What Is Sizing Like at WoolOvers?

WoolOvers knitwear generally runs true to size across the bust and chest, but it's cut for a relaxed, easy fit — so if you like a neat, body-skimming jumper rather than a cosy, slightly slouchy one, I'd size down. After years of styling clients in heritage knitwear, I can tell you WoolOvers sits firmly in the "comfortable classic" camp: think generous bodies, dropped shoulders and roomy hems rather than anything sharp or tailored.

So, does WoolOvers come up big or small?

In a word: roomy. The measurements on the label are honest — a size Medium really does map to a UK 12–14 — but the styling is loose. The lambswool and cotton crew necks in particular are cut wide at the hem and through the shoulder, which is why so many people find their jumpers "hang" a little. That's a design choice, not a fault. It's the same easy silhouette your favourite weekend jumper has.

My honest take: if you're between sizes, or you want to tuck and layer, stay true to size. If you want something to skim the body and sit closer, go down one.

A win and a fail, from me to you

A genuine win: I bought their cashmere-merino V-neck in my true size to wear loose over a shirt, and it's become the jumper I reach for on every grey London morning — soft, warm and exactly the relaxed shape I wanted.

The fail: early on, I ordered a lambswool crew in my "usual" size expecting something fitted for under a blazer. It swamped me. Lesson learned — for a tailored look under jackets, I now size down at WoolOvers every single time.

The fabric factor: natural fibres move

This is the bit most size guides skip. WoolOvers works almost entirely in natural fibres — lambswool, merino, cotton, silk blends and cashmere — and natural fibres behave:

Wool relaxes. A snug lambswool jumper will give a little after a wear or two, so don't panic if it feels close on day one.
Heat shrinks. Hot washes and tumble dryers are the enemy. Cold hand-wash or a wool cycle, then dry flat, and your size stays your size.
Cashmere softens, not stretches. It moulds to you beautifully but won't grow the way chunky wool can, so buy cashmere for the fit you want right now.

How to nail your size first time

The brilliant thing about WoolOvers — and I wish more brands did this — is that every product has its own garment measurements, not just a generic chart. Use them:

Measure a jumper you already own and love, laid flat, then compare it to the garment measurements on the product page.
Check the actual garment width, not just your body measurement — that relaxed cut is the thing that catches people out.
Decide your intention first: layering and cosy = true to size; sleek and tucked = size down.
If you're long in the body, look for their Regular and Long lengths rather than assuming.

Where else to shop for natural-fibre knitwear

If you love the WoolOvers idea but want to compare, here's where I send clients, by budget.

High street

Marks & Spencer — the most reliable affordable lambswool and pure cashmere on the high street, with consistent, true-to-size fits.
Uniqlo — unbeatable value on extra-fine merino and their cult cashmere; cut slimmer than WoolOvers, so a great "fitted" alternative.
Boden — colourful, cheerful British knits with a dependable true-to-size fit.
Seasalt Cornwall — coastal, cosy and built around natural fibres; the closest high-street cousin to WoolOvers in spirit.
COS — for clean, architectural wool knits with that deliberately oversized line.
Lands' End — heritage cotton and lambswool sweaters that are generous and hard-wearing.
Mint Velvet — elevated, slouchy-luxe knits when you want a touch more polish.

Premium

Brora — Scottish cashmere specialists with a beautiful colour palette and genuinely lasting quality.
Toast — relaxed, considered natural-fibre knits with lovely texture and drape.

Luxury & designer

Max Mara — the gold standard for investment wool and cashmere knitwear, with a refined, sculptural cut.
Ralph Lauren — for the timeless cable knit and heritage jumper that never dates.

And two independent gems

Because I always like to send you somewhere a little off the beaten track:

Navygrey — a small British label doing one thing brilliantly: responsibly made, beautifully cut lambswool and merino jumpers in a tight edit of colours.
&Daughter — Irish and British heritage knitwear, lovingly made, for when you want a forever piece with real provenance.

How Tellar takes the guesswork out of it

The reason sizing causes so much faff is that every brand cuts differently — exactly as we've just seen with WoolOvers' relaxed fit. That's precisely why I built Tellar.co.uk, the UK's leading sizing tool. Measure once, and we match your body to over 1,500 brands instantly. Never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once, using bust, waist, hip or an existing brand size.
Use our Store Size Lookup to get your exact size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and hundreds more.
Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

There's also the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library of free, honest, unbiased posts from our stylists covering pretty much every fashion question going. Always independent, always free.

A few of my favourites to read next

Final word

WoolOvers is true to size but relaxed — buy your normal size for cosy, size down for sleek, wash it cool, and you'll have a natural-fibre jumper that lasts for years. And if you want certainty before you click "buy", let Tellar do the maths for you.