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

By Ella Blake – Senior fashion stylist & Founder | Tellar – Always honest, unbiased, & unsponsored post

Rewritten runs broadly true to size, so in most cases you can order your usual dress size and feel confident it'll land well — the one consistent exception being a fuller bust, where I'd always nudge up a size. Because Rewritten is fundamentally a bridesmaid and occasionwear label rather than a casual high-street brand, the fit is cut to sit properly on the body, not to drape loosely, so getting your size right genuinely matters here.

I've styled enough wedding parties to know the particular dread of ordering five dresses for five very different friends and praying they all turn up right. So let me save you the group-chat meltdown and walk you through exactly how Rewritten fits.

The short answer on Rewritten's fit

Rewritten dresses are designed to be flattering across a genuinely inclusive range — UK 8 to 26 — and the brand itself recommends ordering your usual dress size. A few things worth knowing before you click buy:

Choose your size by your largest measurement. Whether that's bust, waist or hips, size to the biggest number, then tailor down if needed. This is the single most useful rule for occasionwear.
Bigger bust? Size up. Rewritten flags this themselves on fitted and wrap styles, and they're right to. A satin slip or cowl neck will pull across the chest if you size purely to your waist.
Between sizes? Size up for a more relaxed feel, or stay in your usual size for a closer fit through the waist. The wrap styles, like the Florence, have an adjustable tie that buys you wiggle room either way.
Alterations are expected, not a failure. Bridesmaid dresses come in one standard length (roughly 114cm waist-to-hem), so if you're petite, a hem-up is completely normal. Factor it in rather than panicking when it arrives long.

A note on the US numbering

Here's the bit that trips people up: Rewritten often references US dress sizes on its product pages, with the UK equivalent alongside. Don't let it spook you. The takeaway is simply that the dresses are cut to sit true once you're in the right size for your body — the label on the inside is just a number. Measure yourself properly with a soft tape across the fullest part of the bust, the natural waist and the widest part of the hips, then match to their chart on each product page. I cannot tell you how many fitting disasters I've watched unfold purely because someone guessed instead of measuring.

Style-by-style fit notes

Wrap dresses (e.g. Florence): the most forgiving cut in the range. The waist tie adjusts, so these are my go-to for a mixed-shape bridal party.
Slip and cowl styles (e.g. Brooklyn, Pollenca): beautiful but less forgiving through the bust and tummy. Size to your bust and have the waist taken in if needed.
Halter necks (e.g. Roma): support the bust well but can gape at the back — an easy tailoring fix.

My own Rewritten lesson came two summers ago: I ordered my usual size in a satin slip for a friend's wedding, ignored my own bust advice, and spent the speeches subtly holding my breath. Lesson learned — the satin doesn't lie, so size for the bust and take the waist in. The quality, for the record, was genuinely lovely; the fabric has real weight and the colours are gorgeous in person.

Where to shop if Rewritten isn't quite right

Rewritten is brilliant, but it's worth knowing your alternatives for occasion and event dressing. Here's where I'd send clients across every budget.

High street

Coast — the definitive high-street occasionwear name; structured, wedding-ready dresses that hold their shape.
Phase Eight — runs a dedicated bridesmaid edit and fits beautifully through the waist; reliably true to size.
Monsoon — strong on embellishment and inclusive sizing, a long-standing wedding-guest favourite.
Whistles — pared-back, modern slip and column dresses; cut slim, so size up if between.
Hobbs — tailored, grown-up occasion pieces with a generous, forgiving fit.
Ted Baker — feminine, fitted occasion dresses; they run snug, so I'd size up.
LK Bennett — polished mother-of-the-bride and wedding-guest styling with neat tailoring.

Premium

Reiss — sleek, architectural occasionwear; sizing is consistent and true.
Mint Velvet — relaxed-luxe event dresses with a softer, more forgiving fit.

Luxury & designer

Needle & Thread — the romantic, embellished bridesmaid and occasion specialist; fits delicately, so size up.
Self-Portrait — statement guipure-lace and structured event dresses; cut close, true to size.

Two to discover

Nadine Merabi — the independent UK label for showstopping embellished hen-do and party dressing; runs true with a fitted feel.
Omnes — a smaller sustainable British label doing affordable, easy-wearing occasion dresses with a relaxed fit.

Never guess your size again

Tellar is the UK's leading sizing tool — your body matched exactly to 1,500+ brands instantly. Measure once, using your bust, waist, hip or an existing brand size, and never squint at a size guide again.

Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket & more.
Always free, no downloads — it works straight in your browser.

Plus the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest. Unbiased. Independent. Always free — style advice, top picks and best brands.