What Is Sizing Like at Emilio Pucci?

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

Emilio Pucci runs small — size up at least one size, sometimes two, from your usual UK size, particularly in fitted and tailored styles. This is the single most important thing to know before you spend serious money on a Pucci piece, and it's something that catches out even experienced designer shoppers. The brand uses Italian sizing across its collections, cut with a distinctly slim-line silhouette in mind — narrow shoulders, a lean waist, and a relatively flat bust assumption that doesn't always translate generously to British bodies. Ignore this, and a very expensive dress will make you feel bad about yourself for no good reason. That's not what fashion should do.

I've helped clients navigate this more times than I can count. The moment of panic when something arrives and zips up approximately two thirds of the way is deeply unpleasant. With Pucci, a little knowledge upfront saves you a lot of grief — and return shipping costs — later on.

Italian Sizing: What It Actually Means for You

Pucci uses Italian sizing throughout, which already runs smaller than UK sizing by design. Here's a rough conversion to use as your starting point:

IT 38 = UK 6 (but fits more like a very slim UK 6)
IT 40 = UK 8
IT 42 = UK 10
IT 44 = UK 12
IT 46 = UK 14

In practice, most people find they need to go up one full Italian size from what the chart suggests — so if you're typically a UK 10, don't order IT 42; try IT 44. The cut assumes you're a certain Italian model-esque shape through the shoulders and bust that not everyone is, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that — the sizing system is simply not built around a diverse range of bodies.

How Sizing Varies Across Different Pucci Styles

Not all Pucci pieces fit the same way, and this is where it pays to be specific:

Fitted and body-conscious dresses, minis and mids: These run the most noticeably small, particularly through the bust and waist. Size up one full size — possibly two if you're fuller through the chest. These styles are cut close with minimal ease and very little stretch in the fabric. There is no forgiveness here.
Silk jersey dresses (the iconic swirly ones): Pucci's most famous silhouette and arguably its most flattering. The silk jersey has a tiny amount of give — not enough to size down, but enough to make the true-to-Italian-size fit feel wearable for many women. That said, if you're between sizes, always go up.
Tailored trousers and skirts: The waistbands are narrow and sit high. If you carry any shape through the hips or thighs, size up. These are not cut with curves in mind, and there's no give in the waistband whatsoever.
Kaftans, resort tunics and draped styles: The good news. These are designed to be relaxed and generous, and they genuinely are. True to your Italian converted size, or even slightly large. The holiday-wardrobe pieces are where Pucci is at its most accessible in terms of fit.
Swimwear and beachwear: Runs small, particularly in the top half. Size up at least one, especially if you're larger through the bust. The cuts are elegant but designed for a very specific silhouette.
Jackets and blazers: These are structured and slim. Size up one, especially if you have broader shoulders or a fuller chest. A Pucci jacket that's too tight across the back is going to look worse, not better.

The Golden Rule: Always Use Your Measurements

Pucci is not a brand where you can rely on a label number and assume. The difference between a dress that makes you look and feel extraordinary and one that makes you want to cry is often a single size — and at Pucci's price point, guessing is a very expensive game. Always, always measure your bust, waist and hips before ordering, and compare them directly to Pucci's measurements for the specific item rather than relying on general size charts. Individual styles vary, and the brand has shifted its fit templates across different creative directors over the years.

This matters even more when buying pre-owned Pucci — a very sensible way to access the brand, by the way, via sites like Vestiaire Collective and The RealReal — because older pieces cut under the house's earlier creative direction can fit quite differently to current-season items.

