What Is Sizing Like at Saloni?

By Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder

Saloni runs small and slim, particularly through the bust and waist, so for most people I'd recommend sizing up — though it depends heavily on the fabric, because the rigid silk styles run noticeably tight while the velvet and stretchier crepe pieces sit much closer to true to size. That single caveat is the thing nobody tells you, and it's exactly why two Saloni dresses in your "usual" size can feel like two completely different brands.

I've dressed enough Saloni on shoots and on real clients to treat the size label with healthy suspicion. The honest version: this is a London label that fits like a designer label, not a high-street one. Beautiful, deliberate, a little unforgiving — and absolutely worth getting right before you part with £350–£800.

A quick confession before we start

My most expensive fitting-room mistake was a printed silk Saloni in my go-to UK 10. The fabric had zero give, I couldn't get the back zip past my ribcage, and I'd already snipped the tags off the dust bag in excitement (rookie error). The 12 fit like a dream. Lesson learned, and now passed on to you: with Saloni's silk, your ego size and your actual size are rarely the same number.

Why Saloni sizing trips people up

Saloni Lodha built this brand on Indian craftsmanship and bold British print, and that artistry is also why the fit isn't uniform — the cut follows the cloth. Here's what actually drives the variation:

Rigid silk runs small. No stretch, fitted bodice, cut close at the bust and midsection. This is where most people need to size up.
Velvet is more forgiving. Heavier, with a touch of give, so the winter pieces tend to sit true to size.
Crepe falls in between. A little movement in the fabric means you can often take your standard size.
The bodice is the pinch point. Saloni flatters an A–C cup beautifully; fuller busts will almost always want to size up.
Hips are usually the easy bit. Many shapes leave comfortable room through the hip, so it's rarely your sticking point.

Translation: if you've ever bought a Saloni 10 in one style and needed a 12 in another, that isn't your body being inconsistent — it's the fabric.

How to get your Saloni size right

Buy for your fabric, not your label size. Check whether the dress is silk, crepe or velvet first — it tells you more than the size tab ever will.
Know your three measurements. Bust, waist and hip, taken honestly with a soft tape. Saloni's individual product pages give style-specific fit notes worth reading.
Size up in rigid silk if you're a D-cup or above. There's no stretch to rescue you, and the bodice is where it'll fail.
Mind the signature Shapes. The fitted Camille and Lea sit closer to the body than a fuller Fleur, so don't assume one Shape behaves like the next.

A genuine styling win to balance out my zip disaster: I put a bride's mum in the crepe Fleur in her true size for a marquee wedding, no alterations needed, and she's since worn it to two more events. When the fabric and the Shape match the body, Saloni is one of the most flattering things you can put on.

Where else to shop the Saloni look

If you love the printed, occasion-led Saloni aesthetic but want options at different price points, these are the brands I actually reach for on shoots — chosen for prints and event dressing specifically, not just name recognition.

High street

Ghost — bias-cut, slinky printed dresses with that same fluid, feminine drape; the closest high-street feel to a silk Saloni.
Whistles — modern, painterly prints in clean, polished cuts that photograph beautifully at events.
Monsoon — the long-standing occasion-print specialist, strong on embellishment and wedding-guest pieces.
Phase Eight — reliable wedding-guest and event dresses with a flattering, considered fit.
Coast — statement occasionwear at an accessible price, great for a one-off event.
Anthropologie — romantic, bold prints and an artistic, slightly bohemian eye that echoes Saloni's spirit.
Hobbs — tailored, grown-up occasion dresses for when you want structure over flounce.
Mango — trend-led printed dresses that punch well above their price for a single season.

Premium

Ganni — playful, statement prints with a cool Scandi edge for those who want their occasion dress to feel modern.
Sezane — the Parisian touch; elevated florals and softer prints with lovely fabrication and finish.

Luxury / designer

By Malene Birger — print-rich, beautifully cut designer pieces with the same artisanal feel and event-ready polish.
Max Mara — for the more restrained luxury buyer; impeccable tailoring and fabric when you want quiet impact over print.

Two left-field independents I love

Kitri — a London independent doing bold, joyful prints and limited drops; genuinely Saloni-adjacent for a fraction of the cost.
Olivia Rubin — colour, sequins and print with real personality, perfect if you want a standout dress nobody else will be wearing.

Stop guessing your Saloni size

Saloni's fabric-led sizing is exactly the kind of thing Tellar.co.uk exists to solve. It's the UK's leading free sizing tool — match your body to 1,500+ brands instantly and never squint at a size guide again.

Measure once using bust, waist and hip — or just tell us your size in a brand you already know.
Use the Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

Find My Saloni Size →

More from the Tellar Fashion Hub

The Tellar Fashion Hub is a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists — honest, unbiased, independent and always free. Style advice, top picks and the best brands, with no sponsored noise. A few of my favourites to read next:

Honest, unbiased and never sponsored — just one stylist's genuine take. Get the fit right first time, and Saloni will reward you every time you wear it.