What Is Sizing Like at Vicolo? Your Complete UK Fit Guide

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

Vicolo uses Italian sizing, which runs noticeably small compared to standard UK sizing — as a general rule, you'll need to size up two to three sizes from your usual UK label to find your correct Vicolo fit. So if you're a UK 12, you'll most likely be looking at an Italian 42, and potentially a 44 if you're fuller through the bust or hips. It sounds like a faff, but once you've cracked the conversion it genuinely opens up one of Italy's most underrated contemporary womenswear brands.

I stumbled across Vicolo properly a few years ago when a client came back from a trip to Bologna absolutely raving about this little brand she'd found. She'd bought a tweed mini skirt and a printed blouse and was desperate to order more online — but completely baffled by the sizing. We sat down together with a tape measure and the chart, and honestly, once you understand the Italian size logic, it clicks. She's been a loyal customer ever since. And I've been quietly recommending the brand to clients who want that effortlessly polished Italian aesthetic without paying Gucci prices.

Vicolo's Italian to UK Size Conversion

Italian sizing follows EU sizing conventions but has its own nuances — and Vicolo in particular is known for cutting their pieces on the slim side, very much in the Italian tradition of close, tailored fits. Use this table as your starting point, then always check your actual measurements against the specific product guide:

Italian (IT) SizeEU SizeUK SizeUS SizeBust (cm)Waist (cm)Hips (cm)34326280618636348483648938361068667924038128907195424014109475994442161298791034644181410283107

Important note: Many customers and reviewers flag that Vicolo cuts slim even within Italian sizing — so if you're between sizes, always go up rather than down. When in doubt, trust your measurements over the label.

How Vicolo Fits Across Different Garments

Dresses

Vicolo's dresses are where the brand really earns its reputation — structured mini dresses, elegant midi lengths, bold prints, and that unmistakable Italian attention to detail in the finish. The fit through the bodice and waist tends to be close, so if you carry more volume through the bust than the hips, size to your bust measurement and accept a little extra room below the waist. Their bodycon styles in particular are genuinely unforgiving in smaller sizes — size up without guilt. The reward is a dress that looks properly intentional rather than just thrown on.

Skirts

Vicolo's skirts — particularly their tweed, jacquard, and textured mini skirts — are a signature of the brand and well worth the sizing effort. They're cut straight through the hips with a fitted waist, so if you have a more pronounced hip-to-waist ratio, you may need to size up and have the waist taken in slightly. I know that sounds fiddly, but on the right body these skirts are genuinely stunning — worth the tweak.

Tops and Blouses

Printed blouses and feminine tops are another Vicolo strength, and these tend to fit slightly more generously than the skirts and dresses — which is a relief. If you're between sizes here, you could reasonably go true to the chart above. However, if you're a broader-shouldered build, size up — Italian womenswear brands consistently cut narrower across the shoulder than UK brands, and Vicolo is no exception.

Knitwear

Vicolo does beautiful knitwear — soft, textured, seasonal pieces that feel genuinely luxurious for the price point. Knitwear tends to be the most forgiving category for sizing, but their fitted jumpers and fine-knit styles still run close to the body in the Italian tradition. If you prefer an oversized or relaxed look, size up by one.

Jackets and Outerwear

Their structured jackets and blazers are cut slim through the body — not aggressively so, but enough that you'll want to ensure there's enough ease across the back and shoulders before committing to a size. Check measurements carefully here, and remember you may want to layer underneath in winter months, so factor that in.

The Vicolo Aesthetic — Is It Your Brand?

Vicolo sits in that brilliant sweet spot between accessible and aspirational. It's Italian contemporary womenswear with a personality — there are prints, there are textures, there's real thought in the design. It's not minimalist Scandi, it's not maximalist resort wear — it's that polished, effortlessly stylish middle ground that Italians seem to do better than anyone else on the planet. Think of it as the brand you discover on a trip to Milan and then spend the flight home obsessing over. If your wardrobe leans towards Whistles, Reiss, or the smarter end of the high street, Vicolo will slot right in — just with considerably more flair.

UK High Street, Premium & Designer Alternatives to Vicolo

Vicolo isn't widely available in UK stores, so having some reliable alternatives is essential. Here's where I'd point you depending on what you love most about the brand:

High Street:

Whistles — Consistently delivers that polished, grown-up femininity that Vicolo does so well. Whistles' tailored pieces and printed blouses are a natural landing spot for the Vicolo customer. UK sizing makes everything far more straightforward too.
Jigsaw — A seriously underrated high street brand for elevated, elegant dressing. Their knitwear and skirts particularly mirror Vicolo's aesthetic — quality fabrics, considered cuts, nothing throwaway.
French Connection — Strong for printed dresses and feminine occasion pieces at a mid-market price. Their bodycon and midi styles are perennial bestsellers for good reason.
Massimo Dutti — If you love Vicolo's Italian tailoring sensibility, Massimo Dutti is the closest high street equivalent. Structured, polished, beautifully made for the price point — and it runs to a similar sizing logic too.
Mint Velvet — Excellent for textured separates and print-forward pieces that suit the Vicolo customer perfectly. Their skirts and knitwear are particularly strong season to season.
Phase Eight — Brilliant for occasion-ready dresses and smart separates with that same feminine, polished finish. The quality consistently over-delivers on the price tag.
Hobbs — Classic, well-cut British femininity with an emphasis on quality fabrics and proper tailoring. If the structured Vicolo jacket or skirt is what draws you, Hobbs is the natural UK equivalent.
Claudie Pierlot — Brings a French-Italian meets Parisian energy that sits beautifully alongside Vicolo in any wardrobe. Particularly strong on printed dresses and feminine blouses with a directional edge.

Premium:

Me&Em — Impeccable quality, genuinely considered design, and a brand that gets the balance between relaxed and polished exactly right. A step up in investment but worth every penny.
Reiss — For the more tailored elements of the Vicolo wardrobe — structured blazers, clean-lined dresses — Reiss is reliably excellent and UK sizing throughout.

Luxury/Designer:

Max Mara — The gold standard of Italian womenswear for the investment buyer. If Vicolo is your entry point into Italian dressing, Max Mara is the destination you're heading towards. Impeccable tailoring, iconic fabrics, worth every penny of the price premium.

Independent & Left-field Picks:

Sartoria Italiana — A London-based brand bringing genuine Italian tailoring craft to the UK market at accessible prices. If you love the Vicolo skirt-and-blouse aesthetic but want something even more artisanal, this is a brilliant discovery.
Never Fully Dressed — A London independent that's been quietly building a cult following for its bold prints, feminine silhouettes and size-inclusive approach. Their printed midi dresses and wrap styles have that same confident, joyful energy as Vicolo at a very reasonable UK price point.

Stop Guessing — Get Your Exact Vicolo Size with Tellar

Italian sizing shouldn't be a barrier to great fashion. Tellar is the UK's leading free sizing tool — enter your measurements once and instantly find your correct size across 1,500+ brands including Italian and European labels. No more returns, no more sizing headaches.

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