What Is Sizing Like at Closet London?

Closet London generally runs true to size, but it leans towards a fitted, body-skimming cut, so if you carry a fuller bust or prefer a little breathing room, you’ll often want to size up by one. As a British occasionwear label, it’s built around tailored dresses, jumpsuits and desk-to-dinner pieces that are designed to hug rather than hang — lovely when it works, but it does mean the label rewards a bit of homework before you hit checkout.

I’ve styled a fair few clients in Closet London over the years, and I’ll be honest: it’s one of those brands I adore for a wedding-guest or work-event brief, but one I never order on autopilot. Here’s everything you actually need to know.

True to size — with a few asterisks

The headline is reassuring: most Closet London dresses and jumpsuits are labelled and reviewed as true to size, and retailers like ASOS consistently tag the regular-fit styles that way. Take your usual UK number as a starting point and you won’t go far wrong.

The catch is consistency. Closet London uses different base patterns across its collections, so an occasion dress and a tailored workwear piece won’t always behave the same way in the same labelled size. A few things shift the fit:

Fabric matters more than the label. Their crepe and jersey pieces have plenty of give and feel forgiving. Structured cotton, satin and woven polyester styles have very little stretch, so they fit closer to the measurement.
The silhouette changes everything. A wrap or A-line midi is far more relaxed than a fitted column or pencil shape, even at the same size.
Collections drift. The same UK 12 can feel snug in one season’s range and roomy in another, so don’t assume last year’s dress predicts this year’s.

The bust is the bit to watch

If there’s one area that catches people out, it’s the bust. Closet London tends to cut a neat, fitted bodice, and several of their styles run a touch small up top while sitting fine at the waist. I learned this the hard way: I once ordered a gorgeous satin midi in my “usual” size for a christening, only for the zip to gape across the chest while the waist was perfect. Lesson learned — with this label I now size to my bust and have the waist taken in if needed, rather than the reverse.

The flip side is that this fitted approach is exactly what makes the brand so flattering. Their curve-enhancing tailoring is genuinely brilliant on an hourglass or pear shape, and the Curve range extends up to a UK 26, which is more inclusive than a lot of occasionwear brands manage.

How to nail your size first time

Order to your largest measurement — for most people that’s the bust or hip — then tailor in the rest.
Check the fabric composition on the product page. Stretch blends? Stick to your size. 100% polyester or cotton? Consider sizing up.
Mind the torso length on jumpsuits and column dresses, which can run short on the body if you’re tall.

Where I’d shop for similar occasionwear

If you love the Closet London look — polished, event-ready, a little bit grown-up — here’s where I’d send clients across every budget.

High street

Coast — my first port of call for wedding-guest dresses; structured occasionwear that photographs beautifully.
Phase Eight — reliable, flattering midis and mother-of-the-bride pieces with genuinely consistent sizing.
Monsoon — print-led occasion dresses and embellishment when you want a bit of romance.
Oasis — pretty, feminine event dresses at a friendly price point.
Warehouse — punchy prints and modern tailoring; great for a younger, trend-led wardrobe.
Ted Baker — bold florals and nipped-in tailoring, very much in Closet London’s territory.
Whistles — the pared-back, minimalist option for understated occasion dressing.
Mango — surprisingly chic occasion edit with a continental, slightly fashion-forward edge.

Premium

Reiss — impeccable tailoring and column dresses when you want elevated and timeless.
LK Bennett — ladylike occasionwear with a polished, royal-box sensibility.
Me&Em — clever, flattering cuts designed around the female form, with brilliant longevity.

Luxury & designer

Max Mara — the investment end: exquisite tailoring and event dressing that lasts a lifetime.
Self-Portrait — the designer go-to for statement occasion dresses with that recognisable lace-and-structure signature.

Two independents to know

Kitri — a London-based indie doing limited-run, print-heavy occasion pieces that feel far more expensive than they are.
Never Fully Dressed — a brilliant British independent for bold, joyful prints and versatile wrap dresses that work hard from desk to dinner.

How Tellar takes the guesswork out

Here’s the thing about a brand as fit-variable as Closet London: a generic size chart simply won’t cut it. That’s exactly why I built Tellar.

Tellar is the UK’s leading sizing tool — your body matched exactly to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never have to squint at a size guide again. You measure once, using your bust, waist and hip (or simply your existing size in a brand you know), and you’re done. It’s always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — Closet London, COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.

And beyond the tool, there’s the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, all in one place.

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