The Popsy Fit Fix Report 2026: The state of online clothing sizing in the UK

Sizing issues and returns aren't breaking news in the fashion world – it's a widespread problem that is showing no signs of slowing down.

The industry's sizing problem has trained shoppers to normalise wasteful shopping habits, with the act of “bracket shopping” – intentionally ordering multiple sizes of the same item – and returns fuelling a cycle of lost consumer confidence.

To examine the scale of sizing frustrations across women’s clothing options in 2026, we surveyed 1,813 of our Popsy Clothing customers, asking about their recent general experiences shopping online for clothes in the UK to uncover trends in sizing-related issues and returns across different items and brands in women’s fashion.

We also analysed over 273,000 Trustpilot reviews across five leading online UK clothing retailers to understand how sizing or returns are impacting customer satisfaction and brand perceptions more broadly.

As a result, our ‘Fit Fix Report’ has revealed that the wider UK fashion industry continues to fall short on customer experiences, with frustrated shoppers calling for a solution to sizing inconsistencies, among other issues.

Key findings from the Popsy Fit Fix Report 2026

• Only 1% of surveyed shoppers say their clothing size stays the same across brands
• 73% have returned at least one online clothing item in the past year because they don't fit as expected
• One in 5 shoppers say a poor fit causes every return they make.
• Shoppers struggle most with online sizing for jeans, shoes, and swimwear
• 27% of shoppers regularly order multiple sizes of the same item with the intention of returning those that don’t fit.
• 74% of shoppers would have kept a returned item if it could’ve been altered to fit them for free

Quick links:

• How does poor online fashion sizing affect the shopper experience?
• How do clothing sizes vary between fashion brands in the UK?
• What are the main reasons shoppers return clothing bought online?
• Which clothing items are hardest to size?
• How is bracket shopping driving higher online fashion returns?
• How could free alterations reduce fashion returns?
• How common are sizing complaints among UK fashion retailers?
• Methodology

How does poor online fashion sizing affect the shopper experience?

Despite retailers providing online size guides to help shoppers find the right fit, sizing inconsistencies continue to frustrate online shoppers.

• 73% have returned items in the past year because they don't fit as expected
• 54% say sizing issues caused half or more of all returns they made in the past year
• Nearly half (44%) say a poor fit caused almost all or every return they made
• One in 5 (21%) say a poor fit caused every return they made

Even after a lifetime of shopping for your shape, brands can leave you feeling like you don’t know your own size.

One reason for this is vanity sizing. Over the years, many brands have started labelling clothes with smaller sizes than they actually are to make customers ‘feel better’, meaning a size 10 today could fit very differently from the same dress labelled size 10 last year.

The issue isn’t new, nor limited to womenswear, with a Sunday Telegraph investigation from 2011 finding that more than half of men's trousers sold on the UK high street understated the true waist measurement by up to two inches.

How do clothing sizes vary between fashion brands in the UK?

Finding the perfect fit when shopping online becomes harder when applying your size across different clothing brands, with many finding that their clothing size is different in every shop.

• One in three shoppers (32%) say their size is never the same between brands.
• 82% say their usual clothing size always or often varies between brands
• While only 1% of shoppers say their size stays the same across brands

Instead of providing an easier way for customers to find the right fit, some multi-brand retailers are going the opposite way, charging fees if shoppers have a high return rate and don’t keep a certain value of their original order.

However, penalising returns does little to address the underlying cause. With each return costing retailers an estimated £10-£25 to process (Eightx, 2026), improving sizing accuracy by introducing more sustainable solutions, such as clothing alteration services, could save both shoppers and brands time and money.

What are the main reasons shoppers return clothing bought online?

Sizing issues drive the majority of online order returns for shoppers, more so than any other reason for return.

The findings suggest that the majority of clothing returns are preventable. While some reasons, such as damaged or incorrect items, are operational issues, the most common reasons for returning online purchases are related to sizing and customer expectations.

Which clothing items are hardest to size?

Shoppers struggle most with sizing for specific items. Our findings reveal the worst fitting clothes to buy online are jeans (47%), trousers & leggings (43%), shoes (34%), and swimwear (26%).

These categories often require a more precise fit, while factors such as less forgiving fabrics, less frequent purchasing, and one-size swimwear sets can make choosing the right size even harder.

Sizing gets easier when buying items known for their loose fits and stretchy fabrics, with loungewear (3%), skirts (6%) and activewear (7%) causing the least fit-related returns.

For more structured garments, such as trousers and dresses, small alterations can often make the difference between returning an item and keeping it, helping shoppers achieve a better fit without having to size up or down.

How is bracket shopping driving higher online fashion returns?

Consumers no longer expect clothes they buy to fit the first time. Instead, many now see ordering multiple sizes online (bracketing) and returning unwanted items as a routine part of shopping – when really the focus should be on getting the fit right first time.

• 27% of shoppers regularly order multiple sizes of the same item with the explicit intention of returning those that don’t fit.
• Among those whose size always varies across brands (almost a third of total respondents), 36% admit to regularly buying more than one size.

