What Is Sizing Like at The Vampire's Wife? The Complete Fit Guide

By Ella Blake — Fashion Stylist | Tellar Fashion Hub — Always honest, unbiased & unsponsored

The Vampire's Wife runs small — often a full size, sometimes more. If you own a piece or are hunting one down on the resale market, the golden rule is: go up at least one size, and if you're between sizes or have a fuller bust, go up two.

I'll be honest — I've coveted a Vampire's Wife dress for years. When I finally got my hands on a Falconetti in a sample sale (yes, I was absolutely that person refreshing the page), I naively ordered my usual size. It arrived, I wrestled it on with difficulty, and spent the whole evening not quite able to breathe properly. Stunning dress. Wrong size. It happens to everyone with this brand, and I want to spare you the same evening of mild suffocation.

Important note: The Vampire's Wife sadly ceased trading in May 2024, after a decade of creating some of the most breathtaking dresses British fashion has ever produced. Founder Susie Cave cited the upheaval in the wholesale market following the collapse of key stockists like Matchesfashion. The brand's pieces are still widely available through resale platforms — Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, eBay, and The Cirkel — making this sizing guide just as relevant now as ever. In fact, more so: you can't try before you buy, so knowing your size is everything.

Why The Vampire's Wife Sizing Is So Tricky

Founder Susie Cave was a house model for Azzedine Alaïa — and that tells you everything you need to know. These dresses are constructed to hug, to sculpt, to present the female form in a very specific way. There is no stretch, no give, no forgiving jersey. The structured bodices are cut precisely, the waistlines are defined and the high necklines mean there's no wiggle room.

The silhouettes that made the brand famous — the Falconetti, the Festival, the Cinderella — all share a few characteristics that make fit particularly sensitive:

Structured, boned or closely fitted bodices with minimal ease
Defined waistlines that sit precisely — not loosely
Dramatic shoulders and voluminous sleeves that contrast with a nipped-in fit through the torso
Non-stretch fabrics: velvet, metallic lamé, Liberty print cottons, silk-blend chiffon
High necklines that leave no room for bust adjustment

The result? Absolutely magnificent on the right size. Absolutely unwearable on the wrong one.

The Vampire's Wife Size Conversion Table

The brand used UK sizing as its base. Here's how that translates across EU and US sizing:

UK SizeEU SizeUS SizeBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)63428061868364846591103868869951240892739914421096771031644121008110718461410889113

Practical sizing tip: Because these dresses run small — often a full size — if your measurements place you between a UK 12 and 14, size to the 14. The worst that can happen is it's slightly generous through the waist; that's always more fixable than a dress that won't zip.

Garment-by-Garment Fit Breakdown

Not every Vampire's Wife style behaves the same. Here's what you need to know per silhouette:

The Falconetti DressThe most iconic piece the brand ever made — the dress Princess Kate wore, the dress Florence Welch lived in, the dress that launched a thousand Vestiaire searches. The Falconetti has a structured bodice with a romantic neckline and full, sweeping skirt. Bust and waist are critical fit points. Size up if in doubt, and particularly if you have a full bust — the bodice doesn't give.

The Festival DressKnown for its dramatic full skirt and romantic silhouette, the Festival runs very true to the brand's small sizing. The waist is the most unforgiving part. Hips, oddly, are easier to manage because of the volume in the skirt.

The Cinderella DressHigh-neck, long-sleeved, often in velvet or rich cotton blends. The bust and ribcage are the critical measurements here — not the hips. The sleeve length is generous so height matters less than with other styles.

Shirts and SeparatesThe brand also produced blouses and tailored pieces in its later years. These tend to be slightly more generous than the dresses — but still, size up from your usual if you're between sizes.

