Dolce & Gabbana Size Guide: Italian Sizes Converted to UK, US and FR

The single most common question we get about Dolce & Gabbana has nothing to do
with print, and nothing to do with provenance. It is what the number in the garment means. The house labels on
the Italian ladder, so the figure sewn into a skirt sits well above the UK size you
actually wear.

The short answer: subtract 32. IT 42 is a UK 10.

Dolce & Gabbana size conversion

Every Dolce & Gabbana size, converted

The table above is the whole answer, but these are the conversions people ask for most,
written out so you do not have to read across a row.

• Dolce & Gabbana size 36 is a US 0 and a UK 4.
• Dolce & Gabbana size 38 is a US 2 and a UK 6.
• Dolce & Gabbana size 40 is a US 4 and a UK 8.
• Dolce & Gabbana size 42 is a US 6 and a UK 10.
• Dolce & Gabbana size 44 is a US 8 and a UK 12.
• Dolce & Gabbana size 46 is a US 10 and a UK 14.
• Dolce & Gabbana size 48 is a US 12 and a UK 16.
• Dolce & Gabbana size 50 is a US 14 and a UK 18.

The rule behind all of it: subtract 36 from the Italian number for US
sizing, and 32 for UK sizing. French sizing is the Italian number minus 4.

The arithmetic is consistent across the ladder. UK is the Italian number minus 32, US
is minus 36, and French is minus 4. That holds for ready-to-wear across the house.

You do not need to do any of this on Luxury Shoes . Every Dolce & Gabbana piece is listed
in UK sizing already. The table is here for when you are comparing against something you
own, and for reading a label in a photograph.

Does Dolce & Gabbana run true to size?

For the most part, yes. The house publishes no blanket sizing instruction, and the
tailoring holds close to the ladder. Where you should slow down is with the shapes that
are built to sit against the body rather than over it.

• Tailoring. Jackets, coats and trousers run true. The shoulder is
  structured, so the fit is decided at the shoulder rather than the waist. Take your usual
  size.
• Corsetry and bustier bodices. These are cut close by design. The
  measurement to check is the bust, not the size number.
• Bias-cut and charmeuse slips. They fall closer than a woven dress
  of the same size. If you are between sizes here, the garment measurements matter more
  than the ladder.
• Knitwear. Fine-gauge pieces have some give and are forgiving
  between two sizes.

Read the measurements, not the number

Every Luxury Handbags product page carries a size guide with the garment’s own measurements in
centimetres, keyed to UK sizing. Where Dolce & Gabbana publishes a length, we carry it
through: a dress page will often tell you the length from the shoulder on a specific
Italian size, for example 120cm on IT 40.

Most product pages also carry the model’s height and the size she is wearing, usually
175cm in an IT 40, which is a UK 8. That single line is the fastest way to judge how a
length will fall on you. If you are 165cm, a dress described as calf-length on a 175cm
model will read closer to ankle-length.

A note on swimwear and lingerie sizing

Dolce & Gabbana sizes part of its
beachwear on a
separate 1 to 5 Italian scale rather than the 36 to 50 ladder. Where that happens, Luxury Shoes
converts to UK sizing so the listing stays consistent with the rest of the wardrobe.

Still unsure

Check the garment measurements on the product page first, then compare them against a
piece you already own and like the fit of. That comparison beats any conversion table,
including this one.

Browse the full
Dolce & Gabbana collection, and
read our guide to
who Dolce & Gabbana are and
what the house is known for. If you are still deciding between labels, we compared it
with its closest neighbours in
brands like Dolce &
Gabbana.