What Is Sizing Like at Lardini? Your Complete Guide to Getting the Fit Right

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

Lardini sizing runs small by UK standards — this is Italian sizing, and you will almost certainly need to size up by at least one, often two, sizes compared to what you'd normally reach for on a British high street. A UK 12 woman will typically need an IT 44 at Lardini. Get this wrong and you'll be trying to button a blazer that simply was never designed to close over a British ribcage. Get it right, and you'll be rewarded with some of the most beautifully constructed tailoring available at this price point.

I'll be honest — I nearly got this spectacularly wrong the first time I encountered Lardini. I ordered what I assumed was my size based on the label, didn't check the Italian conversion, and spent a slightly mortifying few minutes at a press event attempting to convince myself the jacket "was meant to be worn open." It was not. Lesson learned, and now I always — always — convert Italian sizes before buying.

Understanding Italian vs UK Sizing: The Basics

Italian sizing (IT) runs roughly 4 sizes above UK sizing as a rule of thumb. So if you're a UK 10, you're looking at an IT 42. If you're a UK 14, you want an IT 46. Here's a clean conversion to bookmark:

IT SizeUK SizeINT Size386XS408S4210M4412L4614XL48162XL

Lardini publishes their own detailed size guides on their website with exact measurements — shoulder width, back length, sleeve length — and I genuinely recommend checking these before purchasing, especially for tailoring where a centimetre or two in the shoulder makes all the difference.

Who Is Lardini? A Quick Brand Overview

If you're not familiar with Lardini yet, here's the quick version: it's an Italian luxury tailoring house, founded in 1978 by siblings Luigi, Andrea, and Lorena Lardini in a small town called Filottrano in the Marche region. They produce around 1,600 garments a day, entirely in Italy. They're also the people quietly behind the tailoring for names like Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Versace, and Burberry — which tells you everything you need to know about the level of construction you're dealing with.

Their signature is a small flower tucked into the lapel buttonhole — understated, distinctive, and very Italian. The womenswear collection launched later than menswear but has grown into a genuinely beautiful offering of blazers, tailored trousers, knitwear, dresses, and occasion pieces, all carrying that same sartorial rigour.

How Does Lardini Actually Fit Women?

Once you've nailed the size conversion, here's what to expect category by category:

Blazers and structured jackets: These are the jewel in Lardini's crown for women. The cut is Italian — meaning the shoulder line is precise, the chest is fitted, and there isn't the forgiving ease you'd find in a British or American blazer. If you're broader in the shoulder than average, be cautious and check the shoulder measurement specifically. The body length tends to suit a longer torso well.
Knitwear: Generally true to Italian sizing, with a slightly relaxed, continental drape. Lardini's knitwear is exceptional — often using premium wool blends and cashmere — and the fit is easy without being sloppy. I find Italian IT sizing for knitwear feels slightly more accurate than for structured pieces.
Trousers and skirts: The waist-to-hip ratio in Lardini's tailored trousers can be a challenge if you have a significant size difference between waist and hip. Their cuts tend to assume a relatively balanced proportion. If you're curvier through the hip, sizing up and taking in the waist is a worthwhile investment — the fabric quality makes any tailoring bill feel justified.
Coats: The coat sizing allows a little more ease by design (it's outerwear), but you should still go by the IT-to-UK conversion and check shoulder measurements. Their coats are among the best-constructed at this price point — heavy fabrics, clean finishes, and that quiet Italian authority that makes them look expensive without trying.
Occasionwear and dresses: Lardini produces genuinely stunning occasion dresses and fluid eveningwear. Sizing here tends to be a touch more accommodating through the body, but the Italian size rule still applies. If you're ordering online, I'd always advise going up if you're between sizes — the cut flatters a slightly looser fit far better than a tight one.

My Honest Sizing Tips for Lardini

Always convert from UK to IT sizing before adding anything to your basket — don't assume the label makes sense at first glance
Measure your shoulder width before buying tailoring — this is the hardest dimension to alter and the most critical for a good blazer fit
Between sizes? Go up. Lardini's tailoring is designed to be taken in, not let out
If buying from a multi-brand retailer (Net-a-Porter, MyTheresa, MatchesFashion), check whether they've listed IT or UK sizing — it varies by retailer
Their customer service team at lardini.com is genuinely helpful with sizing queries — worth an email if you're unsure

Brand Alternatives at Every Budget

If Lardini's aesthetic speaks to you — that precisely tailored, Italian-influenced approach to dressing — here are my recommendations across price points. I've genuinely worn or styled most of these on real women, so these aren't just names I've pulled from a list.

