What Is Sizing Like at Dodo Bar Or?

Dodo Bar Or generally comes up true to size — but there's a catch worth knowing before you click buy. The label is cut on Italian and French sizing, and the fit swings between body-skimming and deliberately loose depending on the piece. Take your usual size as a starting point (an IT 40 lands around a UK 8, IT 42 around a UK 10, IT 44 around a UK 12) and then read the fabric, because that's where Dodo Bar Or either rewards you or trips you up.

I've styled enough of these pieces to know the brand has a real personality. It doesn't behave like a high street label where everything follows one neat block — and once you understand that, ordering becomes far less of a gamble.

Does Dodo Bar Or run true to size?

For most of the range, yes. The knitwear, the stretch styles and the slip dresses sit close to true to size and take your normal number. Where it gets interesting is the silhouette. Founder Dorit "Dodo" Bar Or built the label around bold, heritage-inspired cuts, so some pieces hug and others drape. A UK 10 can feel snug in one dress and generous in another from the very same collection.

A few patterns I'd flag before you order:

Kaftans, wrap dresses and tunics tend to run large — that's by design, they're meant to float, so resist the urge to size up.
Tailored trousers and structured shirts come up small — if you're between sizes or fuller through the hip, take the larger one.
Stretch and open-knit styles are forgiving — the pointelle and crochet pieces give a lot, so your usual size is safe.
Silk and linen have no give at all — these are the ones to measure properly before committing.

Why the fabric matters more than the label

This is the bit I wish someone had told me years ago. I once ordered a silk Dodo Bar Or slip in my "safe" size for a friend's wedding in Puglia, assuming designer silk would be cut generously. It was not. The bust was beautiful and the hip was a battle, and I spent the rehearsal dinner holding my breath through every course. The following season I bought one of the open-knit fringed numbers a size down on a hunch — and it was perfect, skimming exactly where I wanted it to.

Same brand, two completely different stories. The lesson stuck: with Dodo Bar Or you size the fabric, not the name on the door. Anything woven and structured, give yourself room. Anything stretchy or knitted, trust your usual.

A quick note on Italian sizing

Because the label is cut in IT and FR sizing, the numbers can look alarming if you're used to UK tags — an IT 44 is absolutely not a UK 44. Stockists like Net-a-Porter, MyTheresa and Farfetch don't always present the conversion in the same way, which is exactly how people end up ordering two of the same dress in different sizes. Match your body measurements, not the number on the label, and you'll skip the whole mess.

How I'd style it

Dodo Bar Or does the heavy lifting, so I keep everything else quiet and let the piece be the event:

Flat tan sandals, gold hoops and bare arms — let the embellishment speak.
For the fringed and crochet styles, a slip underneath turns a holiday cover-up into a proper dinner dress.
Belt the looser kaftans if you want shape; leave them loose if you want pure ease.

Where to shop the look (and similar fits)

If you love the Dodo Bar Or romance but want options across budgets, here's where I'd send a client.

High street

Anthropologie — the closest high street match for embroidery, texture and boho-romantic prints.
Monsoon — a long heritage in embellished, occasion-led dresses with a similar festival-to-wedding feel.
Hush — relaxed, easy silhouettes that echo the draped Dodo Bar Or pieces.
Mint Velvet — elevated separates with the same understated-luxe finish.
Phase Eight — reliable for embellished occasionwear when you want the look for less.
Boden — strong on bold prints and proper cotton, dependable and true to size.
Oliver Bonas — quietly excellent for textured, pattern-led dresses with personality.

Premium

Me+Em — beautifully cut, considered fabrics, ideal for the grown-up version of the look.
Reiss — sharper tailoring if you lean towards the structured Dodo Bar Or pieces.
Claudie Pierlot — French-girl prints and feminine cuts that sit naturally alongside the label.

Luxury & designer

Zimmermann — the obvious sister-in-spirit: romantic, embellished and holiday-luxe.
Ulla Johnson — sculptural, artisanal pieces with the same hand-finished feel.
Isabel Marant — for the cooler, more relaxed take on bohemian dressing.

Two left-field independents worth knowing

Banjanan — a small label doing hand-block-printed, joyfully detailed pieces with real soul.
Hannah Artwear — limited-run silks and artful prints with a quiet cult following.

Never guess your Dodo Bar Or size again

Designer sizing shouldn't be a lottery, and with a brand this fabric-dependent it really helps to have the numbers done for you. That's exactly what we built Tellar for — the UK's leading sizing tool, matching your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once using your bust, waist and hip — or simply enter a brand size you already own — and Tellar does the rest. Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand, from COS and Reiss to Everlane, Arket and Dodo Bar Or itself. It's always free, with no downloads, and works straight in your browser.

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