What Is Sizing Like at Sabina Bilenko?

Sabina Bilenko runs true to size but cut on the snug, sculpted side — these are corseted, couture-leaning gowns made to hold the body in, so if you sit between two sizes or carry a fuller bust, size up. The label works to a standard UK scale of roughly 6 to 14, and because every piece is hand-finished in London, the fit is precise rather than forgiving. There's very little stretch and very little wiggle room, which is exactly the point of a dress like this.

I've put a lot of women into structured occasionwear over the years, and Bilenko sits firmly in that "this needs to fit properly or not at all" camp. So before you fall for one of those crystal-drenched gowns online, here's everything you actually need to know about the fit.

Who is Sabina Bilenko, and why does fit matter so much here?

Sabina Bilenko is a London-based luxury label, founded in 2021 by Sabina and her twin sister Diana, with roots in Uzbekistan and over a decade of couture experience behind it. Pieces are handmade by a small atelier of artisans using traditional craftsmanship — think structured corsetry, hand-applied crystals, tulle, and silk crepe. It's the kind of label you'll spot on a red carpet (Paris Hilton, Kaya Scodelario and Teyana Taylor have all worn it), with gowns typically landing between £2,000 and £5,000-plus.

Because so many styles are built around a boned or structured bodice, the fit behaves more like couture than ready-to-wear. That changes how you should buy it.

How Sabina Bilenko fits, in plain terms

The bodice is the deciding factor. Corset and structured-bust styles fit close and firm. If your bust is a UK D-cup or above, take the size that fits your bust and have the waist nipped — never squeeze the chest to make a label match.
The waist is genuinely fitted. These gowns are designed to cinch, so the waist measurement is where most women feel the tightness first. Between sizes? Size up.
Length runs long. The floor-length gowns assume a heel. If you're 5'4" or under, budget for a hem — it's an easy alteration and worth doing.
Midi and crepe styles are slightly more forgiving than the boned gowns, but still cut clean and close through the hip.
Sizing stops around a UK 14. The range is narrow, so this isn't an inclusive-fit brand — worth knowing before you set your heart on it.

My honest stylist rule for Bilenko: buy for your largest measurement and tailor everything else. A dress at this price should be taken to a seamstress as standard — I'd never let a client wear one straight off the rail.

A quick fitting-room confession

Years ago I put a bride's mother into a stunning boned gown for the wrong reason — she'd fallen for the size on the label rather than the fit on her body. She could barely breathe through the speeches, and I learned my lesson permanently: with corsetry, the number means nothing and the bodice means everything. My biggest styling wins since have all come from sizing up and tailoring in. It feels counter-intuitive, but a gown that skims and sculpts always beats one that strains.

Where to shop if you love the Bilenko look (at every budget)

Not everyone has £3,000 for a single gown — and you don't need it to capture that structured, occasion-ready feeling. Here's where I'd send clients across the price spectrum.

High street & accessible occasionwear

Coast — the UK's go-to for structured event dresses; brilliant for embellished, occasion-ready silhouettes at a fraction of the price.
Phase Eight — polished wedding-guest and black-tie styles with genuinely flattering, sturdy construction.
Ghost — for the softer, bias-cut and slip-gown end of eveningwear; beautifully feminine and forgiving.
Monsoon — strong on hand-embellished and beaded occasion pieces when you want sparkle without the spend.
Hobbs — refined, grown-up occasionwear with tailoring that holds its shape all evening.
Ted Baker — structured cocktail and corset-detail dresses with a bit of drama built in.
Whistles — pared-back, modern occasion dressing for anyone who prefers clean lines to crystals.
Reiss — sleek, sculpted event pieces that feel a notch more premium than the price tag.

Premium

LK Bennett — occasion specialists with elegant, considered tailoring for weddings and events.
ME+EM — clever, body-skimming occasion pieces with a focus on real-life flattery and fit.
Cefinn — modern, architectural event dressing that nods to that structured Bilenko line.
Maje — French-girl party dresses with embellishment, lace and a bit of edge.

Luxury & designer

Max Mara — for serious eveningwear with impeccable construction and a more generous, classic cut.
Ralph Lauren — red-carpet-worthy gowns with timeless tailoring, ideal if you want luxury that lasts decades.

Two left-field labels worth knowing

Halpern — a London independent obsessed with sequins, sculptural shapes and high drama; the closest spiritual cousin to Bilenko if you want something show-stopping but lesser-spotted.
Saloni — a London-based independent label doing beautiful prints, statement sleeves and occasion dresses with real personality.

Stop guessing your size — let Tellar do it for you

Sizing for structured, couture-style gowns is exactly where most of us come unstuck, and it's precisely why we built Tellar. It's the UK's leading sizing tool: measure once using your bust, waist, hip or an existing brand size, and your body is instantly matched across 1,500-plus brands. No more squinting at a size guide, ever.

Measure once — bust, waist, hip, or simply tell us a brand size you already own.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
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There's also the Tellar Fashion Hub — a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free: style advice, top picks and the best brands for every body and budget.

A few of my favourites to read next:

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Written by Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder of Tellar. Always honest, always unbiased, always free — and never sponsored.