What Is Sizing Like at P.A.R.O.S.H.?

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

P.A.R.O.S.H. runs small — it's Italian sizing with a decidedly close, tailored cut, and for most UK shoppers you'll need to go up one to two sizes from what you'd normally reach for. This is not the kind of brand where you can wing it with a rough estimate. Get the size right and a P.A.R.O.S.H. piece looks genuinely extraordinary. Get it wrong and you'll know about it immediately — these clothes are not built with wiggle room.

I had a client who discovered P.A.R.O.S.H. at a Matches sale a few years back and absolutely fell for a sequin column dress. She ordered her usual UK 12, the Italian 44 arrived, and the zip got halfway up before admitting defeat. Not because she'd done anything wrong — because nobody had warned her about Italian sizing and P.A.R.O.S.H.'s particularly precise approach to fit. We reordered in the 46, it skimmed her perfectly, and she wore it to three separate events in twelve months. That's the brand in a nutshell: unforgiving to size incorrectly, magnificent when you get it right.

What Is P.A.R.O.S.H.?

Full name Paolo Rossello Style Heritage — P.A.R.O.S.H. was founded in 1985 in Turin and has spent the decades since building a loyal following among women who want Italian luxury with a slightly subversive, vintage-inflected edge. The brand started with redesigned vintage dresses and that DNA has never left it: there's always something slightly retro and unapologetically bold in the collections. Think rich sequin dresses, sculptural knitwear, luxurious outerwear with military detailing, and silk pieces that balance structure with fluidity.

It's stocked widely on Farfetch, Net-a-Porter, and YOOX, and has a dedicated fanbase among stylists and fashion editors who appreciate the brand's commitment to craftsmanship without the logo-heavy branding of bigger Italian houses. It sits in a genuinely interesting price point — expensive, but not Gucci expensive — which makes getting your size right on the first attempt feel especially important.

The Sizing Situation: What You're Actually Working With

P.A.R.O.S.H. uses Italian sizing — numeric sizes from XS through to XL, with Italian size numbers (40, 42, 44, etc.) as the underlying scale. Italian sizing already runs smaller than UK sizing as a baseline, and P.A.R.O.S.H.'s cut compounds that: the garments are structured, the fabrics are often non-stretch, and the silhouettes are designed to skim rather than drape.

The practical upshot for UK shoppers:

A UK 8 should look at an Italian 40 / XS–S
A UK 10 should look at an Italian 42 / S
A UK 12 should look at an Italian 44 / M
A UK 14 should look at an Italian 46 / L
A UK 16 should look at an Italian 48 / XL

But — and this really matters with P.A.R.O.S.H. — that's a starting point, not a guarantee. If you're buying anything fitted in a structured fabric (sequins, thick crepe, brocade), I'd always go up from that baseline and check your actual measurements against the brand's chart. The bust and hip are the critical numbers.

Ella's tip: P.A.R.O.S.H. sequin and embellished styles have practically no give whatsoever. Measure your bust before ordering any of these. If you're between sizes, go up — always. A slightly looser sequin dress can be pinned; a tight one cannot be worn.

P.A.R.O.S.H. Size Conversion Table

P.A.R.O.S.H.ITALIANUKEUUSBUST (CM)WAIST (CM)HIP (CM)XXS364–634–360–2806086XS38–406–836–382–4846490S40–428–1038–404–6886894M42–4410–1240–426–8927298L44–4612–1442–448–109676102XL46–4814–1644–4610–1210080106

Use your bust measurement as the primary reference — particularly for dresses and tops. If your bust and waist fall into different size brackets, size for the bust and consider having the waist taken in if needed. It's a far easier alteration than anything involving seams under sequins.

How Different P.A.R.O.S.H. Pieces Fit

The brand spans a surprisingly broad range of categories. Here's how each one tends to behave:

Sequin and embellished dresses: The tightest fit in the range. These are structured, lined, and cut with minimal ease. Size up from your standard Italian conversion without hesitation — especially if you have a fuller bust or hips. This is genuinely their most popular category and also the one most likely to go wrong on size.
Silk and satin dresses: Slightly more forgiving due to the drape and fluidity of the fabric, but still cut close through the bodice. Go with your standard conversion, but check the bust measurement against your own first.
Knitwear and jumpers: The most relaxed category in the P.A.R.O.S.H. range. Some elasticity in the fabric gives you a small amount of flex. Most customers find their standard conversion works well here, unless the style is banded or very structured at the hem and cuffs.
Blazers and outerwear: Italian fit through the shoulders and arms — these are narrow. Size up if you have broader shoulders, a fuller upper arm, or if you plan to layer underneath. The shoulder seam is the one place where no amount of tailoring can save you.
Trousers and skirts: Cut slim at the waist and through the hips. Non-stretch fabrications are common, so precision matters. Use your hip measurement as the deciding factor — particularly for pencil or column shapes.

