What Is Sizing Like at Adrianna Papell?

By Ella Blake — Fashion Stylist | Tellar Fashion Hub — Always honest, unbiased & unsponsored

Adrianna Papell generally runs true to size, but its structured, beaded and lace styles fit noticeably snug through the bust and back — so on those particular pieces, my honest advice is to size up. The brand's softer, fuller-skirted dresses are a different story entirely and can even come up a touch generous, so there isn't one single rule that covers the whole collection. Once you understand which Adrianna Papell you're shopping, though, it becomes one of the most reliable occasionwear labels out there.

I've dressed more clients in Adrianna Papell than almost any other special-occasion brand — mother-of-the-bride, gala season, the lot — so let me walk you through exactly how it fits before you commit.

First, a little context on the brand

Adrianna Papell is an American occasionwear house founded in New York in 1979, and it built its name on beautifully made beaded, sequinned and lace eveningwear at a price that doesn't require a second mortgage. Think art deco beading, embellished cocktail dresses, floaty chiffon gowns and the kind of mother-of-the-bride pieces that actually make you want to be the mother of the bride. In the UK you'll find it stocked at John Lewis, House of Fraser, Debenhams and BrandAlley, and crucially it uses US sizing — which is where a lot of British shoppers come unstuck.

How the sizing actually breaks down

Because the collection spans everything from rigid beaded gowns to soft jersey wrap dresses, fit varies by fabric far more than by size label. Here's how I'd guide a client through it:

Beaded, sequinned & embellished styles — these have little to no stretch and are cut close through the bust. If you're between sizes or fuller-busted, size up. I've watched too many gorgeous beaded gowns refuse to do up at the back.
Lace & fitted shift dresses — true to size on the body but narrow across the back and shoulders. Broader shoulders should consider the next size up even if the rest fits.
Chiffon, tulle & full-skirted dresses — the most forgiving of the lot, often cut generously. Stick to your usual size, or even size down if you want a sleeker line.
Jersey & draped styles — bang-on true to size with a bit of give. No drama here.

One genuine plus: Adrianna Papell offers free exchanges for up to 60 days direct, and a proper petite range with shorter hemlines. If you're under 5'4" like several of my clients, the petite line saves a fortune in alterations.

A quick word from experience

The biggest sizing mistake I see with this brand is buying for the number rather than the fabric. I once had a client set on a heavily beaded column gown for her son's wedding in her "usual" size 12. It zipped to the waist and stopped dead. We reordered a 14, it slid on like a dream, and she cried (good tears). The lesson she — and I — took away: with embellished Adrianna Papell, your everyday size is a starting point, not a guarantee. Always check the fabric stretch note on the product page before you order.

How to style it

Adrianna Papell does the heavy lifting on detail, so let the dress lead and keep everything else quiet. For beaded gowns, I keep accessories to a single statement earring and a simple satin clutch — nothing competes with hand-beading. For the lace shift dresses, a tailored blazer thrown over the shoulders takes them from wedding guest to smart event. And please, the right underwear: these dresses are cut close and an seamless, well-fitted bra changes everything.

If you love it, you'll love these too

Adrianna Papell sits in that sweet spot between high street and designer. Here's where I'd send clients across the price brackets.

On the high street, for occasionwear that rivals it on polish:

Phase Eight — the closest British equivalent for mother-of-the-bride and wedding-guest dressing, with a similarly forgiving, grown-up fit.
Coast — brilliant for embellished and sequinned occasion dresses at a gentle price; runs fairly true to size.
Monsoon — lovely for embroidered and beaded styles, especially summer-wedding florals.
Hobbs — structured, classic occasionwear with excellent tailoring for a sharper silhouette.
Ted Baker — punchy prints and fitted cocktail dresses; note Ted runs small, so size up.
Reiss — pared-back, modern occasion dressing if you prefer clean lines to beading.
LK Bennett — refined, feminine event dresses with a flattering, true-to-size cut.
Mint Velvet — relaxed-luxe occasionwear for the woman who wants glamour without stiffness.

Premium picks, for something a little more special:

Self-Portrait — the modern go-to for guipure lace and embellished party dresses with serious wow factor.
Ghost London — gorgeous bias-cut satin and floral styles that drape beautifully and travel well.
Sosandar — a quietly excellent British label nailing flattering, occasion-ready cuts for real bodies.

Luxury & designer, when the occasion truly warrants it:

Jenny Packham — the British byword for beaded, red-carpet glamour and bridal-adjacent gowns.
Badgley Mischka — Adrianna Papell's natural American step-up, all old-Hollywood embellishment.
Marchesa Notte — romantic, intricate occasionwear for the most dramatic events in the diary.

And because I never send anyone down the same well-trodden path, two left-field independents worth knowing: Nadine Merabi, a London-founded label making knockout sequinned jumpsuits and occasion pieces with a cult following, and Kitri, an independent London brand doing characterful, limited-run prints and event dresses that you genuinely won't see on everyone else.

For more on getting the silhouette right before you even think about size, my Ultimate Guide to Dresses walks through shapes by body type. And if you're building a full event look, the Ultimate Guide to Jackets covers the cover-up question properly.

Never look at a confusing US size chart again

Adrianna Papell uses US sizing, and that trips up British shoppers constantly. Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool — it matches your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you order the right size first time.

Measure once, using your bust, waist and hips — or just an existing brand size you already trust.
Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and many more.
Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

There's also the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free — style advice, top picks and the best brands for every query.

Visit Tellar.co.uk Find Your Size Now →