Shopping The Vampire's Wife Now — The Resale Guide

Since the brand closed in 2024, the only way to get your hands on a piece is through the resale market — and it is absolutely worth it. A few tips for buying second-hand:

Always ask the seller for the actual garment measurements, not just the label size — label inconsistency was reported even when the brand was trading
A size 12 label does not mean a UK 12 in fit — many pieces were found to fit a UK 8–10 despite the label
Velvet and structured wovens do not stretch in wearing — what you see is what you get
The Falconetti is the most widely available on resale; stock up if you find your size

Best places to find them: Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal, eBay, Vinted (occasionally), and The Cirkel.

Brands to Shop for a Similar Aesthetic — High Street Picks

The Vampire's Wife occupied a very specific niche: gothic romanticism, structured silhouettes, dramatic sleeves, and luxurious fabrics. Finding something comparable on the high street isn't easy — but it's not impossible. Here's where I'd look:

Ghost — Long the spiritual cousin of TVW on the high street. Fluid, feminine dresses in vintage-inspired prints with proper structure. Very wearable, very underrated.
Monsoon — For occasion dressing with drama: velvet, rich florals, puff sleeves. Not as dark in aesthetic but similar in its commitment to romantic occasion wear.
All Saints — If you want the gothic element without the frills, All Saints does structural, dark-palette dressing in quality fabrics better than almost anyone at its price point.
Anthropologie — Romantic prints, vintage-inspired silhouettes, beautiful fabrics. The editorial styling is often strikingly close in spirit.
Phase Eight — The structured occasion dresses here, particularly in velvet and silk-look fabrics, are genuinely well-made and beautifully cut for the UK market.
Reiss — For the cleaner, more architectural TVW look. Reiss does dramatic sleeve moments and precise waist definition very well.
Ted Baker — Floral, feminine, occasion-ready with drama in the details. The embellished styles particularly nod to the TVW world.
Whistles — Quieter than TVW in energy but equally quality-led in construction and fabric choice. A good option for understated romantic dressing.
Urban Outfitters — For younger, more accessible gothic romanticism. Their velvet and floral midi dresses often have the same high-neck, puff-sleeve DNA.

Independent Labels Worth Knowing

If you're genuinely bereft over The Vampire's Wife closing — and many of us are — here are two smaller brands who are doing something spiritually similar:

Temperley London — Alice Temperley has been quietly producing some of the most romantic, structured occasion dressing in the UK for two decades. Exquisite craftsmanship, genuine drama, and a similarly devoted celebrity following. Not budget, but worth every penny for the right occasion.
Needle & Thread — The dreamy, romantic eveningwear brand beloved by fashion editors who can't quite stretch to couture but want something genuinely beautiful. Their embellished midi dresses and high-neck gowns hit the same emotional notes.

Premium & Luxury Alternatives

For those looking to spend in the TVW price bracket or above:

Erdem — The closest aesthetic match in the designer market. Romantic florals, structured bodices, drama in every silhouette. If you love TVW, you will love Erdem.
Zimmermann — Australian designer with a similarly romantic sensibility, exceptional fabric quality, and a cult following. More sunshine than gothic, but the construction and drama are comparable.
Self-Portrait — Accessible luxury that delivers structure, occasion-readiness and a sense of ceremony in every piece.

Never guess your size in a designer brand again — use Tellar

If you're hunting The Vampire's Wife on the resale market, or shopping any of the brands above, getting your size exactly right is everything. That's where Tellar.co.uk comes in.

Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool — matching your body measurements to 1,500+ brands instantly. No downloads, no subscriptions, always free.

Measure once (bust, waist, hip) — or use a size you already know in another brand
Get your precise size in any brand — including designer, premium and high street
Works instantly in-browser — no app needed

Visit Tellar.co.uk →Use the Store Size Lookup Tool →

About the Tellar Fashion Hub

The Tellar Fashion Hub is a library of thousands of free fashion posts written by our expert stylists. No sponsored content. No adverts. No subscriptions. Just honest, independent fashion advice — from sizing guides and brand breakdowns to occasion dressing, body shape guides and trend edits.

More from the Tellar Fashion Hub: