Which Brands Have Looser Fit Sizing?

TELLAR FASHION HUB — SIZING ADVICE

By Ella Blake | Tellar Stylist

Several well-known high street brands consistently size on the generous side — meaning if you order your usual size, you may find the fit roomier than expected. Knowing this before you buy is genuinely useful, and it's something I wish someone had told me years ago before I returned half a wardrobe in one go.

I remember ordering a pair of linen trousers from Gap in what I thought was my standard size. They arrived and I could have comfortably fitted a second person in there with me. I laughed, sent them back, and ordered a size down — perfect. That's the Gap experience in a nutshell: lovely, relaxed American sizing that runs at least one, sometimes two sizes larger than UK high street average. If you know it going in, it's genuinely not a problem. If you don't, it's a frustrating faff.

So let's get into the brands where you'll want to size down, and the ones that err on the side of ease — because there's a huge difference between a brand that cuts deliberately relaxed and a brand that just... measures incorrectly.

High Street Brands That Run Large

These are the high street names where I consistently recommend going a size down, or at the very least trying before you commit:

Gap — American sizing through and through. Sizes run large across everything: jeans, knitwear, trousers, shirts. Go one size down as a rule. Their denim in particular is famously generous in the waist and thigh.
Next — A bit inconsistent across categories, but knitwear and jersey pieces often come up bigger than labelled. Their petite range is actually more accurately sized, interestingly.
Fat Face — Relaxed, outdoorsy fits designed for movement and layering. Expect easy, unfussy shapes that sit away from the body. I love them for this — but not if you want a tailored look.
White Stuff — Deliberately cut for comfort. Their dresses and tops in particular have a generous ease through the body. Great for layering, less great if you're petite and want structure.
Seasalt Cornwall — Boxy, relaxed cuts are basically their brand signature. If you're buying a Sailor sweatshirt and want it oversized, brilliant. If you want it fitted, size down.
Joules — Their outerwear and knitwear skew large. The wax jackets especially are built with layers in mind, so there's room to spare.
M&S — Inconsistent by category, but their jersey, nightwear, and casual basics tend to run on the comfortable side. Worth checking the fit notes on individual pieces.

💡 Stylist tip: "Runs large" doesn't mean bad — it means know your brand. A deliberately relaxed fit in a linen shirt from Fat Face is a feature, not a flaw. The key is not being surprised by it.

Premium Brands With a Generous Cut

Move up the price point and the pattern continues. These are premium brands where I'd advise sizing down or consulting the specific brand's sizing before buying:

Banana Republic — Similar story to Gap (they're the same parent company). Relaxed American proportions across tailoring and casualwear. I've found their blazers in particular run large through the shoulder.
Barbour — Designed for layering over thick jumpers, Barbour jackets are famously generous. Conventional wisdom is to size down one full size if wearing over anything lightweight.
Mango — Varies enormously by range. Their casual and Committed lines tend to run large; their tailored pieces are often more true to size. Always check individual reviews.
Hush — Their jersey pieces and knitwear are deliberately cut with ease. Lovely for weekend dressing, but if you're between sizes, go smaller.
Boden — Generally true to size, but their knitwear and jersey dresses often have more room than expected. Their fit guides are actually pretty reliable, so worth a read.

Two Independent Brands Worth Knowing

Beyond the high street, two smaller labels have really caught my attention for their relaxed, generous approach to fit:

Beaumont Organic — A British sustainable brand with a beautiful, easy approach to sizing. Their pieces are designed with deliberate ease — linen, cotton, relaxed silhouettes. They size generously, which suits their aesthetic perfectly. Worth sizing down if you like things more fitted.
Palava — An independent UK womenswear brand known for bold prints and relaxed, body-positive cuts. Their dresses and blouses run on the larger side by design. A brilliant brand if you prefer your clothes to move with you rather than cling.

Designer and Luxury Sizing: Where It Gets Interesting

At the designer end, sizing logic gets more complicated — and more expensive to get wrong. A couple of key names:

Max Mara — Italian sizing, which notoriously runs large compared to UK sizing. Their coats especially have significant ease built in. Most stylists recommend trying a size smaller than you'd expect. Their classic camel coat? I'd always try two sizes.
COS — Deliberately architectural and oversized. This is a brand where the relaxed fit IS the design. If you want something fitted, you'll be fighting the garment. If you love clean, sculptural shapes, it's heaven.

So What's the Best Way to Shop These Brands Without the Returns Headache?

Honestly, the best thing I ever did was stop guessing. I spent years buying a size 12 everywhere as though that meant the same thing across brands — it absolutely does not. A size 12 in Gap and a size 12 in Reiss are two entirely different garments. The only way to shop confidently is to know your actual measurements and match them to each brand's specific size chart.

Which is exactly where Tellar.co.uk comes in — and it's genuinely changed how I shop.

Stop Guessing. Start Knowing — Tellar.co.uk

Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool, matching your exact body measurements to over 1,500 brands instantly. No more size guides. No more returns roulette.

Measure once — bust, waist, hip — or input an existing brand size you know fits
Tellar instantly tells you your precise size in any brand, from Gap and M&S to COS, Max Mara and beyond
Works in-browser, completely free, no download or account needed

👉 Use the Store Size Lookup Tool here — get your exact size in any brand before you buy.

You can also dive into the Tellar Fashion Hub for hundreds of free, honest, unsponsored style guides written by our team of stylists. No ads. No affiliate bias. No waffle — just straight-talking fashion advice.

Some useful reads if you're navigating sizing:

Sizing inconsistency across brands isn't going away any time soon — but it doesn't have to be the problem it used to be. Know your measurements, know your brands, and use the tools available to you. Your wardrobe (and your bank balance) will thank you.