What Is Sizing Like at House of Sunny?

House of Sunny runs broadly true to size, but it's a structured, cropped, slim-cut label, so your shoulders, bust and torso length matter far more than the number on the tag. The brand sizes XS to XL (roughly a UK 6–8 through to a UK 16), and most pieces fit close to the body rather than relaxed. If you're between sizes or you carry it on your bust, hips or upper arms, sizing up is usually the safer call — but I'll talk you through exactly when, because it's not one rule for everything they make.

I'm Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist and founder of Tellar. I've fitted a fair few House of Sunny pieces on real bodies (and on myself), and the cult Hockney dress in particular has caused more "is this meant to be this snug?" panics in my DMs than almost anything else. So let's get you sorted.

Does House of Sunny Run Small or Large?

True to size is the honest headline — but with caveats, because the fit personality changes by category:

Knit dresses (the Hockney and its variants): Slim, body-skimming, with stretch. They're designed to cling, so they'll look tighter on the hanger than they wear. Most people take their normal size. I'm a UK 10 and the Hockney fits me in a 10 — but if you're fuller through the bust or hips, the early styles ran quite narrow. The newer Hockney updates added wider straps and a more forgiving neckline, which helps.
Structured tops and cropped jackets: The signature boxy, sculptural shapes. These are genuinely cropped — often sitting an inch or two above the navel — so check the length, not just the width. Shoulders set the size here.
Knitwear and cardigans: Slouchier and more generous. You can usually stay true to size, or size down if you want them neater.
Trousers and wide-legs: Cut for that Y2K low-slung balance. Measure your hip first — this is where the squeeze-y surprises happen.

One honest word of warning from the reviews (and my own inbox): House of Sunny's returns and customer service can be slow, and some pieces are final sale through stockists. That makes getting the size right first time genuinely worth the effort — there isn't always an easy do-over.

How to Choose Your Size

Measure your bust, waist and hip and compare to the brand's own chart rather than guessing from your usual high-street size. House of Sunny's grade isn't identical to Zara or M&S.
Lead with your widest point. For the Hockney, that's usually bust or hip. Buy for that, then style the rest.
Mind the crop. If you've a longer torso, the cropped tops can read boxy — size up for length, not width.
Check the fabric. A stretch knit and a structured poplin in the same "size" will not fit the same way. The knits give; the woven pieces don't.

A quick personal fail to save you one: I once ordered a structured cropped jacket in my "safe" size without checking the shoulder, assuming the stretch would sort it. It didn't — the shoulders pulled and the whole thing looked borrowed. Lesson learned: with House of Sunny, the architecture of a piece tells you the size, not your habit.

Where to Shop for a Similar Look

If you love the House of Sunny aesthetic — bold colour, cropped knits, sculptural Y2K shapes — here's where I'd send you across every budget.

High Street

Urban Outfitters — the closest high-street match for that cropped, retro, statement-knit energy.
Topshop — back and brilliant for body-con knits and the slip-dress silhouette.
ASOS — huge range of Hockney-style knit midis and cut-out dresses; size filters make fit easier.
Mango — elevated colour-blocking and clever knitwear that punches above its price.
Zara — fast on the sculptural, statement-shape trends House of Sunny popularises.
COS — for the minimalist, architectural side of the look with better fabric.
Nobody's Child — sustainable, body-skimming dresses with a playful print sensibility.

Premium

Ganni — the spiritual cousin: Scandi colour, print and a knowing, fun attitude.
Sézane — Parisian knitwear and dresses with a softer, more romantic finish.
Maje — French contemporary with sharp, occasion-ready knit and cut-out pieces.

Luxury & Designer

Totême — for grown-up, investment knitwear in a clean, sculptural register.
Max Mara — the gold standard for knit and tailoring you'll keep for a decade.

Two Independents Worth Knowing

Lisa Says Gah — a San Francisco indie with the same joyful, arty, sustainable spirit and gorgeous knit dresses.
Paloma Wool — Barcelona's cult creative label; experimental shapes and colour for anyone who finds House of Sunny a touch too mainstream now.

Never Guess a Size Again — Use Tellar

This is exactly why I built Tellar, the UK's leading free sizing tool. Measure once — using your bust, waist and hip, or simply your existing size in a brand you already own — and Tellar matches your body to 1,500+ brands instantly, so you never have to squint at a size guide again.

Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads — it works straight in your browser.
Measure once, shop everywhere, return less.

And then there's 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, with no sponsored nonsense. A few of my favourites to start you off:

Get Your Perfect House of Sunny Size in Seconds

Stop guessing, stop returning. Tellar matches your exact measurements to House of Sunny and 1,500+ other brands — free, forever, no downloads.

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Written by Ella Blake — Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder, Tellar. Honest. Unbiased. Always free.