How to Find Your Size When Clothes Run Small

If clothes run small, what size should you get? In most cases, one size up from your usual size. But "most cases" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, so here is the calmer, more reliable way: measure yourself once, compare those numbers with the size chart, and then read the fit note for that exact piece. It takes about five minutes, and it saves you the sinking feeling of pulling a sweater over your head and getting stuck at the shoulders.

Below you will find why some styles run small in the first place, how to take four simple measurements, how to read a size chart, and what to do when you land between two sizes.

Why do some styles run small?

A size label is not a measurement. It is a name, and every brand and factory decides for itself what an "M" means. Many cozy knits, fleeces and jackets sold online, including a lot of ours, are made by manufacturers that cut to Asian sizing. On those patterns, the same letter usually has smaller measurements than you would expect from a US brand, so a US medium often fits more like a US small.

Nothing is wrong with the garment. It is simply built from a different starting point. The good news: once you know that, the fix is predictable. That is why we write a Size & fit note for every product, and why the note on many of our pieces says "Runs small, order one size up."

Vanity sizing makes this even more confusing. Over the years, many US brands have quietly made each size bigger, so the number on your favorite jeans may be smaller than it would have been a decade ago. Your measurements, on the other hand, do not care about labels. That is exactly why they are the most reliable tool you have.

How to measure yourself for clothes

You need a soft tape measure, a mirror, and a thin top or just a bra. No tape in the sewing kit? Wrap a piece of string or a phone charger cable around yourself, pinch the spot where it meets, and lay it flat against a ruler or a hard tape measure. Write every number down in inches, with centimeters beside it if you shop from charts that use cm.

1. Measure your bust. Stand relaxed with your arms down. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, under your arms and across your shoulder blades. Check in the mirror that the tape is level at the back, not riding up.
2. Measure your waist. Find your natural waist, the narrowest part of your torso, usually just above your belly button. Breathe out normally and measure without sucking in. Nobody else will see this number, promise.
3. Measure your hips. Stand with your feet together and measure around the fullest part of your hips and seat. This one matters most for pants, joggers and matching sets.
4. Measure your length. For tops, measure from the high point of your shoulder (right next to your neck) straight down to where you like a hem to sit. For sleeves, measure from the edge of your shoulder to your wrist bone with your arm relaxed at your side.

Reading a size chart the right way

Here is the step most of us skip. A size chart can list one of two things, and they are read differently:

• Body measurements tell you the body each size is made for. Match your own bust, waist and hips to the chart.
• Garment measurements are taken on the clothing itself, laid flat. They are always bigger than the body they fit, because clothes need room to move. Compare them with a top you already own (more on that below), not with your bare measurements.

Most charts say which one they use at the top or in a small note. If it does not say, and the numbers look generous for your size, assume they are garment measurements.

That extra room is called ease. How much a piece should have depends on the look it is designed for. As a rough guide for sweaters and jackets:

A quick example: your bust is 36 in (91 cm) and you want a relaxed sweater. Look for a garment chest of roughly 39 to 41 in (99 to 104 cm). If the size you normally wear only gives you 37 in (94 cm), that style runs small for you, and the next size up is the one to order.

On our product pages, the Size guide link opens the chart, with a switch between cm and inches. The Size & fit section on the same page tells you how that particular piece fits and whether it runs small. Read both. The chart gives you numbers, and the note tells you how to use them.

Clothes run small: what size should I get?

Size up when:

• The fit note says "runs small." Trust it over the letter on your favorite sweater at home. Our Women's Half-Zip Hooded Fleece Pullover is a good example: it is cut loose and relaxed, but it follows Asian sizing, so the note tells you to order one size up for your usual fit.
• The fabric has no stretch. Wovens, corduroy and structured jackets do not give the way a jersey or ribbed knit does.
• You plan to layer. A shacket or jacket that fits perfectly over a tee can feel tight over a chunky sweater. Our fall layering guide goes into how much room each layer needs.
• Your shoulders or bust are your widest point. Those are the hardest areas to alter or stretch.

Do not size up when:

• The piece is cut oversized and the note does not say it runs small. The extra room is built in. Our Oversized Fleece-Lined Zip Hoodie, for instance, is designed to be slouchy, so your usual size already gives you that easy, borrowed-from-a-friend shape. Going up can make the shoulders drop too far and the sleeves swallow your hands.
• Your measurements already put you in the larger size. If the chart says L based on your numbers and the item runs small, the chart has already done the adjusting. Go with what the numbers say instead of adding another size on top.
• You want a close, fitted look and the fabric is stretchy, like a ribbed knit.

Between two sizes? A few tie-breakers

It happens all the time: your bust says M and your hips say L. Or your numbers sit right on the line. Ask yourself three questions:

1. Which measurement matters for this piece? Bust and shoulders decide a sweater or jacket. Hips and waist decide pants and joggers. For a matching set, go by the part you care about most, or by the larger of the two. (Planning to wear the pieces separately too? Here are 5 ways to wear one matching set.)
2. Will you wear something underneath? If yes, take the larger size.
3. Does the fabric stretch? A soft stretchy knit forgives a snug size. A structured jacket does not.

When a style runs small and you are between sizes, the larger size is almost always the safer choice. A sweater that is a little roomy looks intentional. One that pulls across the chest never does.

The easiest trick: measure a top that already fits

If measuring your body feels fiddly, go to your closet instead. Pick the sweater or hoodie you reach for every weekend, the one that fits exactly how you like, and lay it flat on a bed or table.

• Chest: measure straight across from armpit to armpit, then double it.
• Length: measure from the high point of the shoulder down to the hem.
• Sleeve: measure from the shoulder seam to the end of the cuff.

Now you have your ideal garment measurements. When a chart lists garment measurements, pick the size that comes closest to your favorite top. This works especially well for oversized styles, because you can see exactly how much slouch you actually like, in inches rather than guesswork.

Before you order: a quick check

• Your bust, waist and hips are written down, in inches and cm
• You know if the chart shows body or garment measurements
• You read the Size & fit note for this exact piece
• You thought about what you will wear underneath
• If you are between sizes and it runs small, you picked the larger one

Still the wrong size? Here is what happens next

Even with a tape measure and good intentions, sometimes a piece just does not sit right. That is okay. You can return unworn items with the tags still on within 30 days of delivery. Contact us first and we will walk you through it.

A few honest details so there are no surprises:

• We do not do direct exchanges. Return the item and place a new order for the size you need. If the piece is popular, ordering the new size first means you will not miss out.
• Return shipping is paid by you, unless the item arrived faulty or we sent the wrong one.
• Holiday sweaters, worn robes and slippers, and anything marked Final Sale cannot be returned, so it is worth measuring twice for those.

The full details live on our refund policy and FAQ page. Not sure which size to pick before you order? Send us a message with your measurements and the product you are looking at, and we will help you choose.

FAQ

If something runs small, should I size up one size or two?
One. The "runs small" notes on our pieces are written for one size up from your usual size. If your measurements already put you in a bigger size on the chart, follow the chart.

Do oversized styles run small too?
Oversized pieces have extra room built in, so your usual size usually gives the relaxed look they are designed for. Always check the Size & fit note, though. Some pieces cut loose still follow smaller Asian sizing, and the note will say so.

Should I measure over clothes?
Measure over a thin top or just a bra. A thick sweater can add an inch or more to your bust measurement.

How often should I re-measure?
Every season or so, or any time your usual size starts feeling different. Bodies change, and that is completely normal.