How to Read International Designer Sizing Charts: The Ultimate Guide

Shopping global luxury fashion is easier than ever—but decoding designer sizing charts across the UK, USA, Europe, Italy, and Asia is anything but simple. Each region uses its own numeric or alpha sizing system, and luxury brands rarely fit true to standard high street sizes.

This post breaks down how to accurately read international designer size charts, what to watch out for by region, how different body measurements factor into sizing, and how Tellar.co.uk takes out the guesswork by matching your exact size across 1,500+ global brands.

Why Designer Sizing Is Different from High Street Sizing

Luxury designer brands like Dior, Balenciaga, Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, or Maison Margiela don’t always follow the same standard as high street labels. Sizing can be influenced by:

The country of origin (Italian, French, Japanese, UK, US)
The fit philosophy (slim, oversized, tailored)
The intended audience (men’s vs women’s, Asian markets vs Western markets)

These variances mean that even if you’re a UK 10, you might be anything from a FR 38, IT 42, US 6 or JP 9 depending on the brand and garment cut.

Core Sizing Systems: Global Designer Comparison Chart

UK Size	US Size	EU Size	FR Size	IT Size	JP Size
6	2	34	34	38	5
8	4	36	36	40	7
10	6	38	38	42	9
12	8	40	40	44	11
14	10	42	42	46	13
16	12	44	44	48	15

Important: EU size is often listed by German or general Continental standards. French and Italian sizes are typically 2 digits higher than the UK size.

Reading Sizing Charts: Key Body Measurements to Focus On

To interpret designer size charts properly, ignore your usual dress size and focus on your actual body measurements:

Bust (cm/in): Around the fullest part of the chest
Waist: Narrowest part of the torso
Hips: Around the widest part of the seat, usually 20cm below waist
Shoulders: Especially important for jackets or tailoring
Inside Leg / Inseam: For trousers or jumpsuits

Designers use these measurements to build their charts—but interpretation still varies by brand.

Common Fit Issues with Designer Sizing

1. Italian and French Labels Run Small

Luxury houses like Saint Laurent, Givenchy, or Balmain typically cut their clothing slim—especially at the shoulders and bust. You may need to size up 1–2 sizes from your UK or US standard.

2. US Luxury Brands Run Truer to Size

Brands like The Row, Tom Ford, or Michael Kors Collection offer sizing more in line with high street expectations. US 4 usually aligns with UK 8.

3. Japanese and Korean Brands Are Designed for Narrow Frames

Expect a tighter fit across the shoulders and shorter sleeves. A UK 10 may be equivalent to a JP size 11 or 13.

4. Draped vs Structured Fits

Draped brands (e.g., Rick Owens, Ann Demeulemeester) may run generous
Structured labels (e.g., Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander McQueen) often run tight and tailored

Examples: How to Read Designer Sizing Correctly

🧥 Saint Laurent (FR Sizing)

FR 36 = UK 8
But jackets and trousers run tight; most UK 8s need FR 38–40
For hourglass figures, size up to accommodate bust or hips

👗 Dior (FR Sizing)

True to chart, but tailored slim
Waist fit is key; often cut narrow for clean silhouette
Bust darts designed for A-B cups—curvier wearers may need to go one size up

👖 Gucci (IT Sizing)

Dresses: IT 40 = UK 8
Denim: Runs smaller—size up 1–2
Knitwear: Often true to size, some oversized styles in newer collections

Alpha vs Numeric Sizing (S, M, L)

Some luxury designers (especially in knitwear, outerwear, or diffusion lines) use alpha sizing:

Alpha Size	UK Size
XS	6–8
S	8–10
M	10–12
L	12–14
XL	14–16

Warning: Some “Small” fits like a UK 6, especially in high-end Korean or Parisian brands. Always check the brand-specific chart.

Sizing Differences Within a Single Brand

Even within the same designer label, sizing can differ based on:

Season (resort collections often cut looser)
Line (e.g., Versace Jeans Couture vs Versace Atelier)
Country of sale (Asian markets receive adjusted proportions)

For example:

A Givenchy blazer may run tight in the arms and bust, but their jersey dresses may fit true to chart or generously.

The Smart Way to Read Designer Size Charts: Use Tellar.co.uk

Instead of trying to match charts manually or guessing with conversions, let Tellar.co.uk do it for you.

Tellar.co.uk: Instantly Find Your Size in Any Designer Brand

Tellar.co.uk is the UK’s smartest, free sizing tool that matches your actual measurements or a known brand size to over 1,500 international brands—including designer labels.

How it works:

Enter your bust, waist, hips or simply the size you wear in a brand that fits you well
Tellar uses actual sizing data to match you to your correct size in that designer
Adjusts for regional sizing systems (IT, FR, JP, US, UK)
✅ Considers fabric, fit, and garment type—so you avoid bad guesses

Use Tellar.co.uk for Accurate International Sizing

More Sizing Help on the Tellar Fashion Hub

Explore a full library of free guides written by Tellar’s expert team:

Always:

✅ Free

✅ Honest

✅ Independent

Stay Connected for Designer Fit Tips

Instagram: @Tellarsizing
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Final Word

Reading international designer sizing charts doesn’t have to be a mystery. Learn the systems, trust your measurements—not your label size—and use tools like Tellar.co.uk to remove all the guesswork.

Find your size in 1,500+ brands real-time. It’s free & easy.

UK Size	US Size	EU Size	FR Size	IT Size	JP Size
6	2	34	34	38	5
8	4	36	36	40	7
10	6	38	38	42	9
12	8	40	40	44	11
14	10	42	42	46	13
16	12	44	44	48	15

UK Size	US Size	EU Size	FR Size	IT Size	JP Size
6	2	34	34	38	5
8	4	36	36	40	7
10	6	38	38	42	9
12	8	40	40	44	11
14	10	42	42	46	13
16	12	44	44	48	15

UK Size	US Size	EU Size	FR Size	IT Size	JP Size
6	2	34	34	38	5
8	4	36	36	40	7
10	6	38	38	42	9
12	8	40	40	44	11
14	10	42	42	46	13
16	12	44	44	48	15