lost its moment yet

The key with UO is committing to the aesthetic. Their pieces are built for a relaxed, layered, slightly undone way of dressing. Fight the fit and you'll look off. Lean into it and you'll look like you've been doing it for years.

Similar Brands Worth Knowing

Whether the price point isn't quite right or you simply want to broaden your options beyond UO, here's where I'd look:

High Street Alternatives

Topshop — the original spiritual home of this kind of trend-led, youth-market styling; now online via ASOS, their denim and casualwear remain brilliant alternatives to BDG
Mango — consistently nails the relaxed, vintage-tinged aesthetic right now; their wide-leg trousers and knitwear are outstanding value for the quality
Hollister — a natural fit for the same demographic; their casualwear and denim is well-made and competitively priced, with a strong focus on relaxed, easy-wearing fits
Abercrombie & Fitch — has had a remarkable glow-up in the last few years; their denim is genuinely excellent and their sizing runs very consistently
All Saints — for the edgier, darker side of the UO aesthetic; their leather-effect pieces, relaxed tees and tailoring have a cool-girl quality that pairs brilliantly with vintage styling
River Island — strong on trend-led denim and going-out styles; if UO is your vibe but the budget needs to stretch further, River Island delivers consistently
New Look — genuinely underrated for casualwear basics at great prices; their wide-leg jeans and knit co-ords rival pieces at twice the cost

Premium Step-Up

Anthropologie — interestingly, UO's sister brand under the URBN parent group, but pitched at a more grown-up customer; the boho-romantic aesthetic translates beautifully for anyone who loves UO but wants something a little more refined
Levi's — if BDG denim isn't quite cutting it for you, Levi's is the natural upgrade; their 501s and Ribcage straight jeans have a quality and heritage that's hard to argue with

Independent & Left-Field Picks

Lucy & Yak — a beloved UK independent brand with a cult following for a very good reason; their dungarees, wide-leg trousers and co-ords are sustainably made, genuinely size-inclusive, and have the same relaxed, joyful energy as the best of UO's range. If you're not already following them, you're missing out.
Lazy Oaf — a London-based independent label that's been doing playful, slightly off-kilter fashion since 2001 and has a devoted Gen Z following; their graphic prints, boxy silhouettes and irreverent styling are everything that makes UO exciting, cranked up a notch. Sizes run XS–XL and they're extremely consistent.

Never Guess Your Size at Urban Outfitters Again

The whole BDG-runs-small, oversized-tees-run-large situation at Urban Outfitters is exactly why Tellar exists. You shouldn't have to keep second-guessing yourself every time you shop.

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