What Is Sizing Like at Mary Katrantzou?

Mary Katrantzou generally runs true to size, but the cut does the talking: her fitted, body-skimming styles sit right on your usual size, while her fuller, A-line and pleated pieces are cut generously and often need sizing down. If you take a UK 12 in most contemporary brands, you'll likely stay a 12 in a sheath or a corseted Katrantzou dress, but you may want a 10 in something floaty. Do bear in mind the label is designed in London and made in Italy, so a lot of stock arrives in Italian numbering (38, 40, 42…) rather than UK sizes — worth knowing before you panic at the tag.

Who is Mary Katrantzou and why does the fit feel so specific?

Katrantzou earned her crown as fashion's "Queen of Print" off the back of her 2008 graduate collection, and that maximalist, architectural sensibility runs straight through how the clothes are built. These aren't simple jersey shifts — they're engineered. Boning, structured panels, bonded fabrics and clever seaming mean a Katrantzou piece holds a shape rather than draping softly off you. That's exactly why the fit rewards a bit of homework: the construction is doing half the styling for you, so the size has to be right.

How it actually fits, style by style

Fitted & corseted dresses: True to size. The waist is often nipped and the bodice structured, so size for your bust and ribcage, not your hips.
A-line, pleated & full-skirt styles: Cut generously through the body — many people size down one. The skirt gives the volume, so you don't need extra room.
Sheath & pencil dresses: Can run a touch small and unforgiving across the hip. If you carry weight there, take your true size and have the seams let out rather than sizing up the whole dress.
Tailoring & separates: Sharp and close to the body. Sleeves can read slim, so consider arm room if you're broader across the shoulders.

A quick confession from my own wardrobe: my first Katrantzou was a pleated A-line in my "safe" size, bought online in a hurry. It swamped me — I looked like I'd borrowed it from a taller, broader sister. Lesson learned. The next one, a fitted printed midi, I took in my true UK size and it fit like it had been made for me. Two dresses, same designer, two completely different sizing stories. That's Katrantzou.

My stylist's tips before you buy

Check the size system on the listing. IT 40 is roughly a UK 8; if a reseller lists "size 40" don't assume it's your dress size.
Buy for the bust on structured styles. You can take a waist in; you can't add fabric to a bodice that won't close.
Factor in a tailor. These are investment pieces — a £30 alteration on a £1,500 dress is sensible, not extravagant.
Read the fabric. Bonded and silk-faille styles have almost no give. Anything with stretch or jersey is far more forgiving.

Where to find the same bold, print-led energy

Katrantzou is firmly luxury territory, so whether you're building up to a piece or want the maximalist look for less, here's where I'd send clients across every budget.

High street

Ted Baker — the high street's strongest hand at bold botanical and architectural prints, with structured occasion dresses that nod to the Katrantzou silhouette.
Whistles — modern, considered prints on clean, well-cut shapes; brilliant for a grown-up statement dress that isn't shouty.
Boden — genuinely fun, painterly prints and a fit that's kind to real bodies, especially through the waist and hip.
Monsoon — occasionwear specialists with embellishment and print at a fraction of designer prices.
Oliver Bonas — playful, colour-led prints and a lovely line in midi dresses with a bit of drama.
Hush — softer, wearable prints if you want the mood without the maximalism; great everyday print dresses.
Phase Eight — reliable for structured, lined occasion dresses that hold their shape much like Katrantzou's do.
Anthropologie — the most eclectic, art-led prints on the high street, perfect if you love a conversation-piece dress.

Premium

Ganni — Scandi print-led label with the same fearless attitude to colour and pattern, just more relaxed in cut.
Sézane — Parisian prints with a romantic, polished finish; superb for a print dress that feels expensive.
Cefinn — sharp, modern silhouettes and graphic prints aimed squarely at the woman who'd wear Katrantzou to the office.

Luxury / designer

Erdem — London's other great print storyteller; floral, painterly and beautifully constructed if you love Katrantzou's craft.
La DoubleJ — Milanese, joyously maximalist clashing prints that share Katrantzou's "more is more" DNA.
By Malene Birger — a slightly quieter luxury option with elevated prints and a more forgiving, fluid cut.

Two independent labels worth knowing

Klements — a small British digital-print house whose hand-drawn, ethically made prints are the closest indie parallel to Katrantzou's artistry I've found.
Borgo de Nor — an independent London label built entirely around bold, painterly prints and feminine, occasion-ready shapes.

Stop guessing your size — let Tellar do it

Designer sizing is exactly the sort of minefield I built Tellar for. It's the UK's leading sizing tool: measure once — bust, waist and hip, or just give us a brand size you already own — and we match your body to over 1,500 brands instantly. No more squinting at a size guide before every purchase.

Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and hundreds more.
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And the Tellar Fashion Hub is a library of free posts from our stylists covering every fashion question you can think of — honest, unbiased, independent and always free.

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