What Is Sizing Like at Oliver Bonas?

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

The good news: Oliver Bonas sizing is pretty true to standard UK sizing, which immediately puts it a cut above a lot of high street brands that love to keep you guessing. If you're a UK 10, you can walk in — or click through — with reasonable confidence that a UK 10 is what you'll need. That said, there are a few quirks worth knowing about, particularly across different garment types, and I've picked up a couple of tips over the years that'll save you a trip to the returns desk.

Oliver Bonas is one of those brands that I genuinely love — it has such a distinctive, independent spirit for a brand with this many stores. The clothes lean colourful, eclectic, and decidedly un-corporate, and the jewellery is some of the best value on the high street. But let's get into the sizing properly, because there are some nuances worth understanding before you buy.

Oliver Bonas Sizing: The Basics

Oliver Bonas uses standard UK sizing, running from a UK 6 through to a UK 18 across most of its clothing range. There's no vanity sizing trickery here — the brand is fairly consistent and honest in its labelling. A few things I'd flag:

Sizing is generally true to a standard UK fit, so go with your usual size as a starting point.
The brand's aesthetic leans towards relaxed, easy shapes rather than body-con or heavily tailored cuts — so there's usually a decent amount of ease built in.
Fabric weight and composition matters here more than at some other brands. Lighter cotton and viscose pieces can occasionally feel looser than the label suggests; structured pieces tend to be more precise.
If you're in between sizes — say a UK 10/12 — the relaxed cuts generally mean you can go with your smaller size without issues, particularly in dresses and tops.
Oliver Bonas does not offer a petite or tall range, which is worth bearing in mind if you're particularly short or long in the body.

Oliver Bonas Size Guide

Here's how Oliver Bonas UK sizing translates into measurements. Always cross-reference with the measurements on the product page, as cut and style will vary — but this gives you a solid baseline.

UK SizeEU SizeUS SizeBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)63428061868364846590103868869941240892739814421096771021644121018210718461410687112

Sizing by Garment Category

Oliver Bonas's range is broad — dresses, knitwear, occasionwear, casual separates — and sizing does behave slightly differently depending on what you're buying. Here's my category-by-category breakdown:

Dresses: Generally true to size or slightly generous. The brand's dresses tend to be a real strength — flowy midi styles, printed smock dresses, and wrap silhouettes that are flattering across a range of body shapes. If you're between sizes, go with your smaller size; there's usually enough give. Fitted shirt dresses are the exception — stick to your true size or size up if you have a fuller bust.
Tops & Blouses: Fairly true to size. The relaxed, often loose-fit approach Oliver Bonas takes here means most people find their usual size works well. Nipped-in or cropped styles can come up slightly smaller, so check the product measurements.
Knitwear: Runs slightly generous in my experience. I once grabbed a medium in a ribbed knit that turned out to be properly oversized — lovely, but not what I expected. If you prefer a fitted look in knitwear, go down a size; if you want cosy and slouchy, your usual size will be perfect.
Trousers & Skirts: True to size. Elasticated waistbands are common in Oliver Bonas's casual range, which helps hugely with fit. Tailored trousers, when they appear, are accurate to UK sizing measurements.
Occasionwear & Party Dresses: This is where Oliver Bonas really shines at its price point. These pieces tend to be more structured and precise in their sizing, so I'd always recommend measuring yourself and checking the garment-specific guide before ordering, particularly for anything with a fitted bodice.
Outerwear: True to size with a good amount of ease for layering. Their coats and jackets are often surprisingly well-constructed for the price — sizing tends to be consistent and reliable.

My Honest Stylist Take on Oliver Bonas

I've been shopping Oliver Bonas for years and it's one of those brands that rarely lets you down on sizing — which honestly makes it something of a rarity on the high street. The design team clearly think about real bodies; the cuts are wearable, the fabrics move well, and there's no aggressive vanity sizing going on.

My one consistent gripe is the lack of a petite option. If you're under 5'4", some of the midi dresses will hit the ankle rather than the mid-calf, and the proportions on longer silhouettes can feel slightly off. That's not a sizing issue exactly, but it's worth factoring in. If you're petite, I'd look carefully at hem lengths and inseam measurements before committing.

The jewellery and accessories, by the way, are an absolute no-brainer. One of the best value propositions on the UK high street — and obviously no sizing drama there.

Similar Brands Worth Shopping — Across All Budgets

If you love the Oliver Bonas aesthetic — colourful, eclectic, independent-feeling, with an eye for print and a relaxed approach to dressing — here are the brands I'd point you towards at different price points.

High Street

Anthropologie — The closest spiritual sibling to Oliver Bonas on the high street. Maximalist prints, boho-inflected silhouettes, and a love of colour and texture. Sizing is generous and generally consistent.
White Stuff — British, independent-spirited, brilliant for printed midi dresses and relaxed separates. Sizing is reliable and true to UK standard, with a fantastic range of prints each season.
Monsoon — Long the go-to for occasion dresses and printed occasionwear with a slightly bohemian edge. Sizing is standard UK and fairly inclusive across the range.
Boden — Joyful, colour-forward British brand with excellent quality for the price. Very consistent sizing and a good petite range, which makes it a strong alternative if Oliver Bonas's proportions don't work for you.
Hush — Slightly more understated than Oliver Bonas but shares a love of quality fabrics and effortless, wearable shapes. Great for elevated basics that still feel considered. True to UK sizing throughout.
Fat Face — Relaxed, British, print-friendly. Particularly strong on casual dresses, knitwear, and easy separates. Sizing runs true and the brand is very consistent across seasons.
Great Plains — An underrated gem on the British high street. Wearable, print-led, and very reasonably priced. The sizing is true to UK standard and the dresses in particular are excellent value.
Jigsaw — For a more elevated take on the eclectic, feminine aesthetic. Better fabrics and longer-lasting pieces at a higher price point, but sizing is very consistent and true to UK standard.

Independent & Niche Finds

Damson Madder — A brilliant Brighton-based independent with a devoted following for good reason. Bold prints, floaty silhouettes, and a genuinely joyful approach to dressing that feels like a natural next step from Oliver Bonas. Sizing is inclusive and their guides are detailed and accurate.
Lucy & Yak — Known primarily for their iconic dungarees but the full collection is worth exploring if you love the colourful, independent-brand energy that Oliver Bonas does so well. Excellent size guides, inclusive sizing, and a strong ethical production ethos to boot.

Find Your Perfect Fit Every Time — Try Tellar

Even when sizing is as straightforward as Oliver Bonas, it pays to know your exact measurements. Tellar is the UK's leading clothing sizing tool — matching your body to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you always buy the right size first time.

✦ Measure once using your bust, waist, and hips — or use an existing brand size you trust
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✦ Plus explore the Tellar Fashion Hub — hundreds of honest, unsponsored posts from our stylists covering every brand, sizing question, and style dilemma you've got

Visit Tellar →Find Your Oliver Bonas Size