Choosing your size on Zalando poses a measurable problem: returns due to incorrect size choices are the leading cause of returns on the platform. The difficulty arises less from a lack of information than from a dispersion of references between brands, cuts, and categories of clothing.
Zalando’s Recommendation Algorithm: How Return History Changes Things
Since 2024, Zalando has been testing a size recommendation system in several European countries that directly utilizes customers’ return history. The algorithm no longer just cross-references your measurements with the brand’s size guide. It also incorporates the reasons for your previous returns (item too small, too large, unsuitable cut) to adjust suggestions for future orders.
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In practice, a customer who regularly returns jeans because they fit small will see the platform automatically suggest a size up for similar brands. This mechanism, described in Zalando’s 2023 sustainability report as a case of artificial intelligence usage, remains little known to shoppers.
For this system to work, the reason for the return must be provided with each return. Many customers skip this step, depriving the algorithm of usable data. By consulting the Zalando size guide on Hermaphrodite, you will also find concrete benchmarks to anticipate these size discrepancies between brands.
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Size Discrepancies Between Brands: Comparative Table by Category
The real trap on Zalando is that two items displaying the same size on the label can have several centimeters of actual difference. A 38 from a Scandinavian brand does not have the same dimensions as a 38 from an Italian brand. The categories most affected are jeans, dresses, and shoes.
| Category | Frequent Trend | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Jeans | Strong variation depending on the cut (slim, regular, wide) | Waist size AND inseam length |
| Dresses | Nordic brands often run larger | Chest measurement, hip measurement, total length |
| Shoes | Frequent half-size discrepancy between brands | Foot length in cm, width if available |
| Men’s clothing (top) | S/M/L varies by several centimeters depending on the origin | Chest measurement, sleeve length |
The size guide displayed on each Zalando product page is the one provided by the brand itself. Two size guides are therefore never directly comparable from one item to another.
The Measurement That Is Most Often Missing
For jeans, the inseam length is rarely taken into account by buyers. A pair of jeans ordered in the correct waist size but too short or too long ends up being returned. On Zalando, some brands offer length options (short, regular, long), but this information does not always appear in the search filters.
Customer Reviews and Returns: The Most Reliable Data for Choosing Your Size
Customer reviews are the most exploitable source for anticipating a size issue. On Zalando, comments often indicate whether the item runs small, runs large, or fits normally. This aggregated indication also appears as a gauge on some product pages.
- Filter reviews by ordered size: a review written by someone who wears the same size as you is more valuable than an overall rating
- Look for mentions of cut (slim, oversized, fitted): they specify whether the item matches the photo or looks different once worn
- Check if multiple reviews mention the same defect (too tight at the hips, sleeves too short): a recurring issue is more reliable than an isolated review
The free returns offered by Zalando allow you to order two sizes for comparison, but this practice has an environmental cost that the platform is trying to reduce. This is, in fact, one of the reasons for deploying the return-based recommendation algorithm.
Virtual Try-On and Zalando Tools: What Works in Practice
Since 2023-2024, Zalando has been gradually rolling out a Virtual Try-On feature for certain categories, notably sneakers. The tool uses the smartphone camera to visualize the shoe on your foot. According to Zalando’s 2023 annual report, this feature aims to reduce returns related to size issues.
The scope remains limited for now. The Virtual Try-On does not cover clothing (dresses, jeans, jackets), and the accuracy depends on the quality of the camera and lighting. For shoes, the tool mainly helps assess the visual appearance, less so the question of comfort or the actual width of the foot.
What Remains More Effective Than Technology
Taking your measurements with a measuring tape remains the most reliable method. Three measurements are sufficient to cover the majority of purchases:
- Chest measurement: taken at the widest point, without tightening
- Waist measurement: at the natural waistline, not at the level of the pants’ waistband
- Foot length: standing, from the heel to the tip of the longest toe, measured in the evening (the foot swells during the day)
Comparing these measurements to the brand’s size guide before each purchase avoids most size errors, including for brands you are not familiar with.
Choosing a size on Zalando depends less on a single tool than on a combination of reflexes: up-to-date measurements, reading reviews filtered by size, and systematically providing the reason for returns to feed future recommendations. The platform invests in algorithmic and visual solutions, but the most useful data remains the one you provide yourself.