What Is Sizing Like at Elie Saab?

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

Elie Saab runs small — particularly in dresses, gowns and anything with a structured bodice — and if you're shopping the brand for the first time, sizing up by at least one is usually the right call. This is one of those labels where getting your exact measurements before you buy isn't just a nice idea, it's essential. I've seen far too many people order in their usual EU size and end up with a dress that simply won't do up. Trust me, it's not the kind of discovery you want to make the night before a black-tie event.

The Basics: How Elie Saab Sizes Its Collections

Elie Saab uses EU sizing across its ready-to-wear, bridal and evening collections, running from EU 34 to EU 44. Here's how that converts to UK sizing:

What makes this brand particularly tricky is that Elie Saab doesn't do vanity sizing. The house follows a strict European couture model, built around precision measurements rather than the inflated sizing you find at most high street brands. If you've grown accustomed to squeezing into a UK 8 at your local Zara and feeling smug about it, Elie Saab will very quickly bring you back down to earth.

How Sizing Varies Across Different Pieces

Not everything in the Elie Saab universe fits the same way, which is worth knowing before you browse:

Evening gowns & structured dresses — Run small, especially across the bust and waist. The construction is designed to hug the body with minimal ease. If you're between sizes, always go up. No exceptions.
Bridal & Haute Couture gowns — Designed with an extremely close, precise fit. These are made to be tailored, so going up and having alterations done is absolutely standard practice — even expected.
Ready-to-wear jackets and trousers — Closer to true to size, but with very little flexibility or stretch. Again, if you're between sizes, the larger one is your friend.
Tops and blouses — Highly structured and tailored. Don't expect any generous ease across the shoulders or chest. Measure up carefully before buying.

Stylist's rule of thumb: If your bust, waist or hips are your fuller proportions, use your actual body measurements — not your usual label size — when shopping Elie Saab. A tape measure is worth more to you here than any size chart.

My Honest Experience with Elie Saab Sizing

A few years back, I styled a client for an awards ceremony — beautiful woman, typical UK 10 in most brands, occasionally a 12 in more fitted styles. We ordered an Elie Saab midi dress in a EU 38 (UK 10) based on the chart. It arrived and it simply wouldn't close at the back. Not even close. The brand's structured boning and close-cut bodice left zero wiggle room. We ended up rushing to get the EU 40 shipped express and having it altered slightly at the waist — and honestly, even then it needed the tiniest nip.

The moral? With Elie Saab, ego goes out the window. Order up, get it altered if needed, and you'll end up with something that fits like it was made for you — because in a way, that's exactly the intention of the brand.

Styling Elie Saab: How to Wear It Well

Elie Saab dresses are famously worn to red-carpet events, galas and high-end weddings — and rightly so. But here's how to make the most of the pieces if you're lucky enough to own one:

Let the dress do the talking. Elie Saab gowns are heavily embellished and architecturally significant — keep your accessories minimal. A simple pair of drop earrings and a strappy heel is all you need.
Invest in the undergarment. Because these dresses are cut so precisely, the wrong bra or shapewear will ruin the silhouette. A properly fitted strapless or convertible option is essential.
Factor in alterations as part of the budget. Even when you order the right size, small adjustments to hem length or waist are almost expected with couture-level pieces. Build it in from the start.
For ready-to-wear pieces like blouses or trousers, Elie Saab translates beautifully into smart occasion dressing without the drama of a full gown — pair a structured blouse with wide-leg tailoring for a quietly powerful look.

Alternatives at Every Price Point

Elie Saab is unquestionably a luxury investment — RTW gowns typically start from several thousand pounds. But if you love the aesthetic (goddess-level embellishment, exquisite drape, feminine structure), there are brilliant options at every budget. Here's where I'd look:

High Street Options for Occasion & Evening Wear:

Phase Eight — Consistently one of the best high street labels for truly wearable occasion dresses. Their embellished and lace styles are genuinely impressive at the price point. Sizing runs true.
Hobbs — Elegant, well-made pieces that photograph beautifully. A reliable choice for weddings, races and formal events. True to size with a slightly more structured cut.
Coast — Long been the go-to for occasion dressing at accessible prices. Lots of embellished, pleated and formal options. Runs true to size.
LK Bennett — The Princess of Wales effect is very real here. Smart, polished occasion dressing with flattering cuts. True to size across most styles.
Ted Baker — Known for its feminine, heavily embellished evening and occasion wear. Ted Baker tends to use its own fit (sizes 0–5), so always cross-reference with the conversion chart.
Reiss — Quietly brilliant for elevated evening and occasion pieces. The tailoring is sharp and the sizing is consistent — true to size in most styles.
Monsoon — Genuinely lovely embellished and printed occasion styles. Runs true to size and regularly nails the kind of intricate detail that references Saab's embroidery work at a fraction of the cost.

Premium Options:

Self-Portrait — The brand that democratised occasion dressing at the premium level. Their lace and structured midi dresses are a direct aesthetic reference to high-end couture. Runs slightly small — size up if in doubt.
Jenny Packham — A British designer beloved for embellished eveningwear at a more accessible luxury price point. Couture-influenced, beautifully finished, and a favourite on the awards circuit.

Luxury & Designer Options:

Valentino — If Elie Saab is your aesthetic, Valentino sits in the same universe. Equally precision-cut, equally unforgiving on sizing. Use measurements, not size labels.
Zuhair Murad — A close Elie Saab contemporary, particularly for evening and bridal. Heavily embellished, very fitted, and similarly sized — take the same approach and order up.

Two Independent Brands Worth Knowing:

Needle & Thread — A British independent label that has built its entire reputation on dreamy, embellished occasion and evening dressing. Their micro-sequin and floral embroidery styles capture the Elie Saab magic at a genuinely accessible price. Sizing runs true to size. An absolute gem of a brand.
Rixo — Another brilliant independent British label, particularly strong for occasion and event dressing. Known for their print-led, feminine silhouettes and consistently flattering cuts. Sizing runs true. If you want something that feels special without the luxury price tag, Rixo is the answer.

Stop Guessing Your Size — Use Tellar

Sizing at Elie Saab is one of the trickiest in the industry — and at these price points, getting it wrong is genuinely painful. This is exactly why I always point people to Tellar.co.uk, the UK's leading free clothing sizing tool.

Measure yourself once — bust, waist, hip — or use your size in a brand you already know fits well.
Tellar instantly matches your measurements to your precise size across 1,500+ brands, including luxury and designer labels.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to find your exact size at any brand — no more charts, no more guessing, no more costly returns.
Completely free. No app to download. Works in-browser, right now.

The Tellar Fashion Hub is also packed with free, honest, unsponsored guides from our in-house stylists — covering everything from brand sizing breakdowns to the best occasion wear buys at every price point. No ads. No sponsored content. Just real, independent advice.

👉 Visit Tellar.co.uk | Find Your Size in Any Brand