How to Find Your Perfect Fit at Anna Sui

SIZING GUIDE • DESIGNER

By Ella Blake • Tellar Fashion Hub • March 2026

Anna Sui sizing runs small to true-to-size depending on the style, but the brand uses US sizing — which means a conversion is always needed before you buy from the UK.

Anna Sui has always been one of those brands I have a completely irrational love for. The maximalism, the vintage-inspired prints, the unapologetic whimsy — it's fashion that genuinely has a point of view. I remember spotting a beaded chiffon blouse in a boutique about eight years ago and buying it in entirely the wrong size because I couldn't bear the thought of it selling out before I figured out the right one. Reader, it did not fit. The sleeves were somewhere between elbow and wrist in a way that wasn't intentional. Lesson absolutely learned.

Anna Sui is a New York-based designer label founded in the early 1990s, beloved for its rock 'n' roll romanticism — think velvet, lace, embroidery, psychedelic prints, and a vaguely witchy bohemian energy that has never quite gone out of fashion. The brand is sold globally and beloved by stylists, but buying it from the UK requires a clear understanding of how US sizing translates — and it doesn't always do so neatly.

HOW DOES ANNA SUI SIZING RUN?

Anna Sui uses standard US sizing, which runs approximately two sizes smaller than UK sizing. So a US 8 is roughly a UK 12, a US 10 is roughly a UK 14, and so on. However, Anna Sui's cut tends to be on the narrower side, particularly through the shoulders and bust — the brand's aesthetic is rooted in a slightly 1970s silhouette that assumes a certain leanness through the top half.

As a starting point:

Convert your UK size to US by going down two sizes — UK 12 becomes US 8, UK 14 becomes US 10
For embroidered and structured pieces (particularly jackets and mini dresses), consider sizing up within the US range — the construction can be restrictive
For chiffon, floaty, and printed blouses, the sizing tends to be more generous — your direct US equivalent is usually fine
If you're fuller through the bust or shoulders, go up one US size from your conversion — the cut is not particularly accommodating in these areas
Anna Sui's trousers and skirts tend to be more generous than the tops — many women find they size differently for bottoms versus tops in this brand

Stylist's note: Anna Sui's aesthetic is deliberately vintage-inspired, and with that comes a more vintage-proportioned cut — narrower shoulders, a defined waist, and a slightly shorter torso length in many styles. If you're tall (5'8" and above), check the dress lengths carefully before buying. What's described as a midi can occasionally land at an awkward calf point on a longer frame.

THE US TO UK SIZE CONVERSION AT ANNA SUI

Here's a practical conversion guide for buying Anna Sui from the UK:

US 0 → approximately UK 4–6
US 2 → approximately UK 6–8
US 4 → approximately UK 8–10
US 6 → approximately UK 10–12
US 8 → approximately UK 12–14
US 10 → approximately UK 14–16
US 12 → approximately UK 16–18

Anna Sui's size range is fairly limited compared to some contemporary brands — the collection typically runs from US 0 to US 12, with some styles not going beyond US 8 or 10. If you're above a UK 16, availability can be genuinely limited, and it's worth checking individual item size guides rather than relying on general conversions.

Before purchasing, I'd always recommend cross-referencing your measurements with Tellar.co.uk — the UK's best free sizing tool, which matches your exact bust, waist, and hip measurements to over 1,500 brands in seconds. It takes the guesswork out entirely, especially when you're dealing with US-to-UK conversions.

WHAT TO MEASURE BEFORE YOU BUY

Given Anna Sui's more structured vintage cut, three measurements matter most:

Bust: The most critical measurement for Anna Sui's fitted blouses, jackets, and dresses. Measure at the fullest point and compare directly to the brand's individual size guides.
Shoulder width: Anna Sui's tailored pieces often have a narrower shoulder seam than contemporary brands — if you have broader shoulders, this is worth checking specifically.
Waist: Many of the brand's dresses are waist-defined — the waist measurement is key for anything with a nipped-in silhouette or belt detail.