While 23% say they never buy more than one item to find the right fit, this may include those who don’t have the means to purchase multiple items or refuse to.

How common are sizing complaints among UK fashion retailers?

The frustration from shoppers is reflected in wider online reviews. Analysis of Trustpilot reviews across five leading retailers found that complaints mentioning “size” are disproportionately negative, with nearly two-thirds (65%) of all reviews mentioning size receiving a one-star rating.

Among reviews posted in the last year, this rises to more than four in five (81%).

Across the five major retailers, reviews mentioning "returns" are even more overwhelmingly negative than those mentioning "size” alone, with 66.8% of total reviews and a staggering 89.9% in the past 12 months receiving a 1-star rating.

This indicates that when an item of clothing isn’t right, the subsequent returns process introduces extreme friction – turning a sizing disappointment into a complete breakdown of customer loyalty.

How could free alterations reduce fashion returns?

Retail Economics (2025) forecasted in 2025 that £25.1 billion worth of non-food online purchases would be returned in the UK, with fashion retailers deliberately turning to ‘deliberate friction’ to manage spiralling return costs - including introducing return costs and monitoring the frequency of returns by customers.

However, our research shows that 74% of shoppers have returned clothing they would have kept if it could have been altered to fit them for free, with 21% saying they would do so regularly.

The opportunity is even greater for specific items, with 80.2% of shoppers who cited struggling with dress sizing saying free alterations would have prevented them from returning an item.

Offering alterations is also a sustainable way to reduce clothing returns. Every return generates up to 4.2 kg of CO₂ from additional transport, packaging, and processing (Green Fulfilment, 2026), while some returned items are ultimately thrown away rather than resold.

By reducing the number of customers struggling to find their ideal fit when online shopping, clothing brands can not only improve their own rate of returns and reputation among shoppers, but the industry as a whole can help reduce the costs and carbon emissions tied to returns and wasteful shopping practices.

Customer story: How free alterations transformed the shopping experience

For many shoppers, poor fit isn't just an inconvenience – it changes how and where they shop.

Lowenna, a Popsy Clothing customer, spent years avoiding certain brands and clothing styles because she expected dresses and trousers to be too long for her height, at 5ft. Even petite ranges often didn't fit correctly.

Before discovering Popsy, Lowenna regularly had to pay for alterations after purchasing clothes. She said:

“Between buying clothes that didn’t quite fit, paying for alterations, and spending time searching for something suitable, it all added up. Eventually, I gave up trying and stuck with the same safe styles for most of my adult life.”

After discovering Popsy's free alterations service, Lowenna says she no longer worries about whether clothes will fit her height, as she can simply choose the styles she loves and request a shorter hem before the item is sent. Lowenna adds:

"The alteration service has removed the biggest barrier I faced when buying clothes. Instead of wondering whether something will fit my height, I can order with confidence. It makes me feel included as a customer and allows me to enjoy fashion in a way I never really could before."

Today, Lowenna wears dresses almost every day thanks to Popsy’s alterations service. Her experience shows how offering alterations doesn't just reduce the likelihood of returns – it gives shoppers the confidence to buy styles they may otherwise have avoided, helping brands retain sales while delivering a better customer experience. Lowenna is also now a customer model to show other petite women how Popsy dresses can look.

Cherish Reardon, co-founder at Popsy Clothing, says:

"One thing we've learned from listening to our customers is that poor fit doesn't just lead to returns – it affects confidence. When you've spent years expecting clothes not to fit, you start avoiding certain styles altogether or end up settling for what's available instead of what you actually love.

"The findings from our ‘Fit Fix Report’ show that shoppers don't want to buy multiple sizes or spend their time making returns. They simply want clothes that fit them properly. We believe the fashion industry should be asking how we can adapt clothing to real people, rather than expecting people to adapt to standard sizing that has long been proven to be outdated.

"At Popsy, we've always believed that clothing should help women feel confident, not make them question their body or their size. Offering an alterations service is one way we've been able to remove a barrier for our customers, helping them enjoy fashion with confidence instead of compromise."

Methodology

For its Fit Fix Report 2026, Popsy Clothing conducted a survey of 1,813 UK customers in June 2026 via Google Forms. Customers were asked to reflect generally on their experiences shopping for clothing online in the UK across fashion retailers, including sizing consistency, returns, and attitudes towards clothing types and clothing alterations services.

To explore whether these findings related to wider customer experiences, Popsy Clothing also collected and analysed 273,009 total Trustpilot reviews for five leading UK fashion retailers in June 2026, the names of which have been kept anonymised; however, the full findings of this are available on request. Data correct as of June 2026.

Popsy reviewed how many reviews were rated 1-5 stars for brands overall, as well as the star ratings for reviews containing ‘size’ and for ‘returns’. This allowed Popsy to understand the quantity of sizing and returns concerns being flagged to brands overall and within the last 12 months.

For press enquiries or to request the full survey and Trustpilot data findings, please email pr@popsyclothing.com.