Where to Shop P.A.R.O.S.H. in the UK

P.A.R.O.S.H. is very well stocked on Farfetch and Net-a-Porter, both of which offer UK delivery and reliable returns policies — a genuine comfort when you're ordering Italian sizing from home. YOOX carries a strong selection of past-season pieces if you want to shop the brand at a discount. The brand's own website (parosh.com) ships internationally and offers free returns within 14 days, which takes away much of the anxiety around sizing. Browns Fashion and Harvey Nichols have also stocked the brand in recent seasons.

Price-wise, expect to pay £200–£500 for dresses and knitwear, rising to £600–£900 for outerwear. Sequin and embellished pieces sit at the top of that range. Sales on Farfetch and YOOX can bring things down considerably — well worth keeping an eye on.

Great Alternatives at Every Budget

P.A.R.O.S.H. occupies a distinctive space — Italian luxury with a sequin-heavy, vintage-inspired edge — and finding true like-for-like alternatives isn't easy. But here are my honest picks at every price point for women who love that bold, unapologetically dressed-up sensibility:

HIGH STREET & ACCESSIBLE

Zara — Consistently the strongest high street option for Italian-inflected occasion dressing. Their sequin and embellished pieces are frequently exceptional at the price, and the silhouettes often echo exactly the kind of bold glamour that P.A.R.O.S.H. does at a much higher price point.
Warehouse — Massively underrated for party and occasion dressing. Their embellished pieces and occasion-ready separates punch well above their price, and the fit tends to run more generously than Italian brands — a genuine relief after navigating P.A.R.O.S.H. sizing.
All Saints — For the edgier, more rock-inflected side of P.A.R.O.S.H.'s aesthetic. Strong on structured leather and suede pieces, silk slips, and elevated basics with genuine attitude. Good quality at the price.
Cos — A great pick for P.A.R.O.S.H.'s more minimal, architectural pieces. Clean Italian-adjacent aesthetic, excellent fabrication for the price, and a sizing that tends to be slightly more forgiving than true Italian sizing.
Topshop — Still available online via ASOS, and remains one of the best destinations for sequin and party occasion pieces at accessible prices. The range has broadened considerably in recent seasons.
Part Two — A Scandinavian brand that deserves far more attention in the UK. Beautifully considered knitwear and occasion separates with a quiet confidence to them. For the more understated end of P.A.R.O.S.H.'s range, this is a brilliant find.
Hush — Excellent for elevated everyday pieces with a grown-up sensibility. Not sequins and spectacle, but for P.A.R.O.S.H.'s more relaxed silk and knitwear side — quality fabrication, considered design, and UK sizing that's reliably accurate.

PREMIUM MID-RANGE

Reiss — Reliable, polished, and well-cut. Their occasion range has strong overlap with P.A.R.O.S.H.'s cleaner silhouettes — structured minis, elegant midis, tailored separates — and the quality to price ratio is genuinely solid.
Sandro — French brand with a Parisian take on the bold, occasion-driven aesthetic. Excellent for lace, embellishment, and structured occasion pieces. A natural stepping stone between the high street and full designer spend.
Ba&sh — Another French label worth knowing well. Playful, feminine, and consistently strong on prints and occasion dressing. The quality has improved markedly in recent seasons and the sizing, being French, tends to be slightly more generous than Italian.

LUXURY & DESIGNER

Temperley London — The closest British equivalent to the P.A.R.O.S.H. sensibility. Beautifully embellished occasion wear, rich fabrications, and an emphasis on artisanal detail that feels genuinely kindred to the Italian brand's ethos. If you love P.A.R.O.S.H. and want something British, Temperley is your answer.
Isabel Marant — For P.A.R.O.S.H.'s more rock-meets-luxury pieces. Marant does effortless Parisian glamour with a slightly undone quality that complements the Italian brand's more polished edge beautifully. A wardrobe staple for anyone who shops P.A.R.O.S.H.
Dolce & Gabbana — The obvious Italian luxury comparison for anyone drawn to P.A.R.O.S.H.'s maximalist, embellished pieces. Bold, unapologetic, and impeccably crafted. Significantly more expensive, but the aesthetic DNA is unmistakable.

INDEPENDENT & UNDER THE RADAR

La DoubleJ — An Italian brand that is nothing short of a revelation if you haven't come across it. Founded in Milan, it's built around bold archive prints, silk dresses, and a philosophy of joyful, unapologetic dressing that sits precisely in the same universe as P.A.R.O.S.H. The quality is exceptional and the pieces are genuinely distinctive — exactly the kind of brand you want to discover before everyone else does. Ships to the UK; note that sizing runs Italian and similarly slim.
Rotate Birger Christensen — A Danish brand that has become the go-to for fashion insiders who want statement occasion dressing with genuine craft behind it. Known for bold mini dresses, puff-sleeved styles, and sequin pieces with a joyful, maximalist energy. The design language is different from P.A.R.O.S.H. — more Danish exuberance than Italian precision — but if you love the sequin and celebration end of the Italian brand, Rotate will feel like a natural discovery. Widely available in the UK through Selfridges and Net-a-Porter.

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