What Is Sizing Like at Emanuel Ungaro?

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

Emanuel Ungaro uses Italian sizing — and it runs small. As a general rule, you'll need to size up by one, sometimes two sizes from your usual UK size when shopping new-season pieces, and potentially more when buying vintage. A UK 12 will typically need an IT 46, not the IT 42 that instinct might suggest. Add to that the brand's signature love of non-stretch woven fabrics — silk chiffon, crepe, structured jacquard — and there's very little give to save you if you go wrong. Getting your exact measurements before you buy is not optional here; it's essential.

My first encounter with Ungaro was at a vintage market in Portobello, about ten years ago. A silk chiffon blouse, covered in an utterly ridiculous and completely beautiful floral print, in what the label said was a size 40. I'm normally a UK 10-12 and assumed that would be fine. It was not fine. The thing wouldn't do up. I went back the following weekend and bought the size 44 instead — and it was one of the best purchases I've ever made. I still have it. That experience taught me everything I needed to know about Ungaro's relationship with sizing: the numbers on the label bear limited resemblance to the numbers you're used to, and the fabrics do not forgive.

Understanding the Sizing System: Italian Numbers Explained

Emanuel Ungaro uses Italian (IT) sizing, which runs smaller than UK sizing. Here's the rough conversion guide you need to know before you buy:

IT 40 = approximately UK 6–8
IT 42 = approximately UK 8–10
IT 44 = approximately UK 10–12
IT 46 = approximately UK 12–14
IT 48 = approximately UK 14–16
IT 50 = approximately UK 16–18

These are approximations — and with Ungaro, they are approximations that regularly need adjusting upwards, particularly in tailored and structured styles. The brand's couture heritage means garments are designed to sit precisely on the body, with little or no ease built in. If you're between Italian sizes, always go up. If the fabric has no stretch — and many of Ungaro's signature fabrics do not — go up regardless.

How the Fit Actually Works: Style by Style

Occasion dresses in silk, crepe or chiffon: These are where sizing up is most critical. Ungaro's structured dresses are waist-fitted and unforgiving through the bust and hip when they have no stretch. Rent the Runway reviewers consistently flag that fitted styles run small — go up one full size as a minimum, and check the garment measurements on the specific product page rather than relying on the label alone.
Flounced and ruffled styles: More generous by nature. The floaty, layered pieces Ungaro is known for — think wide, ruffled hems and gathered necklines — offer more room. Some of these actually run on the larger side. For these styles, sticking to your usual converted Italian size may work, or you may find yourself sizing down slightly.
Blouses and tops: Generally run true to Italian size or slightly small. The blousy, gathered styles have more ease built in. Fitted, structured tops with little stretch need a size up.
Tailored jackets and blazers: Expect these to be precise. The brand's couture roots show here — there is no slack in a well-made Ungaro jacket. If you carry any volume through the bust or shoulders, go up a size without hesitation.
Vintage Ungaro: Size up even further. Vintage pieces from the 1980s and 1990s — the brand's commercial peak — reflect the sizing standards of those decades, which were notably smaller than today's. What the label says is a size 42 may comfortably fit a modern UK 8. Always go by the actual measurements, not the label.

Why Ungaro's Sizing Feels Inconsistent

Part of the confusion comes from the brand's eventful recent history. After founder Emanuel Ungaro retired in 2005, the house went through a turbulent period — multiple creative directors, changes in production, and a gradual shift towards licensed and diffusion lines alongside the mainline collection. Different eras of Ungaro garments were made under different manufacturing conditions, which is why you'll find that a 2005 piece, a 2015 piece, and a current new-season piece don't always behave the same way in terms of fit. The consistent thread is that they all tend towards the smaller end — but the degree varies.

The current brand produces beautifully feminine, occasion-led pieces continuing Ungaro's original aesthetic of bold florals, fluid silhouettes and luxurious fabrication. For current season buying, always use the brand's own size guide measurements and cross-reference against your body measurements rather than your usual UK size.

