Bridal Sizing Guide to Wedding Dress Sizes and Size Charts

Why Wedding Dress Sizes Are Different from Regular Clothes

Bridal sizing is different from regular clothing sizing because no universal sizing standards exist across the bridal industry.

You might find that a bridal size 12 maps to a UK size 8 or 10 in regular clothes, meaning the size you order from a bridal chart will often be one or two higher than what you’d usually wear.

It’s completely understandable to feel a little puzzled when your usual size doesn’t translate across, but there’s absolutely no need to worry.

Here is everything you need to know about bridal sizes in our Made to Order collection.

How to Take Your Wedding Dress Measurements

Taking Your Bust, Waist and Hip Measurements

Three measurements determine your wedding dress size: bust, natural waist, and hips.

Take each one with a soft tape measure sitting parallel to the floor, and get someone to help if you can, as keeping the tape level is easier with a second pair of hands.

Measure around the fullest part of your bust, with the tape running across the widest point of your chest and across your back. Your natural waist is the narrowest point of your torso.

For hips, wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips.

What to Wear When You Take Your Measurements

Wear the underwear you plan to wear on your wedding day when you take these measurements, or something with a similar silhouette.

A different bra can shift your bust measurement by an inch or two!

Dress measurements should reflect your actual wedding day look. So we always advise to bring a similar height of heels to your wedding dress appointment as well.

To ensure your dress arrives in the right size, always order to the largest of your three measurements, because alterations can take a gown in substantially while letting one out is limited by the available seam allowance.

How Wedding Dress Size Charts Work

Do Different Designers Use Different Size Charts?

Every designer uses their own size chart rather than a shared industry standard, and sizing often differs enough that your dress size may change from one gown to the next in the same appointment.

A wedding dress that’s a size 14 with one label can be a size 16 with another, depending on whose size chart applies.

American bridal sizing starts at size 2 and uses a different scale from UK sizing entirely. Their numbers run several sizes lower than UK equivalents.

We always reassure our brides to not be thrown if you’re looking at a very different number than you’re used to

What Happens When You Fall Between Sizes?

Bridal size charts are built around three measurements: bust, waist, and hips.

When your figures place you between two sizes, a bridal stylist will factor in your body shape in the context of the specific gown and recommend the correct size to order.

Our stylists have years of experience finding the right size for every bride and can help recommend potential alterations for the perfect fit.

Some styles are more flexible than others, and our stylists will always be honest with you about what’s achievable before you commit to an order

Wedding Gown Alterations and the Final Fit

What Alterations Does a Wedding Dress Need?

A wedding dress is ordered to a bridal size, and the gown will need alterations to fit your individual measurements once it arrives.

An independent seamstress or dressmaker handles this work across a series of fitting appointments.

Common wedding dress alterations include taking in the bodice and waist, adjusting the hem length, and modifying the neckline or straps.

The options for brides who’ve ordered to the larger measurement are broad, and most of the adjustment work happens at the waist and bodice.

Once the dress is perfect, we will guide you through proper ways to store your wedding gown.

Budgeting for Alterations

Alterations carry a separate cost and take time, so build both into your dress budget when you’re planning.

Six to twelve weeks is a typical timeline before your wedding date, but it can vary depending on availability.

Don’t put too much on the number you order.

The seamstress works from your actual measurements at each fitting. They will help complete your dress so it fits you perfectly.

Common Questions About Bridal Sizing

Does Bridal Sizing Run Small?

Bridal sizing often runs small compared to high street clothing, so ordering one to two sizes larger than your street size is completely normal at bridal shops.

What Is a Bridal Size 12 Equivalent To?

A bridal size 12 is roughly equivalent to a UK size 8 or 10 in regular clothes, though the exact figure varies depending on the gown and the designer. How a gown is designed plays a part too, because a structured bodice with limited seam allowance runs closer to true measurements. Gowns with a corset back allow more adjustment at the fitting stage, so the ordered size matters less.

What Is a Size 14 in Bridal?

A bridal size 14 is approximately equivalent to a UK size 10 or 12 in regular clothes.

Brides who wear a size 14 on the high street may order a larger size in a wedding gown, typically a 16 or 18, depending on the designer’s bridal size chart. Alterations after delivery adjust the dress to your specific measurements either way.

How Do I Figure Out My Bridal Dress Size?

Take your three measurements (bust, waist, hips) with a soft tape measure, with each measurement parallel to the floor, then compare those figures against the wedding dress size chart for the specific gown you’re ordering. At Bijoux, our bridal stylists take your measurements at the start of your appointment and work through each designer’s size chart with you. You don’t need to determine your wedding dress size at home.

Your Perfect Dress and Sizing at Bijoux

Bijoux Bridal stocks UK sizes 6 to 36 in store, giving every bride the opportunity to find their dream dress.

Whatever the style, whatever the colour, we are sure to have your dream gown.

At your appointment, our stylists take your measurements, work through the size charts for any gowns you want to explore, and explain the alteration process before you place an order.

Gown sizing is handled differently across every label we stock, and knowing which size to order on every gown you love is part of what our stylists are here for.

Book your appointment at Bijoux Bridal in Hamilton and start your bridal journey toward your dream dress.