What Is Sizing Like at Georges Hobeika?

Georges Hobeika runs small and slim — its ready-to-wear follows a narrow, classic French couture cut, so as a rule I’d tell most women to size up by one from their usual UK number. This is a Lebanese couture house built on red-carpet eveningwear, and like most Parisian-facing maisons, the fit is graded close to the body and lean through the waist and hip. If you live in high street sizes with their generous vanity grading, the jump can feel a touch sobering — but it’s nothing to panic about once you know what you’re working with.

I’ve spent years dressing women for galas, weddings and the occasional awards do, and Georges Hobeika is one of those names that surfaces the moment a client wants to feel properly, unapologetically glamorous. So let’s talk about how it actually fits.

The four Georges Hobeika lines (and why they change the fit)

The house runs four distinct lines, and your sizing experience depends entirely on which one you’re shopping:

Couture — fully made-to-measure, so “sizing” in the off-the-peg sense doesn’t apply. Your measurements are the size.
Bridal — largely made-to-order, traditionally cut, and worth ordering well ahead of the date.
Signature and GH by Georges Hobeika — the ready-to-wear lines, and where the size chart genuinely matters.

For the ready-to-wear, the brand grades on a French and Italian scale (think FR 34, IT 38) with UK equivalents running roughly from a 4 up to an 18. Translated into the real bodies I dress, that’s a comparatively lean range that tops out earlier than most British labels — so the number on the label is rarely the number you wear elsewhere.

How it fits in real terms

Here’s the honest stylist version. Georges Hobeika is eveningwear first — fitted bodices, structured waists, fishtail and column silhouettes, plenty of boning and internal corsetry. That construction is unforgiving in the loveliest way: it holds you beautifully, but there is very little give.

A few things I always flag:

The waist is the tightest point. If you’re between sizes, this is where you’ll feel it first.
The bust is cut for a structured, lifted shape — built-in cups are common, so it favours a defined silhouette over a relaxed one.
Length runs long, which is glorious if you’re tall and a quick job for your tailor if you’re petite.

My own cautionary tale: I once talked myself into “my” number in a fitted column gown for a black-tie evening, convinced the vanity-sized version of me was the real me. Reader, I could not sit down at dinner. Now I always order the next size up in occasionwear of this calibre and have it nipped in if needed — taking a seam in is a five-minute job, letting one out is heartbreak.

Should you size up? My rule of thumb

Size up one from your UK high street number as your starting point.
Caught between two sizes? Go up, not down — couture-cut waistbands don’t forgive.
Buying for a fixed date? Order early and leave room for alterations.
When in doubt, shop by your bust, waist and hip measurements, never the label.

Where to shop for that Georges Hobeika feeling

If you love the drama but want options across every budget, here’s where I’d send you.

High street & occasionwear specialists

Coast — my first port of call for fitted, embellished occasion gowns at an accessible price.
Phase Eight — beautifully structured mother-of-the-bride and event dresses that hang properly.
Monsoon — sequins and beading done generously; lovely for a real sparkle moment.
Hobbs — polished, grown-up tailoring and elegant column dresses.
Reiss — sleek, modern eveningwear with a sharp European sensibility.
Ted Baker — embellished party dresses with a playful, decorative edge.
Whistles — pared-back, minimalist occasionwear for the less-is-more crowd.

Premium

LK Bennett — refined, ladylike event dressing with a beautifully considered finish.
Me&Em — clever, flattering cuts that bridge work and occasion effortlessly.

Luxury & designer

Elie Saab — Georges Hobeika’s closest spiritual neighbour; fellow Lebanese couture, all crystal and chiffon.
Jenny Packham — British eveningwear royalty for old-Hollywood, red-carpet glamour.

Two independents worth knowing

Safiyaa — a London-based independent house beloved for sculptural, red-carpet-ready gowns.
Markarian — the New York atelier behind serious occasion dressing, with a quietly artful, hand-finished touch.

Never squint at a size chart again

Brands like Georges Hobeika are exactly why I built Tellar — the UK’s leading sizing tool. Couture grading, vanity sizing and French-versus-British cuts make cross-brand shopping a guessing game, and Tellar takes the guessing out of it. You measure once — using your bust, waist, hip, or simply a brand size you already own — and your body is matched instantly to over 1,500 brands. No more squinting at a size chart, ever.

Measure once, using bust, waist, hip, or a brand size you already wear.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads needed — it works straight in your browser.

There’s also the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free — style advice, top picks and the best brands for every occasion.

Find your exact size in 1,500+ brands — instantly.

Measure once and never look at a size guide again. Always honest, always unbiased, always free.

Visit Tellar.co.uk Try the Store Size Lookup

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By Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder of Tellar.