How to Find Your Perfect Fit at Antilea

SIZING GUIDES • ITALIAN DESIGNER LABELS

By Ella Blake  |  Tellar Fashion Hub

Antilea uses Italian sizing, which runs small compared to UK sizing — as a rule, go up two sizes from your usual UK label. A UK 12 is typically an Italian 44 at Antilea, not a 40 or 42.

I'll be honest — I came across Antilea the same way a lot of us stumble upon Italian occasion brands: scrolling YOOX at midnight looking for something special for a wedding, clicking on a dress that looked like it had been cut by someone who actually understood how a woman wants to feel in a room. That particular shade of sapphire blue. Those clean, sartorial lines. I was sold before I'd even checked the size guide. Reader, I checked the size guide far too late and ended up in a dress that was beautiful in every way except that I couldn't breathe in it.

So here's what I wish I'd known before ordering. Antilea is a Made in Italy label — based in Campania, southern Italy — and they specialise in occasion and eveningwear: ceremony dresses, silk-feel gowns, tailored suits and structured midi dresses for women who want to look properly, unapologetically elegant. The sizing is Italian, and it is everything you'd expect that to mean.

Italian Sizing — What It Actually Means for You

Italian fashion sizing has a reputation, and it's earned. Italian labels typically cut their clothes smaller and more structured than the UK or US equivalents — there's less ease built into the garments, and the proportions assume a more European silhouette. At Antilea specifically, their tailored pieces in particular are quite precise through the bust and waist.

The golden rule is simple: add 4 to your UK size to get your Italian size. So if you're a UK 10, you need an Italian 42. UK 12? Italian 44. UK 14? Italian 46. And if you're between two sizes, always size up — especially in anything structured or with a defined waist seam.

UK SIZEITALIAN (ANTILEA) SIZEUS SIZEAPPROX. BUST (INCHES)840433–34"1042635–36"1244837–38"14461039–40"16481241–42"18501443–44"

STYLIST TIPAlways measure your bust, waist and hip before ordering from any Italian brand — and compare those measurements against the garment measurements listed on YOOX or the retailer's product page, not just the size label. There's often more useful information in the product details than in the size chart alone.

Which Styles Run Truest to Size — and Which to Watch

Not everything Antilea make will catch you out equally. Here's where to be particularly careful, and where you'll find a bit more breathing room:

• Structured sheath dresses: These are the ones to be most careful with. They're cut close to the body with minimal ease, particularly through the bust and hip. Size up without question.

• Midi and maxi occasion dresses: Often slightly more forgiving through the skirt, but the bodice still tends to run fitted. Check the bust measurement specifically.

• Tailored suits (tailleur): Antilea's tailored pieces are classically proportioned — beautiful, but precise. If you're broader in the shoulder or fuller in the bust, go up a size and have it taken in at the waist if needed. A tailor is your friend here.

• Jumpsuits: These require the most careful measuring — you need to think about both your torso length and your hip measurement, as there's little adjustment available once you're in one.

• A-line and flared skirt styles: Slightly more relaxed through the lower half. Still size up on the bodice, but you may find the overall silhouette more accommodating.

How Antilea Compares to Brands You Already Know

Context is everything when you're shopping a brand for the first time. Here's how Antilea's sizing compares to pieces you might already have hanging in your wardrobe:

• Phase Eight — a go-to for UK occasion dressing and generally runs true to UK size. Antilea will feel noticeably smaller in comparison; size up two from your Phase Eight size.

• Hobbs — cuts quite generously for a smart brand. Your Hobbs 12 could easily be a 44 or even a 46 at Antilea depending on the style.

• Reiss — runs slim-to-true for UK sizing. Antilea still runs smaller, so your Reiss size is a good starting point but size up at least one.

• LK Bennett — their occasion pieces are cut with a similar elegant precision to Antilea's. Closest in spirit to Antilea's structured dresses; expect to be a size up at Antilea.

• Whistles — true UK sizing. You'll need to add the full two sizes when switching to Antilea.

• Massimo Dutti — being a Spanish brand, it sits closer to Italian sizing than UK brands do. Your Massimo Dutti size is probably the best starting benchmark for Antilea.

• Coast — runs quite generous. If you're normally a Coast 10, I'd start with an Italian 44 at Antilea and check the bust measurement carefully before confirming.

• Mint Velvet — generous UK sizing. Size up a full two from your Mint Velvet label when ordering Antilea.

REAL TALKThe most reliable thing you can do before ordering any Italian occasionwear online is to take your measurements on the day — not from memory, and ideally with someone else holding the tape measure. Our bodies change, and a measurement taken six months ago is not the one to bet your wedding outfit on.

Where to Shop for Antilea in the UK

Antilea isn't yet stocked in UK high street retailers, but it's available through several reputable international platforms that ship to the UK:

• YOOX — the primary place to find Antilea pieces in the UK, often at significant sale prices. Their size guide is reliable and product descriptions usually include garment measurements.

• Stylight — aggregates Antilea stock from multiple retailers, useful for comparing availability.

• Antilea.it — the brand's own website (in Italian and English), worth checking for the latest collection before shopping via YOOX.

Do factor in return shipping costs when ordering from international platforms — Italian brands sold via YOOX typically have returns available, but check the policy before you buy, particularly if ordering for a specific occasion with a tight deadline.

Two Independent Italian Labels Worth Knowing Too

If you love Antilea's elegant Made in Italy aesthetic, here are two other independent labels worth adding to your radar — both with that same sartorial refinement:

• Luisa Spagnoli — a much-loved Italian brand with a long history of dressing women elegantly for real occasions. Their sizing uses the same Italian system as Antilea and they have a similar occasion-focused offering. Slightly more widely available in the UK.

• Cristina Gavioli — another Italian occasionwear label with beautiful structured dresses and gowns, similarly cut to a precise Italian silhouette. Stocked on YOOX and worth exploring if Antilea's aesthetic speaks to you.

Take the Guesswork Out of Italian Sizing — Use Tellar

Italian sizing, European sizing, US sizing, vanity sizing that varies by brand — it's a lot to keep track of. This is exactly why Tellar.co.uk exists. As the UK's leading free clothing sizing tool, Tellar matches your exact body measurements to over 1,500 brands instantly — so you know your precise size before you click "add to bag", whether you're shopping Antilea, a UK high street brand or anything in between.

Here's how it works:

• Measure once — just your bust, waist and hip (or use an existing brand size as your starting point).

• Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size across hundreds of brands instantly — no more size chart maths.

• Always free — no downloads, no sign-up, works entirely in your browser.

And beyond sizing, the Tellar Fashion Hub is a free library of honest, independent style articles — covering fabric guides, brand comparisons, occasion dressing advice and more. No ads. No sponsored content. Just genuinely useful fashion knowledge from stylists who actually care.

Visit Tellar Find Your Size Ultimate Sizing Guide Dress Styles Guide Jackets Guide

Antilea is genuinely one of those discovery brands — the kind you find on YOOX at midnight and end up slightly obsessed with. The quality is real, the aesthetic is refined, and once you nail the sizing, you'll understand exactly why Italian occasion dressing has the reputation it does. Get the size right, and you'll look like you spent three times what you paid.

And for every brand — Italian, French, UK high street or anywhere else — Tellar.co.uk will always have you covered.

Written by Ella Blake for the Tellar Fashion Hub — honest, independent, always free.  |  tellar.co.uk