What Is Sizing Like at Khanum's?

Khanum's runs slim and fitted, with sizing labelled XS to XXL (roughly a UK 4 to 16) — and because most of their statement pieces are cut to hug rather than skim, I'd tell anyone with a fuller bust or hip to size up from their usual number. That's the short version. The longer version is worth your two minutes, because Khanum's is a made-to-order luxury brand, and getting your size right first time matters far more here than it ever does on the high street.

I learned that the slightly painful way. A few years back I ordered a fitted occasion dress from a similar slow-fashion label for a friend's mehndi, breezily picked my "usual" size, and ended up with something I genuinely couldn't do up across the bust. No quick exchange, no popping it back in the post — just me, a seam ripper and a very patient seamstress two days before the event. Lesson learned: with cut-to-order occasionwear, you measure first and you ego-size never.

How Khanum's sizing actually runs

Khanum's sits firmly in the luxury occasionwear space — think structured bodices, draped silhouettes and embellished evening and bridal-adjacent pieces, all made slowly and beautifully. Here's how the fit tends to behave in practice:

Fitted and bodycon styles run small. Their own product notes flag certain dresses as "designed for a slim fit" and openly suggest sizing up if you're bigger-busted. Believe them — they're not being modest.
Bust is your make-or-break measurement. Nearly all the drama in these dresses happens across the chest and the structured bodice. Get that right and the rest usually follows.
Draped and flowing styles are far more forgiving. Where a piece skims rather than clings, your true size will normally be spot on.
Their figures are garment measurements, not body measurements. Fabric stretch is built in, so read the number as the finished dress and leave yourself room to actually breathe and dance.

The made-to-order catch nobody warns you about

This is the bit I'd underline twice. Khanum's pieces are largely made upon order, which is part of their charm — slow fashion, lovely fabrics, none of the landfill tat. But it changes how you shop:

Order well ahead of any event. Production plus shipping is not a next-day affair, so don't leave it to the week before the wedding.
Read the returns policy before you buy. Customer reviews flag that returns can be store credit rather than a cash refund, and if you're sending things back internationally the courier and duty costs add up fast. Buy the right size and you sidestep all of it.
Use their fit help. They offer fit advice over DM and, if you're UK-based, in-person consultations. At this price point that's a free safety net — take it every time.

Getting your size right the first time

My stylist routine for any fitted occasion brand, Khanum's very much included:

Measure your bust, waist and hips with a soft tape, in your underwear — not over a jumper, and not "from memory".
Size to your largest relevant measurement, which for these cuts is almost always the bust.
If you fall between sizes on a structured style, size up. A good tailor can nip in a waist in an afternoon; nobody can conjure fabric that was never cut.

If Khanum's isn't quite right — where else I'd send you

Khanum's occupies a specific lane: elegant, embellished, occasion-led. If you love the look but want more options (or a faster turnaround), here's where I shop for the same energy.

High street

Coast — my first port of call for embellished occasion and wedding-guest dresses at a sensible price.
Monsoon — beautiful beaded and sequinned pieces, consistently strong on event dressing.
Phase Eight — dependable structured occasionwear that fits true and genuinely flatters.
Hobbs — polished, tailored elegance for the more grown-up event.
Reiss — clean, elevated minimalism for when you want occasion without the sparkle.
Ted Baker — bold, confident statement dresses with a flattering cut.
Whistles — modern, understated dressing-up for the anti-fuss guest.

Premium

Sandro — French-girl elegance with that effortless, slightly undone polish.
Sézane — feminine, beautifully made pieces with a devoted cult following.
Ghost — the masters of the bias-cut dress that drapes and moves with you.

Luxury / designer

Max Mara — investment tailoring and evening pieces you'll wear for decades.
By Malene Birger — Scandi-luxe with a real flair for embellishment and occasion.

And two off-piste independents I think Khanum's lovers should know:

Aab — a British modest-fashion label doing genuinely elegant occasion and everyday pieces, beautifully cut for full coverage without ever feeling like a compromise.
RIXO — a London independent famed for hand-painted prints and floaty, joyful occasion dresses that feel one-of-a-kind.

How Tellar takes the guesswork out

Here's the honest truth: the whole reason I built Tellar is that fit charts are a faff, brands size wildly differently, and with made-to-order labels like Khanum's a wrong guess is expensive. Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool — you match your body to 1,500-plus brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again. Measure once using your bust, waist and hip (or simply tell us a brand size you already own), and we do the translating.

Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and many more.
Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.
And there's the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our stylists — honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, no sponsorship strings attached.

Keep reading on the Tellar Fashion Hub

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