What Is Sizing Like at Renata Brenha?

Renata Brenha runs largely true to size on a fairly standard XS–XXL scale — roughly a UK 6–8 for XS, a 10 for S, a 12–14 for M, a 16 for L and up from there — but the label only tells you half the story, because so many of her sculptural, draped and gathered pieces are cut deliberately voluminous. In other words, the number is honest; the silhouette is the bit you need to read properly. I’ve styled enough of these London-made, craft-led labels to know that “true to size” and “the shape you’re picturing” are not always the same thing — and Brenha is a brand where that really matters.

Who is Renata Brenha — and why fit behaves differently here

Renata Brenha is a Brazilian, London-based womenswear designer (Central Saint Martins, then an MA at the Royal College of Art, plus a residency at the Sarabande: Alexander McQueen Foundation). The whole ethos is built on repurposed and reclaimed textiles — tablecloths, curtains, sportswear, deadstock — reworked through smocking, pleating, ruching and crochet. That craft-first approach is exactly why fit isn’t a flat “size 12 equals size 12” situation.

The scale itself is standard. Stockists list XS as roughly a UK 6–8, S as a 10, M as a 12–14, L as a 16 and XL as an 18–20. If you normally know your number, start there.
The cut is where the drama lives. Many dresses and tops are designed oversized on purpose — think wide ruched waistbands, dolman sleeves and draped volume. On one of the taffeta dresses, the brand’s own model is 178cm and a UK 8, and she’s styled in a Medium. That should tell you everything: the volume is the design, not a sizing error.
Structured pieces behave. The smock-panel poplin shirts and the more tailored midi dresses sit much closer to body, so here you genuinely can take your usual size.

How I’d actually size a Renata Brenha piece

My honest, hard-won rule with artisanal labels like this: buy for your frame, not your habits. I once sized up “to be safe” in a similarly voluminous smocked dress for a wedding and spent the whole day looking like I’d been swallowed by a beautiful lampshade — lovely fabric, wrong proportions on me. Lesson learned.

Voluminous / draped styles: take your true size, sometimes even size down if you’re between two and want the volume to read as intentional rather than borrowed.
Smocked or stretchy panels: these are forgiving across a couple of sizes, so prioritise where the smocking sits on your body over the label.
Tailored shirts and fitted midis: straight to your usual number.
Resale pieces: a lot of Brenha turns up pre-loved, where labels can be worn or missing — measure flat and compare, don’t trust a faded tag.

Where to find a similar look on the high street

Brenha is firmly designer-priced, so if you want the textural, sculptural, slightly hand-made feeling without the designer outlay, these are the high-street names I’d send you to — chosen because they actually do this aesthetic well, not just because they’re famous:

COS — the obvious starting point for sculptural, architectural shapes and clean volume.
Toast — craft-led, natural fabrics and that quiet artisanal hand Brenha fans love.
Whistles — considered, contemporary cuts when you want shape with restraint.
Anthropologie — the place for texture, smocking and romantic print.
Mango — punches well above its price for draped, statement occasion pieces.
Nobody’s Child — sustainable credentials and pretty, easy volume.
Monsoon — underrated for hand-embellished, textural event dressing.

Premium picks if you want a step up

Ganni — playful Scandi prints and that slightly off-beat, fashion-forward energy.
Sézane — French, feminine and beautifully made for the money.
By Malene Birger — elevated drama and sculptural eveningwear.
Cefinn — for the polished, structured end of the look.

Luxury & designer alternatives

Totême — minimalist, architectural and investment-led.
Max Mara — for serious volume and drape done at the very top end.
Joseph — clean, fluid tailoring with quiet luxury fabrics.

Two left-field independents worth knowing

If it’s genuinely the upcycled, one-of-a-kind craft spirit you’re after, these are the two I’d whisper to a client:

Story mfg. — a British label built on natural dyes, hand-craft and slow, joyful textiles.
Cawley — a London studio working in deadstock and beautifully made, considered separates.

Never Guess Your Size Again

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Written by Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder, Tellar.