High Street & Accessible Premium

HIGH STREET Whistles — My first recommendation for anyone who wants Lardini's clean tailoring sensibility without the Italian price tag. Their blazers in particular are beautifully proportioned and size consistently. A solid UK-sizing brand with real care in the cut.
HIGH STREET Massimo Dutti — The closest high street brand to the Italian tailoring aesthetic, full stop. Their sizing runs slightly Continental so always check the EU-to-UK chart, but the quality of fabric and construction is streets ahead of most high street competitors. Brilliant for blazers and trousers.
HIGH STREET Me+Em — Exceptional for elevated British tailoring at a sensible price. Consistent sizing (true UK), intelligent construction, and a similar grown-up sensibility to Lardini. Their blazers and smart trousers are a particular strength.
HIGH STREET Reiss — A reliable step up from most high street options, with sharp tailoring that works hard for occasionwear and workwear alike. Sizing is true UK once you know your Reiss size, and their coats are perennially good.
HIGH STREET LK Bennett — For polished, occasion-ready dressing. Their structured dresses and smart separates carry a similar wear-anywhere quality to Lardini's womenswear. Sizing is true to UK.
HIGH STREET Ted Baker — Good for those who want the tailored silhouette with a slightly fashion-forward edge. Ted Baker's sizing uses its own numerical system (0–5), so always check their conversion chart — it's an unnecessary faff but worth it for the finish.
HIGH STREET Hobbs — A dependably British option for classic, structured dressing. Their tailoring is slightly more conservative in silhouette than Lardini but the construction is honest and the sizing true to UK. Particularly good for coats and occasion separates.
HIGH STREET All Saints — If you love Lardini's blazers but sometimes want something with a bit more edge, All Saints delivers. Their tailoring leans darker and more urban, but the construction is surprisingly good and the sizing is reliable UK.

Luxury & Designer Alternatives

LUXURY Max Mara — The obvious Italian luxury comparator. Max Mara shares Lardini's precision-cut tailoring philosophy and similarly runs in Italian sizing. If you love a Lardini coat, a Max Mara coat is the logical next step up.
LUXURY Claudie Pierlot — Parisian rather than Italian in spirit, but shares that same intelligent, unfussy tailoring sensibility. Sizing runs small (French), so apply the same size-up logic as Lardini.

Two Independent Brands Worth Knowing

INDEPENDENT Barena Venezia — A genuinely wonderful, under-the-radar Italian brand from Venice that shares Lardini's dedication to artisanal construction and premium fabrics. Their womenswear is relaxed but intelligent — beautifully draped linen and wool pieces with a Venetian ease to them. Italian sizing applies, so use the same conversion table above. A real find if you love Italian quality without the designer markup.
INDEPENDENT Circolo 1901 — Another Italian brand that flies slightly under the mainstream radar but has a loyal following among women who care about craft. Known particularly for their jersey blazers — impeccably structured but surprisingly comfortable — and their knitwear. A near-perfect alternative to Lardini if you want the Italian tailoring DNA at a slightly lower entry price. Italian sizing throughout.

Quick Verdict: Lardini Sizing

Runs: Small by UK standards — Italian sizing, size upConversion: UK size + 4 = your IT size (e.g. UK 12 → IT 44)Best for: Women who love precise tailoring, premium fabrics, and a quietly Italian approach to dressingWatch out for: Shoulder fit in structured blazers; check exact measurements before buying tailored piecesSize range: IT 38–48 (UK 6–16) across most of the collectionGolden rule: When in doubt, size up — Lardini's cuts are designed to be taken in, not let out

Stop Guessing Your Size — Use Tellar

Italian sizing, French sizing, vanity sizing, plus sizes — it is genuinely chaotic out there. That's exactly why I point every client towards Tellar.co.uk — the UK's leading free sizing tool that matches your actual body measurements to your precise size across 1,500+ brands. Including, for what it's worth, a lot of the Italian and European ones where the conversion alone gives people headaches.

Measure once — bust, waist, hips, or just use a brand size you already know fits you well
Instantly matched to your correct size across 1,500+ brands — no guesswork, no returns anxiety
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And while you're there — the Tellar Fashion Hub is packed with honest, unsponsored style guides written by our stylists. No ads, no affiliate bias in the editorial, just straight-talking fashion advice.

Visit Tellar.co.ukFind My Size at Lardini →