Use Tellar's Store Size Lookup to plug in these measurements and get your confirmed Anna Sui size before committing — it's free, takes thirty seconds, and works directly in your browser with no account needed.

WHERE TO BUY ANNA SUI IN THE UK

Anna Sui isn't as widely stocked in the UK as some US designer brands, but there are reliable stockists. ASOS carries a curated Anna Sui selection with the benefit of their generally straightforward returns process — useful when sizing is uncertain. Farfetch tends to have the broadest range of current season and archive pieces, and Selfridges stocks selected items both online and in-store. For vintage and archive Anna Sui — often the most special pieces — Vestiaire Collective and eBay are worth checking, though returns are typically not possible, so getting the size right first time is essential.

HIGH STREET ALTERNATIVES FOR THE ANNA SUI AESTHETIC

Anna Sui occupies a very specific fashion space — bohemian, maximalist, slightly gothic, deeply romantic. If the price point isn't right but the aesthetic absolutely is, here are the high street brands that capture a similar energy:

Anthropologie — probably the closest high street equivalent in terms of mood. Floral prints, vintage-inspired silhouettes, and an eclectic mix of textures that feels genuinely Anna Sui-adjacent.
Free People (via ASOS and their own site) — boho romanticism in abundance. Their embroidered blouses and printed minis share real DNA with Sui's aesthetic.
Monsoon — deeply underrated for maximalist, print-led occasionwear. Their embroidered and beaded pieces in particular have a similar spirit to Anna Sui at a fraction of the cost.
Urban Outfitters — for the more rock 'n' roll side of Anna Sui's aesthetic. Velvet slip dresses, printed co-ords, and vintage-inspired prints that hit a similar note.
Oliver Bonas — consistently excellent for whimsical print dresses and statement blouses with an independent, non-corporate feel that mirrors Sui's irreverence.
Warehouse — a strong high street option for print-led, occasion-worthy dresses with more edge than the average. Their more eclectic seasonal pieces often channel a similar romanticism.
Jigsaw — for the more refined, grown-up side of the Anna Sui world. Beautifully cut printed blouses and dresses that share the same love of pattern and texture without the full maximalist commitment.

For independent label discoveries: Sister Jane is a London-based independent brand whose entire output is essentially a love letter to the same vintage-romantic maximalism that defines Anna Sui — intricate embroidery, bold prints, structured ruffles, genuinely brilliant. And Réalisation Par, the cult Australian label, produces silky printed slip dresses and separates with exactly the same louche, vintage-inspired energy. Both are worth bookmarking.

MY HONEST TAKE

Anna Sui is a brand that rewards a bit of homework before buying. The sizing is manageable once you understand the US conversion and the brand's preference for a narrower, vintage-proportioned cut — but going in blind is how you end up with a jacket that fits everywhere except the shoulders, which is both frustrating and expensive to fix. Measure yourself, use a sizing tool, and always check the individual product measurements where they're provided.

The good news is that when Anna Sui fits, it fits brilliantly — these are clothes with real character, made for women who want to look like themselves rather than a walking trend report. That's a rarer quality than it sounds, and worth the extra five minutes of size research before you buy.

STOP GUESSING YOUR SIZE — USE TELLAR.CO.UK

US-to-UK size conversions are one of the most common reasons for fashion returns — and Anna Sui is a perfect example of why. Tellar.co.uk is the UK's leading free clothing size tool, instantly matching your body measurements to over 1,500 brands so you always know what to order before you buy.

Here's how simple it is:

Measure once — bust, waist, and hips is all you need
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size across 1,500+ brands — from Anna Sui and Anthropologie to Zara, COS, Reiss, and beyond
Always free — no sign-up, no downloads, works instantly in your browser

And explore the Tellar Fashion Hub — a growing library of honest, unsponsored style guides. No ads, no brand deals, just straightforward advice from people who actually care about fashion:

FIND YOUR ANNA SUI SIZE NOW

Tellar.co.uk Store Size Lookup Sizing Guide