My Practical Tips for Getting the Right Size

Always measure your bust, waist and hips before buying — and compare against the specific garment's measurements, not just the size guide chart.
If the fabric has no stretch, size up. Non-stretch crepe, chiffon and jacquard in a slightly-too-small size will gap, pull or simply not close.
For vintage pieces, add at least one to two extra sizes on top of the standard Italian conversion — vintage Ungaro runs particularly small.
If you're buying to wear to an event, buy further in advance than you think you need. The Italian sizing conversion surprises even experienced Ungaro shoppers, and return or exchange timelines matter when you have a date in the diary.
For the flounced, ruffled styles — the brand's most joyful and recognisable signature — you have slightly more room to breathe. But still measure first.

If You Love Ungaro — What Else Should You Shop?

Ungaro occupies a very specific niche: unapologetically feminine, occasion-focused, with a love of bold print, luxurious fabric and sensuous silhouette. Here's where to look at every price point:

High Street

Phase Eight – The closest the British high street gets to Ungaro's occasion-dress sensibility. Beautiful florals, feminine silhouettes and a strong event-dressing range. Sizing is standard UK and reassuringly consistent — a real relief after Italian size charts.
Monsoon – Brilliant for printed occasion dresses with a romantic, maximalist spirit. Florals, embellishment and flowing fabrics at an accessible price. Sizing runs true to UK standard, slightly generous in floatier styles.
Ted Baker – For grown-up, polished occasion wear with beautiful fabric quality for the price point. Their floral midi dresses in particular share something of Ungaro's DNA. Sizing runs slightly small — check measurements on fitted styles.
Anthropologie – For the bold print and feminine silhouette lover who wants something with a bit more personality than typical high street. Great for occasion pieces and luxe-feeling fabrics. Sizing is broadly true to UK but varies by brand carried.
Coast – A consistently reliable option for formal occasion wear. Clean, feminine styling with good fabric quality. Sizing runs true to UK standard throughout.

Premium

LK Bennett – The go-to British premium brand for beautifully cut occasion wear. Feminine, polished and excellent for everything from weddings to work events. Sizing is standard UK and dependably true to size — a complete contrast to Ungaro's conversion confusion.
Whistles – More restrained than Ungaro in print but similarly well-made and feminine in its approach to occasion dressing. Great fabrics and considered cuts. True to standard UK sizing throughout.
Jigsaw – For those who love Ungaro's silk and fluid fabric choices but want something a touch more understated in print. Excellent quality and standard UK sizing. Their silk occasion pieces are particularly strong.

Luxury / Designer

Erdem – The closest contemporary designer to Ungaro's original spirit: utterly feminine, spectacularly printed, and with a couture-quality approach to fabrication. Sizing is UK-standard but runs on the smaller side in structured styles — always check the measurements. Worth every penny for a genuinely special piece.

Two Independent Labels Worth Knowing

Saloni – A London-based independent that absolutely channels Ungaro's love of joyful print, fluid silhouette and occasion-first dressing. The fabrics are beautiful, the prints are genuinely considered, and the cut is flattering across a wide range of body shapes. Sizing runs close to standard UK. If you love Ungaro but want something you can actually find in your size and buy today, start here.
Bernadette – A Belgian independent that produces some of the most Ungaro-adjacent dresses available anywhere right now. Think extravagant florals on silk-feel fabrics, ruffled hems and a deeply romantic approach to occasion dressing. They use European sizing which runs small — same rules apply as Ungaro. Worth the extra step of measuring up for a piece that feels genuinely special.

Italian Sizing, No Stretch Fabrics, Couture Precision — Let Tellar Do the Maths

Emanuel Ungaro is one of the most sizing-sensitive brands you'll encounter. Italian sizing that runs small, non-stretch luxury fabrics, and a couture-level fit that leaves zero margin for error — it's a recipe for an expensive mistake if you're guessing. That's exactly what Tellar is built for.

Tellar is the UK's leading free clothing size tool. Measure once — bust, waist, hips — and Tellar instantly matches your exact body to the right size across 1,500+ brands, including Ungaro. No size chart confusion, no Italian-to-UK conversion guesswork, no buying two sizes and returning one.

✔ Works with Italian, French, EU and UK sizing systems
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And when you're done, head to the Tellar Fashion Hub — thousands of honest, unbiased, unsponsored posts covering everything from brand-specific sizing deep-dives to the best occasion dresses on the market right now. No ads, no sponsored content. Just genuinely good fashion advice, always free.

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