Patou Size Guide: French Sizing to UK, Explained

Patou cuts to French sizing. The house publishes its own conversion, and on that scale
FR 34 is a UK 6 and FR 44 is a UK 16. Everything else follows from that.

The conversion, as the house publishes it

Does Patou run true to size?

Yes. The house publishes no general correction, and in our experience the cut is true. What
it does do is flag specific exceptions on individual products, and those are worth reading
because they are real:

• Unisex jersey, including the logo t-shirts, tank tops and caps: the
  house tells men to take one size up. Women take their usual size.
• Iconic denim trousers: these sit on the hips. If you want to wear them
  high-waisted, the house says take one size below your usual.
• The fitted denim jacket: cut close. Take one size up if you want it
  loose.
• Bucket hats and caps: sized by head circumference, S at 55 cm, M at
  57 cm and L at 59 cm. The house notes that a regular women’s size takes S and a regular
  men’s size takes L.

The volume shapes

La Patou Blouse, the voluminous tops and the bloomer skirts carry deliberate volume. They
are not oversized in the sense of “size down”: the body is cut full on purpose, and taking a
smaller size will shorten the sleeve and the rise rather than slim the shape. Take your usual
size and let the garment do what it is meant to.

Knitwear and jersey letter sizing

The knits and jersey run in letters rather than numbers, generally XS to XL, occasionally
XXS to XXL. The letter maps onto the French scale as in the table above, so an FR 38 is
usually an S to M.

Footwear

For reference, the house scale runs EU 36 to 42, which is UK 3 to UK 8 and US 5.5 to US 10.
Coveti does not currently stock Patou footwear.

Still unsure?

Every Patou product at Coveti carries its own size and fit note, taken from the house’s own
copy rather than written by us, plus the full composition so you know how much give the fabric
has. Wool with elastane moves; recycled faille does not.

Start with designer dresses, designer tops and designer trousers. Read
our full review.

More Patou guides

• Patou Jewellery: The Coin, the Bocca and Bali
• What Is Patou? The Paris Fashion House, Explained
• Is Patou a Luxury Brand? An Honest Answer
• Patou vs Jacquemus: Which Paris Label Suits You?
• La Patou Blouse: How to Wear the House Blouse
• The JP Monogram: Jean Patou and the First Designer Logo

Frequently asked questions

What size is FR 38 at Patou in UK sizing?

A UK 10, on the conversion the house publishes. FR 34 is UK 6, FR 36 is UK 8, FR 40 is UK 12, FR 42 is UK 14 and FR 44 is UK 16.

Does Patou run small?

No. The house publishes no general sizing correction and the cut is true. It flags specific exceptions per product, such as unisex t-shirts running large and the Iconic denim sitting on the hips.

Should I size up in Patou?

Only where the house says so: men buying the unisex jersey and caps, and anyone wanting the fitted denim jacket to sit loose. Otherwise take your usual size.

What size are Patou bucket hats?

Three sizes by head circumference: S at 55 cm, M at 57 cm, L at 59 cm. The house says a regular women size takes S and a regular men size takes L.

Sources

• Patou clothing and footwear size guide, patou.com
• Per-product sizing notes as published by Patou

Written and fact-checked by Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti. Last reviewed September 2026.