What Is Sizing Like at Victor Victoria?

Victor Victoria runs small, sizes on the continental (French/Italian) system — 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 — and the cut runs slim and tailored, so the pieces tend to wear a touch smaller and narrower than the number suggests. As a rough guide a 38 lands around a UK 10, a 40 around a UK 12 and a 42 around a UK 14, but if you're between sizes, or you carry a little width on the hip or bust, take the next size up — particularly in the trousers and anything structured.

That's the headline. Now let me give you the detail I'd give a client standing in the fitting room, because Victor Victoria is one of those labels where the number on the ticket really doesn't tell the whole story.

Who Victor Victoria actually is

It helps to know what you're buying. Victor Victoria is a Belgian luxury label out of Kortrijk, with ready-to-wear shaped by designer Marjolijn Van den Heuvel, who came up through houses like Yves Saint Laurent and Maison Margiela. You can feel that pedigree in the clothes: precise tailored trousers, clean cocktail dresses, beautifully soft knits. It's quiet, grown-up, European elegance rather than anything trend-chasing — and that tailoring background is exactly why the fit reads sharp rather than generous.

How the fit really runs, piece by piece

The continental numbers are only half the picture. The cut is where people get caught out:

Tailored trousers: the slimmest, least forgiving thing in the range. Cut close through the hip and thigh with a neat waist. If you're in doubt, size up here before anywhere else.
Dresses & tailoring: defined at the waist and built for a clean line, so they reward your true measurement rather than your "I'll lose half a stone" measurement. Order to your bust if you're fuller on top.
Knitwear: the most relaxed category and the easiest entry point. The soft knits have natural give, so your usual number generally behaves — take your normal size unless you like a loose, slouchy drape.

One more practical note: because it's a premium label, a lot of the stock you'll find sits on resale and boutique sites in continental numbering only. Don't panic when there's no UK size on the label — that's normal, not a mislabel.

What to do if you're between sizes

Buy to the widest part of you — usually hip or bust — and have the waist nipped if needed. Taking a waist in is a five-minute job for a tailor; letting a slim hip out often isn't possible.
For trousers and fitted dresses, size up. For knits, stay put.
If you're shopping second-hand, ask the seller for the flat waist and hip measurements in centimetres rather than trusting the label number. With a slim-cut label this matters more than usual.

A quick confession on this one. Early in my styling days I ordered a pair of beautifully cut Belgian tailored trousers in my "normal" continental size for a client, didn't check the cut, and they wouldn't go past her thigh — gorgeous fabric, completely unwearable. We sized up one, had the waist taken in by a centimetre, and they became the trousers she wore to every meeting for two years. The lesson stuck: with sharp European tailoring, fit to your frame and let a tailor handle the rest.

Where else to shop the Victor Victoria look

If you love the clean, tailored, quietly-luxe feel but want options across budgets, these are the brands I'd actually send you to.

On the high street

Cos — the closest high-street match for that architectural, minimalist European line.
Massimo Dutti — elevated tailoring and soft-luxe knits with a continental cut and feel.
Jigsaw — refined British tailoring and trousers that hold their shape.
Whistles — sharp, modern minimalism for the cocktail-dress end.
Reiss — polished occasionwear and tailoring if you want a little more structure.
Hobbs — reliable tailored trousers and grown-up dresses cut for real curves.
Mint Velvet — that soft, relaxed-luxe knitwear feeling at a friendlier price.
Me&Em — clever, elongating cuts that nail the same understated polish.

Premium

Sandro & Maje — French contemporary labels with a similar slim, continental fit; size up to match.
Claudie Pierlot — chic, fitted Parisian tailoring in the same spirit.
Cefinn — sharp British workwear-luxe with a tailored, defined waist.

Luxury & designer

By Malene Birger — Scandi-luxe pieces that sit beautifully alongside Victor Victoria (and are often stocked together).
Joseph — the gold standard for clean tailored trousers and fine knits.
Totême — minimalist, expensive-looking tailoring with the same restraint.

Two to discover

Bellerose — a Belgian independent with the same relaxed-luxe DNA; a lovely, lesser-known nod to Victor Victoria's home turf.
Pomandère — an Italian independent doing soft, understated tailoring and knits that feel quietly special.

Never guess your size again

Victor Victoria's continental sizing is exactly the sort of thing Tellar was built for. We're the UK's leading sizing tool — measure once using your bust, waist, hip, or a brand size you already own, and we match your body to 1,500+ brands instantly. No more squinting at size guides.

Use the Store Size Lookup to get your precise size in any brand — COS, Reiss, Everlane, Arket and more. Always free, no downloads, works straight in your browser.

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