What to Look for When You're Buying Pucci

As a stylist, these are the pieces I'd always point people towards first — the ones that reward the investment and flatter the widest range of figures:

The silk jersey maxi or midi in one of the brand's signature kaleidoscope prints. This is the definitive Pucci piece and the one that tends to have the most forgiving fit. Size up, let it skim, and wear it with flat sandals or a wedge heel. Instant holiday elegance.
Resort kaftans and tunics — completely inclusive in terms of fit, genuinely luxurious in hand, and the prints are extraordinary. No sizing drama whatsoever.
The printed silk scarf — no sizing involved and one of the best entry points to the brand. They hold their value beautifully too.
If you're going for a fitted dress or bodysuit, try to do it in person at a stockist — Net-a-Porter, Harrods, or Selfridges all carry the brand — before committing online.

High Street Alternatives: The Pucci-Inspired Look for Less

Pucci's swirling print aesthetic is something many brands have taken inspiration from, particularly for resort and occasionwear. If you want the spirit without the price tag, here's where I'd look:

Anthropologie — genuinely brilliant for bold, painterly prints in flowing silhouettes. Their maxi dresses in particular can feel very Pucci-adjacent. Sizing runs slightly generous compared to UK standard, which is a relief.
Mango — does print-forward silk-look dresses and resort pieces that tick a similar aesthetic box at a fraction of the cost. Runs slightly small, especially at the shoulders, so size up if in doubt.
Zara — reliably trend-forward and regularly produces bold print maxis and mids that channel Mediterranean summer energy. Sizing varies; always check the measurements listed per item.
Monsoon — underrated for vibrant, pattern-forward occasionwear. The print quality is genuinely good, the cuts are inclusive, and the sizing is consistent. A natural home for the Pucci lover on a more realistic budget.
Jigsaw — for a more restrained take on bold print dressing. Beautifully made, considered prints, and a cut that's genuinely forgiving for adult women's bodies. Runs true to UK size.
Whistles — similar territory: grown-up, well-cut, print-forward occasionwear at a mid-market price. Reliable sizing and excellent fabric quality for the price point.
Claudie Pierlot — the French equivalent. Bold in its print choices, elegant in its silhouettes, and significantly more accessible than Pucci in price. Runs slightly small in the French tradition, so size up.

Premium & Luxury Alternatives

For those who want to invest in something lasting but are open to exploring other designer houses alongside Pucci:

Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) — the wrap dress queen and perhaps the closest spiritual sibling to Pucci in terms of bold print philosophy. The wrap construction is inherently more forgiving on different body shapes than Pucci's structured cuts. A brilliant first designer-level purchase.
Versace — the Italian house that most closely matches Pucci's fearlessness with colour and print, at a similar or higher price point. Also cuts slim and Italian — the same sizing rules apply.
Missoni — another Italian house built around a signature, unmistakable print identity (the zigzag knit). Runs similarly small in tailored pieces; more generous in knitwear. Available at Net-a-Porter and Harrods.
Reiss — at the premium but not designer end, Reiss produces excellent tailoring and occasional print pieces that sit beautifully between high street and designer. Runs true to UK size, refreshingly consistent, and very well made.

Two Independent Brands Worth Knowing

Borgo de Nor — a London-based independent label producing exactly the kind of bold, maximalist print dressing that Pucci fans love, but with a more inclusive approach to fit and sizing. Founded by Carolina Orth, it's collected a devoted following among women who want unapologetic colour and print at a more accessible designer price. Worth every penny and sizing runs more generously than Pucci.
Rixo — another brilliant London independent built on a love of bold, vintage-inspired prints. The silk and silk-feel dresses are consistently beautiful, the sizing is true to UK standard, and the prints are genuinely joyful. If Pucci's fit is frustrating you, Rixo might be your answer.

Shopping Designer? Don't Guess Your Size — Use Tellar

Getting sizing wrong on a Pucci dress isn't like getting it wrong on a high street top. The price tag makes it genuinely painful. That's exactly why Tellar.co.uk exists.

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The Tellar Fashion Hub is also home to a growing library of honest, stylist-written posts on everything from brand sizing to trend guides. No ads. No sponsored content. No brand influence. Just straight-talking fashion advice, always free.

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