Finding Your True Size In Relaxed Fits

"Relaxed fit" should make sizing easier. Somehow it does the opposite. If a sweater is designed to be roomy, do you take your usual size? Size down? What does "oversized" even mean on a size chart? Here's how we think about it — and how to get it right the first time.

Rule one: ignore the letter, read the inches. An M from one brand is an L from another; the letter on the label is marketing, the measurements are facts. Every Marlowe product page includes a size chart measured flat, in inches: bust, length, sleeve. Those numbers are the truth. Everything below is just how to use them.

Rule two: measure a favorite, not yourself. Body measurements tell you what you are; garment measurements tell you how something fits. The quickest route to a perfect fit: take the sweater or jacket you already love wearing, lay it flat, and measure the bust seam-to-seam and the length from shoulder to hem. Compare those numbers to our chart. When they match, the fit will match.

Rule three: know how much ease you're looking at. "Ease" is the extra room a garment carries beyond your body measurement. A fitted knit carries 2–4 inches; a relaxed fit 4–8; a true oversized cut 8 or more. If a chart shows a 46-inch bust and yours is 38, that's an oversized fit — on purpose. Don't size down to "fix" it; you'll lose the drape that makes the piece work.

Rule four: check where the shoulder falls. Many of our relaxed knits are cut with a drop shoulder — the seam is designed to sit below your natural shoulder line, and sleeves are measured from that dropped seam. If you're used to fitted sleeves, this can look "too long" on the chart while fitting exactly right on the body.

Rule five: when in doubt, follow the fit note. Some pieces run small; some run generous. Where a piece runs small, our size chart says so, plainly — we'd rather tell you upfront than process a return. If you're between sizes: size up in outerwear and anything you'll layer, and stay true to size in knits designed to drape.

Still unsure? Email us at info@wearmarlowe.com with your measurements and the piece you're considering — a real person will tell you honestly which size to order.