What Is Sizing Like at Love & Roses? An Honest Fit Guide

By Ella Blake – Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder | Tellar — Always honest, unbiased, & unsponsored post

Love & Roses fits broadly true to size, but it's a brand that plays by its own rules depending on the style: the floaty viscose midis and maxis run generous (especially through the waist), while the ruched, shirred and corset-style bodices run noticeably small across the bust. So before you reach for "my usual size", let me talk you through where this label is your friend and where it quietly catches people out — because I've been on the wrong end of both.

The short answer on fit

Across the range — the romantic florals, the occasion dresses, the pretty blouses you spot the second you walk into Next — Love & Roses generally sticks to standard UK sizing, roughly a UK 8 to 22. If you buy mostly relaxed, flowy pieces, order your normal size and you'll be fine. The complications start when a style is fitted somewhere, because that's where the brand's cut and its love of woven, non-stretch fabric start to matter.

Where it runs small: the bust

This is the one to watch. The brand leans hard into pretty, structured bodices — shirring, ruching, corset panels, button-through plackets — and those almost always run snug across the chest, particularly from a UK 10 upwards. I learned this the slightly red-faced way: I ordered a gorgeous floral midi in my usual 12 for a summer wedding, and the shirred bodice was so tight across the bust I couldn't get the back zip past my shoulder blades. Lovely design, wrong fit.

Fuller bust? Size up on anything with a fitted, ruched or corset top half. It's the chest that decides, not the rest of you.
Button-front blouses are the gaping-button trap — the woven fabric has no give, so even a slightly snug chest will pull at the placket. Size up or layer a cami underneath.
If your bust is your largest measurement, that's the number to size from here.

Where it runs generous: the waist and the length

Now the flip side. The floaty column dresses, tiered maxis and smock styles are cut to skim, and on a lot of people they read as roomy through the waist and hip. That's by design — but if you like a bit of shape, it can swim on you. When I sized up to a 14 to fix that wedding-dress bust issue, the waist then drowned me, and I only rescued the look by cinching the dress in with its own tie belt. Classic Love & Roses: fitted up top, billowy below.

Flowy/midi/maxi styles: stick to your usual size, or size down if you're between sizes and want definition.
Use the belt. Many styles come with a self-tie — it's the easiest way to claw back a waist on an otherwise loose dress.
Length runs long. Midis and maxis are cut for around 5'6"+. If you're petite, factor in a small hem or a heel, especially for occasion pieces.

Why the fabric matters more than usual

Love & Roses uses a lot of polyester and viscose, and plenty of non-stretch woven and bias-cut fabrics. The upside is gorgeous drape; the catch is that there's no Lycra to bail you out of a sizing mismatch, so a half-size mismatch shows up as gaping, pulling or a slightly off-balance shape. The jersey and stretch-blend pieces are far more forgiving — those genuinely are buy-your-usual-size territory. My honest steer: read each product's fit notes and reviews, because a satin slip and a linen-blend smock from the same brand will not behave the same way.

If you love the look but the fit's not landing

Love & Roses sits in that romantic, feminine, print-led space — and if a piece doesn't sit right, there's a whole rail of brands doing the same mood with different fits. Here's where I'd send clients, by budget:

High street:

Monsoon — the queen of embellished, occasion-feminine dresses, with a slightly more generous and forgiving cut than Love & Roses.
Phase Eight — beautifully reliable for weddings and events; consistent sizing and bodices that actually accommodate a bust.
Oasis — pretty, prom-y florals at a similar price, with stretchier fabrics that are kinder if you're between sizes.
Joules — bold, joyful prints with a relaxed English-country fit that rarely catches you out.
Boden — punchy prints and proper fit notes on every product, plus genuine petite and tall ranges.
Hush — easy, romantic everyday dresses in softer fabrics; great if Love & Roses feels a touch stiff.
Coast — occasionwear specialist with structured-but-flattering bodices, ideal if it's the going-out dresses you're after.

Premium:

Whistles — elevated prints and grown-up feminine tailoring; a step up in fabric quality with a cleaner cut.
Reiss — sharper, more considered fits and substantial fabrics that hold their shape beautifully.
LK Bennett — polished occasion dresses with a more tailored, true-to-size feel and a real eye for proportion.

Luxury / designer:

Me&Em — clever, body-aware design with built-in petite-to-tall options; the antidote to the bust-snug problem.
Max Mara — investment femininity in exquisite fabrics, cut with the kind of generosity that just works.

And two independent labels I'd whisper to anyone who genuinely loves the Love & Roses aesthetic: Sister Jane, the London indie doing vintage-romantic, ruffle-and-floral pieces with real character, and Kitri, the cult London brand turning out print-led, occasion-ready dresses in small drops — both feminine to their bones, both a lovely left-field alternative.

Stop guessing your size — let Tellar do it

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Measure once — using your bust, waist, hip, or an existing brand size you already trust.
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