What is size bracketing in ecommerce?

Size bracketing is when a shopper orders the same item in multiple sizes with the intention of returning whichever ones don't fit. It's one of the most common and most preventable drivers of high return rates in apparel and footwear ecommerce.

How do I know if size bracketing is affecting my return rate?

Look for same-SKU, same-order line items in your returns data, orders where the same product in multiple sizes appears in one transaction. If 10% or more of your returns follow this pattern, size bracketing is a significant driver. Return reason codes for "wrong size," "too large," or "too small" on items ordered more than once in the same transaction are another clear signal.

Why don't better size charts fix the problem?

Size charts measure garments, not people. They also don't account for how sizing varies across brands or for individual fit preferences. A shopper who knows they're a medium in one brand has no reliable way to use a size chart to figure out what size they are in a different brand. That's the information gap that drives bracketing.

What actually reduces fit-related returns?

Interventions that happen before the order is placed, at the size selection moment on the product page. Personalized size recommendations based on real purchase and return outcomes from similar shoppers, calibrated across brands, give the shopper a confident single recommendation rather than leaving the decision to them. Moosejaw reduced overall size bracketing rates 24% in one year using this approach. APL reduced fit-related returns by 15%.

How does True Fit reduce size bracketing?

True Fit's Fashion Genome is built on real purchase and return outcomes from 80 million+ shoppers across 91,000+ brands. When a shopper reaches the size selector, True Fit recommends the right size based on what similar shoppers actually bought and kept, not on self-reported measurements or static size charts. Moosejaw used True Fit to detect multi-size cart behavior in real time and trigger fit guidance at that exact moment, resulting in a 24% decline in bracketing rates over one year.

What is the real cost of an apparel return?

Most retailers calculate return cost as the refund plus shipping. The full cost runs higher once you account for processing and inspection labor, repackaging, restocking delay, markdown risk on items that can't go back to full price, and environmental impact. Reducing the number of returns has a significantly higher ROI than improving the returns process.

True Fit Named One of Built In’s 2026 Best Startups to Work For in Boston

Romney Evans

Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer

July 7, 2026

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We’re proud to share that True Fit has been recognized by Built In as one of the Best Startups to Work For in Boston in 2026.

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Built In’s annual Best Places to Work program recognizes companies across the tech ecosystem that are building strong workplaces through benefits, compensation, flexibility, and people-first programming. This year, True Fit was included on Built In’s Boston startup list, where we’re recognized in the Artificial Intelligence and Big Data category.

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For us, this recognition is especially meaningful because of the moment we’re building in.

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AI is reshaping the way shoppers discover, evaluate, and buy. At True Fit, our team is focused on one of the most human questions in commerce:

Will this actually fit me?

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That question sits at the center of every apparel and footwear purchase. It drives confidence, conversion, returns, loyalty, and trust. Solving it takes more than a widget or a clever interface. It takes real fit intelligence, deep retail expertise, and a team committed to helping shoppers find what they love and keep what they buy.

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True Fit’s culture has always been built around that mission. We are a remote-first team bringing together people across product, engineering, data science, retail, customer success, marketing, and operations to solve a complex problem at global scale. The work is technical, but the purpose is simple: make shopping feel more confident, personal, and true to each shopper.

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“Our culture is built by our people, and throughout all aspects, supports our mantra of ‘True to You,’” said Maura Haley, Chief People Officer at True Fit.

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As commerce moves into its next chapter, we’re proud to keep building with a team that combines curiosity, flexibility, accountability, and care for the customer experience.

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Thank you to Built In for the recognition, and to every member of the True Fit team helping shape the future of fit intelligence.

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Want to join us? Visit our careers page to explore current openings and learn more about life at True Fit.

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