What Is Sizing Like at Malina? An Honest Stylist's Fit Guide

Malina runs slightly small and on the snug side, so if you're caught between two sizes, size up – especially in the non-stretch, fitted styles. That's the short answer, and after years of dressing clients for weddings and parties in this gorgeous Swedish label, it's the one I stand by. Malina (you'll also see it as By Malina or House of Malina) is built on close-cut, body-skimming silhouettes, and those tend to flatter beautifully but leave very little wriggle room.

Let me explain how the fit actually behaves once it's on the body, because "runs small" alone won't save you from a returns headache.

How Malina sizing really works

Malina uses EU sizing and a Scandinavian fit block, which is the first thing to flag. Swedish fit models are often cut for a longer, leaner frame, so the proportions don't always map neatly onto a typical UK body – particularly through the bust and hip. The brand spans roughly XXS to XXL (around a 32 to 48), and across that range the consistency is good, but the baseline is just a touch tighter than you'd expect from, say, a British high street label.

The waist is the make-or-break measurement. Malina's wrap dresses and tailored pieces nip in firmly. Measure your natural waist and check it against their chart rather than trusting your usual dress size.
Non-stretch fabrics are the unforgiving ones. The crepe, satin and woven occasion pieces have almost no give. These are the styles I'd size up in nine times out of ten.
Jersey and stretch-blend pieces are more honest to size. If a style has elastane in it, your normal size will usually behave.
Bust is the sneaky one. Fuller-busted clients regularly find the dress fits everywhere except the chest. A wrap or button style gives you far more grace here than a fixed bodice.

A quick confession of my own: I once ordered a Malina satin slip dress in my "safe" size for a summer wedding, convinced I knew better. It zipped, technically – but I spent the whole day breathing like I was at altitude and not daring to sit down for pudding. Lesson learned. The very next piece I bought a size up, had the shoulders taken in by 20 minutes with a tailor, and it became the dress people still ask me about. With Malina, a tiny alteration on a slightly roomier size beats squeezing into the "right" number every single time.

Styling Malina so the fit works for you

Because the cut is precise, the styling job is mostly about giving the silhouette room to breathe. A few stylist habits I lean on:

Choose adjustable styles where you can. Wrap dresses, tie waists and puff sleeves with elastic cuffs all forgive a borderline size.
Mind your underwear architecture. These dresses are cut close, so a smooth, seamless base changes everything – lumps and bumps have nowhere to hide.
Tailor the length, not just the width. Scandi cuts run a little long for petite frames; a quick hem is cheaper than you think and lifts the whole look.
Don't over-accessorise an occasion piece. Malina's prints and embellishment do the talking. A clean heel and one good earring is plenty.

Where to shop if you love the Malina look

If you adore that feminine, occasion-ready aesthetic but want options across different budgets, here are the brands I genuinely send clients to.

High street

Mango – consistently strong on satin slips and event dresses, with a fashion-forward eye and a fit that's true to size.
Whistles – my go-to for modern, grown-up occasion dressing in clean silhouettes and beautiful prints.
Coast – built specifically for weddings and events; reliable for embellishment and structure when you want polish.
Phase Eight – excellent for fuller-busted and mother-of-the-bride dressing, with generous, dependable sizing.
Monsoon – lovely for romantic, print-led pieces and a softer, floatier take on occasion wear.
Reiss – sharp, minimalist tailoring and slip dresses if you prefer Malina's pared-back side.
Hobbs – timeless, well-cut event dresses that lean classic rather than trend-driven.

Premium

LK Bennett – elegant, occasion-led dresses and coordinating heels; a true wedding-guest stalwart.
Me&Em – clever, flattering cuts designed around real proportions, with a built-in eye for elongating the frame.
Claudie Pierlot – Parisian femininity with the same close, considered tailoring you get from Malina.

Luxury / designer

Max Mara – investment tailoring and event pieces with impeccable, sculptural fit that lasts decades.
Self-Portrait – the modern go-to for embellished and lace occasion dresses with serious wow factor.
Needle & Thread – romantic, hand-embellished gowns that capture Malina's dreamy, event-ready spirit at the top end.

Two left-field independents worth knowing

Stine Goya – a Copenhagen label that keeps the Scandinavian thread but goes bolder on colour and painterly print. Brilliant if you want occasion dressing nobody else will be wearing.
Kitri – a London independent doing small-batch, characterful dresses with that grown-up-but-playful energy. Pieces sell out fast for a reason.

Never guess your Malina size again

Malina's fit is gorgeous when you get it right and genuinely frustrating when you don't – which is exactly the problem Tellar exists to solve. Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool: your body matched exactly to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never squint at a size guide again. Measure once – using your bust, waist and hip, or simply a size from a brand you already know fits – and you're done.

Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand – COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads needed – it works straight in your browser at tellar.co.uk.

There's also the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free – style advice, top picks and the best brands, all in one place.

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