What Is Sizing Like at Shatha Essa?

Shatha Essa runs largely true to size with a generous, forgiving cut, so most women can buy their usual size with confidence. The label uses alpha sizing (XS to XL) rather than UK numbers, and because so much of the collection is built around flowing kaftans, capes and A-line maxi dresses, there's often a little breathing room built in. The more structured pieces, like the tailored shirt dresses, sit closer to the body, so those are the only ones I'd think twice about. If you've ever ordered a designer kaftan and swum in it, or squeezed into a "one size fits all" abaya that very much did not, this guide is for you.

Who Is Shatha Essa?

Shatha Essa is a Dubai-based womenswear house founded in 2016 by Emirati designer Shatha Essa Al Mulla. It's modern modestwear at its most polished: hand-embroidered kaftans, sculptural capes, box-pleated tulle and long, elegant evening dresses, much of it handmade in Dubai. It's stocked at Harrods, Net-a-Porter, Farfetch and Harvey Nichols, so we're firmly in luxury territory, with most pieces landing between roughly £400 and £2,800. This is occasion dressing you keep for years, not a throwaway buy.

How Shatha Essa Sizing Actually Fits

Here's the honest stylist breakdown, drawn from the brand's own size guide, retailer fit notes and the cut of the garments themselves:

True to size overall — order your normal size and you'll be right the vast majority of the time. The house model wears an M, which is a useful anchor.
Generous through the body — kaftans, capes and A-line maxis are designed to skim, not cling, so they're very forgiving across the bust, waist and tummy.
Long lengths — many maxi styles measure around 142–145cm shoulder-to-hem, so they're cut for taller frames or for wearing with a heel. Shorter? Factor in a hem.
Structured styles fit closer — the shirt dresses and waisted pieces are the exception; if you're between sizes here, size up.
Sizing runs S–XL, with some styles starting at XS, so check each product page rather than assuming the full range.

My one real-world tip: with voluminous designer pieces, your shoulders and bust are what matter, not your waist. I once styled a client into a stunning embroidered cape for a wedding and we sized down because the shoulder line was the only fixed point, everything below just floated. Measure your bust and shoulders, match those to the chart, and let the silhouette do the rest. And do use the free returns, because at this price point you want to try two sizes side by side on your own body, in your own mirror.

Where to Shop for the Shatha Essa Look

If you love the elegant, modest, occasion-led feel but want options across budgets, these are the brands I'd actually send a client to. I've matched them to Shatha Essa's world of embellished maxis, kaftans and refined eveningwear.

High Street

Monsoon — the high-street home of embellished kaftans and beaded occasion maxis; the closest spiritual cousin to Shatha Essa.
Phase Eight — beautifully cut occasion and mother-of-the-bride dresses with that grown-up, special-event polish.
Coast — go-to for floor-length evening gowns and embellishment without the designer price tag.
Hobbs — elegant, ladylike tailoring and event dresses that feel considered rather than fast.
Mango — quietly brilliant flowing maxis and a genuinely good modest/kaftan edit each season.
Whistles — refined, minimal occasionwear in lovely fabrics for a less-is-more take.
Boden — pretty prints and modest, easy maxi shapes that suit a daytime celebration.

Premium

Reiss — sleek, sophisticated eveningwear with sharp tailoring for a more pared-back occasion look.
Me&Em — clever, flattering drape and elegant column dresses; one of the best for graceful, covered-up glamour.
Ghost — that signature bias-cut, fluid satin that drapes beautifully and photographs like a dream.

Luxury / Designer

Max Mara — masterful kaftans, capes and fluid eveningwear in the most gorgeous fabrics; a true Shatha Essa peer.
Totême — minimalist Scandi luxury for when you want clean, architectural elegance over embellishment.
By Malene Birger — romantic, embellished, slightly bohemian occasionwear with real artistry.

Two Independents Worth Knowing

Aab — a London modest-fashion specialist doing elegant abayas, kaftans and maxi dresses with a contemporary edge; a brilliant, lower-key alternative.
Beulah London — ethically made, beautifully feminine occasion dresses loved by people who want their eveningwear to mean something.

A quick fail to learn from: years ago I bought a heavily beaded maxi in my "safe" size for an evening event and didn't account for the weight of the embellishment dragging the shoulders down. It sat all wrong. With brands like Shatha Essa, where the handwork is the whole point, always check the shoulder fit first — that's where structured beading either works or it doesn't.

How Tellar Takes the Guesswork Out of It

This is exactly why I built Tellar, the UK's leading sizing tool. Your body, matched exactly to over 1,500 brands instantly, so you never have to squint at a size guide again. It's always honest, always unbiased, always free, and there's nothing to download — it works right in your browser.

Measure once using your bust, waist and hip, or simply tell us your size in a brand you already wear.
Use our Store Size Lookup tool to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more.
Always free, no downloads, no faff — just a fit you can trust before you hit buy.

There's also the Tellar Fashion Hub: a library stacked with free posts from our top stylists. Honest, unbiased, independent and always free, covering style advice, top picks and the best brands for every body. A few of our most-loved guides:

The short version: Shatha Essa is a safe, true-to-size buy with a forgiving, elegant cut, just mind the length and the structured styles. Get the shoulders right, trust your usual size, and let those beautiful Dubai-made silhouettes do the talking.

— Ella Blake, Senior Fashion Stylist & Founder, Tellar

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