What Is Sizing Like at Roberto Festa Milano?

Roberto Festa Milano runs true to Italian sizing, which typically comes up one size smaller than a standard UK size — so if you're a UK 12, you'll almost certainly need an IT 44. It's one of those brands where knowing this upfront saves you a lot of frustration, and once you've cracked the sizing logic, dressing in Roberto Festa becomes an absolute pleasure.

I came across Roberto Festa Milano a few years ago whilst browsing a Milanese boutique on a work trip — one of those wonderful rabbit holes you fall down when you're meant to be scouting trends for a client but end up completely sidetracked by a perfectly structured coat. The quality is striking: clean lines, luxurious Italian fabrics, and an overall aesthetic that sits somewhere between understated elegance and quiet confidence. It's the kind of brand that never shouts, yet always gets noticed.

Understanding Roberto Festa Milano's Sizing

Roberto Festa Milano uses Italian sizing conventions, which run smaller than UK sizes. The brand caters predominantly to women, with sizing typically ranging from IT 36 through to IT 50, covering UK 8 to UK 18. Their tailoring and structured pieces especially can feel slightly snug across the chest and shoulders if you're between sizes — always worth sizing up if you're a broader-shouldered build.

Here's a quick reference conversion table to help you navigate:

Italian (IT)UK SizeUS SizeEU SizeBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)IT 36UK 8US 4EU 36826288IT 38UK 10US 6EU 38866692IT 40UK 12US 8EU 40907096IT 42UK 14US 10EU 429474100IT 44UK 16US 12EU 449878104IT 46UK 18US 14EU 4610383109IT 48UK 20US 16EU 4810888114

Top tip: always size up one from your usual UK size when ordering Roberto Festa. A UK 14 woman should start with IT 44 — and if the garment has a defined waist or tailored cut, don't be surprised if IT 46 is the smarter call for comfort and silhouette.

How Different Garments Fit

Not all Roberto Festa pieces size the same way, and this is where the brand genuinely rewards a little research:

Coats & Outerwear: These tend to be the most forgiving pieces in the collection. The cuts are often slightly relaxed or structured with enough ease that your standard IT conversion will work well. These are the pieces I'd feel most confident ordering in your usual converted size.
Knitwear: Roberto Festa does exceptional knitwear — fine gauge Italian yarns that feel incredible. Depending on the construction, these can be close-fitting, so sizing up here is wise if you prefer a more relaxed drape.
Tailored Blazers & Jackets: Go up a size. Full stop. Their blazers have narrow shoulders relative to UK proportions, and the last thing you want is a divine jacket you can't actually button.
Trousers & Skirts: Generally convert one-to-one with the Italian-to-UK rule, but check the waist measurement carefully. Italian luxury brands often cut a smaller waist-to-hip ratio than UK brands assume.
Dresses: Follow the standard sizing up rule, and pay particular attention to the bust measurement if you're fuller-busted. The brand's dresses can be quite structured across the chest.

My Honest Styling Take on Roberto Festa Milano

What I genuinely love about Roberto Festa is the restraint. This is not a brand that's trying to trend-hop or shout for attention on Instagram. The pieces have a quiet luxury to them — the kind of wardrobe investment that looks just as relevant in five years as it does today. It's a brand I'd recommend to clients who are building a considered capsule wardrobe rather than buying for the season.

Stylistically, I'd pair their tailored pieces with clean basics — a fine merino roll-neck underneath a structured Roberto Festa blazer is a combination I've put together for more than one client and never had anyone walk away unhappy. Their outerwear especially translates brilliantly with everything from tailored trousers to relaxed jeans.

The colour palette tends to be sophisticated and largely neutral — rich creams, slate greys, deep navies, warm caramels — so these pieces work as anchors in any wardrobe rather than statement moments you tire of quickly.

Where to Shop If You Love the Roberto Festa Aesthetic

Roberto Festa Milano is a boutique Italian brand with limited global stockists, which is part of its appeal — but it does mean you'll need to plan ahead for sizing. If you love the elevated Italian minimalism but want alternatives that are more accessible or budget-friendly, here are my picks across different tiers:

HIGH STREET PICKS

Massimo Dutti — The closest high street equivalent to Italian luxury minimalism. Their tailoring is genuinely impressive and the fabrics punch above the price point.
COS — For the architectural, clean-line aesthetic. COS does quiet fashion better than almost anyone at the high street level.
Jigsaw — Understated, grown-up British brand with a similar restrained elegance. Particularly good for knitwear and outerwear.
Whistles — Reliable for well-cut, neutral pieces that work as capsule wardrobe staples. Their coats are consistently strong.
Me&Em — Brilliant for refined everyday pieces with clean silhouettes. A real gap-filler if you love Italian minimalism but need British sizing ease.
Reiss — Strong on tailoring and structured outerwear. The quality has improved considerably and the fits tend to be more generous than Italian labels.
Phase Eight — Worth looking at for occasion-ready pieces with a refined, feminine sensibility. Good quality for the price point.

PREMIUM PICKS

LK Bennett — Polished, occasion-appropriate pieces with strong outerwear. A firm favourite for clients who want sophistication without going full designer.
Ted Baker — Good for the feminine, detailed end of refined dressing — particularly dresses and occasion-ready styles.
Hobbs — Consistently reliable for quality knitwear, coats, and workwear with a classic British sensibility.

INDEPENDENT & LEFT-FIELD PICKS

Aeron — A Hungarian contemporary womenswear brand producing beautifully structured, architectural pieces with a very similar quiet luxury aesthetic to Roberto Festa. Exceptional quality and far less well known than it deserves to be.
Lareida — A small Swiss label making refined knitwear and sophisticated everyday pieces. Impeccably made, understated, and the kind of discovery that makes you feel very smug indeed.

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