What is sizing like at Loretta Caponi clothing?

Loretta Caponi runs true to traditional Italian sizing, which in plain English means most UK shoppers should expect to size up by one full number in the brand's fitted pieces — blouses, shirts and structured bodices — while the dresses, robes and kaftans are cut generously enough that your usual size will usually do the job. It's a brand of two halves when it comes to fit, and once you understand which half you're buying, the whole thing becomes a lot less daunting.

I've styled a fair few clients into Caponi over the years, and I'll be honest: it's one of those labels where the size on the label tells you almost nothing. The cut and the fabric do all the talking. So let me walk you through it properly.

First, what you're actually buying

Founded in Florence in 1967 and still run by the family — Loretta's grandson Guido now leads it — this is hand-embroidered, artisan-made clothing in the truest sense. The signature catenella chain stitch and smocking are done by hand by Tuscan artisans, and the fabrics are almost always pure cotton, fine viscose or silk, with little to no stretch. That last point matters enormously for fit. There's no Lycra to forgive you here, so where a piece is fitted, it's genuinely fitted.

The romance of the brand — broderie anglaise, ruffled collars, smocked yokes, those dreamy nightgown-inspired dresses — is exactly why it has a cult following (Jane Fonda among them). But that same craftsmanship is why you can't just default to your high-street number.

So, does it run big or small?

It depends entirely on the garment, so here's how I break it down for clients:

Fitted blouses, shirts & structured bodices: true to Italian sizing, which reads small to a UK eye. Size up one number. Check the shoulder and chest first — with no stretch, a tight shoulder is a deal-breaker.
Smocked & broderie dresses: roomy but structured. The smocking gives flex across the bust, so your usual size tends to work beautifully.
Robes, kaftans & nightdresses: deliberately generous and flowing. Don't size up here or you'll drown in fabric.
Trousers & pyjama bottoms: true to size or slightly relaxed. Go true, but double-check the waist and hip if you carry curves there.
One-size & S/M, M/L pieces: more common than you'd think. These rely on smocking and elastic to do the work — flattering on a wide range of frames, but worth checking the bust measurement against your own.

A stylist's honest fit story

My genuine Caponi win was a smocked broderie midi I bought a size down on a whim because the larger one had sold out — and the smocking saved me completely. It skimmed where it needed to and held its shape all summer. My fail? A fitted catenella blouse I bought in my usual UK 12, convinced the embroidery would "give." It didn't. The shoulders pinched, the buttons gaped, and because so much Caponi sells as final sale, I couldn't send it back. Learn from me: with the structured pieces, size up and check the shoulder line before anything else.

Where to shop the Loretta Caponi look

If you love the romance but want the same feeling at different budgets, here's where I'd send you.

On the high street — for embroidered cotton, broderie and that feminine, hand-finished feel:

Boden — the British go-to for embroidered cotton dresses and broderie, with sizing that's far more forgiving.
Anthropologie — whimsical, embellished and feminine; the closest high-street cousin in spirit.
Monsoon — a long heritage in embroidery and embellishment, brilliant for occasion pieces.
Seasalt Cornwall — soft, relaxed cotton with a gentle, artisanal hand.
Whistles — modern broderie and smocking, cut a touch cleaner and more contemporary.
Phase Eight — feminine occasionwear and pretty blouses that dress up easily.
Hush — easy boho cotton blouses and dresses with that off-duty softness.
White Stuff — embroidered, casual cotton with charming detailing.

Premium picks — a step up in fabric and finish:

Sézane — Parisian broderie blouses and romantic dresses with a cult following of their own.
Nobody's Child — sustainable floral and broderie styles at a kind price point.
Toast — quiet, artisanal cotton and linen for those who love texture over flounce.

Luxury & designer — if you want to stay in Caponi's world:

Zimmermann — the obvious sister act: embroidered, romantic, gloriously feminine.
Erdem — for embroidered florals with a darker, more painterly mood.

Two independents worth knowing — my left-field picks:

Pink City Prints — hand-block-printed, artisan-made dresses crafted with Jaipur workshops; a true kindred spirit to Caponi's craft ethos.
Yolke — a small British label doing beautiful hand-finished silk and cotton pieces that wear from bed to brunch.

Stop guessing your Loretta Caponi size

Caponi's cut shifts dramatically from one style to the next, so a size chart alone simply won't cut it. Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool — match your body to 1,500+ brands instantly and never squint at a size guide again. Measure once using your bust, waist and hip (or an existing brand size you trust), and we'll do the rest.

Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more. Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

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The Tellar Fashion Hub is a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists — honest, unbiased, independent and always free. No adverts, no sponsored picks, just real style advice, top picks and the best brands. A few of my favourites to read next:

Beautiful as it is, Loretta Caponi rewards a little homework before you buy. Get the size right and you'll have a hand-embroidered heirloom you'll wear for years — get it wrong on a final-sale blouse and you'll be quietly heartbroken. Do the measuring, trust your bust over the label, and let Tellar take the risk out of it.