What Is Sizing Like at Vivetta? Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy

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

Vivetta runs small — this is an Italian luxury brand that uses Italian sizing, and you should expect to size up by at least one, and often two, sizes compared to your usual UK size. If you've fallen for one of their dreamlike Peter Pan collar dresses or their exquisitely embroidered blouses and you're tempted to order your normal size, please — stop, read this first, and save yourself the heartbreak of a gorgeous piece that won't do up.

I discovered Vivetta properly about five years ago when a client brought a lookbook to a consultation and said she wanted "something that felt like a fairy tale but could also go to dinner." She wasn't wrong — Vivetta is genuinely one of the most distinctive brands in contemporary Italian fashion, mixing playful whimsy with razor-sharp tailoring in a way that almost nobody else manages. The sizing, however, is a whole conversation in itself.

Italian Sizing: Why It Runs So Small

Vivetta uses Italian sizing, which was historically based on a very narrow fit ideal and has never really updated to reflect modern body proportions the way many other European brands have. The result is that a Vivetta IT 42 — their equivalent of a UK 14 on paper — often fits more like a UK 12, and sometimes a 10 depending on the cut. The structured tailoring in particular, the blazers and fitted dresses, tends to be cut very close to the body with minimal ease built in.

Here's how Vivetta's Italian sizing maps to UK sizes:

Vivetta (IT)UK SizeEU SizeUS Size36834438103664012388421440104416421246184414

This table is your starting point — but I'd treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. In practice, most women find they need to go one Italian size above what the table suggests, particularly through the bust and shoulders.

Dresses and Blouses: Size Up

Vivetta's dresses and blouses are the pieces that really put the brand on the map — and they are genuinely beautiful things. The embroidered cotton blouses with their distinctive oversized collars, the printed midi dresses with nipped waists, the silk occasion pieces. All of them are cut with very little room to spare.

If you're a UK 12 (IT 40 on the chart), try an IT 42 as your starting point
If you carry more volume through the bust, go straight to IT 44 — the bodice on many of their dresses has almost no give
The blouses in particular run tight across the shoulders; if you have broader shoulders, consider sizing up two full sizes
Midi and maxi dresses have more forgiveness in the skirt — the issue is almost always the bodice

Tailoring and Structured Pieces: Be Especially Careful

The Vivetta blazers and structured jackets are sublime — they're the sort of pieces that make people stop you on the street. They're also almost certainly the most unforgiving in terms of fit. Italian tailoring at this level is constructed with the assumption of an extremely slender silhouette, and there is genuinely very little room for adjustment once you're in the garment.

Always size up two full Italian sizes from your UK equivalent for blazers and jackets
If you're between sizes, go up rather than down — a tailor can take in a slightly large blazer; nobody can let out a seam that doesn't exist
Check the shoulder seam especially: with structured Italian tailoring, once the shoulder is wrong, the whole garment is wrong

Knitwear and Softer Styles

Vivetta does produce some knitwear and softer, less structured pieces — and these are mercifully a little more generous. You can often get away with just one size up rather than two for a relaxed knit or a looser-cut trouser. The printed silk trousers, for example, tend to have a more forgiving cut through the hip than the tailored pieces.

Where to Buy Vivetta in the UK

Vivetta isn't stocked on the high street — this is a boutique and luxury e-commerce brand. Your best options in the UK are Farfetch, MatchesFashion, and Browns Fashion, all of which carry the current season. Net-a-Porter occasionally stocks selected pieces. When buying online, always cross-reference your measurements against the brand's own size guide rather than relying on the retailer's generic conversion — I've seen Farfetch and Browns display slightly different size breakdowns for the same brand, which is maddening but true.

If at all possible, try Vivetta in person before buying. Their pieces are genuinely worth the effort of finding a stockist — the construction quality is exceptional and the fabrics are beautiful. You want to be sure you're in love with a piece that actually fits before committing at this price point.

Alternatives to Vivetta — My Pick of the Best

Whether you're after the Vivetta aesthetic at a more accessible price, or you simply want more sizing options, here's where I'd send you.

High Street Picks

Anthropologie — The closest the high street gets to Vivetta's whimsical, feminine energy. Embroidered blouses, quirky prints, occasion dresses — all done with genuine personality and in a wider range of sizes than most European brands.
Monsoon — Brilliant for the embroidered and printed dresses that are Vivetta's calling card, at a fraction of the price. Their occasion wear is consistently strong and they size generously.
Ted Baker — For the occasion-ready, feminine end of Vivetta's output. Ted Baker does beautiful printed wrap dresses and tailored pieces with real attention to fit and detail.
Whistles — A great call for the more understated, sophisticated side of Vivetta's aesthetic. Clean tailoring, interesting prints, and reliable UK sizing that makes online shopping much less of a gamble.
Cos — If you love Vivetta's structured silhouettes but want something that sits more quietly, COS does exceptional tailoring at a very accessible price point. Their sizing is consistent and accurate.
Oliver Bonas — Genuinely underrated for whimsical, print-led fashion. Their embroidered and illustrated pieces have a real Vivetta-adjacent charm and they're sized generously for a UK audience.
Jigsaw — For elevated, feminine dressing that won't require the sizing gymnastics of Italian luxury. Jigsaw's quality has improved hugely in recent years and their occasionwear is excellent.

Premium Picks

Claudie Pierlot — A French brand with exactly the same playful-meets-polished energy as Vivetta, but with more forgiving sizing and wider availability. Their embroidered and printed dresses are gorgeous and hold their value well.
Me&Em — For the tailored, structured side of what Vivetta does. Me&Em's quality is exceptional for the price and their fit is built for a real UK body — a genuinely reliable option for occasion dressing.

Independent & Niche Picks

Horror Vacui — A wonderfully eccentric Italian brand that trades in exactly the same territory as Vivetta — embroidered collars, bold prints, theatrical femininity — but at a slightly lower price point. Still a luxury buy, but a brilliant discovery if you love Vivetta's world. Their sizing also runs small, so apply the same logic: size up.
Bora Aksu — A London-based Turkish designer who has been creating quietly extraordinary feminine, romantic pieces for two decades. His work has featured on the London Fashion Week schedule consistently and the craftsmanship is outstanding. Closer to true UK sizing than most Italian brands, and a brilliant choice if you want something genuinely original.

Stop Guessing Your Size — Use Tellar

Vivetta is a perfect example of why "just check the size guide" isn't always enough. Italian luxury sizing is genuinely different from UK sizing, and the gap between what the chart says and what actually fits can be a full two sizes. That's where Tellar comes in.

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