Loro Piana size guide for buying second-hand
Loro Piana sizes menswear in Italian numbers: 46 through 56 for knitwear and jackets, 44 through 58 for trousers, European 39 through 46 for shoes. This is what those numbers mean in US terms, how each category of the house actually fits, and the two measurements worth checking before you buy a piece you cannot try on.
The Italian numbers
Sellers translate the label into whatever they think will search well, so the same sweater turns up as "52", "L" and "US 42" in three listings. The number is the one to trust. The conversion the house uses for tops, and the one we use on the ledger:
| Italian | Letter | US chest |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | XS | 36 |
| 48 | S | 38 |
| 50 | M | 40 |
| 52 | L | 42 |
| 54 | XL | 44 |
| 56 | XXL | 46 |
Trousers use the same Italian numbers but they mean waist: a 46 is about a US 30, a 48 a 32, a 50 a 34, a 52 a 36, a 54 a 38, a 56 a 40. Loro Piana cuts its trousers with a slightly higher rise and a fuller thigh than most fashion houses, so if you are between sizes take the smaller number and let the tailor take in the waist.
Knitwear runs true, and the fabric decides the fit
A 52 crewneck fits like a US large: about a 42-inch chest with a couple of inches of ease. That holds across the cashmere line. What changes is the knit. Baby cashmere and the classic crewneck are fine-gauge and sit close to the body. The ribbed and cable pieces, the Treccia and the shawl collars, are heavier and sit away from it, so a 52 in a Treccia wears roomier than a 52 in a baby cashmere crewneck. The half-zips and quarter-zips are cut a touch longer in the body than the crewnecks.
The two measurements that matter, and that most good listings already give: chest, measured flat armpit to armpit, and back length from the collar seam to the hem. On a 52 crewneck expect roughly 22 inches flat across the chest and 27 to 28 inches long. Cashmere that has been worn stretches a little across the chest and shortens a little in the body, so a pre-owned knit measuring a size up in the chest and a size down in length has been worn hard, whatever the condition grade says.
Shirts
The André and the other linen and cotton shirts are sized S through XXL, not in Italian numbers, and they run generous. A large fits a 42 to 44 chest with the relaxed drape the house intends. If you wear a 52 in the knitwear you are a large in the shirts, and the same is true up and down the range. The shoulder measurement, seam to seam across the back, is the one to check; on a large it is about 19 inches. Linen shrinks a little on the first wash if the previous owner ignored the care label, so a pre-owned linen shirt can measure half a size under its tag.
Jackets and outerwear
Tailored jackets follow the tops table, Italian 46 to 56, with the US size six below, so a 52 is a US 42. Loro Piana's shoulder is soft and natural, closer to Naples than Rome, and the jackets run a little roomier through the chest than Kiton at the same number. The Storm System pieces, the Horsey, the Traveller, the overshirts, are sized by letter, and they are cut to layer: a large goes over a large knit without pulling. If you plan to wear a Horsey over a shirt only, some people size down; if it is a winter layer over cashmere, stay true to size.
On a jacket the numbers that matter are shoulder seam to seam, chest flat, back length and sleeve. For outerwear the pit-to-pit with the jacket zipped is the one that decides whether a sweater fits underneath.
The Walk shoes
The Open Walk, the Summer Walk and the rest of the Walk family are sized in European numbers and run generous. Most people take a half size down from their Italian dress-shoe size, and a full size down from a US sneaker size. A US 11 is usually a 44 in a Venice Walk or Summer Walk. The Open Walk fits differently: the suede upper is unlined and the ankle is cut close, so boutique staff often suggest trying a half size up from your Venice Walk size, and buying both to compare if you cannot try them on. The Sergio and the other leather loafers run closer to a standard European size.
Two more things about shoes on resale. The footbed moulds to the first owner, which is why the ledger only lists Walks new. And a seller who has the same shoe in every size and colour at one price is not a seller, it is a replica warehouse; the real shoe is scarce in exactly the popular sizes.
Before you offer
- Read the Italian number, not the letter. Every serious listing shows it; the letter in the title is the seller's translation.
- Check two measurements. Chest and length for knits, shoulder and chest for jackets, waist and inseam for trousers, and whether trousers have been hemmed.
- Compare to something you own. Lay your best-fitting sweater flat and measure it. That number beats any size chart, including this one.
- Check the return line. With a return window, a half-size gamble is fine. Without one, it is not.
Conversions are the ones Loro Piana's own boutiques use and the ones we apply on the ledger. Measurements are typical, not guaranteed; the house adjusts cuts between seasons.