What Is Sizing Like at Safiyaa?

By Ella Blake – Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder | Tellar – Always honest, unbiased, & unsponsored post

Safiyaa fits broadly true to size, but it's cut to sit on you like a second skin, so if you're between sizes, curvier through the bust and waist, or you simply want to breathe at dinner, size up. That's the honest version, and after years of zipping clients into that famous heavy crepe for galas, weddings and one very memorable awards night, it's the advice I'd stake my reputation on.

Safiyaa isn't a high-street brand you order on a whim. It's demi-couture – founded by Daniela Karnuts in 2011, made-to-order in a London atelier, and priced anywhere from around £400 to well over £2,000. When you're spending that, getting the size right first time isn't a nicety, it's the whole game. So let me talk you through exactly how it fits.

The short answer on Safiyaa sizing

The thing you have to understand about Safiyaa is the fabric. That signature heavy crepe (a polyester-elastane blend) is engineered to sculpt – it smooths, holds and flatters like the world's most glamorous shapewear. Two things follow from that:

It's meant to feel snug. The crepe is designed to mould to you, and it gives roughly half a size with wear. A piece that feels firm in the fitting room will settle beautifully after an hour on.
It's unforgiving if you're even slightly off. Because the cut is so precise – often no zips, no give in the structure – there's nowhere for a borrowed inch to hide.

One more practical note: the main Safiyaa site sells in French sizing (FR), while some stockists list in UK sizing. Always check which chart you're reading before you commit – an FR 38 and a UK 12 are not the same conversation.

How it fits, piece by piece

Safiyaa's range is fairly focused – gowns, jumpsuits, separates – so here's how each behaves:

Cape gowns: The hero pieces. True to size on the body, but cut long to clear a high heel. Budget for a hem alteration unless you're tall – I've never once put a client in a Safiyaa gown without a tailor's pin involved.
Jumpsuits: Some of the most flattering one-piece tailoring going. True to size for most, but if you're long in the torso, try the next size and have the leg taken up rather than fighting a short rise.
Structured dresses & tops: These run the slightest bit small through the bust and waist. Athletic or curvier shapes almost always prefer sizing up here.
Separates (peplum tops, crepe trousers): The most forgiving way in. Because you're buying top and bottom independently, you can finally size each half to your actual body rather than compromising.

A win and a fail from my own styling diary

The win: a mother-of-the-bride who'd convinced herself she "couldn't do" a column silhouette. I put her in a one-shoulder cape gown, one size up from her usual, lightly taken in at the waist by a tailor. The crepe did the rest. She cried, the photographer loved her, and she's worn it twice since – which, at that price, is exactly the cost-per-wear maths I want.

The fail – and it was mine to own. Early on I let a client order her "normal" size in a fitted Safiyaa midi for an embassy do, trusting the true-to-size label without factoring in that she'd been weight-training all spring. It zipped, just, but she couldn't sit comfortably through dinner. Lesson burned in permanently: with sculpting crepe, your recent body matters more than the number on your last frock. Now I measure, every single time.

Brilliant brands to shop if Safiyaa isn't quite right

Maybe the budget's not there this season, or you want the sculpted-occasion look without the made-to-order wait. These are the labels I reach for – all chosen because they share Safiyaa's polished, grown-up glamour rather than just being "a dress".

On the high street

Coast – the UK's reliable occasion workhorse; structured bardot and cape styles that photograph beautifully.
Karen Millen – the closest high-street cousin to that body-conscious, tailored Safiyaa line.
Ted Baker – precise occasion tailoring with a bit of drama in the detail.
Forever New – Australian-born, big on draped and one-shoulder eveningwear.
French Connection – sleeker, pared-back column dressing when you want quiet impact.
Chi Chi London – affordable structured gowns for when you need glamour on a budget.
Nobody's Child – sustainable, and surprisingly strong on elegant occasion shapes now.

Two independents worth knowing

Galvan London – my left-field favourite here; sculpting jersey and slip-cut eveningwear that shares Safiyaa's second-skin philosophy almost exactly.
Saloni – London-based, brilliant for occasion pieces with personality when you want to step away from the crowd.

Premium step-up

Self-Portrait – signature for occasion dressing that still feels modern and editorial.
Solace London – architectural, sculpted gowns at a notch below designer pricing.

Luxury & designer

Roland Mouret – the master of sculpting tailoring; if you love how Safiyaa engineers a silhouette, this is your other home.
Alex Perry – Australian, all crepe drama and red-carpet architecture – a true Safiyaa kindred spirit.

My final word

Safiyaa is one of the most genuinely flattering labels I dress people in – but its magic depends entirely on the fit. Buy true to size if you're confident in your measurements and you love a body-skimming line; size up if you're between sizes, curvier through the middle, or you simply want to enjoy your evening. And whatever you do, factor in a hem on the gowns. Get it right, and you'll feel like the most polished person in the room. Get it wrong, and you'll spend the night holding your breath. I know which one I'd choose.

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