We ordered an IKKS men’s jacket in size 50 because we wear M everywhere else, and the jacket arrived too tight at the shoulders. The issue doesn’t stem from a “small” fit in the traditional sense, but from a pattern designed for a fitted silhouette where every centimeter of ease has been intentionally reduced. Understanding this cutting logic before pulling out the measuring tape changes the way to read the brand’s size guide.
Measure a garment that fits you rather than your body
Most sizing advice revolves around chest or waist measurements taken directly on the skin. At IKKS men, this approach has its limits: it ignores the ease intended by the pattern. Two brands can show the same match for a given chest measurement, but one adds four centimeters of ease in the finished jacket while the other adds only two.
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The most reliable method is to measure a flat reference garment that fits you well. Take a t-shirt, a shirt, or pants that fit well, lay it on a flat surface, and note the chest width, shoulder width, and total length. These measurements can be directly compared to the dimensions of the finished IKKS garment when available on the product sheet or by contacting customer service.
This technique eliminates the ambiguity related to body shape. An identical chest measurement can correspond to very different shoulder widths, and it’s the shoulder width that causes issues with IKKS jackets, not the torso. By starting from a concrete garment, we compare fabric to fabric, not body to a theoretical chart.
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For those who want to cross-reference this method with the brand’s classic matches, detailed benchmarks can be found in this IKKS size guide for men which clarifies what the fitted cut actually means according to the categories of pieces.
IKKS pant rise: an underestimated variable
When discussing waist size, we often forget to specify where we measure. An IKKS men’s pant with a low rise sits on the hips, not at the navel. The difference between these two measurement points can reach several centimeters on the same individual.
Measuring the waist at the actual rise height of the pant prevents ordering a size too large in an attempt to compensate. On a slim or semi-slim model, taking the measurement too high on the torso skews the match and results in pants that sag at the waist while being tight at the thighs.
Specifically, you put on a pant that fits well, identify where the waistband sits, and measure around your body at that exact point. This number is what you compare to the IKKS chart, not the classic anatomical waist measurement located above the hips.
Ease and fitted cut IKKS: what changes depending on the men’s pieces
The fitted cut does not translate the same way across all garments. Buyer feedback primarily points to jackets and coats as the tightest pieces in the men’s range. T-shirts and polos, made from stretchy fabrics, are more forgiving of size discrepancies.
Pieces where sizing up is often justified
- Structured jackets and leather jackets, whose patterns leave very little ease at the shoulders and under the arms. If you’re torn between two sizes, choosing the larger size for an IKKS jacket remains the safest reflex.
- Dress shirts with a tailored fit, where non-stretch fabric does not allow for even a centimeter of excess at the bust.
- Slim fit chinos, especially for body types with athletic thighs. The thigh-to-knee transition is often fitted tightly.
Pieces where the usual size works
- T-shirts and polos in jersey, whose fabric offers sufficient natural elasticity to accommodate the difference.
- Soft knit sweatshirts and sweaters, cut with a bit more room than woven pieces.
- Parks and winter coats, designed to layer underneath and therefore slightly more generous.
Returns vary on this point depending on collections and seasons, but this distribution regularly appears in buyer reviews.
Avoiding the IKKS men’s size error online: a three-step method
Ordering online without trying on requires a minimum of preparation. Three concrete steps reduce the risk of return.
First, take the measurements of a flat reference garment as described above. Note the chest width, shoulder width, back length for the top, waist circumference, and inseam for the bottom. These five measurements cover the critical points.
Next, compare these numbers to the finished garment dimensions indicated on the IKKS product sheet. If the sheet only mentions body correspondences (chest circumference, waist circumference), apply a margin of caution: for structured pieces, sizing up is preferable when the body measurement falls at the top of the range.
Finally, check the fabric composition. A garment containing elastane offers more tolerance than a fabric that is 100% cotton or 100% wool. On rigid pieces, a centimeter less on the pattern is immediately felt when worn.
The IKKS size guide serves as a starting point, not a guarantee. Cross-referencing body measurements, the measurements of an existing garment, and fabric composition provides a much more reliable reading than a simple correspondence chart. For jackets and coats, caution leans towards the larger size. For knits and stretchy pieces, the usual size works in the vast majority of cases.