I sometimes get people asking me about which size to get when buying clothes from ASOS as I do tend to buy a number of things from their website, so I decided to make a post on it.
But first, a disclaimer: The following are just some personal advice to give you a better idea on how to go about searching for your ASOS size. It may or may not work out the same from person to person.
Now that that’s out there…
The short answer is unfortunately no, you just won’t know for sure until you try it on. However, there are several ways to maximise the chances of the item fitting.
Firstly, ASOS has a size guide telling you the measurements and conversion of sizes in different countries, but I would only use it as a starting point.
Although I sometimes find this hit and miss, I generally stick to my Australian size, i.e. I am an Australian size 8-10, so I also get 8-10 in the UK size. Whether I choose 8 or 10, it’s up to the individual item. For example, if I want to buy a coat, I think about whether or not I want to layer clothing inside the coat. Hence, I usually go for a size 10. If I’m buying a dress, it depends if the make is stretchy or not, or whether I want a tighter or looser fit. From trial and error, I now know that UK 8 is probably better than a UK 10 for me.
Another thing I do is to look at the model’s body size and shape in the catwalk video, and see how fitting/loose the garment is. For example, if it clings onto the model, the item is likely figure hugging, so I go for a larger size. Material also plays a part in the fit (i.e. stretchy material such as spandex is generally more forgiving if you order a slightly smaller size), so do check out the material listed in the description box.
Researching/Googling can also be useful. For example, “X&Y flare skirt”… I search for that keyword in Google and look for some reviews, or read up on a blog where someone has personally ordered the item and commented on it.
I also go to eBay and see if anyone else is selling the same item. Sometimes in eBay listings, the seller will measure the item and put the measurements in the description box (or if you’re interested in their listing, you can also ask them to measure the item via the “ask the seller a question” button). Also, I often see listings where people buy the wrong size, and in their listing, they will say something like: “I bought this from the ASOS website, but it is too small for me. It will best fit an Australian size 8″… so I take that into account as well.
Last but not least, I also look at reviews written on the vogue forums; there’s a thread there (click here) where people and write reviews on whether the garment is true to size, its comfort and quality, and whether it was worth the price. Of course, this is only for a select few items, so you won’t be able to find everything, but perhaps if people consistently comments on a particular brand being “true to size”, you can have more confidence that your item of interest of the same brand is also “true to size”!
This is a long post, and it sounds like a lot of effort just for clothes, but I think it is worth it, and might also is part of the thrill/fun of ordering online (you must be wondering what do I for fun…)! Again, sometimes things don’t work out even though you’ve done your research, but that’s just the nature of online clothes shopping.
If in the case it didn’t work out for you, you can also try selling it on eBay or returning it to ASOS. If you do decide to return it to ASOS, make sure you choose the postage method that will get the package back to the UK on time, and know how much postage is going to cost you (if you buy the wrong size, you will have to cover the postage price), as you don’t want the postage to cost as much as the item you’re returning.
Anyway, I hope it helped! Good luck 
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