Alessandra Rich vs Zimmermann: Which Printed Dress to Buy

Alessandra Rich and Zimmermann are the two printed-dress houses Luxury Handbags customers weigh against each other most often, and they are less alike than the search suggests. One is a London and Milan house built on polka-dot silk, tweed and lace with a defined waist and a strong shoulder; the other is an Australian house built on romantic florals, linen and tiered silk with a resort lightness. This comparison uses the live Luxury Handbags catalogue: 306 Alessandra Rich pieces against 1974 from Zimmermann.

Key facts

• Price: Alessandra Rich median $2,750, range $488 to $8,780. Zimmermann median $1,350, range $240 to $6,720.
• Origin: Alessandra Rich, London and Milan, founded 2010, made in Italy. Zimmermann, Sydney, founded 1991 by Nicky and Simone Zimmermann.
• Signature: polka-dot silk with a lace collar, tweed boucle, Chantilly lace, a defined waist. Zimmermann: printed florals, broderie anglaise, linen, tiered and ruffled silk, swimwear.
• Occasion: Alessandra Rich for the wedding, the service, the portrait and the evening. Zimmermann for resort, the summer wedding abroad, the garden party and the beach.
• Fit: both cut to standard sizing; Alessandra Rich in Italian sizes, Zimmermann in Australian sizes, both converted to the UK ladder at Luxury Shoes .

Where they overlap

A printed silk midi with a defined waist, worn to a wedding. Both houses make it and both make it well. The Alessandra Rich version is a polka dot with a contrast collar, in crêpe de chine, with a retro, almost 1980s formality; the Zimmermann version is a floral in a lighter silk, often tiered, with a bohemian ease. Put side by side, the Rich dress is the one for a city wedding in October and the Zimmermann for a beach wedding in June.

Where they differ

Everything else. Alessandra Rich makes tweed bouclé jackets and skirts, lace and velvet evening gowns, tartan silk, merino lace knits and, this season, shoes; it does not make swimwear, linen daywear, denim beyond a few pieces, and it does not do resort. Zimmermann’s range is wider and lighter: swim, resort, knit, linen, broderie, with occasion dresses as one strand among many. The Zimmermann catalogue at Luxury Handbags is 6 times the size of the Rich one and its median price is about half.

Price and value

The Alessandra Rich median of $2,750 against Zimmermann’s $1,350 reflects the fabric and the make: Italian silk crêpe de chine, wool tweed and Chantilly lace, cut with a set-in bodice, against lighter silks, linens and cottons. A Zimmermann silk midi at its upper range costs about what a Rich polka dot costs; the difference is what the rest of each range is priced at. For a piece to be worn once a year for a decade, Rich; for a summer wardrobe of three dresses, Zimmermann.

Who wears which

The Princess of Wales wears Alessandra Rich for royal portraits and services; she has also worn Zimmermann, mostly for daytime engagements in warm weather. That split is the whole comparison in one wardrobe. The Princess of Wales record lists the Rich appearances.

The picks

1. Polka Dot Dress With Collar, $2,882

The Alessandra Rich piece to buy if you were choosing between the two for a formal daytime wedding.

2. Silk Polka Dot Midi Dress with Collar, $3,040

The warmer colourway, cream and bordeaux, for an autumn wedding.

3. Floral-Print Silk Taffeta Midi Dress in White and Multi, $3,890

The Rich floral: taffeta with spaghetti straps, closer to the Zimmermann mood but with the house’s structure.

The Zimmermann collection at Luxury Shoes covers the other side.

Frequently asked questions

Is Alessandra Rich more expensive than Zimmermann?

Yes. The Alessandra Rich median at Luxury Handbags is $2,750 against $1,350 for Zimmermann, about double, because of the Italian silk, tweed and lace and the structured make.

Which is better for a wedding guest, Alessandra Rich and Zimmermann compared?

Alessandra Rich for a formal, city, autumn wedding: a polka-dot midi with a collar. Zimmermann for a summer, garden, beach wedding: a floral silk midi with tiers.

Are Alessandra Rich and Zimmermann similar?

Only in the printed silk midi. Alessandra Rich is tweed, lace, polka dots and evening; Zimmermann is florals, linen, resort and swim.

Does Kate Middleton wear Zimmermann?

She has, for warm-weather daytime engagements. For royal portraits and church services she has chosen Alessandra Rich polka dots repeatedly since 2018.

Which house makes shoes?

Both. Alessandra Rich shows four styles on a 10.5 cm stiletto for Fall Winter 2026, now at Luxury Shoes ; Zimmermann makes sandals and flats for its resort range.

Read next

brands like Alessandra Rich | Alessandra Rich vs Rasario | wedding guest dresses | the floral silks

All the Alessandra Rich guides at Luxury Shoes

Who is Alessandra Rich | How to style the polka-dot dress | Brands like Alessandra Rich | Fall Winter 2026 edit | Polka-dot dresses | The Princess of Wales dresses | Is Alessandra Rich a luxury brand | Price guide | Size guide | Sale guide | Where to buy | Real vs fake | Shoes | Alessandra Rich vs Rasario | Wedding guest dresses | Dresses | Midi dresses | Mini dresses | Evening gowns | Skirts | Tops and blouses | Jackets and coats | Knitwear | Black dresses | White and ivory | Blue dresses | Tweed and boucle | Lace dresses | Sequins and crystal | Bows and collars | Floral and printed silk | History and timeline | Glossary | Materials and care. Shop the full Alessandra Rich collection at Luxury Shoes .

Sources and method

Checked on 18 September 2026. Facts about the house come from the sources below; prices, counts and stock come from the live Luxury Handbags catalogue on that date and change with the season.

• Alessandra Rich, About the brand
• South China Morning Post, 7 April 2016, interview with Alessandra Rich
• Luxury Handbags product data for the 306 Alessandra Rich pieces on sale on 18 September 2026 (prices in USD, compositions, sizes, seasons)
• Luxury Handbags product data for the Zimmermann range on 18 September 2026

Gemma Deeks is Fashion Editor at Luxury Shoes . Prices, stock and counts on this page were checked against coveti.com and alessandrarich.com on 18 September 2026.